violenceplannedwithmullas
More demonstrations planned, the MDP striving to forge an alliance with Adhaalath
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male', Maldives 21st February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leadership has called on its members to take to the streets for another ‘demonstration’ on the 23rd of this month. Sources close to the MDP leadership say that figurehead leader Ibrahim Ismail Ibra who is opposed to holding any more demonstrations has yet again been sidelined by Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie and Vice President Ibrahim Zaki.
Thursday the 23rd sees the official opening of Parliament by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The MDP has had success in stalling the work of the Special Majilis and observers have warned that the party will now try to bring Parliament to a similar standstill by using threats and stalling tactics.
The decision to take to the streets was taken by, Annie and Zaki who have convinced Ibra’s shadow cabinet to undermine the figurehead leader. Annie has been under immense pressure from uncle and chief financier of the MDP, Sikka Ahmed Ismail Maniku. Sikka was sentenced to death on nineteen counts of murder and crimes against the Maldivian people, for his part in the 3rd November 1988 terrorist attack.
Further, the MDP have invited the extreme Islamist, Adhaalath Party to take part in the demonstrations planned for next Thursday. The invitation was made during a meeting held at one of the MDP offices at Sikka’s residence G.Fus at 3pm yesterday. MDP bigwigs, Ibrahim Zaki (vice president), Jesus Afeef (shadow Home minister) and Billionaire playboy Ali Shiyam, who is also the president of the MDP’s Mardhoo Feydhoo Gofi (cell) met with an Adhaalath delegation led by Sheik Shaheem. The Adhaalath Party is yet to disclose their decision.
Observers believe that this demonstration is planned to overcome the humiliation the MDP suffered on the 24th of January when their planned mass demonstration ended in shambles when the figurehead leader Ibra brought proceedings to a halt a mere one and a half hours from commencement due to lack of public support. Another official attempt at a demonstration ended in disgrace with only 60 supporters heeding the party’s call to disrupt the Special Majilis session on the 19th of this month.
Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) supporter Hassan Faruhaan, a local shopkeeper says: “The MDP has tried several times to bring its supporters on to the streets in order to overthrow the government, since their political funeral [the attempted mass demonstration is referred to as such by Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, and the phrase was taken up by the public and the media] with no results. We saw the support they got yesterday. Only about sixty people came out, from a population of over seventy five thousand. There is a picture on one of the news websites [www.maldiveindependent.org] that sums up the situation very well. The picture showed a young girl holding one end of a banner; the other end was secured to an electricity distribution box. They didn’t even have a second person to hold the other end in that ward.”
Sources within the Maldives Police Services (MPS) tell olhuala.com that security has been tightened and that additional security measures are already in place for the opening of the Majilis on Thursday, although analysts predict that the planned ‘demonstration’ will conclude similarly to the failed attempt of 24th January.
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Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male', Maldives 21st February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leadership has called on its members to take to the streets for another ‘demonstration’ on the 23rd of this month. Sources close to the MDP leadership say that figurehead leader Ibrahim Ismail Ibra who is opposed to holding any more demonstrations has yet again been sidelined by Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie and Vice President Ibrahim Zaki.Thursday the 23rd sees the official opening of Parliament by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The MDP has had success in stalling the work of the Special Majilis and observers have warned that the party will now try to bring Parliament to a similar standstill by using threats and stalling tactics.
The decision to take to the streets was taken by, Annie and Zaki who have convinced Ibra’s shadow cabinet to undermine the figurehead leader. Annie has been under immense pressure from uncle and chief financier of the MDP, Sikka Ahmed Ismail Maniku. Sikka was sentenced to death on nineteen counts of murder and crimes against the Maldivian people, for his part in the 3rd November 1988 terrorist attack.
Further, the MDP have invited the extreme Islamist, Adhaalath Party to take part in the demonstrations planned for next Thursday. The invitation was made during a meeting held at one of the MDP offices at Sikka’s residence G.Fus at 3pm yesterday. MDP bigwigs, Ibrahim Zaki (vice president), Jesus Afeef (shadow Home minister) and Billionaire playboy Ali Shiyam, who is also the president of the MDP’s Mardhoo Feydhoo Gofi (cell) met with an Adhaalath delegation led by Sheik Shaheem. The Adhaalath Party is yet to disclose their decision.
Observers believe that this demonstration is planned to overcome the humiliation the MDP suffered on the 24th of January when their planned mass demonstration ended in shambles when the figurehead leader Ibra brought proceedings to a halt a mere one and a half hours from commencement due to lack of public support. Another official attempt at a demonstration ended in disgrace with only 60 supporters heeding the party’s call to disrupt the Special Majilis session on the 19th of this month.
Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) supporter Hassan Faruhaan, a local shopkeeper says: “The MDP has tried several times to bring its supporters on to the streets in order to overthrow the government, since their political funeral [the attempted mass demonstration is referred to as such by Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, and the phrase was taken up by the public and the media] with no results. We saw the support they got yesterday. Only about sixty people came out, from a population of over seventy five thousand. There is a picture on one of the news websites [www.maldiveindependent.org] that sums up the situation very well. The picture showed a young girl holding one end of a banner; the other end was secured to an electricity distribution box. They didn’t even have a second person to hold the other end in that ward.”
Sources within the Maldives Police Services (MPS) tell olhuala.com that security has been tightened and that additional security measures are already in place for the opening of the Majilis on Thursday, although analysts predict that the planned ‘demonstration’ will conclude similarly to the failed attempt of 24th January.
Click to read full story