Shifag questions why MDP did not issue a report on change of government

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group Member Fuvahmulah Medhu MP Shifag Mufeed has said that it is questionable why MDP has not issued a report on how former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government changed.

Speaking at the Parliament session today when MDP had decided to boycott the session, Shifag said that when he was told that the government changed through a coup, he believed it; but he expected to read a report on what happened exactly. The fact that no report has been issued thus far raises questions:

“I believed it when I was told that the government was changed through a coup. I called them traitors. I spread the word around. But I expected, because President Nasheed made these claims, that the party leadership will issue a report detailing what happened, the sequence of incidents, and how it happened. And I hoped that the party’s 50,000 members and the entire Maldivian population will be informed of what exactly happened.

Foreigners or local authorities investigating the incidents – that’s something else. That’s a different phase. There should be a report to prove that what we said was the truth. Till today, I see no sign of such a report. When things go this way, certain questions are raised.”

Shifag noted that the transfer of power and the events of 8 February require investigation. However he questioned MDP’s sincerity in conducting these investigations. He pointed out that the issue was rejected by MDP members when MDP Vice President Alhan Fahmy proposed to conduct an investigation at Parliament’s National Security Committee.

MDP Parliamentary Group has removed the issue submitted by Alhan to the Committee.

Shifag said that the public is left in confusion, because President Nasheed’s story of the incidents of the day power was transferred keeps changing constantly, and because MDP Interim Chairperson Moosa Manik failed to explain clearly to the public the events of the first day.

“Instead of telling different versions of the story every day; because the party Interim Chairperson Moosa Manik could not clarify the events of the day to us as told by President Nasheed from the first day, the public is in a state of confusion. Investigations have to be conducted into how the government changed, how power was transferred, and the events of 8 February. For example, Alhan Fahmy submitting a case to the Parliament Committee – this is one way to do it. But we turned our backs on that proposition. Our intentions are therefore questionable,” Shifag said.