Ï read it on the news," Maldives pres distances himself from PNF rally debacle

Incumbent president Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday distanced himself from the debacle that ensued the night before as police stymied the formation of former ruling party leader and former president Abdulla Yameen's new party.

Ghiyasuddin School, which was supposed to hold Yameen's PNF formation meeting, was cordoned off by the police when people started assembling for the meeting. This led to protests and the police used pepper spray to control PNF supporters.

Police had said special operation officers were dispatched to the venue after the school through the education ministry requested police intervention as the permission to hold the rally at the venue had been rescinded. 

But PNF had accused president Muizzu of issuing the order to the police himself.

President Muizzu, however denied any knowledge of the police intervention insisting that he had only read the whole incident in the news.

Muizzu added that he was extremely disappointed and concerned by the police conduct insisting that he had previously instructed his police chiefs and the home minister not to stymie any peaceful political activity.

"I have already told them I don't want to see what has happened in the past where SO police are dispatched to beat and arrest people for no reason. So what happened last night looked very bad. I have clearly instructed not to dispatch SO police under any circumstance,” he said.

The PNF held its formation meeting at the surf point in Male after the participants were obstructed at Ghiyasuddin School.