MALE, 26 July 2021, (TON): Speaker of the Parliament and former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has called on the government to bring the Home Ministry under the direct supervision of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and to announce the State of Emergency in order to bring a stop to extremism in the Maldives.

In a series of messages sent to main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s National Council's Whatsapp group, Nasheed noted that those supporting and spreading extremist ideologies in the Maldives are increasing day by day. He suggested that the President takes charge of the Home Ministry and declaring the state of emergency as a solution to the issue.

Nasheed said “although such a move may affect tourism, its benefits would be greater in the longer run.”

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is also a member of said Whatsapp Group. In his messages, Nasheed noted that President Solih refrained from responding to his messages in the group, and asked Alifushi MP Mohamed 'Bigey' Rasheed to show his messages to the president. MP Bigey is President Solih's brother-in-law.

While Nasheed has suggested bringing the Home Ministry under the direct supervision of the President, the current Home Minister is the president of religiously conservative Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Imran Abdulla. Nasheed recently alleged that Adhaalath Party was 'monopolizing' the government's every decision. The relationship between President Nasheed and President Solih is also strained at this time.