The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has denounced the police’s search of Dhidhdhoo island’s local government council as an affront to the constituents that elected its members.

In a statement on Sunday, the party said that the police’s search of the Haa Ali atoll island’s council is seemingly a political attempt to obstruct their work.

MDP said that the police’s arrest order not stating a reason for the search is indicative of the search been ‘politically motivated and baseless’.

The arrest warrant authorized the police to search the premises on the sole basis that they need to do so for an ongoing investigation.

The party further criticized the government over its ‘restrictions’ on local government councils. MDP said that current administration has been centralizing power in the Maldives, having suspended several councilors and officially relieving them of duties conventionally vested with them.