Solih to President Muizzu: Acting solely for immediate personal gain can lead to failure; merging elections could result in a major setback in 2028

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has warned that acting solely for immediate personal gain can lead to unforeseen setbacks, suggesting that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu may face such consequences in 2028 by holding the two major elections concurrently.

Speaking at an MDP campaign rally held in K. Maafushi, Solih stated that the proposal to synchronize two elections is a matter that requires profound consideration. Solih noted that the specific articles and headings enshrined in the Constitution were not established without extensive dialogue and deliberation.

Take, for example, the section concerning the security services. It stipulates that there must be institutions established for security services in the Maldives. The terminology used there does not refer to them as "security forces." It specifies that there shall be a police service and a military service. One might ask why we do not simply use the word "force," especially since terms like "security forces," "defense force," and "police force" are already in common usage. However, we intentionally defined them as "services" to ensure these institutions remain entities that truly serve the public.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Solih stated that current events in the United States suggest President Donald Trump has effectively rebranded the Department of Defense as the "Department of War." Noting that President Muizzu is also prone to making frequent and rapid changes to laws and regulations in the Maldives, Solih questioned whether President Muizzu might similarly rename the Ministry of Defence to the "Ministry of War."

I wonder if our current President, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, might consider a similar move. A conflict is looming over us. He could very well change it—rebranding the ministry by renaming it the Ministry of War.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Solih stated that the constitutional amendments and their specific arrangement were formulated with careful deliberation.

Recalling the debates held during the drafting of the constitutional chapter on the People's Majlis, he noted that he had questioned other members at the time regarding the extensive powers being granted to the legislature. He stated that he had raised concerns over how a government could effectively function in the Maldives if such overarching authority was vested solely in the Parliament.

He advised me not to speak of it so much. He said that in their view, President Maumoon would still win the 2008 presidency, as they saw no way he could be defeated. However, he insisted they would secure the People’s Majlis, arguing that it was there that the powers should ultimately reside.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

However, Solih noted that things did not unfold as expected, as the MDP secured the presidency in 2008 while President Maumoon’s party retained control of the Parliament. He cautioned that making decisions solely for immediate personal gain can ultimately lead to unfavorable consequences.

He stated that the reforms being introduced today by President Muizzu could potentially backfire on him significantly in the 2028 elections.