PNC uses Parliament supermajority to foil no-confidence motion against home minister

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority in the Parliament on Tuesday to foil a no-confidence motion submitted against Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The no-confidence motion against Ihusan was submitted last month with the endorsement of the 12 lawmakers who represent the MDP at the Parliament. He is accused by the MDP of misusing privileged information of citizens on the database of the Department of National Registration (DNR) and other state resources to create fake forms to drive up ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s membership, as well as of exerting political influence over the police service to repeatedly obstruct criminal investigations and prevent the police from performing their legal duties.

The Parliament took the floor vote on the motion in the afternoon. But the motion failed as 64 PNC parliamentarians voted to reject the bill. Only 11 voted in favor of the motion.

The voting took place after Ihusan was given one hour in the morning to present his response to the allegations.

Ihusan did not deny that Homeland Security Ministry officials filled out party forms at the DNR premises. He said that cabinet ministers were instructed by the PNC’s leadership to fill out a certain number of forms, and that he assigned the task to the political appointees at his ministry.

But he said that the ministry officials did not use information from the database to fill out the forms, but had signed and fingerprinted as witnesses on valid forms.

He said that while he does not believe it to be a crime, he believes that political work shouldn’t be done within the premises of a trusted state institution, and had instructed against conducting any political work within any of the ministry’s offices following the incident.

And, referring to the photos where he appeared to be observing as senior officials at the Homeland Security Ministry filled out PNC membership forms inside a meeting room, Ihusan repeated his assertion that he had gone there because he was invited to have pizza with them.

Ihusan denied allegations regarding the Xpat system - shifting the blame on the MDP administration instead. He also denied allegations that he exerts political influence over police investigations, remarking that if he did influence the police, the leaders of the former administration would all be in jail.