Maldives: Opposition prepares impeachment motion against President Muizzu

The Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party is preparing an impeachment motion against the country’s President Mohamed Muizzu, local reports said on Monday.

The Maldivian Democratic Party has a majority in the island nation’s Parliament. The main Opposition party, led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, has 43 members in the 80-seat People’s Majlis. Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s The Democrats party has 13 seats.

The impeachment motion needs to be passed with a two-thirds majority in the unicameral House. The two Opposition parties have 56 parliament members, more than the required number of 54.

The Muizzu-led alliance comprising the Progressive Party of Maldives and the People’s National Congress has 19 members.

The Maldivian Democratic Party, in partnership with The Democrats, had gathered enough signatures for the impeachment motion, an unidentified legislator from Solih’s party told Sun Mv on Monday.

The Opposition is yet to submit the motion in parliament, Sun Mv reported.

The development comes a day after a fight broke out in Parliament between pro-government legislators and Opposition MPs following differences over the approval of four members in Muizzu’s Cabinet.

Muizzu, who became the president in November, is widely seen as sympathetic to China’s interests in the country. India had closely watched the presidential election as the Maldives is of strategic importance to Delhi amid its geopolitical competition with China in the Indian Ocean region.

Earlier this month,...

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