PPM issues three-line whip to vote for Muhthaz as Prosecutor General

Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) parliamentary group has issued a three-line whip to vote for Criminal Court Judge Muhthaz Muhsin in the vote of consent to appoint him to the Prosecutor General post.

The decision to vote for Muhthaz Muhsin in the parliamentary vote scheduled for Monday was made with 33 votes in favour from the 38 MPs who participated in the vote, during a meeting of PPM's parliamentary group today.

The three-line whip was issued today in contradiction to a decision by PPM leader, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to back his nephew and prominent lawyer Maumoon Hameed.

In a letter addressed to the 43-member parliamentary group on Friday, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom noted that President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had also appealed to the parliamentary group on various platforms to vote for Maumoon Hameed.

Maumoon Hameed and Judge Muhthaz Muhsin have already been rejected by the Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions after failing to attain the required score from the committee evaluation.

A member of the Committee on Independent Institutions told Sun Online on Monday that Judge Muhthaz Muhsin gained 67 percent, and that Maumoon Hameed gained 33 percent from the evaluation. A minimum score 75 percent is required to stand for a recommendation from the committee.

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom nominated Maumoon Hameed to the previous parliament on 10 December last year. However, Hameed gained 67.06 percent from the committee evaluation and was subsequently rejected by the parliament.