Solih pours pledges for citizens at Saturday's opposition gathering

A unity government led by the opposition coalition will increase wages for civil service employees, pledges Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Presidential candidate from the Joint Opposition coalition for the upcoming September polls.

Taking the podium at the Joint Opposition’s gathering in the carnival area of capital city Male’ the first of it’s kind since being granted approval to hold one for the first time in three years, Solih stated that a unity government will never coerce any state employee, adding that employment security will be granted to everyone. Solih declared this after having highlighted that none of the thousands who poured into the carnival area to partake in the opposition gathering had been coerced to participate.

Speaking to the attendees, Solih said that citizens have remained in fear for the past five years and that acts of corruption and injustice had skyrocketed more than seen in the nation’s history. Solih went on to add that Maldives had sunk into authoritarianism within the past half a decade, asserting that incumbent President Abdulla Yameen does not have the support of citizens any longer.

Solih further pledged to serve justice for all those who have been waiting for justice to be served, within the first 18 months in office. As such, Solih stated that justice will be served for those who have been unjustly sacked from their posts or robbed by the current administration.

Stressing on the absurdity of the current administration’s policies, Solih stressed that not a single person knows to whom President Yameen sold off the nation’s reefs and islands and at what price. Solih stressed that there is no better opportunity to find out than the Presidential Election slated for the 23rd of September.

“When ever these queries are posed, the President points out some fancy development scheme completed by his administration” said Solih.

Highlighting the debt-trap the Yameen regime has dragged the citizens into, Solih said that he will never enslave the citizens in a debt trap.

“Will never touch a single coin of the state funds” said the opposition Presidential candidate.

Further speaking at the gathering, Solih said that there will be no room for any other religion other than Islam in the Maldives, highlighting that Islam was the foundation on which the nation was built.

Highlighting the various issues in the Maldives economy, Solih said that the only way to eliminate them are to abolish acts of corruption in whole.

Solih made several other pledges to the crowd of opposition supporters gathered at the carnival area on Saturday night. As such, Solih pledged to establish an orderly system to ensure environment protection, to provide fair price for agriculture and fishermen, to protect the rights of women as well as to pave ways for women to fulfil their lives financially. Lastly, Solih also pledged to re-open all of the murder cases within the past five years, adding that thorough and transparent investigations will be conducted.