Plans were made in advance to award the opposition ticket for last year's presidential election to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu "because I knew President [Abdulla] Yameen," Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla said last night, hitting back at the former President.
Speaking at a ceremony held to open the new meeting hall of the People's National Congress (PNC) at the premises of the old Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) hall in Male', Abdul Raheem said he knew that Yameen would not have allowed fielding another candidate if he himself could not contest. Continuing in that regard, he heavily criticised and verbally attacked Yameen.
"Now [he's] saying that I plotted and allied with Muizzu well in advance and gave Muizzu the ticket. I did plan way back. Why did I plan? I planned because I know President Yameen. I knew that if he was unable to contest he would not allow our party to stand for the government," Abdul Raheem said.
Abdul Raheem said he worked with the (political) experience of 30 years to ensure that the party does not become homeless. He characterised it as an effort to ensure that the people do not become impoverished and the country's independence would not be lost.
"That's why I kept planning. It was in my heart with certainty that PPM-PNC will contest in the presidential election. I knew when plan A, plan B and plan C were made, that we would not be able to contest the presidential election with his [Yameen's] agreement and consent," Abdul Raheem said.
Without naming anyone, he alleged efforts by Yameen to field a different candidate after he was barred from contesting. However, this was the reason that Muizzu's candidacy papers were filed at 9 am that morning, he said.
Jailed former President Yameen held the ticket of the main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) as last year's presidential election approached. But the Supreme Court ruled against Yameen when the court was petitioned to allow him to contest despite a prison sentence. Following the judgment, a decision was made for PNC to field a candidate and an emergency vote was taken at the PNC senate. President Muizzu won that vote after competing against now-Council Minister Adam Shareef.
However, Yameen fell out with President Muizzu after the latter won the presidential election. Yameen then left PPM and formed a new party. The party is due to hold a rally with Yameen tonight.
"[He has] no shame to go against a government with the support of a [large] percentage of citizens with people who don't weigh half a kilo politically," Abdul Raheem said, referring to the upcoming rally.
"Power was lost because of saying yes to corruption"
On Sunday night, Abdul Raheem repeated some of the allegations made against Yameen and his family by the opposition during his presidency. He spoke about the "Sadaqat Foundation" of Yameen's wife Fathmath Ibrahim.
"Why aren't they doing today what they did then by taking a quota of 150, 200 from the Hajj quota that the Maldives government gets? Where is the Sadaqat Foundation today? Where is it? Why don't they bring the circumcision season?" Abdul Raheem questioned, raising his voice.
Along with that, he heaped praise on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. When senior government officials are accused of corruption, the President instructs submission of complaints to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), he said, adding that no acts of corruption could be shown.
"On the other hand, President [Dr. Mohamed Muizzu] is saying he will take action against the person if corruption is proven. It was because of not taking action against corruption that the government was lost, that our government was lost. The government that ruled from 2013 to 2018 was lost because of saying yes to corruption," Abdul Raheem said.
Contrary to his remarks last night, Abdul Raheem previously backed Yameen's allegations about vote rigging in the election that brought the second MDP government to power in 2018.
