In a key parliamentary session on Tuesday, the Maldivian Parliament rejected the no-confidence motion against Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan. The motion, which was spearheaded by the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), failed to gain the necessary support, as it was rejected with 64 votes in favor of Ihusaan and only 11 votes against.
The motion, backed by 12 MDP lawmakers, leveled multiple allegations against the Minister, including claims of influencing police investigations and misusing state resources to benefit the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC). However, during the session, Minister Ihusaan vigorously defended himself against these accusations, dismissing them as unfounded and without merit.
Minister Rejects Allegations of Police Interference
One of the primary accusations against Ihusaan was that he had interfered with police investigations, particularly those involving officials from the current administration. In response, the Minister pointed to the ongoing investigations into several government institutions as evidence of the independence of the police force under his leadership.
Ihusaan highlighted several active investigations, including those into the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM), the Maldives Correctional Service (MSC), and the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure. He emphasized that if he were indeed exerting influence over the police, the leaders of the previous administration would likely be behind bars. “They are still free because I do not exert political influence. Not because they’ve done nothing wrong,” he explained. “The police are conducting their investigations at their own pace, as they should.”
Allegations of Misuse of National Registration Data
Another serious claim against Minister Ihusaan involved the misuse of the Department of National Registration (DNR) database to inflate membership figures for the ruling PNC. Ihusaan responded by clarifying that the current administration had digitized the political party membership registration process, a task previous governments had failed to complete. He referenced the recent amendments to the Political Party Regulation, which now require political parties to submit their memberships via an online portal, ‘Simedha’, using the national digital identity, ‘efaas’.
This initiative, according to Ihusaan, ensures transparency and integrity in the process, and he rejected claims of fraudulent activity. “The system is now fully digital, and there is no room for the kind of abuse alleged by the opposition,” he asserted.
The Expat Online System Contract Controversy
Ihusaan also addressed accusations regarding his decision to re-implement a contract with the Malaysian firm Bestinet Sdn Bhd, which had been terminated by the previous MDP government in 2019. The contract was initially signed in 2016 to develop the Expat Online System, a platform used to manage expatriate workers in the Maldives.
Ihusaan explained that when the contract was abruptly terminated, Bestinet had already invested USD 13.4 million in the project and had sought compensation of USD 13.7 million. He argued that re-implementing the contract under the current administration was a strategic decision to avoid losing such a substantial amount in compensation. He also pointed out that the agreement with Bestinet was expected to generate USD 58.6 million, a significant increase compared to the USD 39 million from the previous contract.
The Minister called the MDP’s accusations that the government had lost over USD 449,000 for the state misleading, stating, “The state is actually earning USD 19.6 million more every year due to this contract.”
Call for Investigation into Former Government Officials
In response to the allegations of misconduct regarding the expat system contract, Ihusaan called for a criminal investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into senior officials from the previous government. He criticized the previous administration for its negligence in managing the contract, which he claimed could have cost the state millions in compensation.
“I will ask the ACC to conduct a criminal investigation against all the former government officials for neglecting this issue,” Ihusaan said, reinforcing his stance on holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
Outcome of the No-Confidence Motion
In the final vote, the Parliament decisively rejected the no-confidence motion against Minister Ihusaan, with 64 lawmakers voting in his favor and only 11 opposing him. The motion’s failure to pass marks a significant victory for the government, with the ruling PNC maintaining its support for the Minister amid opposition allegations.
