Govt 'bought' MPs under MVR 60m deal, Fayyaz alleges
The government has earlier denied reports of bribing MPs.
Thirteen members of parliament, mostly from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), left the party, and joined the main ruling People's National Congress (PNC) after President Mohamed Muizzu offered them MVR 60 million in bribes, MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail said Wednesday.
Fayyaz was speaking on a Sangu TV show Wednesday evening on why several members left the party at once.
“The PPM, the PNC and the MDP will know that the reasons for the members' departure have nothing to do with this party,” he said.
Fayyaz, who was also the economic minister of the previous government, said:
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The MDP lost the September presidential election; As an opposition party, there will be challenges in the upcoming parliamentary elections
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Although he believed there might be divisions within the party, he only came to know that some members were going to leave the day before it happened
Fayyaz believes that the main reason the government tried to take away MDP MPs was after the party changed the rules of parliament so that the president and vice-president can be removed from office only by the party's vote.
However, Fayyaz said:
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There is no talk of impeaching the president and vice-president within the party leadership
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Fayyaz believes that it was a joke among the members
“However, I now believe that the government decided to take some of our members because of the concerns,” he said.
Although he did not directly blame the government for the matter, Fayyaz said he had received information that the president had held meetings with political party leaders and “told them that he needed various assistance to recruit MPs”.
"I heard the president told some political party leaders that MVR 60 million should be raised. But I don't know the truth about it," Fayyaz said.
The government has earlier denied reports of bribing MPs.
The MPs who signed up for the PNC are:
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Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef (MDP)
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Feydhoo MP Mohammed Nihad (MDP)
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Machchangoalhi South MP Ahmed Haitham (Independent)
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Isdhoo MP Ali Hameed (MDP)
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Kurendu MP Abdul Raheem Abdul Ghani (MDP)
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Mathiveri MP Hassan Zareer (MDP)
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Mulaku MP Ahmed Naseer (MDP)
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Nilandhoo MP Abdul Muhsin Hameed (MDP)
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Maafannu South MP Adam Ali (MDP)
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Komandoo MP Mohamed Rashid (MDP)
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Thulusdhoo MP Hassan Shiyan (MDP)
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Maafushi MP Ibrahim Shaz (MDP)
With the 13 MPs who signed up for the PNC last week, the total number of government MPs in parliament has risen to 17, while MDP's numbers have been reduced to 43 from 55.
