MDP: Representative at talks will be decided by party leadership

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) National Council has welcomed Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) instructions that the country resume all-party talks, voting that the party representative at the talks would be decided by its leadership.

MDP made the decision via a decree proposed by Deputy Leader Mohamed Shifaz during the emergency MDP National Council meeting held Monday night.

While announcing the decree, Shifaz welcomed CMAG’s decision to include Maldives in its official agenda.

Shifaz said that MDP was ready to engage in sincere dialogue with the Maldivian government regarding the reforms prescribed by CMAG.

He also said that MDP would join the government initiated all-party talks with a representative from an international organization such as the United Nations.

The decree secured the vote of 37 of the 39 council members present during the meeting.

Maldivian government, last Sunday, asked both MDP and Adhaalath Party to send in names of the officials from the parties who will be joining the all-party talks to President’s Office.

The two parties had previously refused to join the talks unless government fulfilled their conditions.

CMAG has asked both the Maldivian government and Maldivian opposition political parties to resume all-party talks unconditionally.