Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has reached out to an EU observation mission, appealing for assistance in transferring former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom from his current 11-year prison term for money laundering and bribery to house arrest.
The plea was made during a meeting with the election observation mission, which includes chief observer Nacho Sánchez Amor, currently in the Maldives to oversee the upcoming September 9 presidential election.
In a statement, the parliament secretariat confirmed that Nasheed emphasized the importance of Yameen’s house arrest for ensuring a just and equitable election process. Specific details regarding the meeting remain undisclosed.
Speaking at a recent campaign rally held in GDh. Gaddhoo, Nasheed took aim at the PPM-PNC leadership for their perceived lack of efforts to secure Yameen’s release. He boldly declared, “By collaborating with the Democrats, we pledge to bring President Yameen back home within a week of formalizing the coalition agreement, even if it requires me to take to the streets of Male.”
However, the PPM-PNC leadership swiftly denounced Nasheed’s remarks as an attempt to manipulate votes in favor of Democratic presidential candidate Ilyas Labeeb, asserting that Nasheed was exploiting Yameen’s incarceration for political gains. Yameen, due to his imprisonment, has been barred from participating in the upcoming election. In response, the PPM-PNC has put forward Male mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizz as an alternative candidate.
