Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Thoddu MP Ali Waheed has requested Addu Mayor Abdulla Sodiq to remove the monuments given by SAARC member countries during this year’s summit, held in Addu.
Of the seven monuments given in memoriam of the event four have been vandalised or stolen; only those from Bhutan, India and Bangladesh remain untouched.
Following the theft of Nepal’s monument, Sodig said the council was considering moving the remaining monuments to an enclosed, secure location.
Waheed’s request comes on the heels of a similar demand voiced by a coalition of religious groups and opposition parties at the “Defend Islam” protest on December 23.
Addu City Council Hussein Hilmee reported that a group of 20 to 30 individuals had gathered in Addu on Friday to watch the televised coverage of the protests in Male’.
The Islamic Ministry has also voiced concerns, and opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) reported the Customs department to the police for allowing the monuments to enter the country.
Speaking in parliament today, Waheed said the demand has wide public support and that respecting it is not a defeat within democracy, reports Haveeru.
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