President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated he will not be "okay" with working with former President Abdulla Yameen and that he will never get behind people who violate the principles of democracy.
At his campaign rally held tonight at the Artificial Beach area in Malé, President Solih said that there were certain actions he would never take in order to uphold democracy. He said he would never politically align with anyone who was directly responsible for oppressing citizens, and for this reason, he could never work with Yameen.
"There are things we cannot do—and things we absolutely must not do for the sake of democracy," Solih said. "People who made you suffer; who threatened you; the people who were behind these actions in the past—I am not okay with them. There is no work we can do together politically."
"President Yameen is not 'okay’, there is no need to work with him."
Solih was responding to his opponent in the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s upcoming primary election, former president and Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, who was praising Yameen, saying that he was a capable and visionary leader.
During his speech at the rally, the President also highlighted his numerous developmental initiatives and asked the party members whether they wanted continuity or if they wanted to be protesting in the streets again as the opposition.
Solih credited the MDP members, saying all the progress made by his administration was made possible by the hard work of the party members, and urged them to support the candidate who would see these initiatives through in a second term of presidency.
"There is something special about the ballot we’re about to cast in the MDP primary on January 28. This is the first chance MDP is getting to contest for a second term [in office]. You should take this chance with me; I am ready."
"God willing, I will win this primary by a large margin. There is no doubt about that. It has been decided here tonight," Solih said, indicating the crowd gathered at the Artificial Beach.
Several Cabinet ministers, members of the parliament, and senior government officials who supported the incumbent president were present at tonight's rally, along with hundreds of his supporters. The Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of You and Sports Ahmed Mahloof, the former Spokesperson at the President’s Office Mabrook Azeez, Shaviyani atoll Milandhoo MP Ali Riza and South Henveiru MP Hussain Shaheem gave speeches at the rally.
MDP’s primary election will be held on January 28, next Saturday.
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