Thasmeen rebuts Dictator Gayoom’s allegations

Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has rebutted the allegations of former President of Maldives and founding leader of DRP, Dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom that Thasmeen for contributing only Rf300,000 to his campaign for the 2008 Presidential election.

DRP Leader Thasmeen said that this attack is alarming and raises questions as to how the money taken from him was spent. Thasmeen said this in a 15 page refutation of the 12 letter of Gayoom attacking the honour of DRP Leader.

Thasmeen said that though he does not want to go into the details of the total amount he spent to Gayoom’s campaign during the 2008 Presidential elections, it is saddening to remind Gayoom of the many monetary aids taken from him by Gayoom’s family members.

In his rebuttal, Thasmeen reiterated that he will be steadfast and aspire to win the Presidential elections of 2013 for DRP.

Meanwhile, in an interview to local radio channel SunFM, DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen said that the content of the Gayoom’s letter was based on false accusations to attack him and slander his reputation.

Thasmeen said that he will be replying to the letter soon in writing. He said that he will not detail on the content of the letter until Gayoom himself release it to the media. He added that the letter enclosed the false accusations and defamations made on him by the close associates of Gayoom.

DRP Leader Thasmeen reiterated that the post of Gayoom as the founding leader is just an honoury title and not an authoritative post. He said that Gayoom is now not working in the best interest of the party.

Earlier, the news of the fuming internal crisis within DRP has been making headlines in the media for quiet sometime. The anti-Thasmeen movement first led by the dismissed DRP Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, which is now taken over by DRP founding leader Gayoom, has been continuously attempting to expose Thasneem’s leadership lapses and defame him.

However, against the background of all these mounting challenges and the volatile internal clashes, Thasmeen on his part has been assuring his fellow party members and supporters he will remain firm as Party Leader despite the opposition to oust him. Thasmeen is seen to have the support of other strong politicians such as Speaker Abdulla Shahid, and MP Hamdoon Hameed.

Though it was Former President, DRP founding Leader Gayoom himself who endorsed Thasmeen to be his successor in party leadership, his support for Thasmeen has been apparently lost.