Maldives News

Gayoom’s lawyer, opposition MP disbarred on contempt charges

The supreme court issued Monday an order disbarring prominent lawyer Husnu Suood and opposition MP Ali Hussein from practising law, pending an investigation into contempt charges.

Speaker faces no-confidence vote after realignment in Majlis

The no-confidence vote will be the first challenge to President Abdulla Yameen’s majority in parliament since the split within the PPM saw eight MPs loyal to the party’s deposed leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, form a rival bloc to work with the opposition.

New 25-storey office complex relocated to Hulhumalé

After demolishing its old building in Malé and clearing out the site, the finance ministry has changed the location of its new 25-storey office complex from the capital to its suburb Hulhumalé.

Gasim throws support behind Gayoom

Gasim Ibrahim has thrown his support behind former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, declaring the 78-year-old to be the rightful leader of the divided ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives.

Yameen faction clears out party headquarters, removes nameplate

Yameen’s supporters have cleaned out the PPM headquarters with police’s help, removing computers, documents, and furniture on Friday, and finally stripped the party’s nameplate from its walls on Sunday.

Gayoom in opposition: round up of reactions

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s withdrawal of support for his half-brother President Abdulla Yameen’s administration after a four-month-long battle for control of the ruling party signalled a seismic shift in the Maldives’ political landscape.

Gayoom-faction condemns Nasheed’s terror conviction

Nasheed’s arrest of a judge during his tenure “was not an act of terrorism,” ex home minister Umar Naseer said, advocating for a lighter sentence of two to three years.

The full transcript of Gayoom’s speech on withdrawing support for Yameen

Gayoom withdrew support for his brother, Yameen, accusing him of cracking down on dissent and facilitating corruption, and went on to condemn for the first time, the jailing of opposition leaders in his three-year rule

Supreme court rejects Gayoom’s bid to gain control of ruling party

The apex court said it found no “legal basis” to hear Gayoom’s petition, and ruled that the civil court was right to install his half-brother and incumbent president, Abdulla Yameen, as head of the PPM

Gayoom faction forms breakaway group in parliament

Eight ruling coalition MPs have formed a breakaway group in the People’s Majlis in what may be the first credible threat to President Abdulla Yameen’s majority at the parliament

Maldives to pay Indian firm at least US$250m in damages for cancelling airport deal

Indian infrastructure firm, GMR, has won at least US$250million in damages from the Maldivian government for abruptly cancelling a lucrative contract to develop and manage the country’s main airport

Gayoom withdraws support for Yameen

“I have decided to withdraw my support for this government from this moment on, and I will not support this government in the future,” Gayoom said.

Elections commission scraps plan to introduce e-voting

Gayoom’s lawyer summoned for criticising the high court

Husnu Suood described his summons to the high court over his criticism of proceedings in the legal battle for the control of the ruling party an “act of intimidation.”

Nearly half of MDP’s members removed from its registry

The elections commission has struck off nearly half of the MDP’s members from its registry after the parliament approved a law requiring all political party members to submit their fingerprint records

High court rules in favour of Yameen in ruling party leadership row

The civil court was right to seize control from Gayoom due to “extraordinary circumstances” arising from the 78-year-old’s refusal to convene the party’s governing council and sacking of his deputy, the appellate court found.

Gayoom loyalists air grievances against Yameen on Raajje TV

Gayoom’s deputies accused Yameen of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in an unprecedented appearance on Raajje TV, and took a swipe at what they described as his unwillingness to contest presidential primaries for the 2018 polls.

Life under for the life above

Shoko Noda, the UN resident coordinator to the Maldives, calls for the protection of marine life to be made the main focus of the country’s development plan

“It is very easy to come and talk to me”: President Yameen on PPM split

Read on for excerpts from President Abdulla Yameen’s October 20 speech on the civil war within the ruling party

Council posts down to 653

The number of city, atoll, and island councillors to be elected in the upcoming local council elections is 653, the elections commission announced Saturday, significantly fewer than the present count of 1,095 councillors.