Former President Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that President Mohamed Muizzu is losing internal support within the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) and suggested that the President could even be removed from the party at its upcoming congress.
Speaking on Sangu TV’s "Hello Anni" program last night, Nasheed characterized the Muizzu administration as incompetent and unpopular.
"The government is just collecting taxes to repay loans. By doing this, there isn't a single dollar left in the country. The dollar rate is climbing to 20 and 30. If things continue at this rate, the dollar will hit MVR 30 by the end of the year," Nasheed said, highlighting the skyrocketing cost of living.
He warned that the country’s current trajectory would lead to a debt trap and expressed fears that the Maldives might once again be relegated to the list of poor nations. Nasheed asserted that the solution to these issues lies in strengthening the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which he cited as his reason for contesting the chairpersonship.
Noting that he is not just competing against the candidate appearing on the ballot, Nasheed claimed that the PNC and Muizzu are working extensively to defeat him. However, he expressed 100 percent confidence in securing an election victory.
"When I win, Dr. Muizzu will have to stay home in his sarong. He won't be able to step out in public at all," Nasheed remarked.
Describing Muizzu as disloyal, Nasheed highlighted that the President rose to power by utilizing former President Abdulla Yameen’s "empty chair" and argued that Muizzu now lacks any real standing. He also criticized the manner in which Muizzu contested and won against Adam Shareef after Ghassan Maumoon was denied the opportunity to run in the now-dissolved Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) presidential primary.
"He used Ghassan to dissolve PPM and then sidelined him. There is no greater act of betrayal. Disloyalty is not something the Maldivian people accept," Nasheed said.
Nasheed further claimed that due to such political maneuvering, Muizzu no longer commands any support from within the PNC.
Having previously vowed to change Muizzu’s government within this year, Nasheed also alleged that several Members of Parliament belonging to the PNC are ready to defect from the party.
