President Muizzu is attempting to prolong his hold on power; if we do not reject this referendum, competitive presidential elections will become a thing of the past: Mauroof
Mauroof emphasized the importance of voting "no" in the referendum, stating that doing so is a rejection of a calculated effort to extend President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's administration to 20 years.
Mauroof Zakir, Member of Parliament for the Kendhoo constituency. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Member of Parliament for the Kendhoo constituency, Mauroof Zakir, has stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is orchestrating a deceptive scheme to prolong his hold on power. He warned that unless the public rejects the proposed referendum, the Maldives may never see competitive presidential elections again.
Mauroof made these remarks while speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Noonekey Campaign" program.
Mauroof stated that voting "no" in the referendum is crucial, as it represents a rejection of a calculated effort to extend President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration to 20 years. He further warned that if the public does not reject this move, the country will likely never see competitive presidential elections again.
I strongly urge the Maldivian people to reject the attempt to extend the presidential term to 20 years through a simple yes-or-no referendum without a competitive election. This is the moment to take a stand; otherwise, we will never see competitive presidential elections in this country again. This is a clear effort to establish an authoritarian regime for the next two decades. Every citizen must vote "no" in this referendum and defeat President Muizzu.Mauroof Zakir, Member of Parliament for the Kendhoo constituency.
Mauroof further stated that PNC members have been claiming that if a referendum passes to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day, the current parliamentary term would be shortened by six months. He noted that according to these members, arrangements are being made for lawmakers to receive their salaries for those remaining six months, with the President himself reportedly pledging to provide the funds.
They are claiming from their podiums that our concerns stem from the potential loss of six months' salary. However, the reality is that they have already decided to award themselves those six months of pay. They are shortening the term with an agreement among those 80 members to ensure this money is paid out from the state budget. I am stating this because we have the facts.Mauroof Zakir, Member of Parliament for the Kendhoo constituency.
Mauroof has urged as many citizens as possible to turn out and vote "no" in the referendum scheduled for April 4. He emphasized that this is a crucial opportunity that the public must seize.
