Letter from President’s Office chief of staff angers Adhurey

The opposition coalition, composed of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) have expressed displeasure, after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih rejected repeated attempts by them to meet him at his office, and a letter they sent to him was answered by his chief of staff.

 Top officials from PPM and PNC have repeatedly gone to the President’s Office requesting a meeting with President Solih since last week. Following their failed attempt to meet him, they sent a letter.

When the opposition was told that the President’s Office official protocol hadn’t received the letter, PNC’s leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla (Adhurey) wrote a letter by hand at the President’s Office.

When they went to the President’s Office again Monday, they were given a letter signed by the President’s Office Chief of Staff Ali Zahir – a response to Adhurey’s letter.

In the letter, Ali Zahir said the president does not believe the contents of Adhurey’s letter was based on factual information.

He said the prison sentence against PPM’s leader, former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was issued by a court of law, and that the president has nothing to do with the ruling.

He said the president would never deliberately cause harm to anyone.

He said Adhurey should be well aware that it does not make sense for the president to intervene in the appeal of Yameen’s conviction and meet with anyone regarding the court case.

Ali Zahir asked Adhurey to lodge a complaint with relevant institutions if he believes the president is deliberately causing harm to anyone.

Speaking to press outside the President’s Office, Adhurey described the letter as “a note of lies”.

He said he saw no reason why President Solih should refuse a meeting to discuss “the current situation of the country”.

“I believe the main opposition party should be able to meet the president. He should meet everyone who comes to see him. The most influential two parties in a multi-party democracy are party that runs the government, and the party that holds the government accountable,” he said.