Vantage | Why Maldivian President Muizzu is struggling to save his chair

Chaos prevailed in the Maldivian parliament, where the opposition was targeted by the ruling coalition. Lawmakers created a ruckus. The drama premiered on Sunday in Male, and the protagonist was President Mohamed Muizzu. Muizzu took office three months ago, and now he faces the threat of impeachment. The opposition is up in arms. They’re blocking his appointments and holding him to account. It is a dramatic turn of events because, until a few days ago, Muizzu seemed to be in total control. He was issuing ultimatums and picking fights with the neighbours, like India. But he overplayed his hand, trying to ride roughshod over the parliament. Now they’re testing his authority and his grip on power. This parliamentary session wasn’t a regular session. The lawmakers were called for a special vote to approve Muizzu’s cabinet. When Muizzu came to power, the president picked his team—the cabinet. But according to the constitution of the Maldives, the parliament must approve this cabinet—that’s the law. Except for the vice president, the president must receive the approval of the People’s Majlis for all appointments to the cabinet. In his capacity as president, Muizzu can fill only one position, and that is that of vice president. For the cabinet positions, he must convince the parliament. He must get a nod from them. This was always going to be a problem because Muizzu’s party is in the minority. His party and his allies are in the minority. In parliament, the opposition is in the majority, so Muizzu needs to have his team in place. He needs support from the opposition. It was clear from day one. He should have known this and tried to work with opposition leaders. Yet he did not.

Instead of seeking support, he tried to push them around. He attempted to force his appointments through, and this backfired. The president proposed 22 names. The opposition cleared 18 positions and blocked the remaining four: Ahmed Usham, the attorney general; Mohamed Saeed, the economy minister; Ali Haidar, the housing minister; and Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, the Islamic minister. The opposition issued a whip against them. The Muizzu camp was furious. They abused the opposition. One thing led to another, and the result was the brawl. Reports say the Muizzu camp instigated this ruckus; they locked the chamber doors and blocked the opposition members from entering the house. When they did not have their way, they started protesting and obstructing the proceedings. Some lawmakers who were supporters of the president reached the speaker’s chair and tried to stop the speaker from addressing the parliament. What followed were the fist fights, where lawmakers punched, pushed, and kicked each other. Complete pandemonium! At least two lawmakers were hurt. All this happened on Sunday. Then, earlier Monday, the parliament met again. The MPs finally got a chance to vote. However, there was some relief for the president as one of the blocked names was cleared, that of Economy Minister Mohamed Saeed. The other three were rejected. So, the impasse continues. What’s worse is that the president could now face an impeachment vote, and the opposition is preparing a motion. They are gathering signatures and already have the support of 34 members. Which is enough to bring the motion to the floor. Here’s how the numbers stack up: The house has a total membership of 87. However, the number has been reduced to 80 as of December 18, 2023. The opposition claims it has the support of 56 members; the rest are said to be undecided. The constitution, along with the parliament’s standing orders, dictates that the president can be impeached with two-thirds of the house, and the opposition has the numbers. The president is on thin ice; his supporters have submitted a motion of their own. It targets the speaker and the deputy speaker, both of whom belong to the opposition. So the stage is set for a major showdown. Less than three months into office, and President Muizzu is struggling to save his chair. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.