Opposition in fresh bid to take House

Maldives opposition parties yesterday launched a new bid to seize control of parliament through a third attempt to impeach the speaker.

An opposition coalition said it had submitted a no-confidence motion with the support of 45 MPs -- enough to force a vote in the 85-member majlis, or parliament.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic party (MDP) said the coalition now has a majority in the chamber.

"Forty five signatures means we, the opposition coalition, now command parliament majority," MDP legislator Eva Abdulla said.

A previous attempt to impeach Speaker Abdulla Masheeh in April failed when the number of signatures required for a no-trust motion against the speaker was raised to 50 percent of the house, up from one third.

The first attempt to impeach Masheeh in March ended in chaos when President Abdulla Yameen ordered troops to eject some lawmakers from parliament. That prompted the United States to urge the Maldives to restore faith in democracy.

The opposition coalition, led by exiled former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, is trying to undermine Yameen before elections next year.