The public no longer believes that President Muizzu would tell the truth, even by mistake: Dr. Didi

Former MDP President Dr. Ibrahim Didi has stated that the public no longer believes President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu would tell the truth, even by mistake.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Fala Surukhee" program, it was stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has consistently employed a policy of deceiving the public whenever an election approaches. It was further noted that neither the business community nor the general public now believe the President’s rhetoric.

Dr. Didi stated that lying has become so habitual and ingrained that it now appears to be second nature, adding that he doubts President Muizzu is even capable of telling the truth by accident. Didi noted that the dream sold to the people of Male' was a glass tunnel connecting Rasmalé to the capital, yet no citizen in this country has ever seen a trace of that tunnel.

At this point, I do not believe President Muizzu is capable of telling the truth, even by accident. That is the reality of the situation. Consider the dreams he sold to the people of Male', specifically the glass tunnel he promised would connect Male' to Rasmale'. There isn't a single citizen in this country who has any idea where that tunnel is. And what about the dreams he sold to the people of Addu? He spoke of a bridge that would connect Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo with Hithadhoo. He doesn't even mention that bridge anymore. Over the past two years, he highlighted that project every time he delivered his Presidential Address to the People's Majlis. However, in this year’s address, there was no mention of it at all. It seems he has forgotten it entirely; he didn't even have the presence of mind to include it. That is where things stand.

Former President of the MDP, Dr. Ibrahim Didi

Dr. Didi stated that the public cannot be deceived or misled indefinitely. He expressed confidence that the MDP would secure a landslide victory in the local council elections, adding that independent candidates supported by the party are also expected to win by a significant margin.

Regarding the President’s control over the budget, Dr. Didi stated that legal experts and MDP members highlighted that the state budget was passed by Parliament in a manner that contradicts the spirit of the Public Finance Act. He noted that while budgetary policies should be clearly defined, the budget was instead passed as a lump sum, effectively consolidating financial control within the President's full discretion.

When the government budget was passed by the People's Majlis, several members—particularly those from the MDP—along with legal experts in various institutions, raised a significant concern. They pointed out that the budget was formulated in a manner that contradicts the spirit of the Public Finance Act. They argued that when a budget is approved, it must clearly outline specific policies, detailing exactly which initiatives, islands, and projects the funds are allocated to. However, the budget was passed as a bulk sum, effectively consolidating control of the funds within the President's personal jurisdiction. This was achieved by the Majlis leadership through the misuse of their supermajority.

Former President of the MDP, Dr. Ibrahim Didi

Dr. Didi also highlighted concerns regarding interference in the judiciary. He noted that although the President declared on his inauguration day that such influence had come to an end, the Judicial Service Commission remains dominated by a pro-government majority. Dr. Didi asserted that the entire judicial system continues to be held under the grip of political influence. Furthermore, Dr. Didi stated that President Muizzu’s actions consistently contradict his rhetoric across all levels of governance.