Muizzu won’t be like Solih; will always be loyal to Yameen, says Abdul Raheem
"Their purpose is to manipulate us, gaslight us. Don't give them that opportunity," he urged.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
PNC president Abdul Raheem Abdulla has said that the opposition’s presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Muizz, who was selected after the leader of the opposition PPM-PNC coalition Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom lost the opportunity to run for president, will not act like President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and will always be loyal to Yameen.
On Sunday, Speaker Mohamed Nasheed had said that if Muizz comes to power, Yameen will be treated the same way as he was during president Solih's administration.
Nasheed, who left the MDP and formed The Democrats, said the scenario under Muizz's government would be to exclude Yameen from power and eventually bring him to the brink of death.
Abdul Raheem, who was campaigning in H.A Kelaa with Muizz, responded to Nasheed's remarks on Tuesday.
"President Nasheed said that PPM members know exactly what happened to him, so PPM members do not want to vote for Dr Muizz," he said.
Abdul Raheem said:
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A structure built upon a sloping foundation will slope no matter how high it is raised, as is said in an old Maldivian proverb
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PPM laid its foundation straight; so no matter how high they raise their structure, it will still stand straight
"Dr Muizz will not be Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Dr Muizz will always be loyal and sincere to President Yameen," Abdul Raheem assured.
"Dr Muizz and President Yameen will move forward together in consultation, with the people and the country”.
'Democrats are trying to gaslight PPM members'
In addition to this, Abdul Raheem criticised The Democrats without mentioning the name of the party, saying that the PPM-PNC will free President Yameen and that no one else can do that.
"It can't be done, right? Those who say they can, why haven't they released President Yameen still? Those who say they were in the JSC, didn't they put President Yameen in jail?”, referring to Nasheed, who sits on the JSC as the Speaker of the Parliament.
He urged the people to beware of The Democrats visiting islands during their campaign tours, showing great kindness, patting them on the back and saying, 'We will free President Yameen' and 'We and President Yameen are one'.
"Their purpose is to manipulate us, gaslight us. Don't give them that opportunity," he urged.
The Democrats founder Nasheed has repeatedly called for Yameen's release during his party's campaign.
"We will also participate in the protest. We will be on the streets with you. We will also go to talk to international bodies. Various international lawyers will come to Maldives and advocate [in Yameen's case]”.
He also criticised some other candidates contesting the presidential election. He criticised President Solih:
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He alleges that the country's fish and sea have been sold without informing the people
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He said that Indian troops are stationed in the country
"Then some of these people who came out are still in the [government] coalition. One candidate's wife is already a minister," he said, referring to Transport Minister Aisha Nahula and her husband, JP presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim.
"He is sincere to the country, loyal to the people, [but] he was resting at the resort during the global pandemic. His employees are not even paid salaries regularly”.
Instead of such candidates, the people want a leader who is willing to serve them, Abdul Raheem said. He said that Muizzu had come out "with a PhD in terms of his five years of experience in President Yameen's class". He is honest, impartial, ethical and religion-loving as the people expect from a leader, he said.
