Ruling party planning to expel MP Fazad for joining opposition campaign

Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is looking into Fuvahmulah MP Ali Fazad after he began joining the Joint Opposition’s campaign events.

PPM’s disciplinary committee has received the request to expel MP Fazad, who is the party’s parliamentary group member.

PPM’s parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik confirmed this at a press conference on Wednesday.

Fazad has since been removed from the party’s Viber group and other messaging groups.

At the press conference, Nihan said he was removed from the PPM Viber group after he failed to pick up the phone calls and ignored repeated advice not to join the opposition campaign. Due to these reasons, the disciplinary committee has been asked to expel him PPM, Nihan said.

Fazad was seen participating in the opening of the Joint Opposition campaign site in Male’ on Tuesday night and is accompanying Joint Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in his campaign trip to Haa Alif atoll.

After he began joining the opposition campaign, Fazad was given an enthusiastic welcome by opposition supporters when he arrived at his native island of Fuvahmulah last Saturday.

Candidate Solih has now received backing from two of the three MPs representing the Fuvahmulah constituencies, including from former PPM member and North-Fuvahmulah MP Ali Shah, who has been working with the opposition for over a year.

While pro-government speaker and South-Fuvahmulah MP Abdulla Maseeh remains in the ruling party, he has failed to fulfill his responsibilities in parliament, which currently under military control.