Referendum is based on a deception; a 'yes' vote will only pave the way for government tyranny: Shifaz

Former Vice President of the MDP, Mohamed Shifaz, has stated that the proposed referendum to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day is a vote being conducted by distorting the underlying facts.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "Noonekey" program, Shifaz stated that the referendum ballot makes no mention of two separate elections. Instead, it only asks citizens whether the President should ratify the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. Shifaz further noted that the true nature of the vote is being misrepresented to the public, characterizing it as an attempt to deceive the people.

Shifaz has urged the public to mark their ballots in favor of the "No" option.

On paper, there is no mention of merging the elections, nor does the ballot clearly indicate the purpose of the vote. When citizens go to the polls, they find that these actions are being carried out in a manner that is highly misleading to the public.

Former Vice President of the MDP, Mohamed Shifaz (Shippe)

Shifaz stated that the Maldives is once again regressing toward authoritarianism, emphasizing that the current Constitution was achieved through the immense hard work and sacrifices of many. He further warned that if the referendum results align with the government's objectives, the country will suffer a significant setback, leading to a dangerous and precarious situation.

He further noted that government projects have been halted under the pretext of financial constraints, asserting that no development work is currently underway. He added that while these projects remain stalled, the state payroll continues to expand at an alarming rate.