Police Obstructing Opposition's Preparations For Friday Night's Hiyaa Towers Rally

The Maldives Police Service have interrupted the opposition coalition's preparations for the rally that had been scheduled to be held in the Hiyaa flats area on Friday night.

An official of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) told The Maldives Journal that during preparations on the ground, the police had arrived at the area and asked them if they had received a permit to organise a rally in the area. The police had left after they had been told that they were operating with the permission of the Male City Counil, they had later returned stating that the rally's organisers would also need the permission of the Housing Development Corporation.

A short while later, the police began barricading the area and Special Operations officers have since been deployed.

PPM officials had engaged with a heated verbal discussion with HDC officials. HDC officials had claimed that such a rally may only be held with their permission.

However, the Male City Council had granted permission for the rally and had stated that the HDC's permission was not necessary. The Male City Council has since nullified the land registration that had been granted to the HDC. The decision had been made with the unanimous vote of all councillors, including those who belong to the ruling MDP.

It is worth noting that the many in the government, including Majlis Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, had claimed that the government was "financially incapable" of providing security to the Hiyaa Towers; which has since become overrun by squatters, prostitution, and drug addicts. Speaker Nasheed had claimed that a police force equal to the population of Addu City would be required to maintain security in the area. However, an unusual police presence can now be observed in the Hiyaa Towers area since the opposition coalition began their preparations for Friday night's rally.