Nine MDP lawmakers ejected from Parliament chambers

Nine lawmakers from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), including the party’s parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Nazil, have been named and ejected from the Parliament chambers.

The nine MPs who were ejected are:

• South Hithadhoo MP Ibrahim Nazil
• Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir
• Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fitte)
• Thoddoo MP Hussain Sameer
• Hanimaadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo)
• Maradhoo MP Ahmed Didi (Pele)
• Keyodhoo MP Mohamed Niushad
• Kanditheemu MP Ameen Faisal
• North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu)

MDP lawmakers got out of their seats and began protesting as the State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Committee’s chair Ibrahim Didi was presenting the committee’s report on the request for approval for the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB)’s new president Mohamed Nizar.

Kudu told Sun that their concerns stemmed from the denial of slots for North Hithadhoo MP Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe) from parliamentary committee.

Sobe had assumed office on June 15, after winning by-election earlier this month.

Speaker Abdul Raheem had responded that Sobe had been appointed to two committees as required under the Parliament’s standing orders.

“He has been given slots from two committees. It does not mean it needs to be two committees that the MDP wants,” responded Abdul Raheem.

The sitting continued after the nine lawmakers were ejected from the chambers.