President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has warned Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed not to mislead the public. He made the remark regarding comments made by Speaker Nasheed during his campaign rallies.
President Solih and Speaker Nasheed are competing in the primary election of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to win the ticket to compete in the upcoming presidential election. During the campaign trail, Speaker Nasheed has claimed on numerous occasions that President Solih is slow to react and has failed to fulfill pledges in the MDP manifesto.
Responding at a campaign event, President Solih said that he does not react because he does not face any opposition within the party, but that he has been compelled to respond to Nasheed’s false claims, as it would lead to negative consequences for citizens. He urged Nasheed to focus on voicing valid criticism.
Additionally, President Solih said that Speaker Nasheed will go as far as to attempt to take credit for the developments the current administration has made to the fisheries sector, neglecting the contributions made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid in facilitating fish exports to more countries. He also refuted Nasheed’s criticisms of the state debt and the lack of development in Fuvahmulah City by providing details on the ongoing development projects in the city worth USD45 million.
Furthermore, President Solih noted that some politicians have been ceaselessly creating public distrust of the government since the administration took office, adding that some are regrettably members of MDP. He urged them to stand beside him and serve the people.