Youth Min. coordinator threatens to cut MP Saud 'into pieces'

A coordinator at the Ministry of Youth and Sports has threatened to cut Villingilli constituency MP Saud Hussain “into pieces”.

Youth Ministry coordinator Ibrahim Rasheed made the threat while speaking at a rally held by the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), in Villingilli island of Gaafu Alifu atoll, whose residents Saud represents in Parliament.

Speaking at the rally, Rasheed said that he will cut the MP “into pieces, if he even looks [at them] indirectly”. This was in response to MP Saud stating that the opposition will defeat incumbent President Abdulla Yameen.

A number of senior officials were at the rally, when Rasheed made the threat in Huvadhoo- a language spoken by the people belonging to Huvadhoo atoll- he further went on to say that Saud has forgotten who he is and that there is no support for him in Villingilli.

While the authorities are yet to take any action against Rasheed over his threat, a number of people have been criticizing the fact that a government official was threatening a member of the parliament, in front of a number of senior government officials.

While government officials continue to maintain they have majority across the nation, the opposition won majority of the seats in the Local Council Elections, including in Gaafu Alifu Villingilli.

MP Saud was elected to parliament through a PPM ticket, but defected to the opposition in April 2017, in order to join their reform movement. He is one of the 12 lawmakers, whom the Elections Commission announced had lost their seats, following Supreme Court’s floor-crossing ban in July 2017. However, the Court had, in a ruling on 1st February, ordered their reinstatement, a ruling which was not accepted by the government.