Hassan Latheef

Former Youth Minister Hassan Latheef has launched a book on how former President Mohamed Nasheed had to resign under duress, entitled “Forced Resignation”.

The book was introduced by former President and Leader of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed, at a ceremony held at City Council hall last night.

Latheef said at the ceremony that the purpose of his book is to communicate the information he had on this issue.

“We should not withhold information on an issue such as this one. Anybody who has similar information should relay it to the public any way they can, be it in the form of prose or a poem,” he said.

Latheef said that he had explained in his book how Nasheed was forced to resign, and also defined ‘being forced’ in a legal context.

He had also included statements made by opposition groups prior to Nasheed’s resignation.

Latheef’s book further explains that Nasheed was not given the opportunity to hold discussions with enough people prior to his resignation, and that the senior MNDF Officers at MNDF Headquarters were not able to present a plan to the President on action to be taken against the Police Officers who had gathered at Republic Square on 6 and 7 February.

Moreover, it states that the MNDF Headquarters was not a secure place for Nasheed at that time, and that the Officers inside had told him that some people had attempted to break open the door to the Headquarters.

The book details the dangers faced by Nasheed and his family on 6 and 7 February.

Latheef said that the book also includes how the situation was handled by then-Vice President and current President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

Nasheed said at last night’s ceremony that MDP will accept the decisions made by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), created to probe the events of how the government changed, in its report.

He criticised politician who have said that they will not accept CNI’s findings.

“Forced Resignation” is currently available at Bookshops and Usfasgandu at MVR100. Several people bought the book at City Council Hall last night as well.

A book was also published by former Defence Minister and National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal and former Housing Minister Mohamed Aslam, entitled “A Coup by Police and MNDF”, in June.

Qaumee Party also published a book last Monday, refuting the reasons claimed by MDP for Nasheed’s resignation.

The CNI will publish its report on the transfer of power on Thursday next week.