MDP failed due to a certain woman: Alhan

Alhan Fahmy, the sacked Deputy President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has said that MDP’s government led by former President Nasheed’s downfall was came about when the “powers of the State came to be held by a certain woman”.

Alhan and MDP’s sacked President Dr. Ibrahim Didi spoke in a news conference held at DhiTV on Thursday. Alhan said that Nasheed “made mistake after mistake” as a result of following the advice and instructions of Mariya Ahmed Didi, MP for Machchangolhi Uthuru Constituency, Malé.

Mariya Ahmed Didi was a close associate and supporter of former President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom. She left Maumoon’s Government sometime after MDP was formed, allegedly because Maumoon did not appoint her as Attorney General. She then joined with Nasheed’s MDP and has remained one of the most prominent leaders of Nasheed’s party.

“President Nasheed always did what Mariya told him to do. The result we saw was that the powers of the State were indirectly in the hands of a certain woman”, said Alhan on Thursday.

Dr. Didi said that Mariya was a significant cause of MDP’s fall from power, and that it was Mariya who gave “legal advice” to President Nasheed to “walk out of the chart”.

President Nasheed said, in one of his addresses while he was President that he would “walk out of the chart if it is necessary”. This statement, while not a phrase used in the Divehi language, has been universally interpreted as an idiomatic phrase meaning that he would break the law if it was necessary for his agendas.

Speaking in the Conference, Dr. Didi also said that MDP “is a company run at Kenereege (private residence of President Nasheed), and its shareholders are Mariya and Ibrahim Hussain Zaki”.

“All the blame for MDP’s downfall should be directed at Mariya Didi. And her continuation in that company is opening additional doors for the party to fall even lower”, said Dr. Didi.

Alhan also said that President Nasheed took significant steps solely on the basis of Mariya’s opinion. He then said that Abdullah Muhammad, Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, was also arrested on the advice of Mariya, whilst the then Attorney General Abdullah Muizz was against such a move.

Alhan said, in an obvious reference to himself and Dr. Didi among others, that “those in the leadership of MDP should not take responsibility for the fall of MDP from power, as President Nasheed rejected their advice in favor of Mariya’s”.

“We lost favor when we started criticizing that policy. When we started to stand up against what was happening, the only way they saw was to kick us out of MDP. President Nasheed’s research showed him that MDP could be kept as it was only by sacking us from our offices at the Party. So, without any fair and equitable reasons, he did it”, complained Alhan.

Alhan also said that he and Dr. Didi could have been in their positions at MDP if they chose to be silent about Nasheed’s policies. “However, we wanted to bring the nation back on track, and to make MDP a party working for national interests, and that is why we stood up”, added Alhan.

Alhan heavily criticized Nasheed by saying that “the journey to justice, and human rights are not necessarily Nasheed’s conception and painting of these ideals”. He also said that “Nasheed failed because of many, many mistakes, and he should accept those mistakes and step down from politics forever”.