President Muizzu: No plans to visit islands for upcoming council election campaigning
President Muizzu stated that while visiting islands only during election cycles was a practice of the past, he intends to engage with citizens and assess their situation regardless of upcoming polls; however, these remarks come despite the President visiting several islands twice during the recent parliamentary campaign and continuing to host campaign activities at the official residence, Mulee'aage.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attend special Taraweeh prayer gathering hosted by the People's National Congress (PNC). | PNC | PNC
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that he does not intend to travel to any islands for campaigning purposes ahead of the upcoming local council elections.
Speaking at a Taraweeh gathering hosted by the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) on Thursday night, President Muizzu stated that he approached the people with a nationalistic vision and a steadfast commitment to fulfilling the trust placed in him with integrity.
President Muizzu stated that he has made significant efforts to engage with the public, identify their needs, and work towards fulfilling those requirements.
President Muizzu noted that he does not intend to travel to any islands ahead of the upcoming local council elections. He stated that this marks a departure from past practices, where such trips were typically organized to coincide with election periods.
I had intended to visit all citizens much sooner than I eventually did. Due to various responsibilities and the commitments I had made, I was only able to conclude those visits toward the end of last year. In truth, I had hoped to complete all my travels by early last year. I have no desire to visit the people only when an election is approaching. I do not intend to travel to the islands for the upcoming local council elections. I have no such plans. This is not to say that I would refuse to visit an island if the people requested my presence to mark the completion of a major government project; that is a different matter. However, I do not intend to visit any island for the purpose of campaigning for the upcoming local council elections. This is a departure from how things have historically been done in the Maldives.President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu
President Muizzu’s remarks come as he concludes visits to all 187 inhabited islands and cities across the Maldives within the first year and 11 months of his administration. During this period, he also made follow-up visits to 63 of those islands.
During the parliamentary election campaign, he visited numerous islands accompanied by a high-level government delegation. Some of these islands were visited multiple times as part of the campaign efforts.
Despite claims that he would not travel to the islands for campaigning, President Muizzu is actively conducting campaign-related activities directly from the official presidential residence, Mulee'aage. Furthermore, cabinet ministers, managing directors of state-owned enterprises, and members of parliament are currently traveling to the atolls to carry out campaign activities.
The government has faced widespread criticism for undertaking such travels while halting infrastructure development projects across various islands. Many citizens have characterized these actions as a wasteful expenditure of state funds.
