MP Mohamed Aslam, MDP’s Parliamentary Group Leader and the Majority Leader in the People’s Majlis has said that Majlis rules must be changed to block blood-relatives from assuming the offices of the Speaker and The Deputy Speaker simultaneously.

MP Aslam was referring to the fact that the Speaker of the People Majlis Mohamed Nasheed and Deputy Speaker Eva Abdullah are cousins.

No-confidence motions were presented to the Majlis by MDP against both of them earlier.

Nasheed stopped chairing Majlis debates a few days after the no-confidence motion was filed against him in the parliament by MDP.

Eva has also stopped chairing debates for some time now.

Parliamentary rules say that if there was a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, business on the motion should be conducted by the Deputy Speaker or a long-serving MP that the Speaker assigns as temporary chair.

Also, if a no-confidence motion is filed against the Deputy Speaker, the Speaker will chair the debate or a long-serving MP that he assigns.

MP Aslam believes that it is a breach of parliamentary privileges by Nasheed and Eva that they no longer want to moderate debates in the Chamber.