MDP National Council to make decision regarding joining all-party talks

Opposition party – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has scheduled a meeting of its national council this Monday night to make a decision regarding Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) request that all political party join all-party talks with the government unconditionally.

MDP has announced that it will be holding the emergency meeting at 9 pm, this Monday night.

Meanwhile, Maldivian government has asked MDP, Adhaalath Party, and other political parties operating in the country to send in names of the officials who will be participating of behalf of each party to the President’s Office last Sunday.

MDP and Adhaalath Party had previously refused to join the all-party talks initiated by the government.

CMAG has called out for both the Maldivian government and opposition political parties to resume the all-party talks unconditionally, warning that it will be taking decisive action against the country if it did not make any progress in making the reforms asked by the Commonwealth by March, 2017.

CMAG issued the ultimatum on last Friday, September 23.

MDP had issued a press statement in response to the ultimatum, calling out for the government to resume all-party talks before the country suffers any negative impact from decisive action the Commonwealth may implement.

Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. Mohamed Shainee – who leads the Maldivian government delegation in the all-party talks spoke to “Sun” on Sunday night and said that

CMAG was right in making their decision, and that the all-party talks would be resumed within this week.

“The government has made repeated attempts to resume the talks. But two opposition parties – MDP and Adhaalath have refused to join the talks,” said Shainee.