Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed on Monday, announced the recognition of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)'s Parliamentary Group leader and Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem as the parliament's Minority Leader.
MP Saleem was selected as the Minority Leader after independently elected Faresmathodaa MP and former minority leader crossed floors to PPM.
Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s chairperson and Henveiru North MP Hassan Latheef opposed the transfer of allegiance, adding that guidelines must be developed to facilitate changes to political alignments.
He expressed MDP's disapproval of changing parties without consulting constituents which are often elected on party tickets under certain electoral pledges.
- MDP (ruling coalition): 65 MPs
- PPM (opposition): 6 MPs
- Independent: 6 MPs
- Jumhooree Party (ruling coalition): 5 MPs
- People's National Congress (opposition): 3 MPs
- Maldives Democratic Alliance (opposition): 2 MPs
Lawmakers were barred from floor-crossing after former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's ratified the 'Anti-Defection Act'. The contentious Act stated that any lawmaker who resigns or was expelled from the political party they represent at the time of election, would automatically lose their seats in parliament.
In an effort to consolidate the legislative presence of Yameen's government, the law was drafted to unseat 12 lawmakers who crossed over to the opposition during the later stages of the 18th Parliament in 2017.
At the time, the then-opposition coalition had declared that it was an unconstitutional piece of legislature and sought to annul it at the Supreme Court.
The 12 MPs were reinstated by the apex court on October 2018. In November 2018, Yameen nullified the act, a week before President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was sworn in.
Floor crossing is commonplace within the political arena of Maldives. Transparency Maldives' 'Baseline Research on Floor Crossing in Maldives' found that many politicians believed it was their right to cross floors.
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