Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) council on Sunday decided to submit a motion to the party’s disciplinary committee to strip Maumoon Abdul Gayoom from his post as party president.
The motion to permanently strip Gayoom of PPM’s membership was submitted by Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah at an impromptu council meeting that was held on Sunday afternoon.
Twenty-six members present at the council meeting had decided to forward the motion to the party’s disciplinary committee so that the committee can take action against the former president, who is also president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s half brother.
Regarding the motion, MP Falah said that Gayoom sympathised with the opposition and said that his ideology no longer aligns with PPM’s ideology.
Further, he condemned the elder Gayoom's involvement with the opposition and said that it is unacceptable for him to remain as a party member and get actively involved with the opposition.
“All 26 members voted in favour of the motion I submitted today,” MP Falah revealed.
PPM’s media coordinator Ali Arif said that the party’s regulations does not particularly state that a council meeting must be held before axing one of its members; however, since Gayoom case is special – considering he was the former leader of the party – a council meeting was held to decide on the matter before sending it to the disciplinary committee of the party.
While the ruling party’s council decided to ax its former leader, the party on Saturday decided to ax Thulusdhoo MP Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim’s (colloquially knows as “lawyer Wadde”) from the party as well.
The reason cited for his removal was also his involvement with Gayoom in deposing the parliament’s speaker Ahmed Maseeh.
MP Falah had warned of a strategic plan to remove Gayoom from the party at a press conference that was held on Saturday by PPM parliamentarians to show support for the parliament speaker. His sentiments were backed by the party’s deputy leader and Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem Abdullah, who also condemned his involvement with the opposition.
Gayoom lost a bitter power struggle for party control with president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the party’s incumbent president 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.
