Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) on Thursday moved quickly to refute reports that former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was planning to form a new political party.
The reports intesnified after an elections commission member revealed that a top PPM official had taken out an application to form a new political party.
However, Yameen's spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali on Twitter refuted the reports insisting that such rumours were designed to create division within the party.
PPM remains in limbo after the Election Commission refused to endorse the party's congress which elected outgoing Yameen as the new party leader following his defeat in September's presidential elections.
PPM has challenged the commission's decision and the High Court is set to deliver a judgement on the case later Thursday.
The party's last congress was held in 2013 to elect former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as the party president. Gayoom however was unceremoniously ousted from the party after falling-out with his half brother Yameen and has since been jailed over the alleged plot to overthrow the government in February.
The Civil Court in 2016 found Gayoom guilty of violating the constitution, party charter and the political party law and handed-over party control to president Yameen.
