Three additional members of the Male' City Council have crossed over to join the ruling People's National Congress (PNC).
The three members are Maafannu West constituency Councilor Ibrahim Abu Bakr, Maafannu Northwest constituency Councilor Mohamed Areesh and Mahchangolhi South constituency Councilor Aishath Nazima.
Abu Bakr was previously representing Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). He later left that party and joined former President Abdulla Yameen's new party People's National Front (PNF), before now defecting to PNC.
Areesh was a member of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Nazima has come from PPM.
All three have signed their PNC membership forms and handed it over to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday night.
Prior to this, recently elected Councilor for Henveiru Central constituency, Ahmed Rishwan, who was elected on an MDP ticket, also switched to PNC just hours before taking his oath of office.
The Male' City Council consists of 19 members, with 16 of them now being aligned with the ruling coalition. However, in this month's by-elections, the post of Mayor was won by MDP candidate Adam Azim.
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