AP: Government

Reasons given by the government to avoid talking to leaders of political parties are baseless excuses, Adhaalath Party (AP) has said.

This comes in relation to the government’s rejection of the propositions by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to include former President Mohamed Nasheed, and AP to include Imran Abdulla in the discussions with the government.

Nasheed is serving a prison sentence while Imran is in police custody.

In a statement issued yesterday, AP said that there is no law prohibiting dialogue with people who are under arrest, and the government’s rejection of dialogue with political party leaders shows its hesitation to engage in constructive discussions.

The party further noted that every party has the right to appoint a person to represent it in the talks, and efforts to obstruct this undermine the sovereignty of the parties and are violations of democratic principles.

Discussions are ongoing between the government and Jumhooree Party (JP). Two meetings have been held so far, and JP has made several demands from the government, including releasing political prisoners.