Former President Mohamed Nasheed has hit back at the government, asserting that criticising state policies is a responsibility of opposition parties and reminding the administration that the Maldives does not belong to the current leadership alone.
In a post on social media X, Nasheed emphasised that financial aid and loans provided by international partners must be utilised with accountability. He further stated that the Maldives belongs to all its citizens.
"The primary responsibility of an opposition political party is to scrutinize, understand, and criticize the government's foreign policy and all other state policies," Nasheed said.
"The Maldives belongs to all its people; it does not only belong to Dr. Muizzu’s government, which holds less than 30 percent support."
Nasheed’s remarks come in response to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which urged public figures to prioritise national interests and exercise extreme caution when speaking about the country’s foreign policy, regional security, and international relations.
In its statement yesterday, the Foreign Ministry warned that comments made by individuals who have held high-ranking state positions carry the potential for significant international consequences.
Mauritius ready for dialogue despite severing ties with Maldives, says Nasheed
Former President Mohamed Nasheed reports that Mauritius is open to dialogue with the Maldives despite severed diplomatic ties over the Chagos Archipelago dispute. Mauritius cut relations after the Maldives refused to recognize its sovereignty. Nasheed urged both nations to seek a peaceful resolution to their maritime boundary disagreements.
The ministry issued the statement following comments Nasheed made at the airport upon his return from a recent conference in India.
Nasheed noted that during his trip, he met and held discussions with the Foreign Minister of Mauritius. He stated that when he requested a dialogue regarding the ongoing dispute between Mauritius and the Maldives, the minister expressed readiness to engage.
Mauritius decided to sever certain ties with the Maldives due to the latter's refusal to recognise Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and its opposition to the agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius to hand over the islands.
