The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Friday marched through the streets of Male’ in support of this week’s Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) statement.
Former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa said the march was intended to show that the people of the Commonwealth are ‘standing shoulder to shoulder’ in support of CMAG. The march was intended to demonstrate that the government’s claims the CMAG did not truly represent the people of the Commonwealth was incorrect.
CMAG met last Monday, calling again for early elections and threatening stronger measures should the government fail to improve the impartiality Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) the body assigned to investigate February’s transfer of power.
Zulfa reported that a group of around 10,000 people left the Usfangandu area at around 4:30pm yesterday, picking up more supporters as it progressed. The marchers were said to have returned to the Usfangandu area at around 6:45pm. Zulfa also reported simultaneous protests across the country.
At the start of the march, the group is reported to have headed towards the residence of the Speaker of the House Abdullah Shahid, where there was a brief pause while the protesters called for Shahid’s resignation. The group then continued past the Majlis, also stopping outside the residence of the Minister of Defence, Mohamed Nazim.
The MDP representation in the Majlis submitted a no-confidence motion against the speaker this week, arguing that Shahid had failed to follow parliamentary regulations consistently, and also that he had made decisions without adequately consulting all of the parties in the Majlis.
Zulfa explained the MDP’s belief that the speaker should have taken a leading role in pushing for fresh elections, citing the recent example of the coup in Mali, after which the speaker of the country’s legislature Dioncounda Traore assumed power and promised new polls.
“We have been very patient [with Shahid]. Now, instead of asking him for his leadership, we are asking him to resign,” said Zulfa. Responding to the president’s claim this week that early elections could be held in July 2013, Zulfa said: “We don’t call that early at all.”
“From the examples of other coup governments, we know that this is a stalling tactic,” said Zulfa.
July represents the earliest point that the president can move the elections forward under the current rules of the constitution.
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Zulfa, you first need to answer why you gave some Islands to your husband and then talk about election.
Zulfa you got to explain a lot to Maldivians and Maldivians are not only the member of MDP and 70% of the total population is not a member of MDP and only 30% are MDP.
Do you mean that all non MDP people are not Maldivian citizen ?
You have no clue of what is happening here in Maldives and you are only seen few thugs and corrupted idiots who were part of your team and those who lost thier job over night and are unable to get any other job else where.
Since 75% of MDP government high ranking posts were filled by the activists who have no formal education and they are the people who are going with you guys and it is not majority of Maldives.
Anyway, i personally do not like what had happened on 7th Feb. and neither I like what you guys did on 8th either. But i like to see a democratically elected government but what had happened on 7th may be , is also good and all nightly allah will know why it ahd happened and may be its for better to prevent the country going into socialist thinking.
True, we need smaller government. If we let party activists of every rank fill each and every political post under the sun then we can never take a breath in this country.
This is a message for all political parties and especially the MDP.
MDP created more than 7 utilities companies and planted 5 board members to each of those. Each board member set themselves salaries beyond the thinking of ordinary citizens while all of them were hardly qualified to work as a peon.
It is these kinds of things that brought the MDP government down. We are now being treated to news of government contracts awarded to Shiunas and Maamigili Ibbes everyday. Let us all put a stop to this and change the direction of revolt towards reform rather than this pointless struggle for power.
U Two are telling maumoon and the baaee vaheed are pious and good people. Maumoon got elected for most of his 30 year rule by cheating and force. In some island entire populations votes will be done by one single person the people even didnt see the ballot paper.
Waheed came to power by a coup. Nasheed was selected by the people. this is the deference. Think before u talk. The whole world knows this.
@tsk tsk, what about the corruption of the previous regime.. which is behind the coup and bloodshed of 8th feb? at least there is an indecent audit general now.. but you are advocating that Gayoom is better the three years of MDP government, which was a coalition to begin with... its only those who benefited from Gayoom who will be belied to the coup of 7th feb and the violence and police brutality of 8th feb. guess you are one of them
The MDP worship the west and will continue to throw these tantrums until our government acquiesces to their pro-Western agenda. Consumerism, secularism feminism and harlotry shall be the rotten fruits of their democracy.
They are not Maldivians. They are Maldeviants. Maldeviants should be garrotted on the spot!
MODE! thoo bankwaas bandhu karoa!!! a resort is nothing compared with a Police & MNDF Mutiny
mode, please get your facts straight. Zulfa had nothing to do with giving islands under the csr programme. It was a programme run by the min. of Finance throught the National Planning Council.
Why dont you check a few facts before slandering innocent people? Islands were awarded for commitment to pay the govt usd 600thousand per hectare(that's $3million for a 5 hectare island).The opportunity was open to all Maldivians and foreigners.
Minivan please make comments votable like"like" or "unlike"..thanks by the way i dont like u MDP supporters.
'Zulfa reported that a group of around 10,000 people left the Usfangandu area at around 4:30pm yesterday, picking up more supporters as it progressed'.
Really? Ten thousand people? If ten thousand people gathered on the streets of Male' for a protest that would be some spectacle.
The number of protesters on the streets on Friday was between one thousand and fifteen hundred. Nowhere near the ten thousand reported here.
Minivan should check the facts before reporting, if it wants to maintain its credibility as a reliable news source.
Mode please be kind enough to explain who nightly Allah is? Idiot!!
minivannews, why do you open up your pages for idiots like mode to write gibberish? The majority of maldivians do not deserve democracy or freedom of expression. People like mode have no clue as to what they are expressing. sad,really.
The CSR programme was one of the most creative policies of anni's government. It was a way of providing inhabited islands with proper sewerage systems and piped water to households. When anni took over the government it was broke. There was no money in the treasury to fund any programmes for rural Maldives. Offering islands in return for csr projects was a very clever means to help people living in the atolls.
Zulfa reported that a group of 10,000 people left the Usfasgandu Area. She also reported that pigs were flying, and it was raining cats and dogs, and that Lord voldermort had risen once again and was stalking Hermoine and Harry Potter.
Her reporting was based on "NOTHING BUT THE FACTS - (aka the voice inside her head, aka paranoia)".
Since losing her Ministerial position, Zulfa also seems to have lost her head.
The problem with people like raastas is that they do not have a head to lose,in the first place. Secondly, raastas and their ilk can only dream about what Dr Zulfa has achieved in her young life. raastas, get a life,will you!
The protest number was around 1100. Indeed Minivan should check the number before publishing.