Regulation amended, 42 signatures necessary for Speaker no-confidence motions

No-confidence motions submitted against Speaker of People’s Majlis Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed and Deputy Speaker of People’s Majlis Reeko Moosa Manik have been kicked out of the Majlis after lawmakers passed a regulation change so no-confidence petitions with less than 42 signatures will no longer be accepted.

The amendment, submitted by Hoarafushi MP Mohamed Ismail was passed with the unanimous vote of 46 lawmakers. None of the opposition lawmakers participated in the vote.

General Purpose Committee held an emergency meeting last Sunday, during which it voted to amend Article 175 of People’s Majlis regulation which had allowed acceptance of no-confidence petitions on Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Majlis filed with signatures of minimum 15 lawmakers to minimum 42 lawmakers.

The committee voted to amend Article 175 (a) and Article 175 (b), and add a new clause – Article 175 (h).

People’s Majlis, this Monday, voted in support of the changes as passed by the committee.

Following the results, Speaker Maseeh announced the changes were effective immediately, and that the no-confidence motions filed against him and Deputy Speaker Reeko was therefore out of the Majlis.

Government-aligned lawmakers said the regulation change had been necessary to stop the opposition from “harassing” the government, while the opposition lawmakers called the regulation change “unconstitutional.”