Nasheed’s MPs to be dismissed as committee chairs

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group decided Wednesday to dismiss the chairs of parliamentary committees who support the party’s leader Mohamed Nasheed.

The committee chairs who will be dismissed are MP Imthiyaz Fahmy (Inthi), who chairs the Judiciary Committee; MP Ilyas Labeel, who chairs the State-Owned Enterprises Committee; MP Hassan Latheef, who chairs the General Purposes Committee; and Yasir Abdul Latheef, who chairs the Disciplinary Committee.

The deputy leader of MDP’s parliamentary group, South Henveiru MP Hussain Shaheem (Andhun Hussain) said the parliamentary group made the decision to dismiss the MPs for repeated violation of the party’s principles.

He said that they had therefore decided to ask the Parliament speaker for action against the four MPs.

Parliament speaker Nasheed and MPs loyal to him have been running ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’, a separate political movement, since his defeat in the party’s presidential primary back in January.

In a letter to the MDP parliamentary group leader, North Hithadhoo MP Mohamed Aslam on April 4, North Thinadhoo MP Abdul Mughnee said MPs from the Nasheed-led Fikuregge Dhirun faction were submitting different decrees against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He said they were also working in parliamentary committees against the government.

Mughnee asked for a motion to remove MPs involved in Nasheed’s faction from parliamentary committees and make other changes.

Nasheed’s Fikuregge Dhirun faction has aligned itself with Jumhoory Party (JP) against President Solih’s administration. There are 12 MPs loyal to Nasheed in the Parliament.

Nasheed’s faction refuses to back President Solih in the presidential election slated for September 9, and have announced their support for JP’s presidential candidate Qasim Ibrahim. They are also working on drafting a coalition agreement.