Maumoon faction dismisses MPs Nihan and Ilham from PPM

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has decided to remove lawmakers Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik and Ilham Ahmed from the party.

An official from the faction told RaajjeMV that they were summoned to the party’s ethics committee at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, adding that they were a no-show.

The summary report notes that the committee has decided to remove Villimale constituency MP and PPM's parliamentary group leader Nihan, as he had failed to hold discussions with the party's council and its leader, while using his position to bring changes to the Constitution, and that he is heard confessing to working to sell land to foreigners in a leaked audio clip.

The report further said that Dhan’gethi constituency MP Ilham’s removal was due to a threat he had issued to other lawmakers while speaking at an event attended by President Abdulla Yameen.

“Any of us, who take part in it [who votes in favor of speaker’s no-confidence vote] will be in hot water,” he had said.

The official told RaajjeMV that both parliamentarians have been informed of their dismissal from the party, via writing.

While Maumoon’s faction of the party has decided to dismiss two members from the party, President Yameen’s faction of PPM has its own ethics committee, which has removed the party leader and founder from the party.

The half-brothers have been involved in a public dispute since June 2016, and that party has been divided into two factions, Maumoon faction and Yameen faction. Both factions have its own council and committees.