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Friday, Jun 03, 2005

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Motion on allowing political parties in Maldives passed

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Maldivian Parliament (Majlis) on Thursday passed a motion seeking the introduction of political parties in the Maldives, while the key leaders of the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party were held in preventive custody by the police.

The motion was moved on the basis of a request from the Maldivian President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, to review its earlier decision not to allow political parties in the country.

The Chief Government spokesman, Ahamed Shaheed, said that the Government would be opening the gates for political parties with Thursday's vote in the Majlis.

"We may have formal political parties as early as Sunday, which is the next working day here [Friday and Saturday are holidays]," he said.

Regulatory framework

An official release said the Government would later send a Bill on political parties to the Parliament, but pending enactment of those measures the regulations would be applied provisionally as a decree. This would provide the basic regulatory framework for the operation of political parties.

Dr. Shaheed said that the chairman of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Mohamed Nasheed, and three others (Ahmad Abbas, Susan Fulhu, and Shuaib Ali) were detained by the police to prevent disruption of the proceedings planned by the MDP. They have since been released, according to reports.

Peaceful protest

The MDP, which had earlier sought registration as a political party, maintained that it had called only for a peaceful demonstration before the House. Besides the four leaders named by the spokesman, the police had also held the MDP councillor, Ziyad, in the pre-drawn swoop. A few hundred people had gathered before the Majis to protest against the arrests.

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