The Maldivian Democratic Party welcomes former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s announcement of revoking his support for the Presidency and Government of President Yameen. President Maumoon, the Leader and Founder of the Government party, PPM, and elder brother to President Yameen, today officially announced he would no longer support the current Presidency.

Officially withdrawing his support for the Government of President Yameen, President Maumoon said the Government no longer represents the values of PPM and that he would not remain answerable for Yameen’s actions. President Maumoon unequivocally announced that he would “no longer support this Government.”

President Maumoon, who commands the popular support from within the PPM membership, cited:

All democratic principles compromised, under President Yameen.
– Systematic abuse of the state, with absolutely no separation of powers; President Yameen’s interference with the Judiciary and Parliament.
– Parliament operating on the autarchic orders of President Yameen, while legislating to infringe upon people’s fundamental rights, and contravention of the Constitution.
– Unchecked, endemic corruption within the Government.
– Lack of any impartiality or fairness within independent commissions; they are filled with President Yameen’s cronies and especially naming the Elections Commission as an example.
– President Yameen’s obstinacy in the face of international criticism and profound disregard for calls for reform from both within and outside the Maldives.
– President Yameen’s purging of voices critical to his rule, by jailing or exiling them.
– Absence of any political space for peaceful political activity.

President Maumoon noted that President Yameen and the Government’s treatment of Maumoon and PPM imperils the multi party system, and warned that this is a clear threat to other political parties too. Speaking at a press conference late last night, President Maumoon called on all other political parties to work closely together to prevent further irreparable damage.

President Yameen’s first Home Minister, Umar Naseer speaking after President Maumoon, also highlighted the unfair and politically motivated trials against President Mohamed Nasheed, the unfair charges against Sheikh Imran and the very evident framing of President Yameen’s former Defense Minister, Colonel Mohamed Nazim.

President Maumoon’s announcement comes hours after a number of Government MPs also announced their withdrawal of support for the current Presidency.

The embattled President Yameen, now faces loss of Parliamentary majority as well as the loss of support from his own party. With the political party as the cornerstone of political support, and with the loss of support from his own party, President Yameen’s Government has lost all moral legitimacy to govern.

The MDP reaffirms its commitment to political dialogue to ensure an end to the current political crisis, and therefore looks forward to working with President Maumoon and the MPs to bring about much needed reforms to the country. With this, the MDP will coordinate efforts to implement urgent reforms including legislative changes, and reform independent institutions in order to ensure free and fair elections.

At this juncture, while President Yameen brings the country to financial bankruptcy through mismanagement, with clear proof that the President himself is at the head of mass corruption within the Government, while he ostracises the Maldives from the international community, and operates with increasing disregard for the will of the Maldivian people, the MDP calls on the independent commissions and the security forces to distance themselves from President Yameen, and to observe full professional impartiality and integrity. The MDP also calls on the Courts and the Judges to bring an immediate end to their rubber- stamping of President Yameen’s authoritarianism, and to uphold the fundamental right of the Maldivian people to a justice system, free of political manipulation.

“President Yameen does not have any legitimacy to govern. We urge the international community and friends of the Maldivian people to exert pressure on this Government and President Yameen to bring about immediate reforms or step aside, and to stop sabotaging the will of the Maldivian people for a credible democracy,” said MDP’s International Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Gafoor.