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PPM looks to Speaker to secure right to run for parliament

23 January 2019, MVT 15:26
Parliament speaker meeting with members of PPM parliamentary group. PHOTO: TWITTER
23 January 2019, MVT 15:26

The parliamentary group of opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) met with the Speaker of Parliament and Jumhooree Party’s leader, Qasim Ibrahim, to quell fears of losing PPM and People’s National Congress (PNC) members’ right to contest in the upcoming parliamentary election on party tickets.

The meetings have been taking place at the parliament to ascertain solutions for problems regarding PPM members’ rights to run in the election, and the setbacks in registering PNC, which was recently formed.

PPM ticket holders would not be able to run in the parliamentary elections under the party name, due to the ongoing leadership dispute case filed at the Supreme Court by a general member of the party.

PPM had issued tickets to some of the 27 lawmakers currently representing PPM in the parliament, along with top officials who served in former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's administration.

However, this is confirmed to change if Yameen’s estranged half-brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom won the PPM leadership handover case, as members contesting in the elections from the Maumoon Reform Movement (MRM) would take up PPM's political activities.

Member of Parliament Ahmed Nihan has said that the Elections Commission was deliberately hindering the formation of PNC, and that the parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions must hold EC accountable.

Although PPM has accused the EC of delaying PNC's registration, the commission has denied these allegations, saying that the delays were due to the invalidity of some of the forms submitted.

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