President Muizzu has abolished atoll councils and cut the allowances for councillors; how can we return to the islands now?: Ibrahim Rasheed

Former Member of Parliament for Central Maafannu constituency, Ibrahim Rasheed, has questioned how President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu can continue his visits to the islands after effectively dissolving atoll councils and slashing the allowances of island councilors.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Fala Surukhee" program, Rasheed questioned how the President could possibly travel to any island, given his prior statement that he does not intend to visit any islands for campaigning in the upcoming local council elections.

Rasheed stated that President Muizzu lacks the courage to face the atoll councils. He argued that this is because the President has effectively abolished these councils, further questioning the capacity in which the President would even visit the islands after previously stating he would not do so.

How can they face the islands? They will not dare to confront the atoll councils now that they have been abolished. Furthermore, overtime allowances and other benefits for island council staff have been cut. There is nothing left to offer them, and their grievances will be significant. Every councillor represents a vast network within their island; they are political figures deeply connected to the entire community. Naturally, the government will avoid visiting the atolls under these circumstances. This is why they are now attempting to consolidate all elections into one, hoping it will secure their victory. However, I do not believe that merging these elections will make any difference in the outcome.

Ibrahim Rasheed, the former Member of Parliament for the Central Maafannu constituency.

Rasheed stated that the public has lost confidence in the current administration. He noted that despite President Muizzu’s assertions that citizens must vote for government candidates in the local council elections, the public remains unconvinced. According to Rasheed, this skepticism stems from the President's previous claims during the parliamentary elections—where he argued that electing government-aligned members would benefit the people—only for him to now exert total control over the Parliament.

Rasheed stated that the public no longer views the current People's Majlis as a representative body of the people, but rather as an institution under the direct control of the President.

President Muizzu noted that he does not intend to travel to any islands in the lead-up to 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.

President Muizzu’s remarks come as he has visited all 187 inhabited islands and cities across the Maldives within the first year and 11 months of his administration. During this period, he has 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.

Despite claims that he would not travel to the islands for campaigning, President Muizzu continues to conduct direct campaign activities at the Official Residence of the President, Mulee'aage. Furthermore, cabinet ministers, managing directors of state-owned enterprises, and members of parliament are actively traveling to the atolls for campaign purposes.

The government has faced widespread criticism for undertaking such travels after halting infrastructure development projects across various islands. Many citizens have characterized these trips as a wasteful expenditure of state funds.