Abdul Raheem to Jameel: 'Will never forget lies spread to end Yameen's rule'

PPM-PNC’s interim leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Friday called out former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's top lawyer and the one constant currently seen with him, Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed. Abdul Raheem lashed out at Jameel, saying that he will never forget Jameel’s efforts to end Yameen's rule in 2018 and bring MDP to power.

Yameen appointed Jameel, his first vice president, as his running mate before the Supreme Court closed the door to Yameen to contest the presidential election in September. Abdul Raheem lashed out at Jameel while speaking at a rally held in Hulhudhoo Friday night during ongoing visit to Addu with the leadership of the two parties.

Abdul Raheem said the government has been very cruel to the people and betrayed the people during the last five years of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's rule. At the same time, he asked his supporters to not forget those who worked to bring this government to power.

"We remember who brought in the MDP government [in 2018] and destroyed the whole country. We can still see that scene with our eyes. We can still hear the voices," he said without naming Jameel, who was the leader of the Maldives United Opposition (MUO) coalition formed by opposition leaders from abroad against Yameen's government at the time.

"We will never forget those times. The MDP government was brought in with lies spread by people who came out to end President Yameen's government."

Jameel had come out against Yameen's government after he was ousted from office following a vote of no confidence. Abdul Raheem's comments regarding Jameel are responses to what Jameel had said at a meeting held at the PPM-PNC office on Monday. At the meeting, Jameel had said:

“The biggest mistake you can make is to forget this victory we have achieved,” he said at the rally, which was also attended by Yameen.

At the Friday night rally, Abdul Raheem said the then opposition had made several statements to end Yameen's government in 2018. He pointed out that there was no criminal accusation that had not been levied on Yameen back then.

"Those who spoke such things back then don't remember how arduous our journey had been to come to this point, when we came back to power today. Even if they don't [remember], our team that worked till this point will not forget it," Abdul Raheem said in yet another indirect attack on Jameel.

Abdul Raheem, who is also the chairperson of the PNC, which will become the main ruling party two weeks from now, said he remembers very well how PPM-PNC won the election, the people who worked for it and “those who came out against it”. At the same time, he repeatedly said, he remembers very well those who worked to bring the MDP government to power.

"I remember very well the valuable work done by the people to help us win the presidential election. This is a government that the people won. And I thank our non-ideologues who worked with us in getting this government," he said.

Abdul Raheem added:

"We are not people who talk two ways in two days. We will speak while remaining united. We will speak from the same podium," he retorted at Jameel, without really mentioning him by name.

"We don't talk about politics on one podium one day and another podium the next."

Noting that the people trusted the PPM-PNC because of its determination, Abdul Raheem again asked his supporters not to forget “those who betrayed the country and those who participated in it."

"It's about where the work started and how it began. When the work started, the first thing they said standing in front of the TV, who said it, what they said, what allegations they made. This should all be kept in mind," Abdul Raheem said, without naming Jameel, referring to his remarks against Yameen at the time when he was in the UK.

Keeping those things in mind, Abdul Raheem urged the PPM-PNC supporters to work sincerely to maintain the government of President-elect Mohammed Muizzu. He also ended his speech by praising Muizzu in his poetic dialect.

“Dr Mohamed Muizzu will be faithful, honest [and] loyal,” he said.