The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has refused to comment on the ruling party’s claim that members of the opposition have conspired to overthrow the government with the aid of mercenaries.

Abdulla Khaleel, the Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) secretary-general, said that opposition leaders have hired and brought mercenaries into the country, in order to have them forcefully overthrow incumbent President Abdulla Yameen’s government.

Captain Ibrahim Azim, the information officer at MNDF, said that the military has no comment over the matter and does not wish to involve itself with the claims. He had declined to respond to further questions about the matter.

Khaleel, a parliamentarian himself, said in a tweet that his parliamentary peers in the opposition have resorted to hiring mercenaries after failing to acquire their political objectives through the parliament.

The tweet further said that opposition leader, and former president, Mohamed Nasheed found it hard to ‘digest the fact that support for the administration is ever-growing’.

Neither the police nor the MNDF have yet to comment on MP Khaleel’s accusations.