Gayoom’s comments will have no further affect on me- Thasmeen

Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has said that comments and criticism from DRP’s founding leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom will have no further affect on him.

Speaking to the media at the inauguration ceremony of “Coffee with DRP” campaign held at Raiveriya Restaurant yesterday evening, Thasmeen said that Gayoom has criticized his leadership using harsher words than that used even against President Nasheed.

“Since this is the case, I won’t have any further affect from his criticisms and comments,” DRP Leader Thasmeen Ali said.

Thasmeen reiterated that he is still the leadership and still has support of the party for his leadership. He added that he will remain as the leader of DRP up until the Council Committee of DRP decides other wise in the primaries which are held every two years.

Furthermore, Thasmeen said that if Gayoom makes a new party it will have some affect on DRP, but however he said DRP will still win the Presidential elections to be held in 2013 even without Gayoom.

Thasmeen additionally said that the party’s council, parliamentary group and all the branches of the party will have to work together to overcome any affect Gayoom’s departure will have on the party if he were to form a new party.

“DRP is a democratic party. I have full assurance that the members will follow the decisions of the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, the news of the fuming internal crisis within DRP has been making headlines in the media for quiet sometime. The anti-Thasmeen movement now led by DRP’s founding leader Gayoom, has been continuously attempting to expose Thasmeen’s leadership lapses and defame him.

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.

However, against the background of all these mounting challenges and the volatile internal clashes, Thasmeen assured his fellow party members and supporters he will remain firm as Party Leader despite the opposition trying to oust him.