MPs from the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) lambasted Alhan Fahmy, an MP from their party, at a rally last night, after he voted against party lines in a no-confidence motion against the foreign minister.
At the rally, DRP MPs spoke out against Alhan calling him a “rat”.
Speaking to Minivan News today, MP Ahmed Nihan said Alhan’s decision to vote against the party was the “biggest surprise” of the day. “I didn’t expect him to do that,” he said.
Last month, the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance (DRP-PA) coalition submitted a motion of no-confidence against Dr Ahmed Shaheed over the government’s decision establish ties with Israel.
Shaheed narrowly survived yesterday’s vote; out of 73 MPs in attendance, 37 MPs voted in favour of the motion. 39 votes were needed for the motion to pass.
But in a surprise move, DRP MP Alhan Fahmy went against his party, arguing he had met with Shaheed and found the DRP’s allegations to be baseless.
Nihan said Alhan had told the DRP parliamentary group about his meeting with Shaheed the day before the vote.
He added he had tried to persuade Alhan to vote along party lines, arguing that many of the documents offered up by Shaheed were probably fabricated.
After the opposition submitted the no-confidence motion, Shaheed made public copies of agreements for diplomatic ties and other documents, proving the former government had decided to normalise relations with Israel in June 1994.
An angry crowd of DRP supporters protested outside Alhan’s residence from 12pm onwards today.
At the rally, Nihan and Thohdhoo MP Ali Waheed called on the DRP to take action against Alhan.
“He defied the party rules, the three-line whip so obviously there has to be some kind of action…he won’t be removed from the party without being given the chance to defend himself,” said Nihan.
He added that Alhan had betrayed the party and it would have been better to abstain from voting.
“I don’t believe it’s a big blow politically to the party because Shaheed was made to explain in front of the whole Majlis yesterday about establishing ties with Israel. It was DRP who won yesterday, not MDP,” he said.
But, said Eva Abdulla, an MP from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), parliament’s rules of procedure had clear guidelines on questioning ministers during question time.
“Surely that would’ve been a good starting point and much less resource-consuming?” she said.
Alhan told Minivan News today that he was still a member of the DRP and had no plans to defect to MDP. He further said the opposition should not submit no-confidence motions for political reasons.
On the DRP rally, he said he had spoken to Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, the party’s deputy leader, and asked him to try and stop other MPs from speaking out against him with such “hatred” and “emotion”.
“They can take action against me. The council has a due process and has the authority even to expel me from the party after they study the case,” he said.
At the rally, MPs also said that two independent MPs, Mohamed Nasheed and Ibrahim Muttalib, had also reneged on their decision to support the vote.
Nihan said although the motion was initiated by DRP, it was “tremendously” supported by Nasheed.
“He was there to help us beyond the formal talks and gave us support…we are quite shocked. It’s immature behaviour,” he said. “I thought he was totally engaged, even Muttalib.”
Nasheed told Minivan News he did not wish to comment.
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