Jumhooree Party (JP)’s Deputy Leader Ameen Ibrahim insisted that any situations or damages inflicted on JP Leader and Villa Group Chairman Qasim Ibrahim and his business will - in turn - affect the rest of the Maldivian business industry.
Speaking in Tuesday night’s opposition-led movement - dubbed as “Maldivians against Brutality” - Ameen had asserted that the current government has utterly failed, as they are even incapable of protecting the businesses in the country.
He stressed that the any damages shouldered by Qasim’s business will also be equally borne by the rest of the country’s business industry, adding that it will not be easily solved with a mere Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
On a same note, JP Leader Qasim had earlier voiced out concerns regarding the $100 million payment that he was forced to pay to the state, in which the government had threatened to freeze the accounts of the Villa conglomerate if the money is not paid within 30 days, through state tax-collector MIRA (Maldives Inland Revenue Authority).
He said that if the accounts are frozen, then over 5,000 employees will be forced to suffer from it as a consequence.
Criticism towards the government was still a lingering topic throughout the daily protests. In last night’s gathering, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Chairperson - Ali Waheed - had once again insisted that the convicted former President - Mohamed Nasheed - is and always will be MDP’s president, and that nothing would sway the party’s ideology.
He also pointed out that the opposition is not out against the entirety of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), but against only two or three members, indicating that those people included President Yameen and the certain few people close to him. Ali Waheed assured that the united opposition will one day overpower those people.
He added that the country is at a turning point, and that if the government refuses to negotiate, then the government will have end their rather short journey within the legal boundaries.
Similar to the recent nightly rallies held on the previous nights, last night’s protests ended peacefully, with the usage of sound systems and megaphones having been switched off from 11:00 p.m. onwards.