MDP warns action on MPs joining opposition activities

Ruling MDP said on Thursday that action will be taken against party members involved in activities with the opposition, after MPs from party president Mohamed Nasheed's breakaway faction signed an opposition-led no-confidence motion against attorney General Ibrahim Riffath.

The no-confidence motion against Riffath was submitted to the parliament on Thursday with the signatures of 15 lawmakers belonging to the opposition PPM-PNC, MNP, Jumhooree Party and Nasheed's Fikuregge Dhirun faction.

The three opposition parties, Jumhooree Party and Nasheed faction have formed a joint parliamentary group to work together on the issue. The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Group was held at the parliament secretariat on Thursday.

In a statement issued Thursday evening, MDP said there was no reason to question the attorney general's role in defending the country's interests in the delimitation of the maritime borders between the Maldives and Chagos in the south. MDP described the move to remove Riffath as an irresponsible act.

"The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has no role in the activities planned by the opposition PPM and PNC against the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih," it said.

"Action will be taken against MPs who are involved in activities with opposition parties in violation of the party's charter and parliamentary group rules."

The statement said that MDP considers the current opposition movement to create hatred against the government in the minds of the people through parliament and to jeopardise country's stability and divide it and gain personal political mileage.

"The efforts to seek a vote of no-confidence against Riffath will not succeed as long as the people of the Maldives can see the truth about its decision on a matter of national interest," the statement said.

MDP said that the attorney general has so far put national interest first by upholding the constitution and laws while discharging his duties.

"The Maldivian Democratic Party has full confidence in attorney general Ibrahim Riffath," the statement said.

MDP also assured that "this party's parliamentary group is with attorney general Ibrahim Riffath".

The International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on April 28 sided with the Maldives in the dispute with Mauritius surrounding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Maldives and the Chagos archipelago, awarding a bigger portion to the Maldives.