The government on Thursday stated that they are geared up to conduct all-party talks again and that they have no hesitation in discussing with the opposition.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Mohamed Shainee proclaimed that the government is not doing anything wrong. However, if the opposition believe otherwise, they are welcome to the all-party talks, he said.
“President Yameen wishes to use the opportunity provided by holding party talks to find solutions. If they [opposition] need democracy and do accept it, I advise them to accept this invitation,” said Minister Shainee.
“The government does not hesitate to have a conversation with the opposition. We are certain that all that we do is for the betterment of the citizens and is done according to the Constitution. If there are any contradictions, party talks open the window for solutions,” added Shainee who is the top government official of the all-party talks.
Shainee added that efforts to bring solutions outside of talks cause negative effects to the economic development being brought to the nation by the government.
He also criticised the opposition, saying that to date, the opposition has tried for little else aside from looking to free certain individuals jailed for various reasons. The minister remarked that no major issue has been so far brought to the table by the opposition.
When questioned whether the government is ready to hold discussions with the names proposed by the parties, Shainee replied that the state does not have any issues with the representatives appointed by the opposition.
“During the meetings with the United Nations (UN), we have agreed to have discussions with Former President Mohamed Nasheed as well, but only if he [returns to] jail, “said Shainee, referring to Former President Nasheed's flight to the United Kingdom for political asylum in the middle of his prison sentence.
The final decision is to settle on the names appointed by the highest authority of a political party.
“Claiming to be a leader of a party in a written piece of paper makes it difficult to verify its authenticity as the government is run on a certain system. The government has to be sure of the representatives appointed by the parties,” said Shainee.
He added that the government is not obliged to run after the opposition to conduct party talks.
Moreover, when questioned about the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s verdict to release jailed former Defencee Minister Mohamed Nazim, Shainee responded that the Working Group's verdict is not equivalent to a UN decision, which would otherwise be followed by the government.
Shainee also stated that no one has yet proposed to hold the party talks abroad.
Furthermore, the current Defencee Minister Adam Shareef, who has been appointed by the government to the party talks, said that political turmoil in the nation cannot overturn the developmental projects conducted by the government. He added that the state will consider the suggestions of foreign bodies but the ultimate decision will only be made by the citizens.
Sign In