Bill submitted to withdraw Maldives membership in Commonwealth

Progressive Party of Maldives, PPM, and Bill from Dhivehi Qaumee Party, DQP, has yesterday submitted a bill to the Peoples’Majlis to withdraw the membership of Maldives from the Commonwealth.

Vilufushi MP RiyazRasheed from PPM and Gemanafushi MP Ilham Ahmed DQP submitted bill.

Riyaz argued that if the Commonwealth is calling to early elections in opposition to the constitution then there is no reason to maintain international ties with such a group who are unjust and biased.

Ilham Ahmed said that early elections cannot be held before 2013. He said that the constitution will have to be amended if early elections are to be held.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the political parties representing the government coalition have been condemning the recent statement of the CMAG. They say that the recommendations of the Commonwealth are calls to violations of the rights of the people.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said that “It surprised me that the CMAG report stated that majority of Maldivians do not believe in the Inquiry Commission. How would they (CMAG) know? Even we, who are involved in local Politics continually, are not aware of how the majority see it.”

DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef said that no organisation can call to oppose the constitution and law without considering what is stipulated in the constitution.

“None of these statements have ever referred to the constitution. They have never mentioned anything with regards to amending the constitution. So if an organisation is calling for early elections without recommending amending the constitution than such a call is a call to oppose the constitution,” he said.