MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) representing Upper North constituencies boycotted a rally last night dubbed “Big Picture for Bodu Thiladhunmathi [Haa Alif, Haa Dhaal, Shaviyani and Noonu Atolls]” in protest of acting Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik allegedly using party resources for “self-promotion.”
MDP MP for Nolhivaram ‘Colonel’ Mohamed Nasheed explained that the MPs decided not to attend the rally as “the purpose was not made clear and there was no discussion with us before it was organised.”
“The second reason is because we believe the party mechanism is being abused to promote a certain person,” Colonel said, referring to former parliamentary group leader Moosa Manik.
Colonel speculated that Moosa was preparing to launch a bid for the MDP ticket for the 2013 presidential campaign.
“We have advised President [Mohamed] Nasheed repeatedly that we should not be making enemies,” he said. “But what we’re seeing from Moosa every day are calls for someone to be killed or arrested.”
Moosa had become “a big liability” for the government and ruling party because of his tendency to “make enemies” and put personal interest before the party, Colonel said.
“Major successes of the party are rolled back because of one word from Moosa,” he continued. “MPs [from other parties or non-aligned] that we bring to the party after a lot of hard work is lost because of Moosa’s personal issues.”
He added that the ruling party suffered as a result of Moosa “making enemies of politicians, businessmen, the judiciary and certain media.”
“There is no one in this country who isn’t an enemy of Moosa Manik now,” he said.
Moosa has been engaged in a long-running feud with private broadcaster DhiTV, which routinely carries allegations of corruption against the MDP Chairperson, notably in the awarding of a US$21 million reclamation project to Moosa’s company Heavy Load.
Moosa meanwhile alleges that 168 bottles of alcohol found in his car while he was in Singapore was an attempt to frame him by the owner of DhiTV, Champa Mohamed Moosa.
“A media channel in this country has used my photo, my car, my family, my children and my name to do business and I want to sue for compensation,” Moosa told Minivan News at the time, referring to DhiTV’s continuous coverage of the incident.
Colonel noted that the allegations in the media were harmful to the ruling party: “I’m not saying the accusations are true, but Moosa has not been able to prove his innocence,” he said.
He urged the party’s acting chairperson to be “more focused” and “make friends instead of enemies.”
Speaking to Minivan News today, Moosa Manik however claimed that he was “not aware that anyone boycotted last night’s rally.”
Moosa also dismissed Colonel Nasheed’s criticism: “Colonel wouldn’t seriously say that about me,” he insisted. “He must have been trying to fool somebody. It must have been a joke.”
Haa Alif Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed told Minivan News that last night’s rally was announced “suddenly without any discussion” while MPs were busy preparing for a ceremony tomorrow night to unveil the government’s economic reform agenda.
While MPs Hamid Abdul Gafoor, Ilyas Labeeb and Hussein Waheed were only MPs who attended the rally, Rasheed claimed that all three left when they “understood what was happening.”
Rasheed speculated that the “hidden agenda” behind the rally was Moosa’s campaign for the MDP presidential ticket.
“I am certain of [Moosa’s plan to run for presidency],” he said. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to damage and undermine the dignity and integrity of the government.”
President Nasheed met MPs recently to discuss the economic reform package, said Rasheed, and “asked us not to act like children in parliament and argue and scream at each other all the time.”
“[But] Moosa’s nuisance is now worse for us than nuisance from the opposition,” he said, claiming that “every time there is an important vote Moosa angers all the opposition MPs and businessmen in Majlis.”
He added that Moosa’s habit of “making enemies” resulted in MDP losing support of opposition and Independent MPs.
“There is a very important vote tomorrow where we are going to need the support of two opposition MPs,” he explained, referring to a vote on the agenda for Monday’s sitting to approve the president’s nominees for Fisheries Minister and Defence Minister.
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