The parliamentary secretariat has postponed the extraordinary sitting convened to confirm President Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet. Initially scheduled for 11 a.m., the sitting has been pushed back to 1 p.m.
The rescheduling comes after a tumultuous sitting held on Sunday, which was intended to address pending parliamentary tasks, including the already protracted cabinet confirmation process. The session was marred by disruptions and clashes between MPs from the ruling coalition and the opposition, resulting in injuries to some MPs.
Prior to the sitting, The Democrats and the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had issued three-line whips opposing confirmation of specific nominations. This led to disruptions by the ruling coalition.
In the aftermath of the chaos, the ruling coalition, comprising the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), condemned the attacks on its lawmakers and announced plans to file a case with the Maldives Police Service.
The decision by the MDP and The Democrats to oppose the confirmation of specific cabinet nominations was met with criticism from government appointees and ruling coalition supporters, leading to protests near the Parliament House. Following confrontations between MPs, several MPs reported receiving death threats.
The Democrats have characterised the protests and chaos in the parliament chamber as a coercive strategy by the ruling coalition to compel the opposition into endorsing all cabinet nominations. They have urged the Parliament Committee on National Security Services to investigate whether the Maldives Police Service and the Maldives National Defence Force had fulfilled their security roles.
Amidst the turmoil, the ruling coalition initiated a no-confidence motion against Speaker Mohamed Aslam and Deputy Speaker Ahmed Saleem, alleging their complicity in the chaos. Despite repeated attempts to resume the proceedings, Sunday’s sitting was again disrupted and ultimately adjourned.