Citizens have staged 492 protests over land and housing issues during the 713 days of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, reflecting deep and persistent public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the housing crisis.

According to prominent lawyer Mohamed Nishan Ibrahim, the frequency of demonstrations exposes a serious governance failure. He argued that under a properly functioning legal and constitutional framework, citizens should not have to take to the streets to demand access to housing, which is a basic right guaranteed under Maldivian law.

The need for nearly five hundred protests, he noted, shows that the government has failed to uphold fundamental rights, forcing citizens to continuously raise their voices against systemic neglect.

Nishan highlighted that the Maldivian people, like citizens elsewhere, have fought hard for their fundamental rights, yet this administration has eroded those rights through restrictive and inconsistent policies. The ongoing protests, he said, are a direct consequence of the government’s disregard for its constitutional obligations and its failure to address citizens’ legitimate concerns.

He further stated that rights such as access to land, housing and fair governance are not privileges to be requested or negotiated but guarantees that must be upheld. When these are curtailed, public resistance becomes inevitable, a pattern repeatedly seen throughout Maldivian history.

Nishan warned that the president must govern in full compliance with the constitution and ensure that his administration’s decisions align with the rule of law. Continued deviation from constitutional principles, he cautioned, would only deepen public discontent and lead to further unrest.

The scale of protest activity, nearly one every two days since the start of Muizzu’s term, underscores the growing frustration among citizens over unfulfilled housing promises and the perception that the government has failed to deliver on one of its most fundamental responsibilities.