Government blames DRP coalition as a pretext to pull out of talks – Thasmeen

Main Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen has said that the Government attempts to blame DRP and the DRP led coalition as a pretext for them to pull out of the talks between MDP led governing coalition and the DRP led opposition.

“One of the things that was mutually agreed upon at the first meeting of the talks that happened on 26th July was that no information, except mutually agreed statements, would be given to the media regarding the talks. We have been abiding by that commitment, as we do with all our commitments. What we are seeing now is an attempt by the Governing Coalition to blame DRP and the DRP led coalition as a pretext for them to pull out of the talks. Given that the Governing Coalition starting from the Presidential Spokesperson to senior members of their delegation have come out to the media and tried to shift blame on the Opposition and have clearly stated that they have either suspended or pulled out of the talks, it is only appropriate that the Opposition side of the story is put out to the media,” said Thasmeen on his blog.

Thasmeen said that the talks came about when opposition parties in parliament reached a formal agreement on opposing the selling of state assets, particularly, the deal that handed over the control of the Male' International Airport to a private party, and the subsequent resignation of the whole cabinet and the intimidation and arrest of opposition political figures and the local and international pressure that followed.

He alleged that the President came out personally to the media and committed to a Presidential election and called for changes to the constitution, in order to resolve the political crisis Government created by the mass resignations and the political intimidation that followed.

“The President's primary condition was that there has to be parliamentary elections too. In retrospect, maybe the President thought that we would not agree to parliamentary elections given we had a majority in Parliament. But we did. We are never afraid to seek a fresh mandate from the people,” he said.

Furthermore, DRP leader said that during the talks, they agreed to put on hold the issue of deciding the fate of the amendment to the Public Finance Act and the issue of cabinet confirmation by the Majlis..

“In the Opposition's opinion, the Act had been passed the first time by the Majlis as a remedy to Government's selling of state assets in a way detrimental to the national interest. If the Majlis passed the amendment for the second time with 39 or more votes it will automatically become law,” said Thasmeen.