Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that President Mohamed Muizzu must now realize he will not secure anywhere near enough votes to win a presidential election.
In an interview with Sangu TV, Yameen remarked that Muizzu likely understands his inability to win a national mandate because the administration has failed to address current challenges and will be unable to garner public support within the next two years.
"Generally, it is felt that because the government lacks any formula to overcome these difficulties, public support is unlikely to increase over the remaining two years," Yameen said.
"Therefore, I believe President Muizzu himself must now accept that he will not receive votes even close to the margin required to win a presidential election."
Yameen further asserted that the government lacks the capacity to resolve the issues facing the country, leading to widespread public disillusionment. He added that, under these circumstances, even the President could not realistically believe he maintains popular support.
Yameen pointed to the results of recent public referendums and the government's loss in the Male' City mayoral election as clear indicators of declining support, noting that the public voted against the administration's interests despite the government's full mobilization to influence the outcome.
While Yameen has announced his intention to contest the upcoming presidential election, Muizzu has also declared his bid for a second term. Muizzu initially contested the last presidential election as a substitute candidate after Yameen was legally barred from running.
