Elections Commission has denied authorisation to form the new political party, People’s National Congress (PNC), established by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Ahmed Akram from the Election’s Commission told local media Mihaaru that the establishment of PNC was requested by opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)'s vice president Abdul Raheem Abdulla. He explained that Abdul Raheem’s request to form a new political party was denied as he was already a member of another.
MP Abdul Raheem, one of the founders of PPM, resigned from the political party on Tuesday. Akram stated that he will inform the Parliament of the development.
Furthermore, Akram revealed that the Election’s Commission will approve the establishment of PNC after they followed all the legal procedures.
Abdul Raheem is currently the closest aide of former President Yameen. While he was actively involved in forming Yameen’s new political party, Abdul Raheem also played a key role in the presidential campaign to re-elect Yameen in the September 23 election.
Yameen became an opposition leader following his defeat in the presidential elections. According to Yameen’s close associates, his biggest obstacle in leading the opposition is the dispute over the leadership of PPM after his political fall-out with estranged half-brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Two members of PPM had filed a case to the Civil Court requesting to hand PPM leadership to its former leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The case has since been forwarded to the Supreme Court.
President Yameen recently stated that he decided to establish a new political party due to the ongoing delay in the PPM case.
Yameen first appeared as a leader in the political arena since the establishment of People’s Alliance (PA), although he joined PPM after resigning from his post at PA. Yameen won the Presidential Election in 2013 as the candidate from PPM. The former president, however, faced a landslide defeat in his re-election bid this year.
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