Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Wednesday fired a thinly veiled warning to ousted leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom insisting that the party would not hesitate to take action against outsiders who release statements and made comments in the party's name.
Gayoom lost a bitter power struggle for party control with his half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom after the country's civil court handed over party reins to the younger Gayoom.
The rift between the two brothers has split the party in two which ultimately ended with the elder Gayoom publicly withdrawing support for his brother. The former president has since released statements and publicly criticized the government and the ruling party.
The latest warning comes days after Gayoom in statement released by his faction accused PPM of bypassing the party's election committee as it prepares to contest the upcoming local council elections.
PPM secretary general Dr Abdulla Khaleel insisted that the civil court had handed over the party control to president Yameen in his capacity as chief advisor.
"There's no higher authority than the party's chief advisor at the moment. So no one else can release statements in the party's name. If such things keep repeating then we would have no choice but to take action," Khaleel stressed.
