President Mohamed Nasheed has warned that it would not be wise for Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the nation’s former president, to return to the country for campaigning purposes after publicly announcing that he had given up on his political career.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) website reported that Nasheed had heard that Gayoom was returning to the Maldives for local elections campaigning and warned that ”it might cause history to return”, potentially endangering the former leader’s safety.
The comments have been condemned by some in the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), which was formerly led by Gayoom, as being spoken out of “fear” over the impact the former president may have on the elections.
Senior figures from the (DRP) last week told Minivan News that Gayoom would be returning to the Maldives to campaign for the party in the upcoming local council elections and had also been invited to stand once again for the presidency. However, Gayoom has not officially commented to the media or made a decision regarding these possible plans.
Nasheed said he was concerned over the implications Gayoom’s return may have on the country and those opposed to the former leader, according to the website.
“‘Sometimes when former presidents leave the country and then return back to the Maldives, a very regrettable fate has occurred,” he said. “I am concerned that something very regrettable is about to happen in Male’.”
Nasheed claimed that some former presidents have had difficulties when they returned to the Maldives after leaving, while others have had their political lives destroyed.
”If Gayoom is returning to politics then he is messing with the feelings of the citizens that could cause them to confront and return to their history and it is very possible that a regrettable consequence may occur,” he said. ”Do not mess with the feelings of the citizens of the Maldives, because when they are shaken, I can’t even curb the pressure.”
The president said he would nonetheless do everything he could for the safety of the former president.
”But still if you are speaking of returning to politics, again, it is more likely to see the history of the Maldives to return,” he said. ”It is not what any of us would wish to see.”’
Meanwhile, DRP MP Ahmed Nihan condemned the remarks of Nasheed in the ”strongest possible terms.”
”His comments were very inappropriate to be said by a president to a former president,” claimed Nihan. ”We know the hidden interpretation of the words he had said.”
Nihan said that both the MDP and Nasheed were afraid, as they understood that they would not stand a chance against Gayoom.
”They understand without a doubt that it is the DRP who will win the local council elections if Gayoom comes out,” he said.
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