Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih stated yesterday that intense pressure was exerted from within the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) during the previous administration to change the system of government to a parliamentary system and to dismiss three ministers from office.

Speaking at a meeting held in Addu Maradhoo to gather support for Meekail Naseem, who is contesting for the MDP chairperson position, Solih said that the 2028 presidential election can only be won by bringing in a chairperson who will implement policies capable of carrying all the party's members forward together.

Solih stated that Meekail's manifesto also encompasses those exact discussions.

Solih highlighted that the MDP-led coalition won the 2018 election and came to power under an agreement. He noted that this agreement included how government positions would be allocated and the manner in which the parliamentary and local council elections would be approached.

However, Solih stated that the MDP National Council decided at the time to contest the parliamentary election alone as a single party, and therefore, he supported that decision as well.

"However, those who were within our party leadership at the time decided, passed through the National Council, that we would go into the parliamentary election separately and alone. That was a violation of a clause present in our coalition agreement," Solih said.

Solih stated that he has always believed the principle that whoever comes to power must serve all citizens equally. He added that the president must remain as someone who implements the party's policies without directly interfering in the administrative running of the party.

"That is how I still believe. Therefore, while the running of the party at the time remained in the hands of the party leadership and the party chairperson, as I mentioned, the National Council passed it. Along with that, we proceeded in that manner. I also participated, and the work to take the parliamentary election moved forward," Solih said.

He stated that up until that day, the government had been functioning with the full cooperation and unity of the party. However, Solih noted that as soon as the parliamentary election concluded, difficulties for the government began emerging from within the party.

Solih stated that during his first meeting with the members who won the parliamentary election, the proposal brought forward by some individuals was that the parliamentary group would operate independently from the government.

"Up until that day, we received the full cooperation of the party in running the government in a very friendly manner. As soon as the parliamentary election was over, the decision made by some of those individuals was that the parliamentary group would operate separately from the government," Solih said, recalling the memories of that period.

"They said they would make their decisions entirely on their own. Treating the government as a separately functioning entity. A very difficult situation arose at that moment."

Solih stated that while the assistance and cooperation of a parliament is necessary to fulfill the pledges made to the citizens to come to power, it became difficult to move forward in alignment with the thinking of some individuals within the MDP. However, he noted that they were forced to run the government that way, and efforts had to be made at the time to secure the support of members by lobbying on every bill and issue submitted by the government.

Solih stated that highly derogatory language began to be used within the parliament directed at him and the government. He added that rather than the opposition political party of the time, it was individuals from within his own party who worked to humiliate the government and diminish its value in front of the citizens.

"...While things stood like that, they began speaking within parliament in a very derogatory manner towards the government and myself. Calling us thieves. Screaming profanities. Also shouting claims that the government was not doing anything for the citizens," Solih said.

"In reality, more so than the opposition at the time, a group of people among us worked to humiliate the government and lower its reputation before the public. It was amidst those difficulties that I began my work."

Solih stated that before a year had passed while running the government through those challenges, former President Mohamed Nasheed contacted him and shared that he wished to hold a referendum within that year. However, Solih noted that although he informed Nasheed that a coalition agreement was in place and did not contain such a clause, and that changing to a parliamentary system could instead be pursued after his term ended when going back to the public, Nasheed refused to accept it.

"I told President Nasheed that we have an agreement. It does not contain that talk. Alternatively, that it could be pursued after my term concludes. But that was not something acceptable to him (Nasheed) at that time. Then, amid that disagreement and difficulty, I continued running the government,"

Solih stated that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Maldives while the government was being run amid those difficulties, but noted that the economy was sustained due to the robust measures taken by the government at the time. He added that while proceeding in that manner, Nasheed shared a message directed to ministers and parliament members, including Solih, stating that he wished to hold a referendum before 2023 and that he wanted to become Prime Minister under a parliamentary system.

"Once again, I repeatedly said, let us finish this term. After that, we will go to the citizens," Solih said.

According to Solih, the public was not in a state to shift to a parliamentary system at the time. He stated that studies conducted back then showed that even with peak support, the parliamentary system would only garner around 20 percent, and Solih noted that proceeding with an initiative destined for failure just before a presidential election was viewed as something that could cause the loss of the upcoming election.

"The studies we conducted at the time showed that even if support for the parliamentary system was at its highest, it would only get around 20 percent. In a matter like this, going forward right before a presidential election with something bound to fail, and entering the presidential election with that failure, the only definitive outcome to be seen would be losing the presidential election,"

Following that, when both Nasheed and Solih contested the 2023 presidential primary, Solih stated that although both sides had stated they would move forward supporting whoever won the primary, that commitment was not seen from Nasheed's side. Subsequently, they left the MDP and formed a new party under the name 'The Democrats'.

However, Solih stated that he, along with other individuals, made efforts to hold discussions with Nasheed to see if they could move forward together. Responding to claims made by former Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer that a proposal had been submitted, Solih countered that it was not entirely accurate. He stated that numerous proposals were received, which included taking a parliamentary vote and dismissing three ministers, and Solih noted that Ameer was one of those three individuals.

According to Solih, Nasheed wanted to hold a referendum prior to the second round of the presidential election and before the oath of office was administered.

Solih stated that the main reason the presidential election was lost at the time was the government's failure to respond to the false narratives propagated by various factions. He noted that the issue arose from failing to answer claims alleging that ventilators were stolen during COVID-19, allegations that the sea was sold off, and claims that 2,000 Indian military personnel were stationed in the basement of the Police Training Center, as well as across the Maldives.

Solih stated that he did not wish to blame any specific individual for the failure, but stated he believes that he himself must bear the greatest responsibility for the 2023 defeat. He noted that he did not want to evade it by placing the blame on someone else's head, but requested MDP members to listen to what people say and seek out the underlying truth.