Majlis resumes with five-foot wall around embattled speaker

In the face of vociferous chants for his resignation, Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed concluded the sitting in less than 15 minutes after calling a vote on minor changes to the Majlis standing orders.

Before the sitting began around 9 am, military security personnel guarded the doors to the chamber and barred opposition MPs from entering until Maseeh was escorted to his chair. A Facebook live-stream from MP Rozaina Adam showed some opposition MPs protesting atop a chair in front of the protective wall.

The speaker’s desk was also elevated during the recess. During the previous session that ended in August, Maseeh conducted the Majlis under military guard after the opposition coalition secured the backing of a majority of MPs to impeach him in early July.