MDP Raises Legal Concerns Over Reinstatement of Three Ministers Denied Approval

One day after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu reappointed three cabinet members who faced denial of approval during a parliamentary vote, the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), announced on Tuesday that it is scrutinizing the legality of the President’s actions.

Led by the MDP, which holds the highest number of seats in the Maldivian Parliament, the rejection of Housing Minister Ali Haidar Ahmed, Islamic Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, and Attorney General Ahmed Usham was confirmed in Monday’s vote. Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed narrowly avoided the same fate. However, President Muizzu reinstated all of them by evening.

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Ali Niyaz, a prominent MDP official, informed Sun.mv that the reappointment of the three ministers could spark a substantial legal debate. “We, the MDP party, are therefore consulting legal experts to determine the President’s authority to make such a decision and to decide the MDP’s next course of action. Our stance remains unchanged—they do not have our approval,” Niyaz emphasized.

The Maldivian Parliament comprises a total of 80 members, with the MDP holding 45 seats, followed by its ally The Democrats (DEM) with 13 members. In the ruling coalition of PPM-PNC, the Progressive Party of the Maldives has 2 members, while the People’s National Congress has 13 members. Three members are independents, and the Jumhooree Party and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) each have two members.