Pres vows to take MDP forward even in post-primary defections

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has hinted on Monday that MDP president Mohamed Nasheed and his close aides, who had applied for the party's presidential ticket for the presidential primary on 28 January, will stay away from MDP’s activities. He said that even if "some people" walk away from the party, he will move ahead with the party.

President Solih, who is on a two-day visit to the islands for the presidential primary campaign, arrived in B. Eydhafushi on Monday. After shaking hands with supporters at the port, he addressed a gathering at the multi-purpose hall of the Quranic centre in the island.

"Let's understand that this is an internal election. With the end of it, people may sit a little further away. However, I will continue with the entire party," he said.

Nasheed had said on Sunday that the party will not stand together in the event of the party's presidential primary being won by President Solih. Nasheed made the remarks at a campaign meeting held in Velidhoo on Saturday night, after President Solih said that the party would be together after the primary.

President Solih also hit back at some of Nasheed's recent comments, saying that "I need to be mindful of what my rivals sometimes say". Thus:

"What kind of business are you talking about now? This talk of taking taxis driven by private individuals under the government. Saying the government will drive the taxis, and the taxi drivers will be hired by the state," he said, adding that Nasheed has said on one hand that the government should not enter private businesses, while advocating for taking private people's taxis under the government.

"That's not the way it has to be done. That's not the way to go."

What needs to be done, he said, is to provide new cars for taxi drivers and facilitate payment so that they can pay installments in the long run. This is in the government's plan and the cars will be brought in this year and handed over to taxi drivers, he said.

Before the presidential speedboat neared the island, some PPM supporters gathered in front of the jetty with banners demanding the release of their leader, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. However, before the president arrived, the police landed the protesters behind a police line on one side of the harbour. When they were chased down, they were shouting slogans that they should be given freedom of speech and expression.

Twenty people sat at the scene after the police retreated and shouted for the "haram sentence" against Yameen to be overturned. "Where is the MVR 50 million hospital promised to be built in this island" and "Eydhafushi not on the charts of this regime"?; those holding banners with placards shouted such slogans against President Solih and said the government had done nothing for the island.

A protester told Atoll Times, "What [President Solih] is looking for will not come from this island." He said 80% of the island’s population was with Yameen.

President of Eydhafushi Council Mohamed Fathih, who was in the area, told Atoll Times that Eydhafushi had been largely left out during the current regime and that "the people were disappointed" about it.

"In 2014, 33 hectares of land was acquired, and reclamation was placed around [Yameen's regime], and started the work of fencing the roads. Sanitation services were initiated during Nasheed’s tenure," Fathih said, pointing out that the island had been neglected and no progress had been made during Solih’s tenure.

Pointing out that all major development works were carried out during Yameen's tenure, the councilman said that no progress has been made so far regarding the work of the hospital, which was promised to be made available by 2020.

Fathih noted that the island council had met the president in September and expressed concern over the lack of news about the hospital.

"When I talked about the hospital, he [President Solih] asked the person sitting next to him if it was true; if he had made that promise," Fathih relayed.

"We are not happy with things getting to this point."

However, some of the nearby islanders, who wore yellow burqas and came to  Eydhafushi for the event, had different opinions on President Solih. They said that development like never before has been witnessed in B. Thulhadhoo and Hithaadhoo during this regime.

Speaking at the island, President Solih highlighted major projects being carried out in the atoll. 

"All of you should come and looked at different parts of the country. Every island will see any such projects taking place," he said.

"You can say anything to mislead, but the people living in an island will to see what is going on there."

President Solih concluded his visit to Lhaviyani atoll after stopping at his home island Hinnavaru on Sunday,  and  arrived in Baa atoll this Monday. He will be visiting Dharavandhoo this Monday evening.