MDP national council passes motion against state of emergency

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) national assembly have held their 161st meeting and passed a motion to call on the government to end its ongoing state of emergency.

Members of the assembly deliberated on the motion and several of them spoke on intensifying the party’s nightly demonstrations in capital city Malé. The motion passed unanimously.

Members of the party have previously questioned the validity of the state of emergency, both its initial declaration and later extention.

The motion was filed by Shifa Mohamed, a member of the party’s national council and the mayor of capital city Malé and supported by MP Imthiyaz Fahmy.

MDP, along with their allied parties in the opposition, held their largest rally this year on Friday night, where police arrested about 140 demonstrators.

They include a number of lawmakers; Parliamentary Group leader Ibrahim Solih, JP MP Hussein Mohamed, and deputy leader of MDP Parliamentary Group, MP Ali Azim.