Ex-president Mohamed Nasheed has said that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to bring down the government through street protests.
Talking in Haa Alif Ihavandhoo last night, Nasheed said that they had waited patiently and tried to engage in dialogue long enough, and that all members of the party can now agree that the government should be brought down through street protests.
He said that the lack of efforts until now was not because they were incapable of bringing down the government and that they had waited for the occasion to align itself with the pulse of the nation.
Nasheed’s party MDP is currently making campaign rounds to the north under the theme “Journey of Pledges.”
“We in MDP have decided to bring down the government from the streets. The reason we have not done this so far, or the reason we have not talked about it, is not because we are not capable of doing it. We wanted, MDP wanted, to do it in a way that it comes from the thoughts and ideas of the people,” said Nasheed.
The ex-president said that he does not believe that free and fair elections can be held under the current government and that, and more importantly, MDP members and the greater public believe that the government will try to restrict him from competing in the upcoming elections.
He also said that the current government came to power after staging a coup d'état and that such a government will not allow courts that can serve justice impartially.
He then said that therefore, the consensus is to bring down the government through street protests.
Nasheed also said that he will make sure that the world’s focus is on them when they begin their efforts to bring down the government, and that he will especially make sure that Sri Lanka and India are watching.
He also said that MDP is a party that does not know fear, and will fearlessly face any bullets that are fired at them. He also called upon the military to shoot them if they are so bold.