Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's son is set to be summoned by the party's behavioral committee after he violated a three line whip in controversial parliament vote.
Faaris Maumoon the MP for Dhiggaru constituency had voted against a government proposed controversial amendment to the Tourism Act defying a three line whip issued by the PPM parliamentary group despite Gayoom urging his party lawmakers to vote down the amendment.
Since then the former president Gayoom has been locked in a major power struggle for the ruling party’s control with his half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Gayoom had assumed full control of the party amid a fallout from his failed attempt to get his party lawmakers to vote down the amendment.
Gayoom had immediately relieved his deputy and Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla of his authority to call council meetings and the overall administrative running of PPM.
The move is believed to have been taken after the party council moved to penalise his son.
The PG group had sent a letter to Gayoom urging action against Faaris which was ignored by the ex-president.
Gayoom in his response had insisted that Faaris will not be penalised as he was following a request made by the party president.
But the behavioural committee is reportedly being held without Gayoom's blessing.
Gayoom after announcing a reform program in a bid to wrestle back control of his party told reporters late Thursday that the amendment to the Tourism Act was a clear violation of the party’s charter.
He also said the PPM parliamentary group which controls the parliament had ignored and defied several requests to follow the party’s democratic values.
“The PPM parliamentary group has acted in violation of the party council’s decisions which includes amendments to the constitution and laws governing this country,” Gayoom said.
He also admitted that the move to launch a reform program came after many futile attempts to resolve the divisions within the party.
Hours before the press conference, PPM lawmakers loyal to president Yameen had decided to amend the law putting an age cap of 65 years for political party leaders in a bid to oust Gayoom.
The amendment would effectively put an end to Gayoom’s rein as the PPM leader.
The PPM parliamentary group’s decision to oust Gayoom who is now 80 came shortly after a sit-down with president Yameen.
Gayoom had also recently rejected a petition by the party council to gift the party’s presidential ticket to president Yameen for his re-election in 2018 without a primary.
Shortly before the PG group’s decision, Gayoom had rallied key members of the party including Umar to his side and constituted an advisory council to find a solution to the deep divisions within the party he founded.
During the press conference Gayoom said the petition to gift the presidential ticket to Yameen had reportedly been coerced.
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