In the heart of the Maldives’ political landscape, chaos ensues as the Opposition threatens to impeach President Mohamed Muizzu, a leader known for his pro-China stance. Meanwhile, the coalition government, consisting of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC), staunchly asserts its commitment to preventing any endeavors to remove President Muizzu through parliamentary channels.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the dominant force in Parliament, is strategically planning to submit a motion for the impeachment of President Muizzu, as revealed in recent media reports.
PPM Parliamentary Group (PG) leader, Ahmed Saleem (Redwave Saleem), passionately declares, “We won’t grant them the chance to proceed. They’d have to overcome all of us before even entertaining the thought of removing the President from office,” as quoted by The Edition.mv.
The political tumult in the Maldives’ parliament unfolds in the aftermath of clashes on Sunday between pro-government MPs and opposition lawmakers, stemming from differences over the approval of four members of the pro-China President’s cabinet.
Furthermore, on Monday, the Maldives’ Parliament strategically approves only one of the four members of President Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet, directly challenging the three-line red whip issued by the main opposition MDP.
Following the decision by the MDP and The Democrats’ parliamentary group to withhold approval for four cabinet members, pro-government MPs from the PPM/PNC coalition initiate a protest, causing disruptions in the parliamentary sitting.
The unanimous resolve to submit an impeachment motion is reached in the Maldives parliamentary group meeting of the MDP held on Monday, reported by The Edition.mv. Notably, a minimum of 53 votes is required within parliament to oust a sitting president.
Recent amendments to the standing orders of the Maldives Parliament streamline the process of submitting an impeachment motion. The combined strength of the MDP and Democrats, with 56 MPs (43 from MDP and 13 from Democrats), strategically positions them in the political landscape.
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The gathering of signatures for an impeachment motion against Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu follows a day after the PPM-PNC coalition, backed by 23 lawmakers, submits no-confidence motions against Speaker Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem – both affiliated with the MDP.
With the Maldives Parliamentary elections scheduled for mid-March, these political maneuvers add complexity to President Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure. Since assuming office on November 17 last year, President Muizzu, a pro-China leader, formally urges India to withdraw its military personnel, citing a “strong mandate” from the Maldivian people.