The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’s (PPM) faction loyal to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has released a statement condemning Defence Minister Adam Shareef Umar’s proposal to bar soldiers from voting.

“You cannot take fundamental rights away, then attempt to call it nationalism” the statement said “The State is obligated to defend the rights of its citizens under Article 18 of the Constitution – the government’s proposal is direct affront to this”.

The statement further said that Maldivian servicemen and women have never been involved in political matters and that is no legitimate reason to repeal their right to vote.

The Defence Minister had on Tuesday night expressed intentions to have the Armed Forces Act amended so as to disallow soldiers from voting, citing a need to distance the armed-forces from political influences.

This proposal would need to enter parliament and pass with a two-thirds majority for it to amend the law on armed-forces.

PPM has been divided into two factions following embitterment between President Abdulla Yameen and his half-brother, and former President, Gayoom.

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