Dhiggaru MP Faaris Maumoon pictured during a parliament sitting. FILE PHOTO/PARLIAMENT SECRETARIAT
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) refused to let up in its effort to oust party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s son from the party after violating a three line whip in a 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.
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.
However, PPM deputy secretary general had refused to ax Faaris insisting that a complaint against Faaris had not been filed in accordance with the charter.
But the committee in a second letter reminded the deputy SG that no party official had the authority to overrule committee decisions.
“The party is obligated to enforce decisions of this committee as per the party charter,” the letter said.
The PPM parliamentary group had also 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.
Gayoom meanwhile lifted a ban on all committee sit-downs on Tuesday.