MDP-JP to protest during Presidential Address

Opposition parties Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Jumhooree Party (JP) have decided to protest at the parliament during President Abdulla Yameen’s delivery of the Presidential Address, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. today.

The purpose of the protest is to call for the release of former President Mohamed Nasheed, and withdrawal of the charges against politicians.

The two parties have also agreed to protest against the government’s failure to put a stop to gang crime.

Sources have told Sun Online that the two parties made the decision to protest at separate meetings held within the parties.

This would be President Yameen’s first Presidential Address to the 18th Parliament. His address last year was to the 17th Parliament, in which he also served as the MP for Mulah constituency.

The 18th Parliament consists of 85 MPs, and majority is held by the ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives.

The ruling coalition has 51 MPs, made up of 46 PPM MPs and five Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) MPs. However the coalition number has fallen to 49, after Galolhu-South MP Ahmed Mahloof was removed from PPM membership, and Nolhivaram MP Hussain Areef joined the opposition.

The MDP-JP coalition has 32 members in the parliament, made up to 22 MDP members and ten JP members.

Opposition groups created chaos at parliament in 2012 and 2013 during the deliver of the Presidential Address by former President Dr Mohamed Waheed.