Nasheed aides announce new party; to contest pres election
An application will be made at the Elections Commission next week to obtain the permission to collect the required 3,000 signatures, MP Ilyas said.
Prominent MPs and supporters backing MDP president Mohamed Nasheed who quit the ruling party on Wednesday have announced efforts to form a new political party and field their candidate to the upcoming presidential election.
Twelve lawmakers supporting Nasheed's Fikuregge Dhirun faction resigned from MDP on Wednesday. MDP vice-president Mohamed Shifaz and former STO managing director Hussain Amr also left the party.
Hours after their resignation, they called a press conference where deputy speaker Eva Abdulla announced that they were officially initiating the registration of a new party.
Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb told reporters that the new party will retain the Fikuregge Dhirun name. An application will be made at the Elections Commission next week to obtain the permission to collect the required 3,000 signatures for registering the party, he said.
The new party will contest the September 9 presidential election, Ilyas added.
The 12 MPs who resigned from MDP on Wednesday include:
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1-Deputy speaker, North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla
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2-Former chairperson of MDP, Henveiru West MP Hassan Latheef
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3-Maafannu North MP Imthiyaz Fahmy
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4-Maafannu Central MP Ibrahim Rasheed
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5-Machangolhi North MP Mohamed Rasheed
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6-Kulhudhuffushi North MP Yasir Abdul Latheef
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7-Villufushi MP Hassan Afeef
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8-Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed
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9-Thoddhoo MP Hassan Shiyan
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10-Madeveli MP Hussain Firushan
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11-Gaddhoo MP Ahmed Zahir
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12-Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb
With the resignations and Tuesday's sacking of Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim, who also supports Nasheed, MDP's majority of 68 out of the 87-member parliament has now come down to 55.
Rifts between President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and speaker Nasheed following the former president's defeat in the MDP presidential primary in January.
