President of the Jumhooree Party (JP)’s Shaviyani atoll constituency, Ahmed Mahir and the atoll’s campaign manager Abdulla Shafeeq have signed on to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Mahir and Shafeeq signed on to become members of the ruling party, during a small ceremony held on Monday.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended the ceremony.

This comes at a time the president has ensured the public that several figures on the political frontlines as well as members of the general public, will be signing on to MDP in the near future.

Since President Solih won MDP’s primary election in January this year, the party has been divided into two factions; one supporting the incumbent president and one backing the former president and current Speaker of the majlis Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed lost control of the party after Solih won the party ticket to run in the presidential election, and has been rebelling ever since.

Nasheed, who recently resigned from MDP, is currently spearheading the formation of a new political party, ‘The Democrats’.