Dhonbileh Haleem: We will end the coalition after council elections

Bilehdhoo MP Ahmed Haleem (Dhonbileh Haleem), on Monday, said Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) planned on putting an end to the government coalition after the upcoming local council elections and running Maldives as a single party government.

Haleem made the remark during the parliamentary debate on a legislative amendment to the Airport Taxes and Fees Act. He went off topic to express confidence in a sure win for MDP in the upcoming elections.

He said the people would be able to enjoy the kind of governance they desired once the elections was out of the way, and said he hoped the government coalition would be put an end to after the elections.

“If we get the this local [council] elections, In Sha Allah, we shall not have to deal with Qasim Ibrahim, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom or Imran Abdulla for even one more day. We don’t believe we will be able to run the government with them,” said Haleem.

He accused Cabinet ministers who belonged to coalition partners of underperformance. He singled out the Fisheries Minister Zaha Waheed, a member of Maumoon’s Maldives Reform Movement (MRM), in particular, for criticism.

“In Sha Allah, we will take action against her very soon. More specifically, April 4 [the day of the local council elections] will be a happy day for MDP members. I assure you, we will cover the coalition in a shroud,” said Haleem.

Haleem’s remarks come less than a month after President Ibrahim Mohamed, in his address at inaugural session of the Parliament for the year, expressed his commitment towards sustaining the coalition in order to deliver his government’s pledges.