Opposition MDP chief denies ties to critical online newspaper

Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) President Abdullah Shahid denied allegations that he has anything to do with the critical online newspaper Dhiyavaru, on Wednesday.

Debating the Anti-Defection Bill in the Parliament on Wednesday, Thinadhoo South MP Abdullah Saneef said that an online newspaper is spreading lies about MDP members. It was Dhiyavaru and it was a newspaper associated with Shahid, he alleged.

Three MDP MPs, including Saneef, abstained from the vote on the amendment to hold parliamentary elections after Ramadan in the session held on 28th last month. Regarding this, the unregistered news website accused the government of offering these opposition MPs large bribes.

Shahid denied Saneef's claims in a post on 'X' on Wednesday evening.

“The statement made by Thinadhoo South MP Saneef in Wednesday's session that I have a connection with an online newspaper called Dhiyavaru is false,” Shahid said.

"Using parliamentary privilege as a cover to lie and insult people's reputation is alien to democracy. It is cowardly”.

Targeting Shahid in Wednesday's parliamentary debate, Saneef said the 'largest party’s' president was selected by default as no one else contested him.

That happened, Saneef said, because the upcoming parliamentary elections were important to the party's national assembly members. Therefore, although the entire party did not want to bring Shahid to the post, the MPs were forced to “stay silent” in the face of what the leadership wanted, he said.

As the MDP President, Shahid is working to win support for MDP candidates in the parliamentary campaign.