Yameen denies claim that PPM is working with MDP on holding extraordinary parliament session

Parliamentary Group Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Abdullah Yameen has said that PPM is not working with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on holding an extraordinary meeting of the parliament during recess.

In an interview to Sun Online, Yameen said that he does not understand MDP’s purpose for saying that PPM is cooperating with them in this regard, and that it is an outright lie. He said that there is no reason to hold an extraordinary meeting of the parliament during recess.

Speaking to Sun Online earlier today, MDP parliamentary group member Mohamed Gasam said that PPM’s parliamentary group leader Abdulla Yameen had requested their support to hold an extraordinary meeting of the parliament, and that the 20 member MDP parliamentary group had agreed and signed in support of holding the session.

A request calling for an extraordinary session of the parliament must include a minimum of 26 MP signatures. Gasam said that the request has been submitted to the appropriate authority along with the 20 signatures of the MDP parliamentary group. Gasam however failed to specify the authority.

Gasam said that MDP wishes to hold a meeting in relation to the issue of a no-confidence vote against the president.

PPM spokesperson and Galolhu-South MP Ahmed Mahlouf said that the party did try to hold an extraordinary session of the parliament prior to the party’s congress, and that its purpose was to pass the political parties bill, which the president had asked the parliament to reconsider. He however said that he did not know where the matter stood now.