Presidential Address 2025 - public grievances echoed loudly outside Majlis

As President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu delivered his second presidential address since assuming office in November 2023, members of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) staged a protest near the People's Majlis only for their loudly echoed grievances to fall on deaf ears.

A member of the MDP Women's Wing who spoke at the gathering revealed that the Maldives is heading towards destruction. She described the presidential address as one laced with false hope, just as the previous once. She said that Muizzu had repeated previous promises and that as president, he should be ashamed to come before the people with a presidential address without fulfilling the promises already made to the citizens.

Further, she accused the president of being incapable to listen to the voice of the public. She also stated that President Muizzu and his administration have left the country in ruins.

A youth who spoke during the protest, Aiku Ahmed Easa, said that the government has betrayed the public. Aiku said that after coming with so many promises for the people, what President Muizzu is doing is deceiving the people. He said that he believes there will come a day when those who are oppressing the opposition members in the People's Majlis who are there to voice the public's concerns, will be held accountable.

Another person said that state officials are competing with each other in corruption. However, he said that there is no system to investigate these matters. He said that if such crimes cannot be investigated, it would be better for President Muizzu to just step down and resign.

At the gathering, members of the public protesting about the pressing flat and land issue said that before making any more promises about providing housing, the government should give the flats and land promised by the previous government. The public said that since it was a promise of the government to give those flats and plots of land as they were given from wherever they were given, the promise should be fulfilled without further excuses.

In addition to this, a taxi driver at the protest said that before coming to power, President Muizzu showed the façade of a very good leader to taxi drivers. However, he said that after coming to power, the president has ruined the taxi business and is intimidating drivers who take to the streets to seek their rights. He also said that now they are accusing taxi drivers of terrorism and oppressing them.

Former lawmakers and current lawmakers of the MDP National Congress who spoke at the gathering described the scenes unfolding at the current Majlis assembly as “shameful”. They questioned who the president was delivering the presidential address for, after stripping away the powers of the people. They also said that by delivering the presidential address after silencing those who do not support him at the parliament, it shows that President Muizzu lacks the ability to tolerate. They said that the incumbent administration has undermined the power of the Constitution of the Republic and taken control of the parliament and independent institutions.