Senior members of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) must hold themselves accountable for President Abdulla Yameen’s defeat at the ballot box last September, says PPM parliamentary group member Moosa Manik.

Hulhu-Henveiru constituency MP Moosa said this during his interview at RaajjeTV’s nightly talk-show Falasurukhee, where he said PPM failed as a direct result of decisions made by President Yameen, first lady Fathimath Ibrahim, and deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

Moosa said that they had allowed the party to become divided and that conflicting factions within the party isolated general members and caused its leadership to lose their trust. Moosa has been at PPM’s forefront since he defected to the party, primarily due to him being having made deputy speaker of the People’s Majlis.

Moosa, who officially signed on with PPM after rising to political prominence through the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), said that the ruling party’s internal divide caused its official leaders to lose control, which then led to an inefficient campaign effort.

During his appearance at RaajjeTV, which he highlighted as being his first since leaving MDP four years ago, the parliamentarian spoke at length about his reservations towards both the current government and its opponents, the Joint Opposition coalition, parties of which Moosa have ideologies that differ alarmingly from one another.

Having called PPM’s current leadership incapable of running a party of its potential and support base – Moosa expressed his belief that Yameen and his party acquiring over 96,000 votes by itself being ‘truly impressive’ – Moosa also said that MDP remains distracted and divided between president-elect Ibrahim Solih and party leader and founder, former president Mohamed Nasheed.

Moosa said that the Joint Opposition continues to be distracted by celebrating the importance of their victory and perceived accomplishment of acquiring freedom for its leaders who were unfairly imprisoned, though the pro-government lawmaker did not call them ‘political prisoners’, while they should be focused on the logistics of a smooth transition and forming a solid government.

Moosa also said that MDP is contradicting its own moral standing by aligning itself with former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, whose 30-year rule was protested and eventually ousted through ballots by MDP leader Nasheed.

In response to a question on whether or not he believes his defection from the party through which he was elected is a malicious move, Moosa said that his contribution to the party has been immense and that while he had been genuinely fond of his role in the party, he has always been committed to the development of his constituency.

Moosa insisted that he has never taken advantage of his position in power and that he has never violated parliamentary procedure and that he will continue to work with any government, regardless of personal allegiances, so long as it is for the betterment of his constituency.