The main opposition party MDP has decided to hold a large gathering in Male' on May Day or International Workers' Day to defend the rights of workers and all Maldivian citizens.

International Workers' Day is on May 1st.

At a press conference held by MDP today, Mohamed Rasheed Hussain (Bigey), the party's president for Alif Alif Atoll constituency and former MP for Alif Alif Atoll constituency, said the gathering will start at 8:30 PM on Workers' Day night at the Artificial Beach.

Bigey said that a large number of workers will participate in the gathering and they will raise their voice for the rights of all Maldivians.

"We in MDP always work to ensure the rights of workers, to secure rights that are lacking at the time, by protesting and raising our voice," Bigey said.

"There is no freedom of employment with job security. If someone is even slightly seen as having a different opinion. Similarly, jobs are being given for political purposes to an unsustainable extent, to an extent that income cannot support, to an extent that the economy is being destroyed," he said.

Bigey said that in addition to the loss of workers' rights, citizens have now become individually impoverished. He said that citizens are now facing difficulties in matters of electricity, water, and medical care to an extent not seen before.