MPs launch lawsuit to wrest control of PPM from Gayoom

Three ruling party MPs have filed a lawsuit against former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom at the civil court to regain control of the Progressive Party of the Maldives.

The three who are loyal to President Abdulla Yameen, Gayoom’s half brother, claim the former president of 30 years had hijacked the PPM by suspending its internal committees and announcing a reform agenda.

The lawsuit is the latest move in a bitter internal power struggle between the Gayoom brothers.

MP Ahmed ‘Avista’ Assad said he and MPs Mohamed Shahid and Ahmed Shiyam had filed the complaint because “the party does not belong to one man.”

“President Maumoon’s actions has brought the party to a halt. My hope is that this is all over soon and that President Maumoon cooperates with us.”

The lawsuit also aims to overturn Gayoom’s five-point reform agenda, he added.

The long rumored rift between the two brothers broke out into the open when a PPM MP sought action against Gayoom’s son, Faris Maumoon, for voting against a government-sponsored tourism bill at his behest.

Gayoom subsequently ordered the PPM secretary general to seek his permission before calling meetings of the party’s internal committees, and stripped the powers of its deputy leader, MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

He then formed an advisory committee and launched a reform agenda, suggesting PPM MPs, who hold a majority in the parliament, were pushing through legal changes “that paves the way for corruption.”

The party’s disciplinary committee defied Gayoom’s orders and called a meeting Tuesday to expel Faris and two others. Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon, Gayoom’s eldest daughter, announced her resignation shortly afterwards.

Assad, the lawmaker, has also asked the committee to take action against Gayoom. The reform agenda did not have the support of the PPM’s executive council, he said.

The Election Commission has meanwhile reprimanded Gayoom, ordering him to respect the party’s charter, local media report.

source-http://maldivesindependent.com/politics/mps-launch-lawsuit-to-wrest-control-of-ppm-from-gayoom-125221