hithadhoo
MDP Organises Illegal Emergency Rally in Hithadhoo
Aishath Zeena, Seenu Atoll Correspondent reporting from Hithadhoo
S. Hithadhoo, Maldives, 12 Jan 2006, 6:00 PM (olhuala.com) – The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called a flash meeting in Seenu Atoll Hithadhoo to coincide with the DRP public meeting announced several days ago. The MDP rally is to take place just a few yards from the DRP meeting; a clear statement of intent to cause trouble.
MDP's top brass, including vice president Ibrahim Zaki, shadow cainet members Ibrahim Mavota Shareef, Maria Ahmed Didi and Aminath Jameel, MP Aslam, Special Majlis member Husnu Suood and key financer Rado Zahir are currently enroute to Hithadhoo on chartered Maldivian Air Taxi aircraft. Plans for the meeting and travel were finalised only this morning in reaction to the DRP's hugely successful meeting in Feydhoo yesterday evening.
The DRP has organised a 'public meeting', open to all comers including non-members. Such a meeting requires notification to the authorities at least seven days before the event. The MDP has made no such application, and therefore, it can only be assumed that they will hold a 'closed' rally, accessible only to card-carrying party members. The MDP then has to ensure that everyone who enters the meeting has the valid ID, and the party itself is held accountable for the validity of all attendees.
To the contrary, the MDP rally has been advertised as a 'public' meeting; loud hailers have been used on pickup-trucks to encourage everyone to attend. DRP's Mimthaz told olhuala this afternoon: "The MDP is preparing a confrontation with us. Why else would they choose a site just next to our meeting site? And the same day and the same time for their rally? Why would they not announce their intentions sooner? Why charter a hugely expensive flight when there are scheduled flights available?"
"Why all this secrecy? Do they have something to hide?"
The DRP booked the Muhibbudhdheen School several days ago and attempted to secure the adjoining Atoll Education Centre as a logistical base for membership activities. However, the officials in charge of the Education Centre told the DRP: "The Centre is under renovation with major tiling work and refurbishment in time for the new academic year which starts next week. Therefore it is impossible to let even a few classrooms for the DRP's work."
Mimthaz says: "That was just a few days ago. Now we find that the whole auditorium and all of the Centre premises are available for the MDP to use as they see fit. The renovators have been moved out and they are not going to finish the work in time for children to come back to school. They are the ones who will suffer."
"This man who controls the Centre is MDP through and through. He makes these decisions on his own discretion and you can guess who that will suit."
Pessimistic observers fear that the MDP's plans for violence will materialise tonight. "Everyone knows what the MDP wants. There are other islands in need of attention in the Maldives, and even in Addu. There are other venues even in Hithadhoo. There are other days, other times.
"But here? Now? At the same time as the DRP? The MDP wants to create violence; no one in this atoll believes otherwise!" says Seema Saeed, a resident of Hithadhoo.
Olhuala.com's sources also fear the worst. We have put in place mechanisms to ensure that all events are fully documented. Any outcome from this decision by the MDP to gatecrash the DRP's gathering will be fully investigated. In the meantime, we shall endeavour to keep our readers fully abreast of the situation.
Click to read full article
Aishath Zeena, Seenu Atoll Correspondent reporting from Hithadhoo
S. Hithadhoo, Maldives, 12 Jan 2006, 6:00 PM (olhuala.com) – The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called a flash meeting in Seenu Atoll Hithadhoo to coincide with the DRP public meeting announced several days ago. The MDP rally is to take place just a few yards from the DRP meeting; a clear statement of intent to cause trouble.
MDP's top brass, including vice president Ibrahim Zaki, shadow cainet members Ibrahim Mavota Shareef, Maria Ahmed Didi and Aminath Jameel, MP Aslam, Special Majlis member Husnu Suood and key financer Rado Zahir are currently enroute to Hithadhoo on chartered Maldivian Air Taxi aircraft. Plans for the meeting and travel were finalised only this morning in reaction to the DRP's hugely successful meeting in Feydhoo yesterday evening.
The DRP has organised a 'public meeting', open to all comers including non-members. Such a meeting requires notification to the authorities at least seven days before the event. The MDP has made no such application, and therefore, it can only be assumed that they will hold a 'closed' rally, accessible only to card-carrying party members. The MDP then has to ensure that everyone who enters the meeting has the valid ID, and the party itself is held accountable for the validity of all attendees.
To the contrary, the MDP rally has been advertised as a 'public' meeting; loud hailers have been used on pickup-trucks to encourage everyone to attend. DRP's Mimthaz told olhuala this afternoon: "The MDP is preparing a confrontation with us. Why else would they choose a site just next to our meeting site? And the same day and the same time for their rally? Why would they not announce their intentions sooner? Why charter a hugely expensive flight when there are scheduled flights available?"
"Why all this secrecy? Do they have something to hide?"
The DRP booked the Muhibbudhdheen School several days ago and attempted to secure the adjoining Atoll Education Centre as a logistical base for membership activities. However, the officials in charge of the Education Centre told the DRP: "The Centre is under renovation with major tiling work and refurbishment in time for the new academic year which starts next week. Therefore it is impossible to let even a few classrooms for the DRP's work."
Mimthaz says: "That was just a few days ago. Now we find that the whole auditorium and all of the Centre premises are available for the MDP to use as they see fit. The renovators have been moved out and they are not going to finish the work in time for children to come back to school. They are the ones who will suffer."
"This man who controls the Centre is MDP through and through. He makes these decisions on his own discretion and you can guess who that will suit."
Pessimistic observers fear that the MDP's plans for violence will materialise tonight. "Everyone knows what the MDP wants. There are other islands in need of attention in the Maldives, and even in Addu. There are other venues even in Hithadhoo. There are other days, other times.
"But here? Now? At the same time as the DRP? The MDP wants to create violence; no one in this atoll believes otherwise!" says Seema Saeed, a resident of Hithadhoo.
Olhuala.com's sources also fear the worst. We have put in place mechanisms to ensure that all events are fully documented. Any outcome from this decision by the MDP to gatecrash the DRP's gathering will be fully investigated. In the meantime, we shall endeavour to keep our readers fully abreast of the situation.
Click to read full article