Long-standing feuds and personal attacks need to end, and the nation has to find ways for everyone to work together, President-elect Mohamed Muizzu has said in an interview with local media. One of Muizzu’s main campaign headlines was a stance against the abuse of power and political, as well as personal, retribution.
While addressing the point of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s lawyer, Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, calling for a travel ban on senior officials of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the president-elect said he had no interest in engaging in personal attacks or seeking revenge.
“I will not do that,” Muizzu said.
Muizzu said that passports could only be seized by an official order from an empowered state institution and that he would not allow anyone in his administration or on his team to “do that kind of thing on my behalf.” Should his administration act in such a way on his direction, it will be properly documented and will not be done by influencing state institutions, he said.
“No, if we have to seize a person’s passport based on due process, the institution responsible for it will do so. We will follow the rules. Due process and procedure will be applied, and we will put an end to the cycle of intimidation and abuse,” Muizzu said.
The President’s Office would not unduly influence other institutions under his administration, and should he receive complaints about such influence, he would investigate them, Muizzu said.
