drp at home
Focus: DRP in FuahmulahGN. Fuahmulah, 14th January 2006 (olhuala.com) – The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) held its first public rally in the island Atoll of Fuahmulah last night. The meeting was held at the GN.Fuahmulah Thauleemee Marukazu (Education Centre).
The meeting was well attended, and numbers present are estimated to have been well over 500.
The meeting commenced at 9:00 PM, on Friday night with a recitation from the Noble Quran. The delegation that had arrived from Male’ was then introduced to the residents.
Local boy, Hon Mohamed Jameel, Minister for Justice took the podium with his trademark gusto. He explained the mechanisms of party politics to the attendees and described at length why the DRP was the party for the future. Jameel explained the goals of the DRP implemented reform agenda and explained, “what it would mean for the man on the street”.
Dr Hassan Saeed, took the podium in his vibrant style. Saeed again crushed the MDP’s arguments and mocked the MDP’s “lame shadow cabinet”. Saeed went on to urge all residents not to fall prey to the MDP’s violence. Saeed told the residents “the DRP was a party for peace and harmony. A party that respected the views of others and a party that believed in coexistence”. He called on DRP members to extend their arms in friendship to the violent MDP. He also called on all MDP members to halt their terror campaign immediately.
Analysts believe that this meeting was held at a very crucial time for the island, as the MDP are carrying out a terror campaign in neighbouring atolls. Locals had aired fears of this violence spilling into NG Atoll as well. “Saeed’s words has helped calm me down” said Abdulla Mohamed, a local resident attending a political party rally for the first time. Mohamed went on to say “since the MDP’s meetings and from what I have been hearing I thought political parties were about trying to kill each other”. “Now I know the real reasons and why I want to become a member of Maumoon’s party [DRP is commonly referred to as such, in the atolls]” he added.
Meenaz Ahmed Mohamed, a leading DRP activist on the island told olhuala.com “we have seen a sudden increase in DRP membership since the MDP started their terror campaign, starting with events in Huvadhoo”. He went on to say “this is a dream come true for me. To hold this historic, first public rally without any glitches. The strong turn out of residents made my eyes water, with joy”.
Several analysts have stated that the tables have turned on the MDP. They believe that the DRP is much stronger in the southern atolls than the MDP, at this moment in time.
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