HAVEERU
DAILY NEWS ARTICLE 22 MARCH 2005
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/
Quick Translation
ABBAS IBRAHIM ELECTED BY A SHOW OF HANDS AS SPEAKER OF SPECIAL MAJLIS AFTER
HEATED DEBATE
Fifteen members who opposed show of hands vote left session
22 March 2005
Ahmed Zahir (Hirigaa)
Ismail Naseer
After three days of heated debate among members of the Special Majlis, instated
to amend the Constitution, regarding the election of a Speaker of the Special
Majlis, Abbas Ibrahim, Gaaf Daal Member, has been re-elected as Speaker of the
Majlis in a vote taken by a show of hands, at the parliamentary assembly today.
During the long debate to ascertain whether the Speaker of the Special Majlis
should be elected through a secret ballot or an open show of hands the names of
four members had been proposed and seconded by noon. They included Cabinet
Member Fathulla Jameel, Noonu Atoll Member Abdulla Yameen, Gaaf Daal Atoll
Member Abbas Ibrahim and Ibrahim Shareef, Seenu Atoll Member. Since Fathulla
Jameel has not taken the oath of the Special Majlis his name was not accepted.
Abdullah Yameen and Ibrahim Shareef withdrew their names.
Fifteen members walked out of the meeting in protest when the Chair declared
that voting would be conducted by show of hands at the assembly today. At the
time of going to vote 78 members were present at the assembly. Abbas Ibrahim,
the only name presented for a vote by the Chair, was elected Speaker of the
Special Majlis by 67 votes.Ten members abstained from voting.
Members including those who requested to speak at today’s assembly finished
speaking at 1:30. Two propositions on the method of electing a speaker had been
proposed and seconded. The first proposal was to abolish the previous resolution
to elect a speaker through an open show of hands and ask for a vote to decide
whether members wanted elections to be through secret ballot and the second
proposal was to elect a speaker by a show of hands as had been determined
previously. The Deputy Speaker, Shaheen Hameed who presided over today’s
proceedings told the assembly that a vote would first be taken to determine
whether the previous resolution should be terminated as proposed by Addu Atoll
Member Ibrahim Shareef and seconded by Gaaf Daal Member, Adnaan Haleem. However,
when the committee time of the assembly had been complete, Ibrahim Shareef the
member who proposed the proposal recalled his proposal. The Chair asked for a
vote by an open show of hands since Shareef had withdrawn his proposal and the
only other proposal called for a vote as per the previous decision of voting by
an open show of hands.
Following the vacancy in the post of the speaker of the Special Majlis three
sessions have been held to re-elect a speaker. At a certain point during today’s
assembly the Chair announced that since a number of members had requested for a
solution to the problem today, he had decided to continue the assembly until a
resolution was reached. After the interval, the Chair also told the members to
restrict their orations to three minutes.
Today’s assembly is the longest session conducted since the reinstatement of the
Special Majlis. It was two in the afternoon by the time a president was elected
and the session was concluded.
ENDS