Yameen is very idle, we paved the way to power for him: Abdul Raheem

Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla has described former President Abdulla Yameen as 'a very idle person', saying that people close to him had done the actual work to raise him on a political platform and bring him to power.

In an interview on Sangu TV, Abdul Raheem strongly criticized Yameen, responding to many of his statements at his party, People's National Front (PNF) rallies.

Abdul Raheem, who is currently also the Chairperson of ruling People's National Congress (PNC), stated that he had worked closely with Yameen through out his five years in office, and from way before that as well, knowing him well as a result.

According to Abdul Raheem, Yameen had at no point made a name for himself in the political arena, but rather had been carried forward on the back of others' efforts.

"Yameen did not create a political platform for himself, he didn't get any political positions through his own work. He is an idle man. It is through our work that he got a political platform," the Speaker said.

"It is through our work that we paved the path for him to become President."

He went on to say that Yameen had formed his earlier party, People's Alliance (PA) and was at a loss as to how to gather 3000 members. It was himself, Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer and other such people who had taken up the task.

Abdul Raheem highlighted that, despite all, Yameen had done wrong by all these people who had stood by him then.

Yameen's 2018 win in the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) primaries for the presidential elections was also due to efforts by his brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Abdul Raheem alleged.

"He did not win the primaries through his work, or through any support for him," he said.

He questioned why Yameen had been unable to maintain his presidency and a supermajority if he had such overwhelming support.

Abdul Raheem stated that Yameen had never had close ties with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, pointing out that during President Muizzu's tenure as Housing Minister, Yameen had tried thrice to dismiss him. He said that this had been deemed impossible due to resistance from those surrounding him.

Abdul Raheem said that he had lost respect for Yameen owing to his reaction when President Muizzu had won the presidency.

"That is the day I realized even the nation is not important to President Yameen. The citizens are not important. Only Yameen is important to Yameen," Abdul Raheem said.

"I used to think he was a very smart person. But today, in this situation, I am realizing that he is actually very clueless. Yameen is very politically ignorant."