Opposition criticizes PG, describes her as "a sellout"

Opposition progressive coalition has criticized Prosecutor General (PG) Aishath Bisham, who was appointed during the PPM administration.

Former President Abdulla Yameen appointed Bisham as PG, on 24 November 2015.

However, at a press conference by the opposition progressive coalition on Wednesday, People’s National Congress (PNC)’s vice president Ibrahim Shujau described her as a sellout. PNC’s partner is former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Shujau, who was the Baarah constituency representative at the 18th parliament, said that Bisham has always been politically inconsistent and fickle. He stressed that this is something that every opposition agrees on.

He added this was the sentiment from the opposition during the Yameen administration as well.

Shujau highlighted that then-opposition parliamentarians had also voted to approve Bisham in 2015, adding that they later claimed that the charges imposed by her are politically motivated.

He also noted that the current parliament’s judiciary committee had decided to impeach Bisham, only to revert it later.

Further noting that this was done to fulfill a purpose, Shujau claimed that this is to drown the opposition’s call against human rights’ group Maldivian Democracy Network; the group has recently faced backlash over a report published during the Yameen administration in 2016, over content deemed to be against Islamic tenets.

He added that this “is not possible.”

Shujau said that the opposition will not let the PG do whatever she wanted, and equated her “to those trying to erase Islam from the country.”

Furthermore, Shuaju further said that the reason that the PPM administration was not able to impeach Bisham prior to the end of the tenure was because “we did not have that power or opportunity then.”

Noting that the current government has the opportunity to do so, the former Baarah constituency MP alleged that the government is against it “especially [coalition partner] Jumhooree Party.”

He added that the PPM administration was not able to remove Bisham as they did not have the “blessing” from now main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Shujau said that the reason the PPM administration wanted to impeach the prosecutor general “because a lot of members did not have confidence in her.” However, he said that the majority was against the motion.

In addition, Shujau described himself as the biggest vocal critic of PG Bisham.