Confrontations occurred within member of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) when the faction of the party's chief adviser President Yameen, who the courts have sentenced leadership of the party to, went to open the PPM office.
The confrontation took place a while after assistant Secretary General of the party, Iqbal Ahmed and two others went to open the party office at H.Thema. Iqbal and his team managed to open the main gate and were working on unlocking the main door when supporters of the Gayyoom faction arrived, under the leadership of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's daughter, Yumna Maumoon and her husband Ahmed Nadeem.
Once the Gayyoom faction showed up, things got heated and a huge argument broke out. The commotion brought onlookers to the scene, and witnesses have described the confrontation going as far as physical contact.
The police eventually arrived on the scene, sending both factions away and closing down the area in which the office was located.
Supporters of the elder Gayyooms faction say that they will not give up the office, as it was verbally given to former President Maumoon by its owner.
Iqbal and his team had to leave the area after a fruitless attempt to open the office. The police had sent all factions away from the area, arresting 1 man who refused to follow police orders. Some onlookers at the scene also threw stones at the office. Confrontations occurred between supporters of both sides.
The case filed by members of the party in the Civil Court saw leadership of the party transferred to the party's chief adviser, President Abdulla Yameen. The leader of PPM, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom defied the Civil Court's ruling causing a split in the party that led to the creation of two factions. Gayyoom later pressed the matter in both the High Court and Supreme Court but to no avail.
The split between the two brothers has led to the point where the elder Gayyoom has started working as an opposition to the current government.
