Nasheed expresses concern over lack of invitation to official Independence Day function; notes he received invitations even while imprisoned
27 ޖުލައި 2026 | ހޯމަ 06:33Former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed concern over not being invited to the official Independence Day ceremony, noting that this marks the first time since his school days that he has not received an invitation to such an event. The government has yet to disclose the reason why former presidents were excluded from the guest list for the occasion.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed delivers remarks at the "Bodu Badhalu" rally. | MDP
Former President and MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed has expressed concern over not being invited to the official ceremony marking the Maldives' 61st Independence Day.
In a social media post, former President Nasheed stated that this marks the first time since his school days that he has not received an invitation to the official Independence Day ceremony. He noted that even during his periods of imprisonment, he had consistently been invited to the official function.
The official ceremony to mark this year's Independence Day was held this morning at the Social Centre. The event was presided over by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. The ceremony was attended by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef, and the Speaker of the People's Majlis, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, alongside senior government officials. Attendees also included cabinet ministers and members of the foreign diplomatic corps.
As a former President of the Maldives, it is standard protocol to invite President Nasheed to major state ceremonies. However, official government authorities have yet to disclose why an invitation was not extended to him this year. RaajjeTV’s attempts to gain further information on the matter were unsuccessful, as the government’s chief spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, did not respond to several phone calls.
