Fayyaz' final warning to Nasheed: 'Respect also has a limit'

MDP chairperson Fayyaz Ismail issued a final indirect warning to party president Mohamed Nasheed on Friday, saying that only a certain amount of respect can be given and that efforts to "destroy" MDP will not succeed.

In a message sent to a WhatsApp group comprising party's National Assembly members, Fayyaz alleged that the party's top leadership was trying to deprive MDP of the by-election to the Guraidhoo parliamentary constituency being held on Saturday. 

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the attempts of the party's top leaders to contact members of the constituency to deprive MDP of the Guraidhoo seat and not vote for the party ticket," Fayyaz said in a message as the election drew to a close.

After Nasheed's defeat in MDP primaries, his Fikuregge Dhirun faction has been fighting against the party's presidential candidate, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. In the run-up to the elections, the faction decided to join hands with the Jumhooree Party.

Fayyaz's message further said that the "grimaces" created by the presidential ticket has reached a different point altogether.

"We will not allow any attempt to destroy the party," Fayyaz said in a message to the WhatsApp group that allows only admins to message.

Fayyaz had earlier said that he was not taking action against Nasheed because he respected him. However, in Friday’s message, he said that he "can tolerate only so much in the name of respect.