News Desk
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s weekly press conference was cancelled on Monday morning with less than an hour’s notice, as journalists waiting at the President’s Office were told the meeting would not go ahead due to the President’s work commitments.
The press conference was scheduled for 10.00am. No further explanation was given for the cancellation. Since March, the President’s Office has set aside one hour every Monday, from 10.00am to 11.00am, for a weekly press conference, with exceptions made only for public holidays, travel or similar circumstances.
It was not the only cancellation on Monday. The parliamentary session that Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah had announced at the close of Thursday’s sitting also did not take place. No reason was given for that cancellation either.
The timing has drawn scrutiny. The first session of the 2026 Parliament was due to close on 15 May. On the final Thursday of the session, rather than adjourning as scheduled, the Speaker moved to extend the session to 31 May, citing important work to be completed. A majority of 58 members voted in favour of the extension. The Speaker then announced a session would be held on Monday. It was not.
The opposition MDP has said the extension was not about legislation. The party alleges the session was kept open specifically to expedite the removal of Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, against whom a no-confidence motion was submitted to the parliamentary office on Thursday.
Under the Constitution, a resolution to remove the Deputy Speaker requires 14 days notice. Nazim must also be given the opportunity to speak in his own defence before a vote is held, though he cannot participate in the vote itself. The MDP said the 14-day period would expire after the Eid holidays, meaning the vote on Nazim’s removal is expected to be scheduled for after the break.
Nazim is accused of using his position to advance a particular political agenda and of acting against the interests of the parliament. The PNC parliamentary group has already collected the signatures required to proceed with the motion.
Two cancellations in one morning, two different explanations given, and neither of them especially clear. For an opposition already arguing that the extension of the parliamentary session was driven by internal party business rather than public interest, Monday did little to change that narrative.
