Due to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eva Abdulla calling in sick once more, the parliament sitting scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled.

This is the fifth time an attempt of the People’s Majlis to hold the no-confidence motion against Speaker of the People’s Majlis and Former President Mohamed Nasheed has failed.

The previous four sittings were cancelled on October 29, 30 and November 1 after Deputy Speaker Eva called in sick on four consecutive days.

After the parliament sittings were cancelled, lawmakers protested at the parliament floor. On Wednesday, lawmakers protested with a banner stating that the best course of action for Nasheed in this situation would be to resign on his own. The MPs alleged that this was part of a conspiracy. Further, they called for the resignation of Parliament’s Secretary-General Fathimath Niusha and Council General Fathimath Filza.

The Deputy Speaker must preside over the no-confidence motion against the speaker, according to the rules of the People’s Majlis.

In her letter sent to the parliament, Eva noted that she had tested positive for Dengue. However, Eva called in sick on the day the speaker’s no-confidence motion was placed on the agenda, even after she presided over the parliament sitting on October 24 while being positive for Dengue.

Since then, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has filed a petition at the Supreme Court, seeking to suspend sittings of the People’s Majlis until the no-confidence motion is carried out. The petition has since been accepted and scheduled to proceed on Monday.

MDP issued a three-line whip to vote in favor of the no-confidence motion on October 25. Nasheed’s removal from the post of speaker of the People’s Majlis was sought under Article 82(b) of the Constitution of the Maldives.

The notice regarding the no-confidence motion was sent to Nasheed on October 12. The letter addressed to Nasheed, who is also the MP for Central Mahchangoalhi consistency, read that the People’s Majlis received a resolution signed by 49 lawmakers, seeking to remove Nasheed from the post of Parliament Speaker on October 9.

The no-confidence motion was re-submitted against former president Nasheed with the signatures of 49 lawmakers. Initially, MDP gathered the signatures to pass and submit a no-confidence motion to oust their then leader as Parliament Speaker during June. This came with a move to oust Deputy Speaker Eva as well. However, the no-confidence motions against the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were withdrawn on the basis of maintaining peace and in the best interests of the party.

Although the main ruling party attempted to cooperate with their estranged former leader and his ‘The Democrats’ during the second round of the 2023 Presidential Election, their efforts went down the drains and MDP lost both rounds.

Parliament has been stalled for a week at a time a supplementary budget of MVR 6.5 billion to spend for the remainder of the year has been submitted.

According to Article 75 of the Maldives Constitution, lawmakers must act in the national interest and welfare of the people. No parliamentarian shall use their position to promote the interests of that person or any other person who has a relationship with the member.