I had to wait for two months in the line to meet Nasheed: MDP President

Dr. Ibrahim Didi, President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that he had to wait for two months, after he requested for an appointment to meet with MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed following the latter’s resignation as President of the country. Dr. Didi said that he requested for an appointment with Nasheed soon after Nasheed resigned on the 7th of February this year, in order to discuss the conducting of party affairs.

Speaking today at One to One, a radio program on DhiFM, Dr. Didi said that he had to meet with Nasheed as he was the highest political authority of the party when MDP was in power, and that he had not had appropriate chances to talk to Nasheed during the latter’s presidency. Dr. Didi said that he had to meet Nasheed as he believed the only way to reset the affairs of MDP on the right track necessitated such a meeting.

Dr. Didi said that he was finally given an appointment on Wednesday, last week, and that he discussed the affairs of the party with Nasheed on the occasion. Dr. Didi also said that while the two had the same opinions on some issues, there were differences of opinion between them in a number of issues as well. One of the matters in which they differed was, according to Dr. Didi, the issue of establishing a shadow cabinet of the party.

“We discussed issues mentioned in the Constitution of the Party, and we reached agreement on certain points. However, we did not exactly see eye to eye in the matter of establishing a shadow cabinet. However, the Party Constitution makes it obligatory upon the President of the Party to establish a shadow cabinet in this situation” said Dr. Didi.

Dr. Didi said that the political condition of the day necessitated MDP to form a team, and to work for the betterment of the Party as one team. He also said that he did not put forth his name for the Presidential Primary of the Party in order to give way to Nasheed. He also said that Nasheed should be the Party candidate if an early Presidential election is to be conducted.

Dr. Didi said that Nasheed did not give attention to his request to form a shadow cabinet, and that he concluded the meeting without discussing the matter adequately, and requested to go to the new MDP Camp at East Malé. There, Dr. Didi was colossally humiliated, when MDP members obstructed his speech by shouting at him, and even cutting off the microphone line.

“When I tried to address the crowd, some called be “rebel”, and called for my resignation and shouted. These were barbaric acts, and Nasheed did not say much about it. I couldn’t finish my speech, but when I came back from the stage, Nasheed asked me not to make a big deal of it, and told me that things would be back on the right track”, said Dr. Didi.

Dr. Didi said that such behaviour on the part of MDP should change, and he emphasized the point that MDP membership was not limited to those who were there at the Camp that night, and he expressed certainty that “the Party would be reformed”.