The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) staged a demonstration outside Parliament House on Thursday, coinciding with the opening session of Parliament, in what they described as an assembly to listen to the Presidential Address. However, police cordoned off the area, preventing demonstrators from approaching the Parliament building.

Protesters carried placards condemning government corruption, unfulfilled electoral pledges, the consolidation of power, worsening economic conditions, and other grievances.

Inside the chamber, MDP MPs continued their protest as President Mohamed Muizzu began his address. They raised placards and voiced their dissent, prompting Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla to invoke parliamentary rules. Several MPs were named and ordered to vacate the chamber, including most of the 12 MDP members present.

MDP MPs hold placards inside the Parliament chamber, protesting during President Mohamed Muizzu’s Presidential Address on Thursday, 6 February 2025. | Photo: MDP

Despite being named, the MPs continued their protest. The Speaker then signalled to President Muizzu to pause his speech and announced that the sitting would be suspended until the named members left the chamber. Following the adjournment, security personnel forcibly removed some MPs, including MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Nazim and Vikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad. The sitting resumed once the MPs had been expelled.

In his address, President Muizzu emphasised that no state institution could infringe upon the constitutional and civil rights of citizens. He asserted that all individuals had the right to engage in any activity not expressly prohibited by the Constitution or the law.

“I believe that every citizen has the freedom and right to do whatever is not prohibited by the Constitution and the law. No government or any state institution can infringe on that civil and constitutional right,” he said.

Earlier this week, the MDP organised a peaceful protest march calling for President Muizzu’s resignation, accusing him of consolidating power, corruption, mismanagement, and failing to deliver on campaign pledges. The march, held under police protection, drew hundreds of participants and was the largest demonstration against the Muizzu administration to date.