PPM officially being dissolved

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is officially in the process of being dissolved by the Elections Commission (EC), after the party's senate voted in favour of the dissolution.

The motion to dissolve the party was passed unanimously by 42 members of the senate on 2nd February.

The Election Commission said in an announcement yesterday that the commission has now begun the process of dissolving the party.

During this process, EC has instructed the party against conducting any political activities or transactions in the party's name, other than to complete the procedures required to dissolve the party.

If there is anything that needs to be settled with the party, it should be done in communication with the party before the dissolution process is completed, said EC.

While PPM is now under the process of being dissolved, it was once the ruling party of Maldives, specifically from 2013 to 2018.

PPM was formed from the Z DRP faction of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's party DRP. Former President Abdullah Yameen won the ticket in the primary held after the party was formed.

During the Yameen government, he had a difference of opinion with Maumoon and filed a case against Maumoon in the Civil Court which saw him removed from the party. Since 2016, the party ran under the full control of Yameen.

However, after his Presidential Election loss, Yameen formed a new party called the People's National Congress (PNC) as he feared that support would shift over to Maumoon. With the court ruling in Yameen's favour, granting him control of PPM, both parties ran under Yameen's leadership, in coalition.

Last year, after Yameen was denied the opportunity to run for president on a PPM ticket, he allowed another candidate to contest in the election under a PNC ticket. Current president Dr. Mohamed Muizzu secured that ticket.

Since President Muizzu came onto power, PPM's activities have been at a standstill and PNC, which was initially a small party, began to get stronger. All of this year's Parliamentary candidates were also put forth on PNC tickets.

Yameen resigned from PPM after being transferred from jail to his home before President Muizzu was sworn in. He now has a new party registered under the name People's National Front (PNF).