The power of the citizen lies in the vote; reducing the number of elections is an act of stripping that power away: Shahid

The President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Abdulla Shahid, has stated that the power of the citizen lies in the act of voting, and that reducing the frequency of elections is an attempt to seize that power from the people.

He made these remarks while speaking on RaajjeTV's "Noonekey" program.

Describing the power of the citizen as being rooted in the electoral process, Shahid stated that the culture of door-to-door campaigning and leaders engaging directly with the public exists only because of the right to vote. He further asserted that visiting the people and listening to their concerns is not a practice embraced by the current administration.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is participating in the People's National Congress (PNC) campaign in Male' for the upcoming local council elections, yet he has notably refrained from traveling to the atolls for campaign activities. Shahid stated that this is a matter the public must question. Shahid further remarked that this situation demonstrates that assessing the conditions of the islands is not a priority for the government.

"The President is campaigning in Malé for the local council elections, even going door-to-door. However, he has not visited a single island. He has sent a clear message that he has no connection with the people living in the atolls," Shahid said.

Shahid stated that voting to combine the two elections in the referendum would send a message to the President that it is acceptable to marginalize the public. He emphasized that if citizens wish to uphold their power, they must reject the proposal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously in the upcoming referendum.