Highlighting that over 500 projects are set to be launched within 2020, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that these projects cannot be successfully executed without decentralisation.

Speaking at Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s "Rahvehi Fathis" campaign event for the upcoming local council elections, President Solih stated that local councils have full authority to implement state projects with the new amendments to the Decentralisation Act. Therefore, it is important to elect councillors who will support and assist with the government's policies and agenda, said the President.

Additionally, the President elaborated on the negative consequences of centralised governance, stating that once inhabited islands have become abandoned while Male City has turned into a nest of social issues and congestion. As such, the President claimed that decentralised governance is the best remedy for these problems.

President Solih went onto highlight that citizens have been migrating to the capital city seeking essential basic services for many years. However, the residents of the capital have not benefited from any of the projects carried out in the name of development, said President Solih, adding that the residents have only suffered further.

Moreover, the President stated that these projects executed in the name of development have crushed the dreams of citizen's hoping for progress at their respective islands and has, in turn, stalled the country's progress as a whole.

Noting that infrastructural development in the country has been discussed for several years, President Solih stated that it is a very important factor for development. Thus, the fact that only 40 islands across the country had access to clean drinking water and adequate sewerage facilities by 2020 is very shameful, said the President.

Further, the President stated that the country is approaching a new dawn after learning experiences and hardships after tirelessly working to topple the country's autocratic politics. Hence, the "dawn" is a monumental moment for the country, said the President.

The President filled with emotion, concluded his speech by stating that he had always hoped for such a dawn to arrive within his lifetime.