I have nothing to rectify; what should be rectified are those who voted underhandedly: Umar

Umar Naseer, after being given seven days to ‘rectify’ his actions whereby he violated the Basic Regulation of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), has said that he has nothing to rectify; and that what should be rectified are the actions of ‘those who voted underhandedly’.

Umar lost PPM’s recent Primary Election to Abdullah Yameen.

Speaking to Sun Online on the recent decision by the party’s Behavioural Committee, Umar said that he never did anything worthy of an apology, and that the people who should apologise are those who cast votes underhandedly in the Primary Election.

Umar said that he had not been officially informed of the Behavioural Committee’s today’s decision.

“The people who should apologise are those who put votes in the ballot box underhandedly. They are the ones whose actions should be rectified. Their actions have resulted in conflict within the party. This is common in internal elections. Even at MDP’s election I saw people wearing Nasheed’s t-shirts near the ballot boxes. Similarly, this time we saw Yameen’s supporters near the ballot boxes. When my supporters went there, they weren’t allowed to vote. And at the end of the voting period, votes were put in the boxes under the names of people who never went to vote. These are the people who need to rectify their actions. This is something the party has to put right,” he said.

PPM’s Behavioural Committee earlier gave Umar seven days to rectify his actions, failure to do which would result in his expulsion from the party.

Umar said that removing him could have serious consequences for PPM.

“They decided to expel me long ago. The Behavioural Committee had decided to remove me from the party. Even now they are prolonging it, to see if I surrender. But I will stand by my word. What we all know is, removing me can have serious consequences for the party. This is already becoming evident,” he said.

Umar was notified twice by PPM to make a public apology regarding the accusations he made against PPM’s Presidential Candidate Abdullah Yameen. Umar has refused to apologise as requested by the party.