Opposition: MNDF come out, take control of country

Parliament representative of Maavashu constituency MP Mohamed Saeed on Wednesday stated that there was no more options left, but for Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) to come out and take control of the country.

He made the remarks while speaking during a press conference held by the opposition to express their concerns over the Parliament chamber doors being locked. Saeed said that situation is at a level where the defence forces need to take over in order to take the country out of the “hole” it has fallen into.

Furthermore, he accused President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of having sold a large part of the marine area in the case of the over lapping territories with Mauritius, and said that MNDF should also join the opposition in protests against this.

“During last nights ceremony held for the anniversary of MNDF, the Minister of Defence showcased President Solih’s map ahead. I do not believe there is any other option left, but for Maldivian soldiers to come out and take over the nation. Today there is no bigger obligation for us and security forces (MNDF) over protecting the nation.”

Explaining his stance, Saeed said that there were numerous reasons for his belief. He said that the government has gone overboard in extending its influence into the independent institutions of the state and the powers that are separated from it. He alleged that the government is working to halt the appeal case of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom ongoing in the High Court, as well as ordering the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to not investigate the cases lodged by the oppposition.

In addition to this, Saeed said that on an instance where they went to the President’s Office to meet the President, the PO Chief of Staff Ali Zahir had said that “will do whatever we want”.

Referreing to the situation of Parliament, he said that as the leader of the nation, President Solih has not done anything to resolve the issue.

“When things drop to this level, beloved people of the nation, we need to inform you. There is no more saving this country from MDP. Every time they come into power, a large part of the country is sold. The country is enslaved.”

The opposition has expressed concerns continuously over the Parliament being in a deadlock. They also stated that Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has asked them to work towards finding a solution for the issue. However, they note that MND has not been cooperative in moving forward with discussions.

Meanwhile MDP has said that all of this was purposely being done by Nasheed to not divulge into the no confidence motion submitted against him and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Eva Abdulla.