Maldives president-elect gains control of Parliament
MALE: The president-elect of the Maldives has scored another victory by securing a majority in Parliament after the Elections Commission restored 12 lawmakers who were earlier deemed to have lost their seats.
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won last month's presidential election and is to be sworn in next month.
The restoration of the lawmakers Wednesday in line with a Supreme Court order is a sign that Solih is consolidating his victory against outgoing strongman Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who appears to be losing his grip on state institutions.
Solih's opposition coalition will now have 43 members in the 85-member Parliament while Yameen's party will have 40.
The Elections Commission announced last year that the 12 lawmakers had lost their seats after they joined the opposition when the ruling party split.