The sacking of political appointees who resigned from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to join The Democrats is unacceptable, the new opposition party said.
The government on Sunday started sacking political appointees who left MDP to join The Democrats, which was formed under the leadership of former president and parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed. But he remains the president of MDP and has not commented on the new party.
President's Office spokesman Miuvaan Mohamed told Adhadhu that political appointees who were chosen on MDP slots are being sacked for leaving the party. They are being removed upon request of the MDP, he added.
In a statement on Sunday night, The Democrats said it "condemns in the harshest terms the unjust actions of firings and intimidation against members of the public and youth active in forming the party".
Those who were dismissed from their posts were young political leaders who provided valuable service to the MDP and worked hard to elect president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, The Democrats said.
The Democrats characterised the government's decisions as cowardly actions by Solih intended to intimidate people joining the party. But support for the party would grow as a result, it added.
The Democrats contrasted the sacking of political appointees on MDP slots to other parties in the governing coalition. The party noted the Jumhooree Party's (JP) announcement of separately contesting in the presidential election and the Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) not endorsing Solih.
"Nonetheless, members of those parties remain in political posts, wielding power and might...No member has been threatened or fired," The Democrats said.
Political appointees who joined the party were therefore not sacked over their refusal to support Solih, The Democrats contended. The sackings were threats and acts of intimidation in response to the support and growing membership of the party, it added.
On Sunday, Nasheed characterised the dismissal of three political appointees as "damage done to Maldivians."
Deputy environment minister Mohamed Ansar, home ministry's policy director Aishath Alaika and environment ministry's senior executive director Mohamed Hamdhaan were sacked after they joined The Democrats.
All three were "youth who worked extremely hard to bring this MDP government to power for five years" and "capable people who know how to implement the MDP manifesto", Nasheed tweeted.
On the same day, Ahmed Mausoom, chairman of the Male' Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC), resigned from his post after joining The Democrats.
"I was in MWSC on a slot I got because I was a member of MDP. As I believe the principles for which I joined MDP have now been lost, I resigned from MDP. I have now stepped onto a different platform. So I believe it would best to give up the post that I got by virtue of being an MDP member," Mausoom said.
