Maldives Defense Minister under fire for questioning a soldier over his parent's support for Nasheed

Maldives Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi has come under fire for allegedly questioning an army soldier over his family's support for President Mohamed Nasheed. According to sources, the minister summoned the soldier and asked him why his parents were supporting Nasheed's candidacy in the upcoming Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) primary election.

This case is not an isolated incident, as reports have also surfaced of ministers and managing directors (MDs) of state-run companies influencing employees in favor of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is also running in the MDP primary. These alleged actions include threatening employees with job loss if they do not support Solih and using company resources to support his campaign.

Nasheed, who has been vocal about the alleged interference, has stated that the jobs of government officials and company MDs are at risk due to their actions. He also accused President Solih of influencing these individuals.

The MDP primary, set to take place on January 28th, has been marred by tensions between the two candidates, with Nasheed's team questioning the fairness of the election. They have pointed out that the election committee is made up entirely of Solih's loyalists.

This recent incident has raised concerns about the integrity of the MDP primary and the neutrality of the Maldives government officials.