President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that Maldives will only see peace when political parties prioritize national interests over that of their parties. All parties should find common ground when it comes to affairs of the nation, he said.
The president made these comments at the opening ceremony of ruling People's National Congress (PNC) congress held yesterday.
He reflected that the social fabric of the country had been torn when he had assumed office, and said that repairing this is a task that cannot be undertaken by himself and his party alone.
The country is in dire need of extensive efforts to repair its damaged social fabric, the President warned.
He went on to criticize the main opposition party, stating that he does not believe the opposition is prioritizing nation over politics. Instead, they continue to inflict political harm with complete disregard for the national harm being caused alongside, he said.
However, the President then said that he does not believe this is deliberate, and urged the opposition to reflect on the matter and commit to prioritizing national interests above all.
"What I am saying is, let us all adopt the same rhetoric when it comes to national affairs. That is the way to securing stability in this nation. We want to bring stability in a meaningful way, and that can be achieved if we all commit to a unified approach in national interest," the President said.
The President expressed concerns that all parties besides ruling PNC had declined to participate in the government's 'National Project to Foster Respect'. This, he said, is testament to the reluctance of some political parties to work together even in national interest.
President Muizzu praised the PNC, and said that the ruling party, currently the party with the largest membership, has been engaged in very responsible political work. The party has always raised national interests above that of the party, and its members hold a deep love for the nation, he said.
"National ideology, the nation's holy religion of Islam, those are the fundamentals of our party," he said.
The party's ideology is based on three core factors, the president said, listing them as stability, development and security. The government's policies are also built upon these three principles, he said.
This, he said, reflects responsible political work, and emphasized that politics does not, in essence, have to contain negative practices.
Maldives' political atmosphere has led the youth to have the misconception that politics is a dirty game, the President said. He said that the youth's inclination to avoid politics for this reason must be addressed and changed.
