Male’, Maldives – Health Protection Agency has given permission to the opposition coalition to host their Victory Day gathering on November 3 virtually.
The opposition had planned to organize a gathering on November 3, to commemorate the Victory Day of Maldives on this Thursday under the name “Badi Buraasfathi”. However HPA only allowed the opposition coalition to carry out their gathering virtualy stating that the HPA’s guidelines does not allow to organize gatherings with more than thirty people due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The opposition coalition had initially planned to carry out their gathering at the carnival area of the capital city of Male’ and requested for the approval from both Male’ City Council and the Health Protection Agency. In a press conference held by the opposition coalition, the Vice President of People’s National Congress (PNC), Ibrahim Shujau stated that the Male’ City Council had said that the approval can be given only by HPA and that HPA had allowed them to hold the even virtually. He said that since this was the case, they would hold the gathering at the doorsteps of their office in Male’.
During the press conference Shujau said that the Director General (DG) of Public Health, Maimoona Aboobakuru had sent a reply to their letter advising them to carry out the event virtually. He also criticized DG Maimoona saying that she has been allowing some senior officials of State Owned Enterprises (SOE’s) to go to islands and hold gatherings and meet with people and questioned why these meetings were not being advised to be carried out virtually.
Shujau also accused HPA and government of restricting the oppositions activities and said that only Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s activities are being allowed to go on. He also said that the opposition would not allow the government to finish a five year term virtually.
November 3, is celebrated as Victory Day in Maldives after attempted coup d’état by a group of Maldivians led by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), to overthrow the government in the island republic of Maldives was foiled.
