Speaker Shahid’s switch to MDP now a “foregone conclusion”: PPM MP Nihan
13 Apr 2013, 8:30 PM
Neil Merrett
Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Nihan has claimed Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid’s rumoured switch to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was now a “forgone conclusion”.
Nihan told Minivan News today he was not surprised about recent speculation linking Speaker Shahid with a switch from the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the opposition MDP – claiming his fellow PPM MPs had suspected his “alignment” with the MDP for at least the last twelve months.
Ongoing media speculation this week over the speaker’s political allegiance has seen high-profile politicians such as former President Mohamed Nasheed publicly discussing Shahid’s potential switch to the MDP. The DRP meanwhile have maintained that it has not been officially informed of any switch.
A parliamentary source within the MDP on condition of anonymity today confirmed by SMS that the speaker was expected to be joining the opposition party, claiming: “yes, speaker [is] moving”.
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