President Abdulla Yameen has been reported to have turned down an offer from the United Nations to act as a mediator for political dialogue between the government and opposition. 

Spokesperson to Secretary-General António Guterres, Farhan Haq, revealed this to the Hindustan Times on Wednesday. 

“He offered to…President Yameen, UN mediation but the president conveyed that mediation was not wanted at this stage” Haq was quoted as saying. 

Last week, the office of the UN Secretary-General told news outlets that they will contact Maldivian leaders in ‘the next few days’.

The office said that this decision is in response to the opposition’s call for international mediation of dialogue.

Last Thursday, the allied opposition parties asked Secretary-General António Guterres to mediate dialogue between them and the government, in order to ensure credibility.

A statement released by the Maldivian Democratic Party says that they believe only ‘internationally mediated’ talks are acceptable.

At a press conference also on Thursday, the ruling party’s vice president Abdul Raheem Abdulla said that the party is opposed to the UN acting as a mediator, the implementation of the court order, and the release of Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed.