Police: Will not allow for MDP political activities, few participants

Maldives Police Service has announced that it will not allow Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to conduct its political activities as the rights of the majority of people in the society take precedence over the rights of a few.

Speaking during a press conference held at Iskandhar Koshi on Thursday, Head of Central Operations Command, Chief Superintendent of Police Hamdhoon Rasheed that MDP can no longer hold political activities which involve gathering on the street as only a few partake, and because it’s an inconvenience to a large number of other people.

The decision is inconsistent with Article 32 of Maldivian Constitution states that every citizen has the right to partake in peaceful gatherings without any prior notice from state authorities.

Hamdhoon said that the streets of Male’ were highly congested, and that a few people going to the streets and holding protests was worsening the situation.

In answer to a question posed by a reporter regarding Independence Day celebrations recently held on the streets, Hamdhoon said that it was different as that was a “national thing”.

Hamdhoon said that police had been receiving complaints from people living near MDP Haruge due to opposition activists using sound systems there to make speeches and play songs. And that police will not allow it.

He also addressed the accusation made by opposition activist that police had violated the law when they entered Haruge recently without a court warrant.

Hamdhoon said that police had not violated the law as they had entered the premises to instruct them to turn down the volume, not to raid the place or to arrest anyone – and that police therefore did not need a warrant for that.

He said that the prayers by opposition outside Islamic Center and mosques across the country was a political activity. And that the police would not allow it.