Mohamed Nasheed, the former president and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s presidential candidate, has said that his government will give financial compensation for the island councilors who were ‘unlawfully’ suspended during the current administration.
Many island councilors were suspended for allegedly helping MDP, the main opposition party, with their primary election campaign.
Regarding this, Nasheed in a tweet on Friday said that MDP councilors will not be swayed by government intimidation and thanked the councilors who have been suspended.
He also urged them to come out to campaign to beat President Abdulla Yameen in this year’s presidential election, vowing that his government will pay back the salary the councilors have lost during their suspension.
MDP Councillorunakee sarukaarun dhakkahaa birakah gudaane baeh noonkan kashavaru.Suspend kuri hurihaa ouncillorunah marhaba.Avahah campaign ah nukunnava.Ekugaigos iradhakurevviyyaa RYameen balikoh 2018 ge MDP sakuraaruga nahama gothuga suspend kohfava musaara anburaa libidheveyne
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) June 22, 2018
Also, on Twitter, former parliament speaker Abdulla Shahid described the Local Government Authority (LGA) as a ‘puppet’ of President Yameen’s regime for suspending a large number of MDP atoll and island councilors.
As MDP gears up to its Extraordinary Congress and to launch its manifesto for Presidential Elections, Local Government Authority suspends large number of MDP Atoll and Island Councillors. LGA must stop acting as the regime’s puppet, and allow the Councillors to conduct their work
— Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) June 21, 2018
MDP Chairperson Hassan Latheef has greatly criticized LGA CEO Mohamed Shafeeq for the suspensions, saying that only ‘tyrants’ like Shafeeq make it possible for President Yameen to oppress the citizens.
The MDP councilors have been suspended for three months, while there are only three months until the presidential election.
