Fayyaz launches scathing attack on government over dismissal of opposition campaigners and activists
Former MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has expressed grave concern over the dismissal of a director at the Maldives Transportation Safety Board—whose position was abolished following a family member's victory in the Hithadhoo North by-election—as well as the termination of WAMCO employees who protested over pension issues. Criticizing the government for transforming state-owned enterprises into political hubs, Fayyaz accused the administration of victimizing families and vowed that the MDP would continue to fight against such injustices.
Former Economic Minister and former Chairperson of the MDP, Fayyaz Ismail. | MDP
Former Economic Minister and former Chairperson of the MDP, Fayyaz Ismail, has expressed concern over the government's decision to abolish the post held by Ahmed Zuhair, Director of the Maldives Transportation Safety Board. The move follows Zuhair appearing in a photograph with Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe), the MDP candidate who contested the Hithadhoo North constituency by-election.
Speaking to RaajjeMV, Zuhair stated that Sobe, who defeated the government candidate to win the Hithadhoo North constituency by-election, is his brother-in-law. He further noted that as soon as Sobe decided to contest, he had informed the relevant parties of his intention to work on the campaign.
Zuhair stated that the government had been working to dismiss him from his post since that time. However, he noted that after failing to find any procedural grounds for his termination, they opted to abolish the position entirely.
In a post shared on X regarding the matter, Fayyaz stated that resorting to political retaliation after an election defeat is a sign of losing public support and running out of options.
Furthermore, Fayyaz criticized and expressed concern over the dismissal of several employees at the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) branch in GDh. Thinadhoo, who were terminated after protesting the company's failure to deposit their pension contributions for the past 19 months.
Fayyaz stated that this "cruel administration" has terminated two WAMCO employees for speaking out to demand their rights after the company failed to deposit their pension contributions. He warned that President Muizzu should not expect to gain support by turning state-owned enterprises into political hubs and marginalizing families. Furthermore, Fayyaz asserted that the MDP will not back down in the face of injustice and will ultimately defeat the current government.
Amidst allegations from the opposition that the government handed out numerous jobs to secure support for the three elections held on April 4, reports are repeatedly surfacing of widespread dismissals following the conclusion of the polls.
