Authorities’ failure to take action shows AG’s call for fairness was ‘an act’

Attorney General Mohamed Anil last week called on state authorities to give equal treatment to candidates for September’s presidential election.

His call was aimed at the police service, the Home Ministry, the Housing Ministry, and state media PSM. However, even after 96 hours, the authorities have not confirmed that they would be abiding by the Attorney General’s call.

Hassan Latheef, the Chairperson of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), told RaajjeMV that the relevant authorities have not said anything about providing security or protection to their candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Soih.

The Attorney General has stated that, in one of the letters addressed to the state authorities, he urged the housing ministry to give equal opportunity to use roads, public places, state buildings and land as per the relevant laws.

Responding to the minister’s statement, Latheef said that Housing Minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has placed many obstructions against MDP, Maldives’ largest party, and that given this treatment he suspects the legitimacy of the Attorney General’s call.

Latheef said that the cabinet that they are a part of has instructed the Housing Ministry to obstruct them and that the government “has done nothing” so far to give fair treatment to any opposition political party.

“Even if the Attorney General sent such a letter, we do not see us receiving our freedom of expression as per the Constitution,” he said.

He also noted that there were attempted attacks on their candidate during his door-to-door campaign in Hulhumale’ last Tuesday, and said that they believe that the government was most likely had a hand in this.

Latheef also highlighted that the Elections Commission (EC) did not give former President Mohamed Nasheed the opportunity to contest the election, despite him winning with 43,000 votes in MDP’s primary election.

He added that the parliament is being conducted outside constitutional boundaries and numerous political leaders have been jailed.

President Abdulla Yameen meets cabinet members

Since the government has stifled opposition parties’s right to freedom of expression and assembly, Latheef said that there would be no free and fair election.

As noted by Latheef, if all candidates are being treated equally, then the state media would be covering candidate Solih’s trip to Addu and Fuvahmulah cities as well as be providing him with state resources and providing security and protection, not to mention allowing political rallies in capital city Male’.

This means that the Attorney General’s statement was in name only, mostly likely as a show of goodwill towards the European Union ahead of Monday’s meeting where they are expected to adopt sanctions against government officials over the worsening human rights and political conditions in the country

The government has invited sanctions by turning its back from the international community. Even President Abdulla Yameen has accepted this fact and said that he might be sanctioned. In order to prevent these sanctions, the government has been ‘putting on a show to act as if it has changed by congratulating the opposition coalition’s presidential candidate and running mate and releasing statements and tweeting in English’. This is no longer the time to be making such changes. It’s now too late.

Now is the time for humility. Or else the result might be worse than expected.