All-Party talks to be held in Bandos
The All-Party Talks is to be continued at Bandos Island Resort and Spa from 31st of this month to 2nd of June.
According to the Convener, Ahmed Mujuthaba, said that the reason for continuing the talks is because the parties have reacted positively to the consensual manner. He said that holding the talks at Bandos will give them more time for them to discuss the issues raised in the talks.
The Talks were established in the immediate aftermath of the 7th February transfer of power, as part of a process to resolve political tensions through dialogue.
Since they
were first convened, the talks have faced a number of procedural delays,
however, at yesterday's meeting, delegates from all parties agreed on the order
of a six-point agenda. They also agreed to speed-up the talks by holding a two-
or three-day retreat (until now, participants have only met for a few hours at a
time). After the meeting, Mr. Mujuthaba announced that he is hopeful that the
talks will be concluded soon and that all decisions had been reached by
consensus.
According to Mujuthaba the order will proceed as follows: Public order and
stability; State budget concerns; Independence of national institutions;
Identity and revise any laws; Constitutional amendments and Setting a date for
early elections.
Parties have reacted positively to the consensual manner in which the talks took place yesterday. For example, one of the Maldives Democratic Party's (MDP - the party of former President Nasheed) representatives, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, said he believed the most recent session was a “breakthrough”.