Civil Court Tuesday threw out ousted ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's bid to win back control of his party.
The elder Gayoom had been forced to handover party control to half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom after the Civil Court earlier ruled against the former president.
The two Gayooms in a political wrangle for ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) control had split the party in two and the spat reached a bitter end after the younger Gayoom was handed the PM reins by a court order which was later backed by the appellate courts.
Gayoom had launched a fresh legal bid urging the Civil Court to rule that the order granting control of the party to its chief adviser was invalid.
But as the elder Gayoom had filed the case to the administrative dispute division, the civil court had dismissed the case citing that the division had jurisdiction to hear cases related to state institutions.
Gayoom meanwhile has largely defied the court order, withdrawn his support for the government and intensified a push to rally key political opponents to his side.
