Former President Abdulla Yameen has called on members of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) to protest against the efforts to dissolve the party.
The former leader of PPM said members must protest against the dissolution of the party if they love the country.
"The ordinary members of the PPM have to think. Today is the day to change their direction. If they love the country, if they want to save it from slavery, if they want sovereignty and full independence, we cannot go forward with these people," Yameen said.
At a meeting of the PPM Senate on Thursday, the party's Rule of Procedure was amended to facilitate the dissolution of the party.
The rules earlier stated that the party may be dissolved if the party's financial condition deteriorates to such an extent that it becomes difficult to operate and the party leadership proposes to the party senate that it should be dissolved after consideration by a 3/4 majority of the Senate.
However, the new amendment allows the dissolution of the party if approved by the senate even without any financial issues.
Speaking at his People's National Front (PNF) gathering on Thursday night, Yameen also slammed the government for trying to forge closer ties with India.
"Because we are surrounded by the Indian Ocean, they do not know how to swim in it," he said.
The PPM was founded by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom after his Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) split into two factions. Yameen became PPM's presidential candidate in 2013 and later took control of the party.
The ruling People's National Congress (PNC), which came into power in a coalition with PPM, was formed under the order of Yameen after Maumoon filed court cases to regain control of PPM.
Less than a week after PNC came into power, Yameen left the PPM and began work to former a new party. The ruling party also insisted candidates contest only on behalf of PNC during the parliamentary election earlier this year. This meant that the second largest political party, PPM, did not field any candidates in the election.
