Pres defends 'sincere' MPs who defected from opposition

President Mohammed Muizzu has said that a group of opposition lawmakers in the parliament have joined the ruling party because the opposition is trying to hinder the government without any basis in the parliament.

Speaking at the campaign meeting of Mohamed Ameet, who is contesting from Maradhoo constituency in the upcoming parliamentary elections on behalf of the PNC, he said the parliament is structured in such a way that the parliament cooperates with the government in matters that the government needs.

"Anyway, the parliament is a place that is shaped to give the necessary cooperation to the government. If your people inside there always think differently, the work of the parliament will come to a halt," he said.

The President said that budget approval and external borrowing also require parliamentary approval.

The President said that if the spirit of revenge and resistance is allowed in parliament, the parliament and the government will be in conflict.

"In the process the people will be left out. Time will get wasted with the government unable to fulfil its promises to the people. What we will see is the opposition hindering the government in parliament, as we are seeing now”.

"Our Honorable Members did not accept that and so joined us, with patriotism in their hearts. When they started doing various things like rejecting our Cabinet members without any basis, he also joined us," he said, referring to the incumbent Member of Parliament for Maradhoo constituency Ibrahim Shareef.

The opposition is already announcing that it will not cooperate with the government if it wins parliament majority, he said.

A dozen former MDP members joined the PNC last December.