Former President Mohamed Nasheed poses for picture in interview to AFP. PHOTO/AFP
Former President Mohamed Nasheed announced that the United Nations (UN) has requested for the names of main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s delegates for the all party talks directly to UN.
In a tweet he posted late Tuesday, the former president stated that he had recently met the UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Senior Advisor on Political Affairs Tamrat Samuel while he was in the United States for climate change talks.
“In their opinion, MDP should send the names of their delegates directly to UN.”
Almost a year has passed since the government planne to conduct the all-party talks but the state has still been unable to bring all parties to the same table. The UN moderator appointed to hold the “proximity talks” has put in efforts to commence discussions but they fell through.
Most recently the talks were hindered as the government had requested parties to present delegates approved by their respective councils. Several clashes had arisen within ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) when its leader and Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his half-brother, the incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, had a falling out and took opposing sides.
Nevertheless, the government maintains that the previous effort to revive all-party talks last November fell through due to lack of cooperation from certain opposition parties by refusing to submit the names of their representatives for the sit-down. The parties had apparently refused to put forward delegates over the state denying former President Nasheed and Leader of Adhaalath Party Imran Abdulla from taking part in the sit-down due to their ongoing jail sentences.
UN had expressed concerns last December over the ongoing political turmoil in the archipelago. Some entities have said that there were attempts to hold the talks abroad, but the government has denied any such official requests.