Parliament confirms PNC as minority party; Siraj as minority leader

The Parliament confirmed the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) as the minority party on Sunday, after over a dozen MPs left the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to join PNC at the end of last year.

13 MPs from the MDP left the party to join PNC on December 28.

Opening the extraordinary sitting on Sunday morning, Speaker Mohamed Aslam announced that the Elections Commission (EC) has notified the Parliament that the 13 MPs have switched parties.

He said that the PNC now has 14 MPs.

PNC replaces the Democrats, which has 13 MPs, as the minority party.

Aslam also announced that with the changes, PNC’s parliamentary group leader, Fonadhoo MP Moosa Siraj is now the Parliament’s minority leader.

Meanwhile, PNC’s coalition partner, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), has two MPs.

After the 13 MPs from MDP defected to PNC in December, an additional MP, Inguraidhoo MP Hassan Mohamed (Hassantay) also signed with the PNC in early January.