Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Deputy Secretary General Abdul Aleem has stated that though the Party's Ethics Committee had voted to remove some members of the Party no formal documentation regarding the process had not been filed with the Party.
In a letter sent to the Ethics Committee Chair Ali Waheed, Aleem said the Party had not received any letters or documentation regarding the Committee's decision to remove Council Members Faris Maumoon and Aminath Nadira as well as member Zaidhul Ameen. He said no documentation, including meeting minutes and attendance, had been filed with the Party and requested the Committee to send the required documentation.
Maintenance of meeting minutes, attendance and decisions passed by Committees as well as the administrative functions are the responsibility of the Party SG. In the event the SG is not present, the responsibility will be borne by the Deputy SG.
"From the onset, the administrative work of the Ethics Committee and other Committees are run under the supervision of the SG by the PPM Office. In the event the Secretary General is not present, this will fall under the Deputy SG," the letter said.
In the letter Aleem said all the meetings of the all Committees had so far been held in the Party Office. However, the Committee meeting that was held to review the cases against the three dismissed members were held outside of Party premises. He said if the Committee was to finalize their decision, then they must send written documentation on the Committee attendance, minutes and final decision. "Only then the members can appeal the Committee decision if they wished to do so," the letter said.
Previously the Ethics Committee had said they had passed to dismiss the three members and had requested the Party to implement the decision. The Committee had also said the members can fully well appeal their verdicts.
MP Faris Maumoon was dismissed from the Party for voting against the three line whip issued by the Party to vote in favor of the controversial amendment to the Tourism Act that allowed lease of islands without placing any bids. Nadira and Ameen were dismissed for voicing their support for Faris' decision.
