An extraordinary meeting of the Council of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has been cancelled Tuesday night due to a lack of quorum.
The council meeting, proposed by PPM leader - former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was called off after 21 members of the council walked out.
According to the party, the council meeting was set to discuss a reform plan proposed by its leader, and iron out disagreements within the party.
Members who walked out refused to allow the meeting to progress, citing the attendance of two members who were recently removed from the party by its disciplinary committee.
Responding to this, President Gayoom explained that Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Faris Maumoon and party member Aminath Nadira were removed from the party by the disciplinary committee, in a meeting which lacked a quorum.
He said that only 3 members of the 7-member committee attended the said meeting, in which the decision was made to remove the two members from the party.
President Gayoom further assured that the party will overcome internal rifts through dialogue.
Members of the party who walked out of the meeting told the media that MP Faris had been removed from the party for defying a three-line whip on 2 separate occasions. They however agreed on resolving the differences through dialogue.