News Desk
MALE’ — The government has declined to say whether Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim will be arrested, with Presidential Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef telling reporters that the police would be the right authority to answer that question.
The deflection came as rumors circulated on social media about a possible arrest of Nazim, the Dhiggaru constituency MP whose removal from the Deputy Speaker post is scheduled to be voted on in Sunday’s Majlis session. Shareef said he did not know whether an arrest would happen or not.
The no-confidence motion, submitted with the signatures of 73 PNC members, will be put to a vote on 31 May. The 14-day notice period given to Nazim expired on Friday. The current parliamentary session, which was due to go into recess, was extended specifically to allow the motion to be heard before the term ended. PNC parliamentary group members have been instructed to remain in Male’ and attend Sunday’s session.
As of Saturday, Nazim was reported to be in Malaysia. Whether he will return in time to address the Majlis before the vote is uncertain, though reports suggest he may arrive in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Shareef said he believed the motion was being brought because Nazim’s interests had diverged from those of the party. He said he was unaware of any internal discussions about removing Nazim from his parliamentary seat entirely, a separate and more consequential step that would require action under the anti-defection law. He also noted that his personal relationship with Nazim remains intact.
A senior PNC official said the motion was filed because Nazim refused to resign voluntarily when asked to do so. Several PNC members have alleged that Nazim had been quietly working with 23 party members to build support for a no-confidence motion against President Dr Mohamed Muizzu himself, an allegation that has not been officially confirmed but which, if true, would explain the urgency with which the party has moved against him.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said publicly that a no-confidence vote against President Muizzu will pass before the end of the year. Whether Nazim is part of that calculation is the question hanging over Sunday’s session.
The vote itself is not in doubt. The PNC has the numbers. What Sunday will reveal is whether Nazim returns to address the chamber, what he says if he does, and whether any of what has been alleged about his conversations with opposition-aligned members surfaces in the open.
