Ex-MP Sinan joins MDP

Former South Machangolhi MP Abdulla Sinan has signed with the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

He presented his membership form to MDP’s chairperson Fayyaz Ismail on Thursday.

He had taken part in MDP’s presidential campaign activities even prior to signing with the party.

Sinan was elected to the Parliament in 2014 as a candidate from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – which had been in power back then.

He was among the MPs who signed a no-confidence motion submitted by the MDP against the then-Speaker Abdulla Maseeh. In the aftermath, Sinan was among the 12 MPs who were deemed by the Elections Commission (EC) to have lost their seat for floor crossing. He subsequently left PPM.

He was later charged with terrorism for conspiracy to overthrow the government and jailed pending the outcome of trial.

He was released from jail following PPM’s defeat in the 2018 presidential election, after which the Supreme Court overturned the decision to unseat him and the other MPs, and the charges against him were dropped.

Sinan had also been involved in founding the Maldives National Party (MNP).

He ran for re-election as an independent candidate in 2019, but lost to Ahmed Haitham, who contested the election on an MDP ticket.

While Sinan has joined MDP, Haitham left the party on Tuesday.