Yameen says Muizzu govt is continuing Solih's legacy

Former President Abdulla Yameen has claimed that President Mohamed Muizzu's administration is continuing the legacy of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Yameen made the remarks while addressing a rally at the People's National Front (PNF) headquarters on Sunday night, where he criticised both the current administration and the previous Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government.

According to Yameen, neither President Muizzu nor former President Solih are in a position to speak about national independence.

He also alleged that both leaders had adopted a similar approach by making promises that exceeded the government's capacity and announcing projects that could not be delivered.

Yameen further claimed that President Muizzu was using the same election strategy as the previous administration by relying on government spending to win public support.

"Rather than political rhetoric, the public wants a leader who is genuinely capable of delivering results to step up and handle their affairs. Muizzu is not that person. Has he not failed within three years?" Yameen said.

"What Muizzu is carrying out now is President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's legacy. Muizzu is upholding that very legacy. That is precisely why the Maldivian economy is in ruins."

Yameen argued that the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) secured its parliamentary majority because voters were dissatisfied with the previous MDP administration.

He claimed that if parliamentary elections were held today, the ruling party would not retain its majority.

Yameen said that while some voters may now be dissatisfied with both the current and previous administrations, there remained people who continued to support him.

"When we were in government, we didn't deal in empty words. We didn't make promises bigger than ourselves. We announced projects only after decisions were finalised and had reached the implementation stage," he said.

Yameen also claimed that he could secure the 3,000 signatures required to contest a presidential election as an independent candidate if he chose to do so.

He further said he had developed a personal grievance against President Muizzu, alleging that the President had engaged in conduct within the President's Office that brought disrepute to the office.

Although Yameen criticised former President Solih during his speech, he recently entered into an alliance with Solih and former President Mohamed Nasheed to work together against the current administration. The alliance has not announced any joint activities since its formation.