Fayyaz Ismail, the Chairperson of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has delivered a scathing critique of President Mohamed Muizzu’s leadership, branding the administration as “dubious” and asserting that its current trajectory threatens the nation’s democratic foundations.
Ismail, alongside former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, accuses the current administration of not only reneging on developmental promises but also pursuing political vendettas against critics, marking a departure from electoral pledges aimed at national advancement.
Amidst these accusations, President Muizzu offers a counter-narrative, presenting a record of his administration’s achievements. On his public Q&A programme ‘Raeesge Javaabu’, Muizzu outlined the completion of 155 out of 161 ‘Hafuthaa 14’ (first 100-day pledges), a testament, he claims, to his administration’s commitment to governance and policy implementation.
This response attempts to mitigate the opposition’s allegations by showcasing a substantial completion rate of his governmental roadmap, an effort to underscore the administration’s diligence and responsiveness to electoral mandates.
Despite these assertions, the opposition remains critical of the administration’s transparency and execution of promises. The MDP has raised doubts over the genuine progress of key pledges, notably the appeal against the ITLOS ruling, which it argues stands in stark contrast to the administration’s optimistic completion percentages. This discrepancy, according to the opposition, exemplifies a broader pattern of misleading the public on critical national issues.
The chairperson’s critique extends to comparing the present government’s conduct with that of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose tenure Ismail had previously termed ‘the pinnacle of tyranny.’
According to Ismail, the current administration, under President Muizzu, has escalated attacks against political dissidents and extended these to personal vendettas against anyone challenging the First Lady or other prominent figures.
Echoing Ismail’s concerns, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, at a separate rally, depicted the incumbent administration as a grave threat surpassing even the “brutal and frightening” reign of Yameen.
Solih accused the government of failing to uphold its development promises on the pretext of budgetary constraints while simultaneously inflating its ranks with political appointees, a practice he claims is unparalleled in the nation’s administrative history.
Amid the criticism, President Muizzu has called for a respectful and truthful electoral campaign, urging political actors to refrain from disseminating falsehoods and to engage in discourse that reflects the nation’s Islamic values and the inherent need for personal and collective integrity.