MDP condemns The Democrats ‘siege’ of party camp

MDP has said on Monday that it will file complaints with the relevant authorities to take action against all those involved in the act of ‘laying siege’ to the party’s camp in Male and their properties within.

The owner of the party's camp, located in front of artificial beach on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, handed over the keys to the building to former STO managing director Hussain Amr, a leader of The Democrats. With this, The Democrats took out a poster of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih installed outside the camp and began the process of evacuating it.

Condemning the incident, MDP issued a statement on Monday evening saying that the camp used by the party is a place where the house owner is paid rent regularly and carries out all the party's political activities.

"We have reached a verbal agreement with the landlord to carry out the party's political activities in the plot till the upcoming 2023 elections are over," it said.

"However, while the landlord had acted in violation of the agreement, a group of people barged into the office and damaged the property of the party before the court could take a decision in the case filed in the civil court to protect the rights under the agreement."

The statement added:

According to the statement, MDP has also filed a petition in the court seeking a direction to the party to allow the party activities at it’s current camp till July 31, and they can find a replacement. The same was requested from the landlord as well, the statement said.

The main camp of the party is operated at a land owned by Shafiyya Zubair, a former senior party activist. She has now shifted over to speaker Mohamed Nasheed's side and is involved in the formation of The Democrats.

Shafiyya said on Monday: