Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has labelled President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration the most incompetent and authoritarian government in the country’s history, calling for Muizzu to step down.
In an interview with local news outlet Adhadhu, Yameen said he had lived under the rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and every administration since, but none had governed as poorly as Muizzu.
“I haven’t seen any president who has ruled as incompetently as the current leader, Muizzu. In every way, in every aspect, wherever you look in the Maldives, the people are suffering,” Yameen said.
Muizzu came to power in 2023 with Yameen’s backing after the opposition People’s National Congress (PNC) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) coalition selected him as their candidate while Yameen was in prison. The two later fell out, with Yameen leaving the coalition to form the People’s National Front (PNF).
He accused the Muizzu government of lacking economic and political vision, centralising all constitutional powers, and preventing independent institutions from fulfilling their mandates. He cited recent political moves by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), including a constitutional amendment allowing political parties to strip MPs of their seats, and the handling of Supreme Court judges’ cases by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), with that change Muizzu took direct control of the body. The judges were later removed by parliament, where the ruling PNC holds a supermajority.
Yameen contrasted Muizzu’s approach with that of his predecessor, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, saying that while Solih’s administration had in some cases operated outside the law, it had not worked to directly undermine constitutional powers.
He said Muizzu’s leadership marked the most authoritarian rule the Maldives had ever seen. “A more authoritarian rule than this will not be seen,” he said.
Yameen warned that keeping Muizzu in office for even another month would worsen public hardship. He cited rising prices, the high cost of living, and mounting economic losses as examples of ongoing issues.
“Most of the people do not want to keep Muizzu as president for even the next month,” Yameen said. “The best way is for him to admit to himself that he could not govern and resign. There will be no one among the people to speak of the benefits of his remaining in power.”
He urged Muizzu to take what he described as the more honourable course of action. “The right way is for Muizzu to admit that he could not do this as the people wanted him to, and resign,” Yameen said.