Rasheed says MDP will restore powers to local councils
He said a three-tier governance system was established through reforms introduced by the MDP.
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Former MDP Parliamentary Group leader Mohamed Rasheed Hussain said on Monday that the Maldivian Democratic Party is not controlled by any individual and remains the only party committed to safeguarding the rights of the public.
He made the remarks at a rally held at the MDP’s main campaign centre for candidates contesting the upcoming local council elections.
Rasheed said that during the MDP administration, councils were given authority to carry out their responsibilities independently, but that the current government has reduced those powers.
He said the MDP would restore those powers if it returned to office.
Rasheed said that when the MDP began its political activities 23 years ago, authority was concentrated in a single office.
He said a three-tier governance system was established through reforms introduced by the MDP.
He said there are two main political approaches in the Maldives and that parties that come to power under different banners have tended to centralise authority.
“The MDP is not in the hands of anyone now. It is an institution that stands on its own,” he said.
He said those who leave the party would return and that the MDP would continue as an organisation with its own structure.
Rasheed said the ruling PNC had secured control of Parliament along with the government and that three years had passed without resolving economic problems.
He warned that continued decline would affect future generations.
Rasheed said the MDP would field more than 1,000 candidates to contest the government’s nominees in the council elections.
He called on young people to participate in the campaign and to work for the party’s victory in the upcoming polls.
