Former minister at the President’s office, Mohamed Hussain Shareef has been appointed at the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s Secretary General.

Shareef, who previously served position such as Maldives Ambassador to Sri Lanka, was appointed as Secretary General of the PPM at a party council meeting held on Wednesday, with the majority votes. The meeting was led by outgoing President Abdulla Yameen, who is also the leader of the party.

Representative of Nilandhoo constituency in Parliament, Abdulla Haleel previously served as Secretary General of the party in 2016, after the court gave party leadership to President Yameen, having snatched the leadership from the elect leader, recently freed former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

PPM’s council meeting made this hasty decision at a time the Elections Commission of the Maldives has nullified the decisions made at the party’s recent national congress, which saw the appointment of President Yameen as party leader and Azima Shakoor as the party’s Vice President.