Former President Mohamed Nasheed says that he fully backs Parliamentarians who had signed the no confidence motion, adding that there was no reason to worry even at the prospect of losing their Parliament seats.

President Nasheed said the seats will be recovered.

Nasheed is not the only influential politician who had backed Parliamentarians on the no confidence motion on Speaker Abdullah Maseeh. Maamigili Constituency MP Qasim Ibrahim had also pledged support for those MPs and said he will personally assist MPs who backed the motion in the next elections.

Supreme Court’s Thursday ruling had ordered to instate an anti-defection law and until the law comes into effect, the ex-parte ruling will be in effect. As such, any MP who defects from this date, will stand to lose their party seats. Any removals or defections can only be facilitated when and if the letters of dismissal are sent to the party office and accepted by Elections Commission.

Prior to this ruling, the law was very clear on the situations an MP can lose their respective Parliament seat. None of these conditions are relevant to any political party.

Clause 73 (c) of the Constitution states that a Parliamentarian will lose their seats, if they had failed to pay back a loan as ruled by a Court or if the Parliamentarian was given a guilty verdict with a penalty over 12 months or being appointed as a Judge.

The Attorney General put forth the ex-parte motion following high profile defections from ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and after 11 MPs from the Party signed the no confidence motion on Speaker Abdullah Maseeh.