PPM Behaved Peacefully Out of Respect for the Nation: MP Ghassan

“The PPM did not behave today; when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih delivered his presidential address to the Majlis; as the parliamentarians of the MDP did when President Yameen Abdul Gayyom delivered his address because we respect this nation”, said Vice President of the PPM, MP Ghassan Maumoon (Th. Guraidhoo).

He said this in a tweet referencing the opposition demonstration, outside the gates of the Majlis as President Solih delivered his address, which called for the release of President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom from prison. The only individual to behave belligerently in the Majlis had been the leader of the DRP, MP Abdullah Jabir (Kashidhoo).

When President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom had delivered his presidential address, MDP parliamentarians had behaved belligerently and made a great deal of noise to drown out the sound of his speech. MDP parliamentarians had also verbally assaulted him as he delivered the address.

Ghassan, in his tweet, said that behaving in such a way that “degrades the country’s good name” was not democratic. He said that the PPM did not behave as the MDP did because the PPM believed in principles and order, and also because the PPM was a party that could “peacefully fulfill the responsibilities of holding government accountable”. The PPM would never, said Ghassan, act in a way that would harm the country; such as calling for a boycott on tourism.

The MDP had, as an opposition party, called for boycotts of Maldivian tourism for a variety of reasons over the years.