Nasheed: Many MDP MPs will switch to PPM

There is a possibility that many MPs of the MDP, holding the parliament's majority, will switch to PPM in the near future, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed remarked on Tuesday. 

The agenda of the fourth sitting of the third session of the Parliament held on Tuesday morning pertained to changes to the representation of MPs in the parliament's standing committees, to include MPs from political parties and independent MPs, 

Nasheed, who presided over Tuesday's sitting, underscoring many changes were coming suddenly and very quickly, stressed the need to prioritize implementing the changes as they come. However, he said it was also important that the committees are constituted even as the current circumstances prevail. 

“I think it is very likely for many MDP members to switch to PPM in the future,” he said.

Only three MPs from the Democrats are recognized in the parliament to date. However, other members have so far submitted letters informing their shift of political parties; a change yet to be implemented. 

‘It might take some time for The Democrats to form their parliamentary group and appoint a parliamentary leader and inform the parliament of this. However, I think it is important for parliamentary committees to proceed,” Nasheed said.

The motion on constituting the standing committees has been on the agenda since the first sittings of the current session. All previous sessions have ended without any progress in the motion, thereby, the works of the parliament have remained stalled. 

At the commencement of the first sitting, Speaker Nasheed said the legislative body had not received letters from MPs who joined The Democrats – confirming the change in their party. Therefore, he stressed that the parliament cannot proceed with changes to the composition of the Parliament’s standing committees, as stipulated in the agenda. Names of several MPs were called for disruptive behavior, who refused to leave the chamber and continued their disruptions. Nasheed, therefore, concluded the sitting citing that the MPs were not letting him continue.

The second sitting also had the same motion on the agenda, which was also cut short by various obstructions.

The third sitting could not take place as the quorum required to hold a sitting - 22 MPs - was not met as the parliamentarians toured atolls on campaign trips for the presidential election.