No one deserves the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential ticket more than chief opposition lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, top ruling party lawmaker Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik said Wednesday.
The Hinnavaru MP Solih was arrested during the last anti-government protest in the capital Male and was remanded for nine days last Monday.
As the remand was set to expire on Wednesday, police had not sought an extension and had released the lawmaker.
According to sources, police had forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General's (PG) office on Sunday seeking charges against the seasoned lawmaker for disobeying the police.
The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on February 1 ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on February 5 had declared a state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed, purged the Supreme Court by arresting two judges and the remaining political leaders and ultimately had the order revoked.
By Wednesday, prosecutors have got the country's criminal court to remand the suspects until the end of their respective trials which otherwise would have forced authorities to release them after the emergency state ended.
The most high-profile figures remanded until the end of the trial included former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, chief justice Abdulla Saeed and top court judge Ali Hameed - all now formally charged with terrorism over the alleged plot to overthrow the government.
Prosecutors have also formally charged four opposition lawmakers over the alleged coup plot.
Gayoom's lawmaker son Faris Maumoon, Jumhoory Party (JP) deputy leader Abdulla Riyaz, Dhangethi lawmaker Ilham Ahmed and South-Machchangoalhi lawmaker Abdulla Sinan have all been charged with terrorism for conspiring to overthrow the government. Three out of the four lawmakers have all been remanded until the trial ends thus far.
