A report by leading U.S. newspaper The Washington Post has revealed that on the night of 28 December 2023, several lawmakers representing the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) switched allegiance to the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) in exchange for bribes allegedly given by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu himself.

When 13 MDP lawmakers signed onto PNC, several parties were already accusing the government of luring parliamentarians with large sums of money. Despite these claims, the government continued to deny any wrongdoings.

With the sudden move of several MDP-affiliated members to PNC, the number of lawmakers in MDP's parliamentary group fell from 55 to 42.

A report published in The Washington Post on Sunday highlighted that several MDP parliamentarians were lured to PNC to prevent Muizzu from being removed from power after he received information that there was an attempt to remove him from presidency.

The Washington Post reported that President Muizzu gave bribes of approximately USD 200,000 to some MDP-affiliated members.

The investigative report published in the Washington Post stated that upon receiving information that there was a plan to remove Muizzu from power, he instructed two loyal members to offer bribes of approximately USD 200,000 to MDP lawmakers to switch to his party, according to information provided to the newspaper by three PNC-affiliated members. The newspaper also reported that Muizzu was able to switch 11 members through bribery, resulting in the opposition losing valuable votes needed for the no-confidence motion.

In a report in The Washington Post based on an investigation into a plot to remove Muizzu from power and India's efforts to strengthen its influence in the Asian region, it is stated that the campaign run by PNC activists to hurl insults at neighboring India and its leaders on social media was also done at the direction of President Muizzu.

The Washington Post reported that President Muizzu was furious and had instructed those close to him to attack India on social media, going on to reveal that the information was provided to them by two sources familiar with how things unfolded.

The Washington Post wrote that the attempt to pass a no-confidence motion against Muizzu at the People’s Majlis was planned jointly by MDP and The Democrats, but the MDP leadership hesitated to proceed with it in that manner.

The reasons for the hesitation included concerns that the Supreme Court or Muizzu's supporters in the military might obstruct the no-confidence motion, and that holding a no-confidence vote might anger those who voted for Muizzu in the 2023 presidential elections.

The newspaper also reported that those leading the no-confidence motion faced financial issues, and while many MPs were ready to vote against Muizzu, they demanded bribes. The Washington Post noted that since MDP was nearly bankrupt at the end of the presidential election, such funds would not be available within the party. Therefore, attempts were made to obtain the necessary funds from India, but India did not provide the required funds.