Local newspaper Haveeru has reported that the former President and Vice-President of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Dr Ibrahim Didi and Alham Fahmy are on the verge of joining the Jumhoree Party (JP).
The paper quotes “reliable sources” – as it did when successfully predicting the defection of Shifag ‘Histo’ Mufeed from the MDP to the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) at the start of the month.
Prominent figures within the JP reportedly told the paper that the pair had both held discussions with the party leader Ibrahim Gasim although Dr Didi has denied that any such meeting had taken place.
Haveeru continued, stating that the pair have insisted on retaining Presidential and Vice-Presidential positions within the new party. This would require an amendment to JP regulations, for which a meeting of the national council has supposedly been arranged.
Both Dr Didi and Alhan were not responding at time of press.
Didi and Alhan were removed from their posts in the MDP after being accused of making statements in contradiction of the party’s official line concerning the the events that led to the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.
A motion of no confidence was supported by 95 percent of the MDP’s National Congress on April 30. Both men disputed the legitimacy of the process which led to their ousting.
Dr Didi filed a complaint with the Elections Commission (EC), which was later dismissed, whilst Alhan staged a poorly attended ‘free MDP’ rally, protesting against what he alleged was the negative influence of Nasheed on the party.
Didi told Haveeru earlier this week that he intended to challenge this decision. In the same interview he said it was “very likely” that he would soon leave the MDP for another party, criticising what he described as the undemocratic inner workings of the party.
Should Alhan, who is currently the MP for Feydhoo constituency, join the JP, its representation in the Majlis would rise to four. This would bring the overall number of MPs in the pro-government coalition up to 46 out of the total 77 , reducing the MDP’s numbers to 31.
At the time of Shifag’s move to the PPM, the party’s group leader Abdulla Yameen told Minivan News: “The MDP will have to make extra efforts, they have an uphill battle to fight. They will have to arrest the movement of MPs to other parties.”
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...a somali pirate that hijacks a ship for ranson is no different from Alhan and Didi switching parties. It's all because of greed for money, superiority and personal gains.
Do you think either cares about the common man? Somalis earn cash US$300 million annually from just about 100 hijacked ships, ironically Somali still stands as the poorest country depending on UN food aid. You see everyday on TV.
Didi is already rich, Alhan afforded an expensive car not even Universal chairman has ever owned yet one of the richest in Maldives. At about $5000 on monthly wages, that cant buy you what these two have. So, they hijack other party leaders and demand the ranson in millions (unfortunately in ruffiyya) in exchange of a vote. The common man suffers to make a living which these filthy, corrupted politicians continue to play the money poker game.
Somalis have drought so they need to beg for food. Maldives one day may have no tourists and so would beg for food.
@DOC on Wed, 30th May 2012 7:32 PM
"The common man suffers to make a living which these filthy, corrupted politicians continue to play the money poker game."
That, my friend, is "democracy". Can you name a single "democratic" country where this does NOT happen? Just as we speak, the United Kingdom is going through a public inquiry into how politicians sucked up to one of the world's biggest media tycoons.
Democracy is not a magic pill that suddenly turns polticians into angles; quite the contrary, in fact.
Please try to understand. Alhan's family living in Colombo and the cost of living in Colombo is very high so to look after his family, his parents and his mistresses how is he going to find the money unles he sells him to the bidders available at the moment. Please let him live in peace with his profession which our sheiks may call prostitution. Now we will also notice a new found love and praise to Alhan by both VTV and Dhitv. So it is like he is now totally washed and cleaned and his pockets filled. Thank you Gasim for being so stupid because you still beleive that you would be the President of Maldives one day and keep on distributing money to desperate crooks in the garb of MP's that should have been paid to the Government to spend on development work for the masses.
Ibrahim Didi had this to say about the what could have been historic Indian Ocean Cetacean Symposium held in 2009, which marked 30 years of the Indian ocean sanctuary - "Why on would you hold an event to protect the whales? This is such a waste of time. This is the fisheries ministry, we should be finding ways to capture them".
Boiled vegetable will make a better meal!
@ Ahmed bin Abdullah Suvaadeeb whatever Just because They are from Addu you are defending them . Whether that happen in America, U. K or Maldives it is the same. We called such people ' Potitical Prostitutes'.
Even, even if an MP runs off, it's not the same as voters running off. For example Didi and Alhan with JP going to support Maumoon or his puppet for president ? Or Alhan making his dream of becoming VicePres of Maldives ?
In case our republic will ever get elections again, lets wait for 2014 Majlis ... lets see then who will get support of the people ? In Male' AND on the islands ? Of course, not yet, too early, first emptying state coffers and threat the people with the sheikhs ... haayyyy