President decides not to include MDP in current government

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has made the decision not to include Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in the current coalition government.

Political Advisor to the President, Ahmed Thaufeeg said in an interview with Sun Online tonight that the President made this decision without influence of any political party.

Thaufeeg said that the report of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) has shown that the government is legitimate, which means there are no grounds to discuss an early election any more.

MDP proposed to join the government at the Leaders’ Dialogue meeting held yesterday between leaders of political parties.

MDP Chairperson Reeko Moosa Manik told reporters after the meeting that because MDP was in power when the government changed, CNI’s decision that the current government is legitimate should mean that it should presently be MDP’s rule in the Maldives.

“MDP won the election in 2008. We want to join the current government - only then can we legally have the authority to say anything. That’s why we proposed this. I am confident that we said that if CNI decides that Nasheed’s resignation was not forced, it would mean that the present government is the one elected in 2008. So this government has to include MDP, we are willing to cooperate with the government,” Moosa Manik said.

The proposition by MDP has been heavily criticised by political parties.

One party said that it must be assessed whether this request is part of Nasheed’s deceitful planning, while another party said that the issue must be thoroughly discussed before a decision is made.

Vice President of Qaumee Party and Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said that including MDP in the government cannot be justified; while PPM said that MDP’s purpose behind wanting to join the government is to break up the government.