President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has compared his first presidential administration with former President Abdulla Yameen's five-year presidency.
President Solih alleged that the former president, Abdulla Yameen, ran for the 2018 presidential election after imprisoning all his political opponents to ensure victory.
President Solih made these remarks while speaking with the locals of Shaviyani atoll Bilehfahi during his campaign trail.
Sheikh Imran [Abdulla] was imprisoned with a 12-year jail term, MP Mahloof was in jail, Qasim Ibrahim and President Nasheed had been exiled from the Maldives. President Maumoon and Faris were in jail as well. Another 12 members of the parliament along with party leaders and anyone who held a senior position in a party had been imprisoned."
President Solih criticized Yameen's presidency, highlighting that the former president believed he would secure victory in the 2018 election by imprisoning his competition. He assured that his administration will not resort to imprisoning anyone for political motives.
President Solih emphasized the loss of press freedom during Yameen’s presidency and claimed several reporters had been summoned to the president’s office multiple times, while others had been jailed. He said that his current administration reinstated press freedom and that journalists now can write or broadcast news according to their preferences without fear of reprisal.
"These debates and political talks in TV channels are expressed freely, and we have no issues about it, but the language needs some decency," the President said.
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