Ali Arif calls on Faris Maumoon at his residence

Ali Arif, a member of President Abdulla Yameen’s faction of the divided ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) called on Faris Maumoon at his residence on Tuesday evening.

While PPM has been divided since June 2016, Faris chose his father, the party’s leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s side in the dispute against his half-uncle, President Abdulla Yameen.

RaajjeMV understands that the Kelaa constituency MP visited Faris at his residence- Endhirimaage- on Tuesday evening. However, RaajjeMV cannot confirm the discussions held at this meeting. Neither parties responded to RaajjeMV’s calls.

The meeting comes as Faris spearheads a no-confidence motion submitted against parliament Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed. He, along with 25 other opposition lawmakers, submitted the motion last week, and it has been scheduled at Parliament for March 27. He was summoned to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday as well.

After testifying at the Commission, Faris said that he had not been summoned over any case, rather to clarify information. While he did not reveal details, as it is against ACC laws and regulations, Faris did say that he was not under any investigation at the Commission.

He had described the summoning as a "politically motivated harassment before the [parliament] speaker's no-confidence vote."

Leader of the largest opposition party in the country Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), former President Mohamed Nasheed commended Faris, saying he admired the Dhiggaru constituency MP's "strength in the face of such blatant intimidation.”