Party talks used as a ruse to halt the reform movement: opposition

Leaders of the opposition movement has claimed that the Government had revived the All Party Talks in a bid to halt the reform movement.

Speaking in a press conference held on Thursday, the opposition figures said this was merely a ruse, designed to halt the progress made. The opposition called the Government “insincere”.

Adhaalath Party (AP) Foreign Relations Committee member Shidhatha Shareef mocked the Government for their view that they must know who the representatives were beforehand. She said it was the opposition who first called for the Talks, adding that they will participate any Talks that are undertaken with sincere intentions.

Kimbidhoo Constituency MP Abdullah Riyaz said the Government brought forward the All Party Talks due to international pressure.

“This is not what the public wants. Candidates chosen by the Party must be allowed to contest. Pressure on Government is huge, they’ve lost the majority,” Riyaz said.

Parliament Minority Leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said any good for the nation will come now from the united efforts of Presidents Maumoon and Naseedh, Qasim Ibrahim and Sheikh Imran. He also asserted that the Government had no sincerity as well.

Dhiggaru Constituency MP Faris Maumoon added they had never hesitated to participate in the talks, stressing that talks must involve representatives decided on by the Party Laws. He accused the Government of using the Party Talks to slow down the reform movement.

The All-Party talks stalled following the split within the ruling PPM, after the two factions had disagreed on who the representatives for the talks would be.