PPM and DRP draws back from all-party talks

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the Divehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), two of the major political parties of the Maldives, have both independently withdrawn themselves from the all-party talks.

All party-talks were started when political sides agreed to discuss among themselves to get to common terms, after the country was thrown into political turmoil following Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation on 7th February this year. Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) first refused to participate in the talks, but later joined.

However, the talks have apparently failed, when MDP Parliamentarians “hijacked” the Parliament yesterday in not allowing President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik to deliver the State of the Nation Address.

Speaking to Sun Online today, Abdul Raheem Abdullah, Deputy President of PPM, said that “MDP had expressly said that they would not allow the President to deliver his Address, and they acted out that plan against the law, the consensus of all other parties. Hence, PPM would not participate in any talks anymore”.

“This is not a decision out of the blues. We had stated on the 29th that if MDP blocks the State of the Nation Address, we would rethink about going ahead with all-party talks”, said Abdul Raheem.

Abdul Raheem said that “there is no point in sitting together with people who perpetrated ethically and morally disgusting acts inside the Parliament Chamber”.

However, Abdul Raheem gave a hint that the Party Council may yet again revise its current stand, if it becomes necessary.

Even before PPM, Divehi Rayyithunge Party had announced that they would severe themselves from all-party talks until “the Majlis comes back on track”. DRP’s announcement came yesterday, through Ahmed “Andey” Mohamed, who sits in the Cabinet as the Minister of Economic Development.

“As the Deputy Leader of DRP, and as someone who has been participating in the all-party talks, I must say that what happened today in the Majlis Chamber tells us that there is no environment for such talks. It can only be continued when we learn to make some compromises for the sake of the nation. As such, unless and until the Parliament session begins in accordance with the Constitution, we would not participate in the talks”, said Andey.

As President Dr. Waheed was ready to fulfill his Constitutional obligation by delivering the State of the Nations Address yesterday at the Opening Session of the Majlis for its third annual session, MDP Parliamentarians committed “acts of sheer disgrace” inside the Majlis Chamber. Meanwhile, their thuggish activists attacked police units barricading passageways leading towards the Majlis House for security reasons with stone, petrol, iron and wooden rods, and other sharp objects, injuring some 14 police officers. Four among them sustained serious injuries, and one has already been flown to Sri Lanka for medical treatment.