Maldives' president must be able to face the people, says former speaker

Former Speaker of the Parliament and current North-Henveiru Constituency MP Abdulla Shahid has said that the country's president should be someone who 'is able to face the people'.

Shahid said this while speaking at the campaign rally of former President Mohamed Nasheed- who is contesting in Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s primary elections- held in Ukulhas island of Alifu Alifu atoll on Sunday night. He highlighted that the Maldives 'is in need of a president who would serve the public and respect the institutions'.

Furthermore, the former speaker said that the Maldivian population wants a president who would 'listen to the public and make an effort to understand their needs', adding that 'Jazeera Raees' (translates to 'Island President') Mohamed Nasheed 'is the president who has listened to the public most attentively so far'.

'Why should we elect a president who does not, nor want to visit the islands and connect with the people? People want a president who would visit their homes, have a conversation with them, check up on their lives and eat a meal at the same table as them. How else would one understand the situation of children, the circumstances faced by students and the health conditions in the islands? These things cannot be understood without meeting the citizens', said MP Shahid.

MP Shahid also stated that someone that 'cannot go to an island without heavy guns by his side cannot learn about the citizen's conditions'. In addition, he said that someone like that 'is not fit' to be president and that the people of Maldives has had to 'suffer from brutality these past five years'.