Parliament files police complaint saying MPs are being bribed

The Parliament Secretariat has filed a complaint with the police alleging that MPs are being bribed amid the presidential elections. 

Communications Director of the Parliament Secretariat, Hassan Ziyaau said Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed filed a complaint with the police, over suspicions that MPs are accepting bribes to change political parties - requesting the authority to launch a probe in this trajectory. 

Nasheed, in a tweet on Saturday, alleged President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of using state funds to bribe MPs and other people.

He voiced these allegations after some of the members of The Democrats, the new party established by supporters Nasheed, left the party to rejoin main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP); 

In this regard, Thoddoo MP Hassan Shiyan, left The Democrats and rejoined MDP on Friday night. Prior to this, both Kulhudhuffushi City Mayor Mohamed Athi and North Kulhudhuffushi MP, Yasir Abdul Latheef, had also left The Democrats to rejoin to MDP. 

Allegations of the MPs taking bribes to change parties have been raised on various occasions.  In 2008, then-president Nasheed's government did not have the parliament's majority. Some members were accused of signing up for MDP after being awarded large amounts of money and property in bribes. However, none of the allegations have been proven.

Former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s administration introduced a bill to prevent then-PPM MPs from leaving the party, making it so that members would lose their seats if they left the party they were representing when initially elected to People’s Majlis. The ratification of this law resulted in 12 MPs who left PPM to lose their seats in the parliament.