Maldives: Parliamentary proceedings halted as opposition MPs engage in fight
Jan 28, 2024
Male [Maldives], January 28 : The Maldives Parliament witnessed violence when government MPs (PPM/PNC party) disturbed the proceedings of Parliament and the Speakers, according to Adhahdhu.
A key vote on parliamentary approval for the Muizzu government was scheduled for today.
As dramatic visuals surfaced on social media from Male, a fight between MDP MP Isa and PNC MP Abdullah Shaheem Abdul Hakeem was seen.
Adhadhu is an online news outlet in the Maldives.
According to Adhadhu, one video showcased Shaheem gripping Isa's leg and the two falling together, whereas another visual that went viral on social media showed Isa kicking Shaheem's neck and pulling his hair.
The footage also shows other members pushing Shaheem out of the area. A member of parliament was brought to an ambulance after suffering injuries, the local media reported.
Notably, the ministers' approval was slated for 1:30 p.m. However, several PNC members barricaded the House and disrupted the session.
The demonstrators said that accepting the ministers would stymie progress, as they demanded the Speaker of Parliament to quit.
The ruling coalition parties, the PNC and the PPP, released a statement portraying the ministers' refusal as an impediment to the delivery of public services, according to Adhadhu.
However, Chief Advisor to Muizzu and PNC Chairman Abdul Raheem Abdullah stated that the ministers have the right to be reappointed even if they are not authorised.
He criticised the refusal to approve the ministers as irresponsible.
Quite recently, two opposition parties in the Maldives came out against the current regime over its 'stark' anti-India pivot.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and The Democrats jointly issued a joint press statement, labelling the shift in foreign policy as 'extremely detrimental' to the country's long-term development.
The statement served to reassert and affirm the Opposition's belief that "alienating any development partner, and especially the country's most long-standing ally will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country".
The Opposition further underscored that "stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives."
Both the MDP and The Democrats emphasised the critical need for consecutive governments to maintain the ability "to work with all development partners for the benefit of the people of the Maldives, as the Maldives has traditionally done".
