Maldives opposition has geared up for a grand ceremony at Gaaf Dhaal atoll Thinadhoo, while government run Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) is scheduled to host a similar rally on Saturday.
A team from the opposition had visited the island on Wednesday to setup the ceremony scheduled for Thursday night with high ranking officials expected to grace the island sometime today to attend the ceremony.
Meanwhile Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer, Defense Minister Adam Shareef along with members of PPM leadership and several pro-government lawmakers had arrived at the island on Wednesday for their preliminary preparations of the ceremony slated for Saturday.
Thinadhoo is currently experiencing a strong division, splitting islanders between pro-government and anti-government movements. The PPM affiliated members and ministers had faced a backlash on Wednesday when opposition supporters had voiced their disinterest in a rather aggressive manner.
This had resulted in a confrontation between the supporters of both government and opposition.
Both lawmakers of Thinadhoo constituency, who had been coined as disqualified by Elections Commission have already reached the island while opposition suspects of government ploy to intervene in the opposition campaigning.
This became obvious when the island's Atoll House was officially 'detached' from the island's council and was placed under police supervision when north-Thinadhoo member Saudhulla Hilmy had met with council members at the premises earlier.
Police is also active in removing billboards reflecting stern criticism and disapproval on the government, which had been executed by the opposition supporters in the island. The policing authority is reported to be acting under a court order.
Earlier, PPM's parliamentary group leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik - who was born to Thinadhoo - had called out to the islanders refrain from attending the opposition rally reasoning that the incumbent government had conducted several urbanization projects in the island.
He had also challenged the opposition claiming they would fail to host a grand scale campaign at the island of Thinadhoo.
