Nihan steps down, calls for PPM leadership reform

MP Ahmed Nihan, leader of the former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) parliamentary group, has confessed to the failure of his party’s leadership and called for reform.

MP Nihan, now prominent as having been one of former president Abdulla Yameen’s staunchest supporters in parliament, says their loss in three past national elections has been the result of this failure.

Nihan’s tweet translates to, ‘Those in PPM’s leadership who have failed must immediately relieve themselves from their positions. It is the lack of a functioning leadership that cost the party the Local Council Election in 2017, the Presidential Election in 2018, and the People’s Majlis Election in 2019. They must resign!’.

On Sunday night, Nihan also announced his decision to step down from his position at the helm of the party’s parliamentary group, which held a ‘super majority’ in the last tenure but has been drastically reduced to just five seats following the election held on April 6th.

While Nihan himself lost his bid for re-election, he said in a separate tweet on Sunday night that he will continue to serve as a general member of the former ruling party.

Nihan and fellow Yameen loyalist MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla told a press conference following the results of last year’s presidential election that President Yameen’s loss is partly the fault of PPM’s leadership.

Current deputy speaker and Hulhu-Henveiru constituency MP Moosa Manik also levelled fault on the party’s leadership, claiming that Yameen, former first lady Fathimath Ibrahim, and MP Abdulla are individually responsible for PPM’s defeat at the ballot box.

PPM’s leadership itself has become a matter of dispute at local courts, with a High Court decision recognizing President Yameen as de jure leader over founder and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, now appealed at the Supreme Court.

PPM has also been involved in Civil Court disputes over credit facilities given to the party ahead of the 2018 presidential election, most notably with the national airline Maldivian, which ended in the company’s favour after the court ordered a payout of MVR 3.8 million.