Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Abdu Raheem has resigned from the party, following similar pattern to MP Ali Waheed who defected to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) after resigning from the party over the weekend.
As with Waheed, Raheem did not immediately state that he would be joining the MDP, however journalists reported witnessing Raheem leaving President Mohamed Nasheed’s residence of Muleeage yesterday afternoon.
The Maafannu-West MP told local media he had left the DRP on the urging of his constituents, and because “a few tycoons [in parliament] are opposing taxation”. Ali Waheed’s home constitutency of Thoddu also backed the MDP in the recent council election.
Raheem narrow defeated the Councillor for Maafanu West, Mohamed Falah, in the 2009 parliamentary election by a mere eight votes, after Maldives National Shipping Ltd Chairman and MDP member Mohamed ‘Sanco’ Shareef, who lost in the primary, competed as an independent and split the MDP vote.
Should Raheem follow in Waheed’s footsteps and join the ruling party, the MDP will establish itself as the largest single voting bloc in parliament with 34 members (35 including coalition signatory ‘Redwave’ Saleem).
This will exceed the opposition DRP-PA coalition’s 32 members (25 DRP, 7 PA).
However with the cooperation of allied parties including Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree Party (3 MPs) and Dr Hassan Saeed’s Dhivehi Qaumee Party (1 MP), the opposition still control a narrow majority with 36 votes.
For an outright voting majority, either party needs to control 39 votes – giving great sway to the seven independents; six if Raheem join the MDP. Of Independent MPs Mohamed Nasheed, Ahmed ‘Sun’ Shiyam Mohamed, Ismail Mohamed Hameed, Ahmed Amir, Ibrahim Riza and Mohamed Zubair, Riza and Zubair have a voting history backing the DRP and MDP respectively, further increasing the sway of the other four.
Speaking at an MDP rally held on the weekend in honour of Waheed’s signing, President Mohamed Nasheed confidently proclaimed a parliamentary majority for the party and instructed the MPs to use it responsibly. However to obtain that majority, two more MPs would need to defect.
Local media has speculated that other MPs in the opposition may be considering crossing the floor, focusing on Yousuf Naeem, Mohamed Ramiz who has publicly denied the rumours, and Ali Mohamed who’s absence from the chamber notably and narrowly secured parliamentary endorsement of Home Minister Hassan Afeef.
Parliament sessions resume next month.
Shifting loyalties
- Opposition support:
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP): 25
People’s Alliance (PA): 7DRP-PA Coalition: 32
Jumhoree Party (JP): 3
Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP): 1Total: 36
- Government support:
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP): 33
MP ‘Redwave’ Saleem (coalition agreement): 1Total: 34
- Independents:
Mohamed Nasheed
Ahmed ‘Sun’ Shiyam Mohamed
Ismail Mohamed Hameed,
Ahmed Amir
Ibrahim Riza (DRP leaning)
Mohamed Zubair (MDP leaning)
Abdulla Abdu Raheem (ex-DRP)
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And here we are claiming that we have introduced democracy by allowing people to choose their leaders by popular vote.
President - voted in through deceit by people who thought they were voting for a change which would last a maximum of 2 and a half years.
Parliament - voted in and later bought and sold on the slave market according to the whims of the ruling elite.
So much for popular elections. Bye bye democracy. Bye bye public confidence.
There's an error here, it's not Ismail Mohamed Hameed, but Ismail Abdul Hameed, MP for Kaashidhoo Constituency
DRP membarun dheravefa thibe varun emyhun hamajassan MDP ge membarun ganna vaahaka eba fathuraa. List ga othy Thimara,Hoara,Hithadhoo Dhekunu adhi Histo kamugai adu eba fathuraa! MDP miahvure nikamthi koh oth iru nuvikunu bayaku mihaaru vikidhaane baa?
Well, now i am not sure what democratic rules Maldives are following but something is either not according to other "normal" democracies here....
It is like this - at least what i am used to from my democratic country:
A parliament consists by representatives from various political party's. These have support among the people enough to have a seat - or more - in the parliament according to how many votes they got from the last election.
So - if MDP or DRP or whoever have x number of seats in parliament - they will have that number until the next election.
So if one member from DRP for example goes over to MDP - DOES NOT meen that this persons chair in the parliament falls into DRP - that chair is still DRP.
The person sitting in that chair should in other words be removed from parliament as DRP representative since he or she have changed party.
However - his or hers new party can offer one of their seats if they want to replace one of their existing representatives.
So to see a fully either blue or yellow parliament is not possible simply by recruiting and having some to change side.
It is the people of Maldives who decides how the parliament is divided - based on their given votes and how much each party find support among the voting population.
So please somebody - please look up DEMOCRACY once again..... Especially you politicians who thinks that the definition of democracy means that you can do whatever you want.....
the title of this article should have been "selling loyalties: parliament lines redrawn as members are bought across floor" In other manner, sold to highest bidder. JJ for the least, you could have mentioned about this "speculation".
Yusuf, I couldn't agree with you more. So called Maldivian 'Democratic' Party doesn't seem to know the real democracy.