The credit grab: why politicians are failing to realize they weren’t election heroes

A crowded stage of self-appointed victors

The aftermath of the constitutional recently-held public referendum, local council elections, and the Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections has triggered a predictable scramble. All of a sudden, the air is thick with the voices of high-profile politicians, former presidents as well as loud-mouthed activists all fighting to plant their flags on the results. They are all peddling the same tired narrative: that the outcome was a direct consequence of their specific brand of wisdom, their vast influence or their unparalleled leadership.

The delusion of the puppet masters

This desperate rush to take credit exposes a condescending reality within the political elite. These figures clearly still harbor the arrogant belief that the public is a mindless flock that only moves when the powerful whistle. They seem convinced that the national direction is forged exclusively within the air-conditioned comfort of grand boardrooms and campaign headquarters, rather than by the people themselves.

The quiet power of the queue

While the rhetoric from the top gets louder, the truth remains far more grounded. This success isn't the property of any political faction or individual ego; it belongs to the ordinary Maldivian citizens. These are the people who braved the sun in long lines, ignored the noise and spent their time actually scrutinizing candidates and manifestos. The final decision wasn’t a manufactured miracle orchestrated by a movement; it was the result of quiet conversations at kitchen tables and private reflections on the state of the nation.

Governance by the ballot, not the brand

The election results served as a public performance review. When governance failed to meet the standards of the citizenry, the people used the ballot box to respond. These outcomes are a direct reflection of lived experiences and genuine public anxiety, not a script written by a political party. No matter how many speeches are delivered or how much guidance leaders claim to provide, the verdict belongs to the voters.

The verdict is not for sale

Ultimately, the strength of this democracy is found in the citizens, not the people who claim to lead them. Once the public has reached a collective social decision based on their own convictions, that mandate transcends any story the politicians try to tell.

This wasn't a sequence of events arranged by a select few, rather a personal and powerful choice made by every individual voter and no single politician can claim ownership of that mandate.