Umar and Shareef in heated verbal exchanges

Interim Deputy Leader of pro-government Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Umar Naseer has alleged that the true intention of the recent criticism of the government by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) was to pull out from the present coalition government. Speaking to Haveeru Umar further claimed that DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali was attempting to enforce his own agendas through the government and would leave the coalition once he fails to succeed in his endeavor.

“The intention and purpose of DRP is to obtain a sovereign guarantee to clear the debts of Thasmeen. They will leave the government once those attempts are unsuccessful. Now we are seeing these signs,” he detailed.

“I have repeatedly stressed that DRP is a branch of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). If MDP joins with DRP, they would have the majority in Parliament. So they will try to attain that political upper hand. I have been ousted from DRP for protesting against former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government. That was a move by DRP to ascertain our efforts would end in failure.”

Countering Umar’s claims, DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef stressed today that Thasmeen had no debts and had not put forth a request to the government to obtain a sovereign guarantee.

“Umar Naseer has always made attempts to discredit Thasmeen. Umar had also alleged that Thasmeen and Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid had been behind GMR, India being awarded the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA). So why doesn’t he investigate his allegations as it’s their government in power now? Hence Umar has always spoken contrary to the truth,” Shareef claimed.

In a general meeting held last Friday night in Addu, DRP’s Hithadhoo-south constituency MP Hassan Latheef had said that DRP would never form a coalition with MDP.

He further said that he had been assured by high level officials of DRP that the party will never agree to a coalition with MDP.

While heavily criticizing DRP, Umar also claimed that as PPM had led the way in the downfall of President Nasheed’s government and it was unjust that the posts within the new government had been given equally between DRP and PPM.

“The protests which led to the downfall of Nasheed comprised 99 percent of PPM members. 99 percent of the people injured and taken to the hospital during the protests were also PPM members. The most sacrifices had been made by PPM members. When the new government positions were given out DRP enjoys the same percentage as PPM. That percentage is quite unjust,” Umar said.

During a press conference yesterday, Shareef had claimed that the government had not carried out sufficient work within the 100 days of its inception.

Most of his criticism had been directed to the Foreign Ministry which has been assigned Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla who is a representative of PPM.

Shareef further alleged that the Foreign Ministry had not been successful in relaying the real situation in the Maldives to international partners.

However, Umar stressed that Shareef had directed his criticism towards the Foreign Ministry as the daughter of interim president of PPM and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had been appointed as the State Foreign Minister.

Umar defended the Foreign Ministry by saying that it had faced the international pressures since the regime change quite admirably.
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