MPs Zahir and Abdul Raheem suspended from MDP elections for three years

Gadhdhoo MP Zahir Adam and Maafannu Hulhangu MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem have been suspended from participating in any elections within Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), after they voted against the party’s whip-line regarding approving government ministers.

A senior official of MDP told Sun Online today that the party’s relevant committee investigated this matter before taking action against the two MPs, and that the two MPs have also been asked to apologise to MDP members.

MP Zahir told Sun Online that there is no reason for MDP to take action against him.

“I won the parliament seat as an independent member, so the decisions I made while representing this seat should not be a reason to question me or take action against me,” he said.

MP Abdul Raheem was not available for a comment at the time of press.

The committee has also taken action against Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir in relation to this issue. The MDP ticket given to him to run for parliamentary seat without a primary has been revoked, and he has also been dismissed from elected posts within MDP.

The committee has decided to allow MP Jabir to participate in the primary if he apologises before the end of January 2014.

Other MPs investigated by the committee in relation to this matter are Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed, Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ahmed Eesa, and Milandhoo MP Ali Riza.

The committee has dismissed the cases against MPs Ahmed Eesa and Ali Riza.

The committee said that MP Ali Riza attended the committee and apologised, and told the committee that he acted against the three-line whip to call attention to the fact that no action is taken against MPs who continually vote against three-line whips.

Meanwhile, MPs Ahmed Rasheed and Mohamed Rasheed have since left MDP and joined Jumhooree Party (JP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) respectively.