Ex-Pres. Nasheed meets with senior officials of the opposition coalition

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has met with senior officials of the opposition coalition.

The meeting took place in Sri Lanka on Monday evening, and was attended by officials from Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhooree Party (JP), Adhaalath Party (AP) and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Nasheed traveled to Sri Lanka on April 13, for a third time this year. He was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment in March 2015, and has been living in exile in the United Kingdom since January 2016.

Yumna Maumoon, daughter of former President Gayoom and faction’s deputy leader Aminath Nadhira attended the meeting on behalf of the PPM faction, while former Education Minister Dr. Asim Mohamed represented JP, and Adam Azim attended the meeting on behalf of his jailed brother, former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim. Former Foreign Minister during the MDP administration, Ahmed Naseem also attended the meeting, as well as MDP national council member Omar Razak.

Following the meeting, Yumna tweeted a photo from the meeting, with the caption that issues facing the nation can only resolved by putting aside political differences, and “by all parties holding talks and working together”. The tweet was retweeted by Nasheed.

Leaders of the four key opposition parties; Nasheed, Maumoon, AP’s leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla and JP’s Qasim Ibrahim formed a coalition back in March, agreeing “to work jointly and together in parliament and in the political environment to reform government”.

Maumoon was succeeded by Nasheed in November 2008, ending his 30-year rule.