Rico Moosa: MDP didn

MP and former Chairperson of MDP, Rico Moosa Manik has said that MDP did not try to put fingerprints on the old membership forms before the amendment in the past six months given by the Elections Commission before the forms with fingerprints would be terminated.

In an interview with Sun Media tonight, Moosa said that instead of doing the work as the deadline is fast approaching, MDP decided to go to court.

“If they worked from the day Elections Commission requested that fingerprints be given as per the law, 23,000 members would not have to leave the party after the deadline expires tomorrow or the day after.” Moosa said.

He said that this shows that the people running the party cannot run it. Moosa said that most of the members in the party now were people who joined during campaign trips and other trips when he was the Chairperson.

Moosa said that if MDP worked appropriately in the past six months, they could’ve had 3,000 members joining the party per week.

“Six month period was given. Then now why go to court? No need to go today to suddenly bring out an order, no? Either way the law says that fingerprint must be there.” Moosa said.

The former MDP Chairman, Moosa said that MDP is trying to do things forcefully recently and all of it’s negative affect is on the party itself.

With less than two days to the deadline, Moosa said that the MDP leadership is panicking to get President Mohamed Nasheed’s fingerprint on the form but if they tried it in the past six months, that could’ve have been accomplished. He said that the leadership of the party does not want to keep President Nasheed in the party.

“They won’t put on President Nasheed’s fingerprint. The people running the party now want President Nasheed and all those who sacrificed for the old MDP out of the party. Why can’t President Nasheed’s fingerprint be put all these days? Lawyers are sent to President Nasheed with some procedure in the party.” Moosa said.