Will not allow parliament to conduct no-confidence vote, says PG

Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizzu has said he will not allow the parliament to conduct a vote of no confidence against him.

Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions on Wednesday passed a report asking for a no-confidence motion against Muizzu, which will be asked for vote on the parliament floor. However, Muizzu told Sun that he also has the option to resign before the report goes to vote.

The motion of no confidence was presented to the Independent Institutions Committee with signatures from 26 MPs from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Muizzu argued that the committee has not fulfilled the procedures required to pass such a report, and that it can be contested in court.

“There will be no vote of no confidence against me on the parliament floor. I also have the right to resign before a vote of no confidence is asked. I also believe that in my case, the [parliament committee] had acted against due procedure. I also have the right to go to court,” Muizzu said.

However, the Prosecutor General did not answer when posed if had intends to resign before the parliament goes to vote on the no-confidence motion against him.

Independent Institutions Committee on 4 November asked Muizzu to submit his defence in writing. However, he had maintained that he was not allowed enough to time to individually address the allegations against him. Muizzu submitted his defence in writing on 5 November.

Ahmed Muizzu was appointed as the Prosecutor General on 29 July 2009, during a MDP government. Parliament approved him as the new and independent Prosecutor General on 4 September 2009 with cross-party support and a 71-vote majority.

The no confidence motion, led by MDP MPs, argues that the Muizzu is biased in his prosecution and has failed to prosecute the members of the State security forces mentioned in the Commission of National Inquiry report, which was published following an investigation of the controversial change of power in February 2012.