The Office of President Mohamed Nasheed strongly condemns politically motivated arrests of senior politicians Hon. Ibrahim H. Zaki, Hon. Hamid A. Ghafoor MP, International Spokesman of MDP, Hon. Abdulla Jabir MP and others on Friday, 16 November.

Hon. Zaki recently publicly criticised the present Government’s handling of Indo – Maldives relations and the February 7th coup, which violently overthrew the country’s first democratically elected government.

Hon. Hamid & Hon. Jabir supported the amending of the Parliament Standing Orders to accommodate a secret vote in no confidence motions taken in the Parliament. There had been a no confidence motion of Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, the Home Minister under whom the police operate which had been withdrawn pending outcome of the amendment to voting in no confidence motions in Parliament. A no confidence motion of President Waheed is pending in Parliament.

‘It is such a coincidence that whenever the Waheed Government wants to frame those critical of their Government, they come up with trumped-up charges and very often it is something to do with alcohol’ said President Nasheed’s Spokesperson Hon. Mariya Didi (MP). ‘Such accusations have led one of our MP’s to submit a Bill to Parliament totally banning it’s importation’, she added.

The Office of President Nasheed calls on the Government to immediately bring an end to harassment of senior politicians and MPs. Furthermore, the Office reiterates it’s call to have early elections in the country so as to get the country on track to democratic governance.

ENDS