President Abdulla Yameen’s comments about how people need to be incarcerated solely because prisons exist show both lack of integrity and incompetence, says Adhaalath Party member Ali Nazeer.

Nazeer, the chief of the party’s media committee, said this during a joint press conference held by the party and its opposition partners on Friday. Nazeer said that Yameen is ‘unfit for positions of power’.

“The existence of a prison in any jurisdiction is no reason for people to be incarcerated. Arbitrary detention is a violation of human rights and any leader who advocates is unfit for rule” Nazeer said.

Yameen made these remarks while speaking at a ruling party rally, claiming in jest that the political prisoners currently in detention are there because jails do exist and need to be occupied.

Nazeer had also attested to the unity of the coalition of opposition parties and said that are committed towards a unified government in the Maldives.