Colombo, March 27 (NIA) – Former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, on Sunday said his party along with opposition legislators were considering the possibility of ousting Abdullah Yameen by bringing in a no confidence motion on the President.
Nasheed, who is facing terrorism charges in the island country and is currently in exile in Britain, told NewsIn.Asia that his Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) had teamed up with three other political parties to gain a majority in the 85 member Maldivian Parliament, currently held by President Abdulla Yameen’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Nasheed said that as a first step they had brought in a no confidence motion on the Speaker and since the Opposition now had a working majority they were confident to win that vite.
Nasheed further said that the opposition parties were working towards getting a two third majority so that a no confidence motion could be brought in on President Yameen, ahead of the 2018 Presidential Election, in order to impeach the leader.
“We are working on getting a two third majority. We right now have a working majority in parliament and through this we hope to strengthen all independent institutions in the Maldives including the elections department,” he said.
Nasheed who is now working closely with former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a half brother of Yameen, said he was looking to bring back law and order in the island country and restore democracy which he alleged had been lost during Yameen’s tenure.
He alleged that within the past three months, many opposition leaders had been illegally jailed by the present regime which is why opposition parties had signed a pact to work together.
He also hinted that in case they are unable to impeach the President before the 2018 Presidential polls, opposition parties would work together during the elections in order to contest the polls.
Nasheed had earlier this year announced that he would contest the Presidential elections representing the MDP, next year and was confident of winning.
When questioned if he was following a similar tactic adopted by neighbouring Sri Lanka, where opposition parties had teamed together during Presidential elections to defeat strongman Mahinda Rajapakse in 2015, Nasheed said he had learnt a great deal from the Sri Lankan experience and was closely in touch with the Sri Lankan leaders.
“I am receiving good advice from them,” he said.
Nasheed, the leader of the MDP, is Maldives’ first democratically elected president.
He was jailed in the Maldives in 2015, on terrorism charges after allegedly ordering the arrest of a judge during his tenure as the president.
He was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.
In January 2016, Nasheed was allowed to go to Britain for treatment on his back and remained there after he received political asylum by Britain.
