Ibrahim Falah, the Parliamentary Group Leader of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), has said that the release of former President Abdulla Yameen is a matter of great regret.
In a post on X, Falah remarked that it is a tragedy and a national embarrassment that a "traitor" like Yameen is afforded the opportunity to remain at home.
He further asserted that Yameen’s recent efforts to collaborate with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to topple the government highlight a stark disconnect between the former president's words and his actions.
"Yameen’s recent attempts to work with the MDP to overthrow the government demonstrate the extent to which his rhetoric contradicts his deeds. It is a source of sorrow and national shame that a traitor like Yameen is allowed to remain at home today," Falah said.
Falah also responded to Yameen’s call for resorts to defy regulations requiring the mandatory conversion of 40 percent of their foreign currency earnings. He argued that for a former head of state to incite the public to violate established laws is tantamount to inviting serious criminal conduct.
Falah further contended that Yameen’s actions expose his "malice, immense self-interest, greed for power, and jealousy." He suggested that if the foreign currency allegedly stolen from the state by Yameen were recovered, the country’s current dollar shortage would be resolved immediately.
The current administration rose to power on a pledge to free Yameen, with many supporters voting for President Mohamed Muizzu because he was Yameen’s endorsed candidate at the time. Yameen had been barred from contesting the presidential election due to an active prison sentence at the time.
Following Muizzu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih transferred Yameen to house arrest in the interest of public harmony. The Supreme Court later overturned Yameen’s conviction and prison sentence.
Yameen has since announced his intention to contest the upcoming presidential election. Muizzu has also declared his bid for a second term, while the opposition MDP’s candidate will be determined following the party’s primary.
