Embattled ruling Progressive of Party of Maldives (PPM) slid into further crisis after key lawmaker Abdulla Sinan quit the party amid a major shift in the archipelago's political landscape
After the now opposition coalition in March had filed a second motion to unseat speaker Abdulla Maseeh, the government had engineered an amendment to the parliament rules of procedure raising the number of lawmaker signatures required to file a censure motion against the speaker and his deputy from 15 to 42.
The opposition had filed the third censure motion against Maseeh with 45 lawmakers which included ten lawmakers from the ruling party.
The south-Machchangoalhi MP who had heavily defended Maseeh in previous censure motions switching his stance came as a major shock as he had been close to both president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and first lady Fathimath Ibrahim.
Sinan had informed his decision to both the elections commission and the party.
He is the fourth PPM lawmaker to resign after government lost its control in parliament after the opposition garnered the signatures of 45 lawmakers to file a fresh censure motion to unseat the parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh.
Dhihdhoo lawmaker Abdul Latheef Mohamed and Hanimaadhoo lawmaker Hussain Shahudhee also left the ruling party last week followed by Dhangethi MP Ilham Ahmed on Sunday.
All four lawmakers were among the ten PPM lawmakers to sign the opposition led censure motion to unseat the speaker.
