Tag: General Affairs Committee

Committee rejects amendment requiring vote for debating resolutions

The People’s Majlis’ general affairs committee yesterday rejected an amendment proposed to the parliamentary rules to require a vote ahead of debating bills and resolutions on the floor.

At a press conference on Sunday (August 17), opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Imthiyaz Fahmy revealed that Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed – a member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives – had sent a letter to the general affairs committee requesting the revision.

Under the existing rules or standing orders, a resolution submitted to parliament has to be debated on the floor ahead of a vote.

Imthiyaz contended that the move by the majority party – which holds a comfortable majority in the 85-member house – was intended to “silence” the minority.

According to opposition-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV, Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) MP Ahmed Amir voted in favour of a proposal by Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ahmed Mubeen to keep the section unchanged.

The proposal was approved despite PPM MPs voting against it after JP and MDP MPs voted in favour. Amir’s was the deciding vote.

The MDA is a coalition partner of the ruling party.

MP Imthiyaz had noted that a resolution he submitted in July calling for a parliamentary debate on a controversial decision by the Judicial Service Commission clearing Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed of misconduct has yet to be tabled in the agenda by the speaker.

The resolution was submitted after pro-government MPs voted down a motion without notice submitted by the MDP for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

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Parliament approves amendment to conduct no-confidence votes through secret ballot

Parliament voted today 41-34 to approve amendments to the parliamentary rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence votes to impeach the President and remove cabinet members through secret ballot.

Today’s vote passed after a similar proposition was narrowly defeated 39-34 in November.

In October, the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) submitted a no-confidence motion to impeach President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

The no-confidence motion has however yet to be tabled in the Majlis agenda. Under the rules or standing orders, the President must be given a 14-day notice ahead of the vote.

Today’s vote was won after MPs of the government-aligned Jumhooree Party (JP) and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) – including respective leaders MPs Gasim Ibrahim and Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – joined MDP MPs to vote in favour of the amendments.

The amendment to the house rules was meanwhile approved after MPs voted in favour of a report (Dhivehi) by the MDP-majority General Affairs Committee, which voted last month in favour of the amendments proposed by MDP MP Ibrahim Rasheed for secret voting.

During today’s debate on the report, MPs of the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) contended that the report was tabled in the agenda in violation of Majlis rules and criticised having to vote on the same issue for a second time.

PPM MPs along with some DRP MPs and several Independent MPs argued against secret ballots in parliament and insisted that constituents deserved to know how their MPs vote.

MPs further contended that conducting no-confidence votes through secret ballot would give weight to widespread allegations of corruption levelled against parliament.

Meanwhile, speaking at rally on Thursday night, Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla called MPs who voted in favour of secret ballot “traitors.”

Imran warned that he would “chase after” MPs and the Speaker if the amendments were approved and threatened “direct action”.

“The day that [Speaker Abdulla] Shahid takes a vote to destroy the country is the day that we run after him,” Imran had said.

In an apparent response, Speaker Shahid said in a statement this week that intimidation and threats of force against MPs violated “the spirit of the constitution and democratic principles.”

Article 90(a) of the constitution states, “No member or other person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court, and no person shall be subject to any inquiry, arrest, detention or prosecution, with respect to anything said in, produced before, or submitted to the People’s Majlis or any of its committees, or with respect to any vote given if the same is not contrary to any tenet of Islam.”

While informing MPs of the wishes of the public was part of democratic norms, Speaker Shahid said in his statement that it did not include threats, intimidation and “inflicting psychological or physical harm on MPs.”

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Committee approves amendment for secret ballot for second time

Parliament’s General Affairs Committee has approved for a second time an amendment proposed to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot.

The amendment would come into effect if it is passed by a vote at the Majlis floor.

A previous decision by the committee was declared void by the Counsellor General Fathmath Filza on the grounds that the committee meeting on October 23 where it was voted through took place in violation of the rules.

The committee meeting took place without either the chair or deputy chair in attendance.

Newspaper Haveeru reported  on Thursday that the amendment by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Shifaz was approved again at a meeting Wednesday night. The former ruling party has a voting majority on the committee.

Independent MP for Dhaalu Atoll Kudahuvadhoo and Deputy Chair of the General Affairs Committee, Ahmed Amir, told the newspaper that the amendment was approved with four votes from MDP MPs and three against.

“Although the committee’s decision was overturned earlier, the decision for a secret ballot [for no-confidence motions] will be valid this time,” Amir was quoted as saying.

MDP MP Shifaz proposed the amendment last week after MP Amir withdraw a similar amendment to the house rules to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot.

Shifaz’s amendment however does not apply to no-confidence motions against the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of parliament.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach a sitting president.

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Committee decision on secret ballot overturned

Parliament’s Counsellor General Fathmath Filza has informed the General Affairs Committee that a decision to approve an amendment to the parliamentary rules of procedure was void as the meeting where it was voted through last week took place in violation of the rules.

An anonymous member of the committee told Sun Online yesterday that the committee meeting last week took place in the absence of both the chair and deputy chair.

The issue had to be tabled in the committee’s agenda again, the anonymous MP explained.

The meeting on October 23 was presided over by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ali Azim while the amendment was reportedly voted through by four MPs of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The former ruling party has a majority on the General Affairs Committee.

The amendment to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot was proposed by MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz after a similar amendment was withdrawn by Independent MP Ahmed Amir, who is also deputy chair of the committee.

The committee’s chair is DRP MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem.

The amendment to parliament’s standing orders or rules of procedure would have to be approved in a vote at the Majlis floor to become official.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach the president.

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Government threatens legal action against parliament

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza has threatened legal action “using all the powers of the government” against the People’s Majlis to “bring parliament back to the right path” in an appearance on government-aligned private broadcaster DhiTV on October 25.

Referring to parliament’s General Affairs Committee approving an amendment to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot, Riza said that the government could not “turn a blind eye” to what he contended was a move that violated the constitution.

“The constitution and parliamentary rules of procedure clearly state which votes are to be conducted through secret ballot. The rest of the votes should be open,” he claimed.

Riza went on to heavily criticise the committee decision, insisting that it violated the parliamentary rules on conducting committees meetings and votes.

The formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While the motion against Home Minister Jameel has been tabled in the agenda for November 14, the impeachment motion has yet to be tabled.

The MDP-dominated General Affairs Committee approved the amendment for a secret ballot last week with four votes in favour and none against, committee chair and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP for mid-Henveiru Ali Azim told local media. Only five MPs reportedly attended the committee meeting last week.

The amendment to parliament’s standing orders or rules of procedure would have to be approved in a vote at the Majlis floor to become official.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach a sitting president.

Meanwhile, responding to Riza today, MDP Spokesperson and Henveiru South MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor told Minivan News that the party believed the remarks constituted a threat to violate separation of powers.

“It is simply second nature for the 7/2 police and military-backed coup-invoked dictatorship to use force to stay afloat,” the MP said.

Hamid had earlier tweeted that Abbas’s remarks were “open threats of use of force to stop secret ballot.”

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