Not a single Maldivian citizen has benefited from any bill or action proposed to Parliament by this administration: Ghafoor

Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, the Member of Parliament for the Hanimaadhoo constituency, has stated that no citizen has benefited from any bill submitted to the 20th People's Majlis—where President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s party, the PNC, holds a supermajority—nor from any actions taken by the government to date.

During Monday's sitting of the People's Majlis, debate proceeded on the "Maldives 2.0 Digital Transformation Bill," submitted on behalf of the government by Gadhdhoo MP Mohamed Ali. While debating the bill, MP Ghafoor raised concerns regarding the government's underlying intentions in proposing the legislation.

The member stated that the bill was introduced to transition to an e-voting system for the 2028 presidential election. He further alleged that the legislation aims to facilitate electoral fraud by establishing an additional office and hiring new staff.

Not a single bill submitted by this administration to date has yielded any benefit for the citizens. The law explicitly mandates that water and sewerage systems across the country must be completed before 2027. Has that been achieved? It has not. Instead of fulfilling these obligations, their focus has shifted toward facilitating fraudulent voting. This is perfectly clear to us. There is no other objective behind their current actions. By passing this bill, they are moving toward a stage where they can use the legal framework to implement e-voting and systematically rig elections.

Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, Member of Parliament for the Hanimaadhoo constituency.

The MP stated that the government's lack of sincerity is most evident in its proposal to reduce duties on cigarettes and tobacco products, shortly after significantly increasing them. Ghafoor noted that despite numerous public calls at the time urging the government not to implement the initial hike, the administration chose to ignore those concerns.

The member further stated that the government's proposal to revise these prices reveals that the previous duty hikes were not implemented in the public's best interest, despite officials claiming at the time that the changes were made following the guidance of the World Health Organization.

In the rest of the world, public affairs are conducted with sincerity and good intentions. However, in this country, things are being done to gain undue advantage and to distort the truth. This has become the established pattern of behavior. We are witnessing firsthand how matters unfold under a government that lacks integrity. To date, not a single bill submitted or action taken has benefited the Maldivian people. Nothing has been achieved. Electricity and water bills have skyrocketed, and the price of food has surged. Today, the dollar exchange rate has climbed to 21 Rufiyaa.

Member of Parliament for the Hanimaadhoo constituency, Abdul Ghafoor Moosa

The member stated that the public is currently enduring significant hardships and claimed that the administration has failed to undertake any initiatives for the benefit of the people. He further alleged that efforts are already underway to rig the 2028 elections, while asserting that the government has lost the support of the citizens.