Nasheed asked cabinet to resign before ‘honeymoon’ ended: Maria

Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi on Thursday criticised the previous MDP government for asking the cabinet ministers to resign at the end of the 'honeymoon period' that had taken place during Mohamed Nasheed’s rule.

Mariya, who is known as the party's 'mother' at a campaign meeting called 'Ibu 2023', began by pointing out that "watching the senior leader and the party president contesting an internal election of the party is a scene i don't want to see very much as a mother of the party". With this, Maria highlighted the reasons why he favoured Solih among the two party candidates.

Speaking at a campaign rally labeled as “Ibu 2023” Mariya, who is perceived amongst many as the ‘mother’ of MDP, began her speech by highlighting how it was hard to “watch the contest between the senior leader and the party president for an internal election.”

She then went on to clarify why she opted to side with President Solih for the upcoming party election. 

Citing the example of governance as akin to marriage, Maria said, "It's easy to get married, but maintaining a marriage requires hard work.

"In 2008 we formed an MDP government. But no sooner had the honeymoon period ended all cabinet leaders were asked to resign,” Maria said, criticising former president Nasheed.

"But today, we are seeing the current government having had faced a lot of challenges including [Covid] lockdowns, and dejected party members sometimes talking about a coalition, is still keeping the government as per the promise made, and doing the same with its coalition partners."

Maria further stated:

"Secondly, I'm a minister who works with the president. The president will tell me what to do. I’m left with how to do it. But if someone knows what to do and how to do something then we would see mismanagement. The whole place will be in shambles."

Maria highlighted that the current government was doing things the right way and that this was the reason for things being done easily.