Former President Nasheed has said that the government was overthrown last Tuesday by a coup which was organised by Mulaku MP Abdulla Yameen and Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim.
During interviews with foreign and local media at his family residence Keneryge this afternoon, Nasheed said that he saw Yameen and Gasim actively involved in defeating the government. He believes that their aim is to return the former 30-year-regime to power.
“Waheed has no support in the Parliament. None of the over-thousand local council members are with him. What support does he have? He will have to take orders from the top,” Nasheed said. “Yameen and Gasim were the masterminds behind this. They were seen involved in this. Whether Maumoon was also involved - that we will know after investigations.”
In response to this, Gasim said that he was not involved in overthrowing Nasheed’s government in any way, and that Nasheed is a notorious expert in lying.
“He says this ever since I refused to work with him on his unlawful practices. I wasn’t the only one there [Republic Square], there were hundreds of people. I didn’t even attend the Steering Committee during the protests,” Gasim said.
Yameen said via an SMS that Nasheed was ousted by dissatisfied Maldivian people, and authorities and forces responsible for implementing rules and regulations in the country. “Nasheed resigned on his own as a result of their efforts,” Yameen said.
Nasheed said that two or three resort owners are also behind the coup. He refused to indicate who they were. He said that Police and MNDF turned against him not because he did anything wrong, but because they were deceived by political and financial influences.
“I don’t believe that it was wrong to arrest Judge Abdulla. That is not a reason to overthrow the government. He was suspected of many crimes, and no institution could solve this problem. I will act the same way in the future as well,” Nasheed said.
The former President said that the whole world is on his side, and that no international party has objected to his suggestion that the Parliament President is made head of state until an election is held in two months.
He said that he had, however, not discussed this with the Parliament President Abdulla Shahid. He said that there is “no point” in holding discussions with the current government, and that he wants the current government to resign and hold an election.