Congratulations to Shihab and Aneesa

Having been given the opportunity to preside over just one sitting of the Majlis, Hassan Afeef (Th – MDP) did not waste any time to use (or abuse?) the authority of the Speaker’s chair - following Qasim Ibrahim's footsteps, no doubt. Whatever the grounds, Afeef voided yesterday’s vote which elected Ahmed Zahir (P – DRP) as the interim Majlis Speaker. The legality of the decision to void yesterday's vote is highly questionable. A walk out today by DRP MPs could have identified the culprits who had sold their conscience.

But let’s not take anything away from Mohamed Shihab (JP – Malé). Congratulations to him and Aneesa (M – DRP). Commiserations to Zahir and Nazim (M – PA).

Much can be read into this development. Quite obviously, DRP’s candidate has been beaten, despite the presence of Presidential Members. This is a great victory for the Jumhooree Party. Whether or not the same can be said about MDP is questionable since MDP’s unofficial presidential candidate, Anni’s earlier position that the Speaker should be from the majority party (DRP) was later changed due to opposition by its parliamentary group led by Afeef.

All signs are that the money behind JP is being put to ‘good use’. Unfortunately for the Maldives, it is unlikely that anything can be done, at least in the Majlis, to stop the plutocrats taking over the country, thanks to DRP’s failure to foresee what was coming. Unfortunately, if the plutocrats succeed, it is not DRP that loses, but the country as a whole.