The divided ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) expelled its ousted leader and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s daughters Dhunya Maumoon and Yumna Maumoon, the latter’s husband Mohamed Nadeem and the former president’s loyalist Aminath Athifa from its on Tuesday.
The ongoing political feud between PPM leader Maumoon and party adviser and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom split the ruling party into two factions. While the judiciary courts have handed over party control from Maumoon to his half-brother President Yameen, the two factions are claiming they are the “true” PPM and continuing party activities separately with two councils. Meanwhile, Dhunya, Yumna, Nadeem and Athifa are members of Maumoon’s faction.
The council of President Yameen’s faction made the decision to remove the four members after PPM’s Disciplinary Committee, which falls under the president’s control, probed the members’ cases. The Disciplinary Committee declared the members guilty of creating conflict within the party, defaming the president and government, refusal to attend council meetings, and violating the courts’ verdicts and hindering party functioning.
However, considering that the expelled members do not attend council meetings of President Yameen’s faction and that Maumoon’s faction do not recognise the decisions made by the former, it appears that the four members will continue to attend the council meetings of PPM leader Maumoon.
None of the four members responded to the summons issued by the council of President Yameen’s faction. Hence, the case was concluded in their absence.
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