President Abdulla Yameen has said that all the issues that the country has faced stemmed from political leaders.

The president said this while speaking at Dhidhdhoo island of Haa Alifu atoll on Wednesday morning, where he blamed ‘political leaders and their selfishness’ for all the predicaments the Maldives has faced.

“All the difficulties we have faced are due to the selfishness of political leaders. They put their own needs and wants ahead of the country,” he said.

Noting that the Dhidhdhoo constituency MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed was elected to parliament through a ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) ticket, President Yameen also spoke regarding his decision to defect to the opposition. He is one of the many lawmakers that switched to the opposition since 2016.

Calling him ‘selfish’, President Yameen said that being elected to parliament does not mean one is free and that once elected ‘they cannot express their own opinion’. He said that their purpose is to serve for the betterment of the country, adding that they ‘must always put the country first’.

He added that a parliamentarian does not have the right to talk on behalf of their constituents after putting aside their responsibilities to the country.

The president is currently on a three-day tour of the North and South Thiladhummathi atolls.