Imran says President Muizzu 'lies professionally,' slams rally turnout and broken promises

Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla has launched a scathing attack on President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, accusing him of being professionally dishonest and misleading the public.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Imran criticized the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s rally held at Artificial Beach on Friday, calling it a failure. He alleged that the government spent over MVR 50 million in public funds on the event but failed to attract the 50,000 attendees it had promised.

“This shows the people do not accept President Muizzu,” Imran said. “People will not dance to every song you sing, so don’t make such jokes. You tried to outdo the December 23 and May 1 rallies, but you’ve only proven yourself a failure.”

Imran also dismissed the President’s recent pledge that household electricity bills would not exceed MVR 400 during the upcoming Ramadan. He claimed the public does not believe the promise, warning that if bills are artificially lowered, they could spike to over MVR 4,000 the following month.

On housing, Imran argued that if the government were serious about fulfilling its promises, housing units would have been handed over before the administration’s second anniversary. He further alleged that the ongoing dredging of Rasmale' is being done for the government’s own interests, not for public benefit.

Imran also criticized recent legal amendments, claiming the government initially sought to change the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to wealthy foreigners and individuals deported for serious crimes. When the Cabinet rejected the move, he said, the government amended the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act instead to achieve similar goals.

He accused the administration of manipulating laws to consolidate power, citing changes to the Referendum Act as an attempt to extend the presidential term to seven years.

“Yes, professionally, President Muizzu knows only one thing to do now, which is to lie professionally, and he is doing it very well,” Imran said.

He concluded by stating that all political parties and civil associations would unite to resist such actions.