Date for early election will be known when roadmap work is completed: President

The President’s Office has said that a date to hold an early election will be known once work on the road map is completed.

Spokesperson of President’s Office Abbas Adil Riza said today that the road map ‘clearly’ describes holding an election before 2013, and MDP should therefore cooperate with the efforts to create the road map if they wish for an early election.

A meeting took place between President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Ibu). Abbas said that MDP is not willing to cooperate in road map talks.

A statement released by MDP subsequent to the meeting today indicates that MDP participated in every meeting of the All Party Talks ‘with sincerity’.

Regarding today’s meeting, the statement said, “Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed was not open to resolving the issue peacefully.”

MDP did not specify which requests they made at today’s meeting. However a government official told Sun on condition of anonymity that MDP requested President Dr Mohamed Waheed to resign and go for an immediate election.

Abbas said that there is hardly any possibility of an early election without amending the Constitution or holding talks with all parties.

“Even after today’s meeting, MDP does not want the Parliament to be opened, or to cooperate with road map talks.”

Abbas further said that road map talks aimed towards holding an early election by all parties were brought to an end when MDP stymied the opening of the Parliament. Different dates had been suggested by parties for the holding of an early election.

“The roadmap includes early election talks. In order to hold the early election detailed in the roadmap, we have to establish a peaceful environment and revise the necessary regulations and follow certain protocol,” Abbas said.

Most political parties left the ‘All Party Talks’ following the cancellation of the opening session of the Parliament following obstruction by MDP. Those parties have said that they will cooperate again when the Parliament reconvenes.