MDP to submit no-confidence motion against Home Minister

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to submit a no-confidence motion against the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan.

The minister is alleged to have misused the data of Department of National Registration (DNR) to inflate the party membership of ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) by means of forged forms.

The opposition came to the decision during its Parliamentary Group meeting.

Pictures showing employees of DNR extracting personal information of people to fill party membership forms have been leaked online. Another leaked photo shows the minister observing the proceedings of the form filling process.

The opposition alleges the forged membership forms were submitted to the Elections Commission (EC) under the supervision of the minister.

A minimum of 10 MP signatures are required to submit a no-confidence motion against cabinet ministers, and their dismissal is approved if the decision receives majority votes in the parliament.

While MDP has decided to submit the motion, only 12 of its members are current sitting MPs at the 20^th parliament assembly.

On Monday, news of MDP member Hussain Ziyad, who is the sitting Vaikaradhoo MP, being enrolled as a ruling party member without his knowledge surfaced. EC’s member, Hassan Zakariyya, while speaking with ‘Sun’ Online said that the commission has learned that the MP’s name was added to PNC’s membership without his knowledge.

Hassan confirmed the commissioned convened an emergency meeting, where Ziyad was re-registered to MDP.

Regarding questions of whether Ziyad would lose his parliamentary seat, Hassan said the commission does not believe there is any reason for the MP to lose his seat since he did not change the membership voluntarily.