In the realm of Male in the Maldives, an accusatory tone emanates from a senior minister, alleging the Opposition’s covert machinations to unlawfully topple the nascent government led by President Mohamed Muizzu within a mere 100 days. Minister of Islamic Affairs, Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, asserted on Sunday during Muizzu’s inaugural visit to Addu, the second most populous urban enclave in the Maldives.
Having triumphed over the India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in last year’s September presidential runoff, Pro-China Muizzu, aged 45, finds his administration besieged from internal and external challenges, contends Saeed. The onslaught of misinformation and unfounded rumors, as reported by The Edition, compounds the government’s predicament.
Saeed underscores the Opposition’s responsibility to hold the government accountable but rebukes attempts to create impediments and orchestrate the overthrow of a democratically elected government in its nascent stage, foreseeing dire consequences for the populace.
“They have transformed this into a strategic maneuver, raising grave concerns as they delve into discussions about impeaching a President chosen by the people of this nation,” he laments. “They cannot subvert this government unlawfully, providence willing. They cannot metamorphose this into a convoluted game and impeach the President, providence willing. Only by severing every vital connection in our throats, providence willing, can they achieve such a feat,” Shaheem vehemently asserts.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the principal opposition holding sway in Parliament, sought to submit an impeachment motion against President Muizzu last month. However, Muizzu found respite as the Supreme Court, earlier this month, ordered the suspension of a recent amendment facilitating the opposition’s endeavors to impeach the president and vice president. On January 24, expressing reservations about Muizzu’s anti-India stance, the MDP and the Democrats hailed India as their most enduring ally.
Concurrently, the MDP remains unimpressed with Muizzu’s Presidential Address, contending that much of the discourse mirrors initiatives initiated by the preceding government under their leadership. Dismissing Muizzu’s estimation of welcoming 2 billion tourists this year, MDP’s Parliamentary Group (PG) Leader Mohamed Rasheed Hussain rebuffs the administration’s role, attributing the surge in tourist arrivals to cumulative efforts predating Muizzu’s tenure.
Hussain accuses Muizzu of withholding transparent information, asserting a violation of constitutional obligation to truthfully depict the country’s status in the Presidential Address. Allegations of disseminating false information and convoluted rhetoric about recent events and economic conditions further taint Muizzu’s address.
Despite the previous government’s delineation of a debt repayment plan for 2025-2026, Hussain contends Muizzu’s omission of a serious debt repayment plan in his address amounts to deception. He accuses the President of reneging on promises of a transparent administration, pointing out the Finance Ministry’s discontinuation of regular publication of details on its website.
Hussain delves into Muizzu’s electoral promise of removing Indian military personnel from the Maldives, lamenting its conspicuous absence in the Presidential Address. He posits this as evidence supporting the claim that there are no armed foreign military personnel in the Maldives, contrary to prior assertions.