April 4 is the day to once again decide on returning the governance of islands to their people: Solih

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that April 4 marks a pivotal moment for citizens to once again decide on securing local governance for their respective islands.

He made these remarks while speaking at the ceremony held to launch the "Afiringe Addu" (Our Addu) manifesto.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration is doing nothing but buying votes by using public funds to offer bribes. He emphasized that the public must respond to these actions on April 4 and that such practices must be stopped. Solih urged citizens to act with wisdom, noting that the upcoming election is a crucial one. He added that this vote will be a decisive step toward reclaiming the good governance that had previously been established in the Maldives.

He stated that the time has come once again to make a decision to reclaim local governance for the islands. He further urged the public to reject the current administration's policies, asserting that doing so means voting for those who established, sustained, and continue to promote the decentralized system of governance.

The people have granted a supermajority in the People's Majlis, including support from Addu City. This mandate was given to ensure the continuation of ongoing projects and to develop Addu City in accordance with the proposed manifesto. However, instead of fulfilling these promises, the majority is being utilized to dismantle the rule of law and consolidate power. No other meaningful progress is being observed. Under the guise of cost-cutting, there are discussions about merging two elections. The primary argument being presented for a referendum on this matter is the high cost, claiming that an additional 50 million Rufiyaa must be saved. Yet, one only needs to compare the current government's expenditure on salaries to that of the MDP administration to see the reality. Just look at those figures alone.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Former President Solih stated that by the end of the final year of the MDP administration, monthly expenditure on salaries stood at 900 million Rufiyaa. He noted that costs did not exceed this figure at the time; however, that amount has now risen to over 1.2 billion Rufiyaa. Solih further highlighted that an additional 400 million Rufiyaa is now being spent monthly on employee compensation.

Solih stated that the current expenditure on salaries alone amounts to 4.8 billion Rufiyaa annually. He emphasized that if the government is serious about cutting costs, this is the area where they should focus and implement necessary changes.

They are attempting to save 50 million Rufiyaa by suppressing the democratic power and the right to freedom of expression belonging to the people. This is something we must reflect upon today. Everywhere we go, in every island, we hear the same promise: "We will give you a job, we will give you a job." The number of employees in state-owned enterprises has now exceeded 15,000. I recently visited Maafushi, an island with a very significant economy. It is one of the highest contributors of Green Tax from a single island. Yet, due to the failure to manage waste, the island has become infested with flies to an unbearable degree. The Council President told me that WAMCO had taken over waste management there. Fifty employees had already been hired at that point. He said he approached the person in charge of the operation and asked when they would begin clearing the landfill. The official reportedly replied that they did not yet have anyone to actually dispose of the waste. Fifty people had been hired, yet there was no one to pick up a single piece of trash. He was told that they would need to hire an additional fifty people before the work could actually begin.

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Similarly, the Mayor of Kulhudhuffushi City stated that staff were hired specifically to maintain a stadium in the city. He noted that while only one laborer was hired for maintenance, the appointments included four supervisors and 14 political directors. Solih remarked that having four supervisors and 14 political directors to oversee the work of a single individual illustrates how the current administration is distributing jobs for electoral gain.