I am not empowered to set election date: President

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has said that the form of government in Maldives today is not a dictatorship, and that he is not empowered to set a new election date.

In reply to a question posed on BBC HardTalk by Stephen Sackur, Dr Waheed said that he is working with several political parties and a date will be set after discussion.

When asked about the date on which the President would like to hold the election, he said, “As early as the Parliament wants.”

“Show me some leadership here, you are the President. Tell me when these elections could take place, the earliest date,” Stephen Sackur asked in response to the President’s answer.

“…we have several political parties. This is not a dictatorship, I cannot decide myself. I am working with most of the political parties. They have to come to an understanding with MDP on a date. I am not empowered to say, this is the particular date on which elections will be held. This has to be worked out through discussion,” the President said in reply.

When asked why excessive force was used by Police against protesters, the President said that some confrontation did take place on 8 February, and that this was the result of efforts to put an end to protesters setting buildings on fire.

Sackur noted that a report by Amnesty International states that excessive force was used also on 20 and 26 February, and asked the President if he does not feel responsible for those actions, to which the President replied by saying that the same kind of activities took place during Nasheed’s regime as well.

HARDtalk is a programme hosted by Stephen Sackur, one of BBC’s most respected journalists, who interviews newsmakers and personalities from around the world.