Hacked  By  r4dBlack

MALE: The ruling MDP which could not get a majority in the parliamentary election held in May this year will be getting 4 more MPs to their side soon. This was told by Nolhivaramu member of the Peoples Majlis Mohamed Nasheed, Colonel, during a speech he made at MDPs Haruge Friday.

Nasheed, famously known as Colonel, who has been a very vocal and key member of MDP disclosed that Kaashidhoo member Ismail Abdul Hameed has already signed his application and joined MDP on Wednesday. Hameed who was first seen from the opposition DRP when it was in power, later joined Gasim Ibrahims Jumhoory Party, JP, but contested the parliamentary election as an independent. He was seen supporting the Government in the Majlis deliberations.

Earlier Kulhudhuffushi North member Abdul Ghafoor has said he will be supporting the MDP led Government in the Majlis indicating that he has also taken MDP side. Ghafoor, who was a senior body guard of the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was thought to be an ardent supporter of Gayooms DRP. But Ghafoor has said he has no such affiliation with his former boss, and he was only doing his duty. Ghafoor is representing north of one of the most populous islands in the north where there is a strong DRP base.

Vilufushee member Riyaz Rasheed has said at a meeting of the Majlis held in august that he will be supporting DRP government. He is however a member of Dr. Hassan Saeeds Gaumee Party.

MDP has not yet revealed the names of all four MPs who would be joining them, though it is now certain that Ismail Abdul Hameed has joined the ruling party.

Last week Foreign Minister Dr. Shaheed also joined MDP after leaving Gaumee Party of which he was a founding member and running mate of Dr. Hassan Saeed in the first multi-party presidential election held in October last year.Gaumee Party said they welcome Shaheeds decision and wish him well. Although Shaheed has left Gaumee Party, he has a good understanding with the party. In an interview given to Miadhu, yesterday, Shaheed has opined Gaumee Party will be the second biggest party in the country after MDP. According to our information there was huge support to Shaheed from MDP when he joined the party. Dr. Shaheed has been supporting and defending the Government very vocally at home and abroad, severely criticising former President Gayoom and his government. Shaheed was Foreign Minister and one of the closest confidantes of Gayoom from 2005 to 2007 when he resigned from Gayooms Government.

The parliamentary election of May gave a lead to the opposition DRP and its alliance partner PA with 35 members on their side while MDP had 28 members. There are 13 independent members, some them supporting the Government side and others taking the opposition side. The Majlis has there been largely dominated by the opposition making it extremely difficult for the Government to pass their bills and other matters.

However, with the current development of independent members joining MDP, and some others who, it is reliably learnt, will support the Government, key MDP officials are confident now that there will be more favourable responses to the proposals of the Government.

A very senior MDP official has said that 6 MPs would be joining them soon. The names of these members will be announced later, he said.