Speaker Shahid leaves DRP

Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid has announced that he has surrendered his Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) membership today.

In an SMS sent to Sun, Speaker Shahid stated that he has left DRP today and that he does not want to comment on the matter any further.

DRP Spokesperson Zeena Zahir confirmed Shahid's departure, and said that he has now notified the party of his termination of membership.

Shahid also made a tweet today stating that, "As of today I have resigned from DRP. I shall continue to avail every opportunity to serve our nation and its people."

Shahid's departure from DRP comes shortly after Maldivian Democratic Party's Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader MP Ali Waheed's statements at a party event that Abdullah Shahid will join MDP, and that DRP and MDP will soon be merge together.