'President Yameen won't play pretend'

Former President Abdulla Yameen announced a list of priorities for the government of President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Monday. The two most important challenges he made are the withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives and the recovery of the missing sea territory from the south of Maldives.

As he left the venue after the speech at the rally held at the party office, Atoll Times journalist Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim asked Yameen a question; whether Yameen would stand against Muizzu, if those two things were not done under Muizzu's government and if he failed the test.

"Who said he wouldn't pass? Who said he wouldn't pass?" Yameen said, rather sternly, pointing his right index finger at the journalist.

Yameen then told journalists, "Don't ask this question”.

Yameen called on the journalists to question the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih since the newly elected PPM-PNC government has to take up these responsibilities because of the current government.

“Ask this question to the interim President Solih. You should also be fair. Work for the good of the nation!"

"Our president has a big responsibility. It's because of the mistake this president [President Solih] made," he said.

Yameen's response indicates that if Muizzu does not pass the two tests he gave, journalists should not ask the question, "What will Yameen do next?"

“President Yameen will not play pretend,” he said, referring to himself.

"President Yameen and President Yameen's [participating] government will always work for the people”.