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Nasheed clarifies comments about Yameen

Lamya Abdulla
27 January 2023, MVT 19:29
MDP's President and Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed answering questions posed by the youth at Lonuziyaaraiy Park. PHOTO: NASHEED'S CAMPAIGN TEAM
Lamya Abdulla
27 January 2023, MVT 19:29

Speaker of the Parliament an Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s presidential hopeful Mohamed Nasheed has clarified his statements regarding former President Abdulla Yameen and the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Nasheed met with the youth at Lonuziyaaraiy Park in Malé on Wednesday night and answered their questions. At the meeting, a supporter asked the former president whether he was "okay" with aligning with someone accused and sentenced for corruption and money laundering.

Nasheed, in response, said that he was referring to some of Yameen's policies and that he was trying to determine whether the opposition’s policies are "okay" rather than Yameen himself.

"[It means] to check whether things are okay in terms of their policies... In the current MDP administration, there's a lot of corruption as well, but nothing is being investigated," Nasheed said.

Nasheed highlighted the government's alleged corruption in acquiring ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which has yet to be investigated. He expressed concern over the lack of justice served in these cases.

“And regarding President Yameen and the PPM corruption; we still don’t know the cases connected to the MMPRC corruption. We have seen President Yameen’s case closed and him being sentenced. But we do not know the 270 people [connected to the corruption]. We don’t know what happened to that money either.”

He said that he was not saying Yameen was "okay," but that he was contending with whether the Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) policies were okay. Before the presidential election slated for September, Nasheed said that he also wanted to see if any of their policies aligned with his.

Similarly, he said that they needed to check whether there were policy overlaps between the Adaalath Party, Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) as well.

Nasheed went on to highlight that he said he is now “okay” with former President Maumoom Abdul Gayyoom as well, despite the fact that he was jailed several times during Maumoon’s presidency.

If he were to talk about Jumhooree Party and Adhaalath Party, he would have too much to say, he added.

“Won’t have to check account balance before a coffee”

Nasheed said the Maldivian youth wants to double their income, and in his administration, he will implement changes that will ensure that the Maldivian youth can enjoy a coffee without worrying about their bank account balance.

Speaking at the Lonuziyaaraiy Park, Nasheed also emphasised the employment opportunities his administration will create, saying that they will align with MDP's manifesto.

Nasheed said he will work to improve the income of all areas the youth is involved in.

He noted that the youth cannot be considered an unexisting demographic and that second chances have to be offered to people who have lost their way as well.

He said when MDP returns to a multiparty government again, the economy will suddenly improve. He expressed concern over the fact that even though the state’s income increases by tenfold, the people do not always see a benefit.

Nasheed said he has already “won” the election and that when they are going forward to the presidential election in September, their policies have to be so that the youth’s lives can be improved.

He said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will lose the election because he removed 39,000 MDP members from the party’s registry.

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