Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) will never be in anyone's shadow and run to the whims of certain people again, President Abdulla Yameen Abdulla Gayoom insisted Friday.
Speaking at the rally held last night celebrating the anniversary of PPM, President Yameen said that party must not revolve around himself, and that the party must revolve around the principles it was formed upon.
The President stated that the party came into power due it it's principles, and that the party must be maintained with those principles. He also said that the party must not be uncomfortable in power after being elected, and that the party must embrace power.
"Every party has the target to come to power. To show everyone that their party is the best through the party's ideology and manifesto. I would like to request all the members who left our party to come back once again," the President said.
The President also said that everything that goes within the party will not be under his, or the Secretary General's observation, and that every member of the party can work freely to invite other potential members in. He said that PPM has gone through harsher struggles in the past and that this is not the time to back down.
"We were brave so we found accomplishment. This is not the time to back down. This is not a day that we can forget about the people. This is not the day for us to get selfish. This is the day for us to serve the Maldivian people. We can make this party serve the people. Our goal should be to make this the peoples party. This a party that believes in certain principles and revolves around those principles. This party will not run around in certain peoples shadows," President Yameen said.
The President has invited all the members who have left the party to come back once more and serve the people.
The president's comments comes after the ruling party, in the wake of a row with ousted leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has split the party in two.
A court order -- backed by the appellate courts had handed control president Yameen of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in capacity of the chief advisor -- a post granted to the successful presidential candidate.
The elder Gayoom has since intensified a push to rally support to his faction and has successfully managed to even further isolate the government from key political opponents.
