President Solih has been chastised by Villimale’s constituency MP Ahmed Usham for stating that the amendment to the law, which was introduced during former President Yameen’s regime, can be revoked only if the parliament passes it and sends it to the president.
Usham responded by tweeting, “This is said in order to mislead the public. This government has done whatever it wants at any time, as has been the case throughout the 19th Parliament. The assembly law will not be passed because the government refuses to do so ” he stated.
In response to a question from The Voice newspaper about the restriction of freedom of assembly, President Solih stated that the next step would be to change the assembly law enacted during the previous administration. He stated that a bill to amend the act, which allows only gatherings in a specific area of the city, is already pending in parliament.
President Solih’s remarks follow a presidential promise he made in 2018 to repeal the amendment enacted during President Yameen’s administration.
“The right to assemble is already being exercised, but if the law is violated or police directions are violated, the police will take necessary temporary measures to prevent it,” he said, adding that this was the practice both then and now.
President Solih’s remarks came a day after the opposition pledged not to disrupt law and order by inciting unrest during the protests.
The opposition, on the other hand, claimed that the police were using excessive force without properly monitoring the situation.
