Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that he will depart to Abu Dhabi on 16 October, to participate in the Zayed Future Energy Prize ceremony.
The Zayed Future Energy Prize is an annual award which represents the vision of former leader of Abu Dhabi, the Late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is an annual award which celebrates persons who have contributed to developments in the renewable energy sector. The winner of the prize is decided by a panel of five people.
Nasheed told reporters at the airport as he arrived after completion of Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) campaign trip to the south, Journey of Pledges, that he had been invited by the government of Abu Dhabi to join the ceremony, and that he had been included in the jury panel which decides the winner of the prize.
Responding to a reporter’s question about his passport being withheld, Nasheed said that his passport was still with him, and that he had requested his lawyers to check with Immigration Department on the regulations.
He stressed the importance of him travelling to Abu Dhabi, and said that permission to depart from Male’ will be requested from the Courts.
“I have been invited before as well. So I will depart on the night of 16 October. About the passport being withheld, the last time I checked with Rugiyya, the passport is still with me,” he said.
Nasheed said that Maldives will not be peaceful until an election is held, and that progress is being made in facilitating an early election.
He said that discussions will be held between parties tomorrow, about the no confidence vote against President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.
“Discussions will be held tomorrow between parties about making the vote which decides whether the motion will be accepted by the parliament, a secret one. If it is passed as a secret vote, it would allow several people to vote according to the people’s wishes,” he said.
The Department of Immigration and Immigration said today that even though withheld passports remain with their owners, there will be a warning as the passports are read by the system at the airport, prohibiting the persons from departing the country.