There should be no room for discord within security services: Azima

Former Attorney General and recently appointed Special Advisor to the President Aishath Azima Shakoor has said that there should be no room for discord within the State security services.

Azima made her statement in her speech officiating Victory Day in Kulhudhiffushi on Sunday night, marking the 25th anniversary of the attempted coup d’état of 1988.

In her speech, Azima cautioned State security services to be mindful of attempts to cultivate discord within their ranks, especially in trying times of political instability and polarization.

“State security forces should not, by any means, be a target of political division. Similar to 3rd November, people in Male’ and citizens around the country saw confrontations between the military and the police on 7th February with great anguish and despair. This is something we should not allow to be repeated,” Azima said.

She said some political groups believe that fostering political inclinations within the police and military is acceptable, but said such tactics would cause the nation to pay a high price in the future. She called on all political leaders to refrain from such tactics, to not try and politically condition the men and women in the security services.

Loyalty of the police and military must only lie with the country and the national flag, she said, with their focus on delivering the country safely to future generations.

Maldives marks Victory Day on 3 November after 19 Maldivians died in 1988 when armed mercenaries from Sri Lanka’s People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), planned and led by a group of locals, attacked the capital Male’ in an attempt to overthrow the government.