President meets members of MDP PG

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has met with several members of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group, amid a widening rift within the party.

The parliamentary group’s leader, North Hithadhoo MP Mohamed Aslam confirms the meeting took place Wednesday.

According to Aslam, the meeting was held at the request of some of the MPs.

He said that the discussions focused on parliamentary work.

“They talked about expediting projects in their respective constituencies, and about resolving issues facing their constituencies,” he said.

He did not elaborate any further.

MDP is currently divided into two factions; members loyal to President Solih, and members loyal to the party’s leader Mohamed Nasheed.

MPs from Nasheed’s ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ faction recently formed an alliance with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoory Party (JP), and Maldives National Party (MNP), alleging the government failed to act in the best interests of the Maldivian people in the case lodged with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) over the disputed maritime area between Maldives and Mauritius.

The parliamentary group requested action against five MPs from the faction earlier this week; Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim, West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef, Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb, North Kulhudhuffushi MP Yasir Abdul Latheef, and North Maafannu MP Imthiyaaz Fahmy.

The party’s disciplinary committee decided to expel Azim and slap him with a one-year ban from the party on Tuesday.