PPM
Majority leader seeks to assuage journalists’ concerns over defamation bill
Speaking to reporters after a meeting Tuesday afternoon with the Maldives Media Council, the parliamentary group leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives said the government is willing to address press freedom concerns raised by journalists and amend the proposed defamation and freedom of expression law.
06 Apr 2016, 9:00 AM
Maldives parliament strips ex-presidential benefits for opposition leader
Shortly after the amendments to withdraw privileges and state benefits were passed at today’s sitting of parliament, the opposition leader tweeted: “I have always believed that respect and privilege come from within the hearts of the people. It is not something that can be created or abolished by a law.”
06 Apr 2016, 9:00 AM
Parliament creates second deputy prosecutor general post
Pro-government MPs say having more than one deputy prosecutor general will ensure that the criminal justice system will function in the absence of a PG. But opposition MPs contend that the change is aimed at ensuring that one of the deputies will do President Abdulla Yameen’s bidding if the PG refuses to unfairly prosecute a political opponent.
05 Apr 2016, 9:00 AM
Campaign workers for President Yameen appointed to broadcasting regulator
The ruling party-dominated parliament has approved six of President Abdulla Yameen’s nominees to the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, including the regulator’s incumbent president and two campaign workers. A group of journalists staged a silent protest outside the People’s Majlis while voting on the nominees took place around 1:30pm.
04 Apr 2016, 9:00 AM
PPM wants to strip Nasheed of ex-presidential privileges
Opposition MPs have slammed a bill that proposes stripping privileges for former presidents convicted of criminal offences as the latest attack on dissent by the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives.
30 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Opposition MPs withdraw no-confidence motion against speaker
Opposition MPs have withdrawn a no-confidence motion submitted against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, two days before the motion was up for debate at the People’s Majlis.
27 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
MP questions composition of parliament’s graft-probe committee
The parliament’s public accounts oversight committee has launched an inquiry into corruption cases under investigation since 2008, including the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation corruption scandal.
24 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Government proposes mandatory re-registration of opposition party members
A ruling party MP has proposed changes to the Political Parties Act to make it compulsory for members of political parties to resubmit membership forms with fingerprints.
23 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Human rights watchdog slams “unacceptable” misogynistic behaviour from MPs
Misogynistic remarks and behaviour from MPs that were derogatory towards women at recent sittings of the People’s Majlis are “unacceptable,” the human rights watchdog has said, urging lawmakers not to undermine national efforts for women’s empowerment.
17 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
Majority leader faces storm of criticism for spitting at female MP
Majority leader Ahmed Nihan has attracted a storm of criticism for spitting at a female opposition MP’s face during a heated exchange over corruption allegations on the parliament floor on Wednesday.
28 Feb 2016, 9:00 AM
Bank staff arrested over leak of transactions by company in MMPRC scandal
A senior national bank staff was arrested Thursday on a charge of leaking details of financial transactions by a company involved in the Maldives’ biggest corruption scandal.
22 Feb 2016, 9:00 AM
PPM angered by former ally’s accusations of being anti- Islamic
The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives has condemned accusations that it was anti-Islamic by scholars of the religious conservative Adhaalath Party in a well-attended rally on Friday night.
21 Feb 2016, 9:00 AM
Jumhooree Party MP switches to ruling party
Of the 15 JP MPs elected to the parliament in March 2014, seven have now switched to the PPM. With its latest recruit, the ruling party now has 47 MPs in the 85-member house.
24 Jan 2016, 9:00 AM
President Yameen ‘lies’ about two-year accomplishments
President Abdulla Yameen falsely claimed that the family law has been amended to allow for the equitable distribution of marital property after divorce due to a “mistake” in the written speech, his spokesperson has said. Yameen said the amendments have been ratified, but the legislation is still at committee stage.
23 Jan 2016, 9:00 AM
The rot at the top: Will President Yameen answer for corruption?
The anti-corruption watchdog has promised to question President Abdulla Yameen if required in order to conduct a thorough investigation of a tourism corruption scandal that has embroiled his former deputy, home minister and MPs. But critics are questioning the commission’s integrity.
14 Jan 2016, 9:00 AM
MDP accuses Elections Commission of double standards
The EC had threatened to take action against the main opposition party over the use of the UN logo in the November 27 protest. The MDP had printed the blue emblem on t-shirts and banners urging President Abdulla Yameen to release former President Mohamed Nasheed as recommended by a UN human rights panel in September.
14 Dec 2015, 9:00 AM
Huraa council threatens to quit PPM over 2016 budget
All five council members of Kaafu Atoll Huraa have threatened to quit the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives over lack of development funds for the island in the 2016 state budget.
22 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
MPs ‘threatened’ before vote on vice president’s impeachment
Ruling party MP Mohamed Musthafa has accused the leader of the government-aligned Maldives Development Alliance, MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam of threatening to have MPs who did not vote to impeach the former vice president prosecuted on terrorism charges.
18 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
Two years on – “Blame it on bro”
On its two year anniversary in power, the PPM government is mired in scandal. Yet there is no push for reform among its supporters. Blame was put on ex Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s shoulders, while a purge of his loyalists was suggested to put the government back on track.
17 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
PPM wants to remove Prosecutor General
MPs of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives have submitted a no-confidence motion against Prosecutor General Muhthaz Muhsin. An emergency meeting of the parliament’s independent institutions committee has been called to discuss the motion.
10 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
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