Police warns to take action against illegal painting of public walls

Police have warned to take action against anyone who paints the walls of public buildings, homes and offices, following a recent paint war between the major political parties in the capital, ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

A police media official said today that the Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the police to take the appropriate action against those who paint areas of the capital city with their political party colours.

“If we’re informed of such illegal painting with political party colours, we will take action. Even by going to that particular area and stopping them then and there, we will take action,” the official said.

Police have also asked the public to inform them of any such activity.

The paint war between supporters of the dominant two political parties, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) came to a climax in the capital Male’ last week, where they had painted some of the walls of government leased buildings.

Ministry of Home Affairs said last week that painting the walls of government owned and government leased building is an offence and that it is a great cost for the government to whitewash the paint. They urged the public to refrain from resorting to such tactics during the campaign.