Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom announced today that the new party formed under his leadership is to be called the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Speaking at a live press conference at private broadcaster DhiTV, Gayoom revealed that the party’s charter has been drafted and registration forms would be submitted to the Elections Commission (EC) today.
“We are forming a new political party to achieve very important national purposes,” he said. “That is to strengthen Islam in the country and maintain Islam as a religion that we all love and respect, to fully protect our independence and sovereignty, to establish a strong democratic system in the Maldives, ensure happiness and prosperity to the people, to reform the country to make it a place where people would want to live, uphold public order, peace and stability, and facilitate equality opportunity for everyone to advance.”
Gayoom explained that he resigned as ‘Honorary Leader’ (Zaeem) of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) yesterday because his efforts to reform the party over the past several months were unsuccessful.
Gayoom invited experienced politicians, “capable and educated youth” and skilled professionals to join the party. The former President expressed gratitude to those who assisted and supported the formation of the Progressive Party.
Asked repeatedly by reporters if he intended to contest in the party’s presidential primary, Gayoom stressed that he had not made a decision and would do so “when the time comes.”
“My answer is that the time [for a primary] has not come and we’ll know when it does,” he said, refusing to rule out a possible bid for the presidency in 2013.
On whether his role as leader of the new party contradicted an announcement in February 2010 that he was retiring from active politics, Gayoom said he made the decision based on the assurance that the DRP would function “according to certain principles.”
“At the time and even up till yesterday, I was at the most senior post of one of the largest political parties in the country,” he said. “So how can it be said that the person in the highest post of a political party is not involved in politics? Up till yesterday I was in politics. Today I am forced to create a new party because of the state of the nation and because it has become necessary to find another way for the country.”
As “a lot of citizens” had pleaded with him to form a new party, said Gayoom, he made the decision as “a national obligation.”
In his letter of resignation submitted yesterday, Gayoom said he was “forced” to leave the party he had formed on July 21, 2005 because the DRP had become “politically toothless” and DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali was “acting dictatorially” and violating the party’s charter and democratic principles.
“And you [Thasmeen] keep saying clearly in the media that you do not need my counsel,” reads the letter shared with local media. “The consequence of that was the loss of hope citizens had in this party. And DRP getting the bad name of the party that gives way to the government while remaining in name a responsible opposition party.”
DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali however dismissed the main points raised in Gayoom’s letter yesterday as “baseless claims” offered to defend his decision to resign.
The Zaeem-faction’s activities hampered DRP’s efforts to hold the government accountable, Thasmeen wrote in response, and would be “written in Maldivian political history as a shameful [episode].”
Thasmeen asserted that Gayoom decided to leave the party because he could not influence the party’s day-to-day management and functions in his ‘honorary’ role.
“Since the party’s charter does not give you that role, the fact that you tried to get your way together with a few people within the party regardless of what happened to the party is evident for all to see,” Thasmeen’s rebuttal reads.
The minority leader of parliament noted that three former DRP deputy leaders – former Attorney General Hassan Saeed, former Finance Minister Gasim Ibrahim and current Independent MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam along with other cabinet ministers – left the party to form new parties and compete against Gayoom in the 2008 presidential election.
Gayoom meanwhile said today that he had not received the letter and could not comment on its contents: “There are no personal problems between me and Ahmed Thasmeen Ali,” he insisted.
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Puppets Party of Maldives (PPM)
PPM Planned Preventive Maintenance.
Qayoom can you explain why you have not done that for 30 years of your best time in your life and how can you give that with much feeble mind you have now with much shorter period available for you. And also how can you achieve any democratic goals with your agenda to uphold your Bedouin culture which is totally the opposite of any democratic norm. You are a depressed person now as you know all your 30 years of indoctrination of rubbish to people of Maldives will be slowly erased. You have achieved nothing of any real leader and you will die as a garbage without any legacy to be remembered. How pity, you are so shortsighted person how can you do anything better now.
May be it's not such a bad thing to have a Dictator again. Sure we have the freedom of expression but what else. I don't see any other differences. Look at all the independent institutions. The Majlis, Civil Service Commission, Anti Corruption Commission, The Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission. They are all independent dictatorships.
The civil society is equally irresponsible and doing things as they see fit. For instant they are misleading the public in a big way. Instead of explaining to people that it was how the MPs voted on the "Inaayath ge Bill" initially, how MPs voted on "Mahloof's amendment" and how the Public Accounts Committee members voted that has led to the issue of Committee allowance; they decided to glorify the MPs who wrote to Sec Gen saying they don't want the allowance. Thus leading public to believe votes don't count.
Our people are in a one big mess
PIMPING Party of Maldives
PPM - your purpose is really laughable - "strengthen islam" that was probably your weak link which let to your downfall.
Start making sense, if you want to comeback to power, i think you are still very much out of touch of the local mood.
Happy Independence Day to all DRP members.
DRP ge memberunah ufaaveri minivandhuvahu ge thahuniyaa.
Dear Mr Gayoom,
You must be ashamed of yourself. Maldivians gave 30 years of unquestioned loyalty to you to bring and implement all those changes you are talking about now. But you failed badly. You systematically blocked aspirations of honest men and women.
Now we are living with the devils (Anni, Majilis members and Judiciary) of your creation.
You keep forgetting that you expired two decades ago.
I will not trust a 78 years (Gayoom’s real age is 78 not 73 as his biography says) old former dictator again. Please keep my name out of PPM registry.
Now hard working Maldivians have to fight muskulhi Golhaa and moya Sangu (anga gadhan anni). I feel sorry for us Maldivians.
Nube
People of the Maldives have been robbed of their intellectual and intrinsic inheritance of the huge siphoning of funds by this family Gayoom.
For him to stand on the any Island, be allowed to be again speak within in the community of sincere and ernest hard working people is a crime.
I earnestly believe all of the people of this great but small in number humble nation not accept this thief on their sandy soil.
Where is Umar Naseer in all this?
And what would be his role in this party?
Umar Naseer role shall be pimping pimping for Yameen.
I can honestly say I met personally with high level banking within the IMF, whom categorically sated, the syphoning of funds was unprecedented in such a small economy.
Yet he still enjoys a life which the grater majority meaning 99% of this island nation is deprived of
it's its spoils all goes the same way to the family and those around him.
"Progressive Pain of Maldives"
Name me one great Islamic academic institution today which is word-wide accepted, and is in the top ten or even in the top 100 academic institutions of the world.
My answer to you is simply none.
I have a simple question and I ask why?
Any whom has a credible answer I care to receive a positive response
The and the despot to Gayoom answers and has has done little to assist you as a nation .
Having lived for4 years in Male and sincerely appreciate the great people I met and, people should ask this question of him?
In any way did he uplift and aspire you to reach your great and unlimited potential?
From my limited experience I say none, little if any. He lived well, very well, and all his family and his preferred klan. He enjoyed the best for his family whiles others did not have even a school to attend.
I appreciated the time I lived in Male and I must say, with a devoted loving family which I will appreciate most sincerely.
Yet another despot to say this (quoted below) as he will expunge every opportunity as Gaddafi said the same rhetoric.Word for word.
“That is to strengthen Islam in the country and maintain Islam as a religion that we all love and respect, to fully protect our independence and sovereignty, to establish a strong democratic system in the Maldives, ensure happiness and prosperity to the people, to reform the country to make it a place where people would want to live, uphold public order, peace and stability, and facilitate equality opportunity for everyone to advance.”
same wine in a new bottle
how can someone whose wife is not wearing buruga can maintain islam as a religion we all love and respect ?
pro·gres·sive/prəˈgresiv/
Noun: A person advocating or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.
Very funny, Gayoom. Can we stop the joke now?
this man has a lot of hatered in him maybe one day he will understand. god help him
I will` support this Party only if it Endorses the divine t!ts of Hassan Saeed(s) DQ Party; PPM & DQP Equals Jackpot`....As they presently remain at logger-heads with each other, a compromise could be to remain healthy opponents. The remainder Parties are for after hours, dillydallying, jolly riding, and last but not least the Green Scaffolding.
:P,PM
I see, with regret, no emergence of solid, good policy, and if any good governance.
I believe, just my opinion.
If, it is the will of the people of the Maldives people, there is a solution and credibility will follow,
The first step is to take the previous regime to task, and answer to their despicable self empowerment an looting of the economy , the will to do so must be real.
The present have no will, or have they joined the the fold?
Pathetic Party of Maldives!
“We are forming a new political party to achieve very important national purposes,” he said. “That is to strengthen Islam in the country and maintain Islam as a religion that we all love and respect, to fully protect our independence and sovereignty, to establish a strong democratic system in the Maldives, ensure happiness and prosperity to the people, to reform the country to make it a place where people would want to live, uphold public order, peace and stability, and facilitate equality opportunity for everyone to advance.” Why couldn't you do all this in 30 years. What makes you think that you can do it now?
Fathima, is religion in a buruga? As for this PPM, its definetly permanent pain of Maldives. Gayoom has played the religion card so many times, makes me wonder if he has any brain cells to come up with new ideas.
I'm pretty sure now that Mr Gayyoom doesn't like us Maldivians much. In fact, maybe he really hates us. Why else would he inflict another god damned political party upon us? For shame, Mr Gayyoom, for shame.
Pissed off Parliament Members (PPM)
Maumoon didn't say anything "progressive". I mean he just exactly repeated what he has said for 30 years.
I couldn't quite understand why otherwise educated people continue to support a dictator.
I think daddy is laying foundation for Daughter with this whole PPM charade.
i wouldn't be surprised when the time comes, Gayyoom will say he's no longer interested in leading, he's sticking to what he said earlier on, but will now pass the torch to the younger more capable generation and shine the spotlight on dunya who always happens to be standing right beside him in every photo opportunity thee days.
sounds like a plan. But lets not forget, politics is now getting real old in the maldives and people are frustrated with this party, parliament and mismanagement of state business.
we don't want another term of this crap after 2013.
An attempt to wipe out democracy from this country by weakening the opposition for self interest.
As if there's not enough extremism in the country...now Adaalath can join the PPM and make it worse. Why don't you all go to Afghanistan to live the so called "muslim" life and leave us moderate people alone? When Maumoon came into power some 30 years ago it was a moderate and peaceful country. He created the extremists and now it's full of hatred and crime. We don't want you back Maumoon. Just get lost into oblivion where you deserve to be!
Pretty Pretty Maumoon (PPM)
This is too much i guess. Being in power for morethan 30 years and still not satisfied. he's craving for power i beleive the young generation should sya no to him again. This is is not a monarch system any more, Please please give this infant democracy a breathing space to brathe.
whatever you reckon about the previous regime, surely it was ten times better what we have going through now, with this much of rampant corruption and power hungry individuals. im not saying we should go back to him, he shud just retire gracefully and step aside.. still MDP and their cronies have sold the soul and criminals run the street now with no accountability at all. in conclusion we should have stuck to a parliamentary system since party system has divided the nation!!
Past President Maumoon or Past President Maldives
They should rename it to Kaaminee Minikaa Party.
Party for the Prevention of Menopause (PPM)
Qayyoom is actually the person who brought all the non religious charateristeristics in to Maldivian culture, but he always did them in the name of religion. He is clever and he is planing to do it again. It was during his reign our women started wearing exposedclothes, drug problem started and went off control, murders started, paediphiles began emerging, corruption at its large from his government etc etc. So do you think he can do anything different this time?
He receives state pension for serving 6 consecutive terms, this service does not count though when the question arises on his eligibility to stand for re election as President....in this case he is a fresh politician who has never been President.
He has had 30 yrs and a free reign to do as he pleased, the results are here for all to see.
Yet he commands such a zealous bunch of supporters, who hang to his every word.
Have hand it to the old codger, I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face while shamelessly prattling that nonsense to the naive and gullible people- convincing them that he's still the man.
personal property of maumoon (PPM)