The parliament committee has approved the motion to repeal the Anti-Defection Act.

The motion was proposed by Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed, the deputy leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s parliamentary group.

The parliament accepted the motion on Wednesday, with 34 MPs voting in favor, two against, and two abstaining.

It was then approved later in the evening by the seven-member committee specially made to review the motion.

The committee members are Dhangethi MP Ilham Ahmed, Kanditheemu MP Mohamed Hussain, North Kulhudhuffushi MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, Kendhikulhudhoo MP Ali Mauroof, Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem, North Fuvahmulah MP Ali Shah, and Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Mustafa.

The Anti-Defection Act states that a parliamentarian that loses membership of the party they were elected through will also lose their parliament seat.

The law was introduced earlier this year when some members of ruling party PPM defected to the opposition and was back dated to affect MPs that defected from the party before its introduction, resulting in 12 MPs losing their seats.