Supporters of former President Abdulla Yameen, who is under house arrest with an 11-year prison sentence, gathered near his residence Henveiru Dhoovehi Wednesday night with a traditional ceremonial feast. After accepting the dishes, he spoke to supporters for about 15 minutes from his window.
Yameen was transferred from Maafushi jail to house arrest last Sunday after People's National Congress (PNC) presidential candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's victory in the presidential election. As Muizzu met President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the President's Office after the election, Yameen was on a speedboat en route to Male'.
Muizzu's key pledge is freeing Yameen. At the latest, he would released on the swearing-in day of November 17, Muizzu said. Citing his wish to carry out the work properly during the transitional period, Muizzu urged supporters not to protest or hold gatherings. But last night was the second night of protests calling for Yameen's release.
Addressing supporters, Yameen, who is also the President of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), said it was ordinary citizens who worked the hardest for his freedom and that the PPM-PNC won power because of the work done by himself and party members.
"A regrettable part of human nature is forgetting when you come to posts," Yameen said, without naming anyone. But he was seen to be referring to senior officials of the incoming government.
The love of the people cannot be taken away despite being put in a prison cell and the current administration and India tried to win the election after barring him from contesting and keeping him in jail, Yameen said. But the government would now know that fate's plan is stronger, he said.
Yameen said his greatest joy was defeating the government in the election.
Yameen was supposed to be the PPM-PNC candidate for the presidential election. But he was unable to run after the Elections Commission (EC) rejected his candidacy.
Yameen said he was saddened when the Supreme Court upheld the rejection of the candidacy and that he believed it was not a coincidence that his appeal was stalled.
Despite what happened, Yameen said he would emerge as an innocent man after the appeal processes are completed.
"They can't touch me within the bounds of the law...I will prove my innocence in a fair trial," said Yameen, who was convicted of accepting a bribe to lease Vaavu Aarah and then laundering the money to conceal its origin.
Yameen said he could be jailed and tortured but does not want to beg with this government or anyone else.
Political leaders were previously released on bail but it became an alien concept for the courts when it came to him, Yameen said.
Yameen urged supporters to consider whether candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections had joined the supporters who worked to free him. If they did not participate in the protests, they should be asked why they did not, he said.
Yameen expressed gratitude to his supporters for their efforts to free him.
The outgoing government's theft should be investigated and Indian soldiers should be expelled, said Yameen, who carried out the 'India Out' campaign.
"We are still not giving up what we told the people. There won't be a single pair of Indian boots on Maldivian soil," he said.
Expelling Indian soldiers is a pledge of President-elect Muizzu.
Muizzu has said indirectly that Yameen will be released when the High Court overturns his conviction. If Yameen is not free by November 17, it would be because of government influence over the courts, he said.
"I am saying when it comes to [November] 17, if he is not freed under the current process [the appeal ongoing at the High Court], it will be because the government is exerting influence, because the President's Office is influencing the courts," Muizzu said.
November 17 will be the day that the influence ends, he said.
