Falah accuses MDP of trying to overthrow the govt. from the streets

Ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s Parliamentary Group leader, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah has accused the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of trying to overthrow the government from the streets.

Falah made the accusation over remarks by MDP’s chairperson Fayyaz Ismail in response to a statement by an individual stating people should to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu what was done to former Maldivian president Mohamed Amin Didi.

The remarks have prompted an emergency parliamentary motion, citing the remarks constitutes to incitement to terrorism.

While debating on the emergency motion at the Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, Falah said such remarks from anyone, whether be it MDP or someone else, was extremely dangerous.

He went to describe MDP as a political party that has attempted to assassinate a member of the party who had ruled the nation.

This is in reference to the May 6 terror attack on former president Mohamed Nasheed. 

“Some investigations indicate that the suspicions with respect to the assassination attempt on President [Mohamed] Nasheed fall on MDP’s leaders over assumptions he might contest in 2023’s presidential elections: MDP is a party behind attacks to assassinate him,” he said.

“In 2012, MDP also torched police stations, other buildings and government offices. Many attacks were conducted on citizens and their cars. It was a loss in millions of Maldivian Rufiyaa to the state,’ he added.

Falah said MDP’s leadership making its general members make such remarks, was awful conduct that might result in such individuals being jailed.

“The reality is that MDP’s already in over their heads regarding 2028. There are a couple of people included in this. It is possible that Fayyaz is the most cunning person among them. It is also possible that Abdulla Shahid had betrayed,” he said.

Falah stressed that Fayyaz’s remarks need to be investigated by the relevant authorities, adding debating on a mere emergency motion in such a serious was not enough.

On this note, he said individuals making such remarks should be summoned before the police to be questioned regarding why they have made the remarks. If not, Falah said such acts would actually be witness leading to the nation to lose its character.

He questioned whether such cases should only be investigated once filed with the police after a person is assassinated.

“This is a very serious case, thus, I call on the relevant authorities [to investigate]. It should not go uninvestigated. If left without investigation, such crimes will be repeated and the nation will fall into ruins. The constitution very clearly stipulates how a head of the state must step down from the position or must be impeached. This is not the era of overthrowing governments from the streets,” he stressed.

In an MDP press briefing on Monday afternoon, Fayyaz said that “brutality will be met with brutality”. He also said that Maldivian people will take “a play out of history books” in the face of brutality.

He had made the remarks in response to questions regarding comments made during a recent MDP rally in Kulhudhuffushi City, when one of the speakers said that people should do to President Muizzu “what was done to Amin.”

Subsequently, ruling PNC lawmakers have called to investigate Fayyaz’s remarks.