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Ex-President Waheed appointed as Special Advisor to the opposition

The opposition coalition has appointed former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik as a special advisor to the opposition movement.

The opposition coalition, formed by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People's National Congress (PNC), announced former President Waheed has been appointed as a special advisor upon discussions with the leader of the coalition, former President Abdulla Yameen.

Speaking at the press conference held to make the announcement, former President Waheed said he decided to return to the frontline of politics hoping to provide some services to the country based on his experience. He criticised the direction of policies set by the current administration, expressing discontent with the changes brought to the democratic system and the judicial system.

In response to calls to investigate his role in the alleged coup which removed former President Mohamed Nasheed from office in 2012, Waheed said he is ready to cooperate with any investigation into the matter. He defended the report prepared by the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) on the events that led to the change of government in 2012, noting the report was prepared by a team of independent and capable professionals including officials from the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations.

After serving as Vice President from November 2008 to February 2012, Waheed took over the government with the backing of the opposition movement. Members of the current ruling party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), accuse Waheed of instigating a coup with the opposition to forcefully change the government.