The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairman Fayyaz Ismail has cautioned against the amnesia of some citizens who suffered serious injustices during the previous Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) government, warning that they risk enabling a return to past injustices in the country.
Following the first-round of the presidential election, several political parties that had previously opposed the PPM and aligned themselves with the MDP are engaged in talks to potentially form a coalition with the PPM. These discussions include the Jumhooree Party (JP), which suffered a significant electoral defeat in the first round with only a few thousand votes.
In addition to the JP, the Maldives National Party (MNP) has already forged a coalition with the PPM ahead of the second round. MNP’s leader, Mohamed Nazim, had faced a lengthy prison sentence during the rule of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
Commenting on the MNP’s renewed alliance with the PPM, Fayyaz Ismail expressed concerns, noting that some individuals who suffered the most during the PPM government seem to have forgotten the past. However, he emphasised that there should be no room for believing that the opposing ideology has changed.
“The people who were part of the PPM government are now talking about democracy. As we promised, our efforts to establish justice and democracy in this country have resulted in all Maldivians living freely today,” he stated.
Fayyaz warned that if a different government was established in the Maldives, the media’s ability to report freely would be jeopardised. He highlighted past instances of oppression against journalists, newspapers, and TV channels, suggesting that stifling freedom of speech would be their first priority.
“This freedom has been granted to everyone by our government. Even if we tend to forget it today, they have not changed. It is the same oppressive ideology,” Fayyaz said.
Addressing the setback suffered by the MDP in the first round of the presidential election, Fayyaz indirectly responded to activists of The Democrats, asserting, “We will bow only to Allah. We will not bow to anyone else. We will apologise if we really have to. We will not hesitate to apologise.”
Fayyaz also expressed regret for the earlier prediction that the MDP would secure a single-round victory with 56 percent of the vote, which may have led some voters to abstain. He apologised for any confusion caused by the optimistic forecast.