'Free political prisoners for all party talks'

Indeewara Thilakarathne

COLOMBO: Maldivian Democratic Party MDP Vice President Ibrahim Hussein Zaki said the four political prisoners should be freed for them to participate in the All Party discussion.

Zaki, the Shadow Foreign Minister of MDP, speaking to the Daily News on the political situation in Maldives, said the Maldives were going through interesting and important transition from autocracy to democracy. "Maldives has been going through a dictatorship for more than 40 years. Obviously President Gayoom has been in power for 28 years and he has ruled the country with an iron fist," he said.

The All party discussion was scheduled to be initiated in Male on February 5 by the visiting special envoy of the Commonwealth on Maldivian Political Affairs, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Mussa Hitham.

He has been appointed by the Commonwealth Secretary General to look into the human rights abuse and police brutality in the Maldives.

President Gayoom allowed the registration of political parties in the Maldives last year. Accordingly four political parties including the MDP were registered paving way for a multiparty democracy.

The other parties are Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) and Adhalath Party (Justice party).

People are so frustrated due to human rights violations and police brutality being carried throughout the country.

Our Party's Chairperson Mohamed Nasheef is one of the political prisoners, said Zaki. The others are Human Rights Activist Jenifa Lathif, Ahamed Bedi and Naushad Vahib."

Zaki said at last the International Community has responded to their voice and hoped for a peaceful transition to democracy.

However, the Maldivian Embassy in Colombo was not available to comment on allegations.