Yameen: This administration is preferable to that of the MDP

Former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, on Thursday night, states that he sees no reason to apologize to the public for supporting President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's rise to power, arguing that the current People’s National Congress (PNC) administration remains preferable to that of former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Speaking at a town hall meeting held by his political party, the People’s National Front (PNF), on Thursday night, Yameen said that helping the current administration come to power was "not a mistake."

"It was not a mistake on our part. We were facing a greater evil back then,” he said, referring to the former administration of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Yameen described the MDP administration as deeply flawed, alleging it had failed to provide any benefit to ordinary Maldivian citizens.

Despite his continued and outspoken criticism of the current administration, Yameen said he only became aware of the PNC government's shortcomings after it assumed office.

Nevertheless, he maintained, "I still find [this administration] more agreeable than the MDP government. Therefore, let us not apologize for that."

Prior to the PNC assuming office, Yameen served as leader of both the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the now-ruling PNC. Although he initially sought to contest the presidential election for a second term, he was forced to forgo the coalition's presidential ticket due to a prison sentence he was serving at the time.

Subsequently, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu secured the coalition's presidential nomination and went on to win the election. Following his victory, Yameen was transferred from prison to house arrest.

However, within a week of President Muizzu taking office, Yameen resigned from his leadership position within the coalition and proceeded to establish the PNF. The party was officially registered in April 2024.

Since then, Yameen and his supporters have held regular twice-weekly meetings at the PNF headquarters, where they have consistently criticized the current administration on a range of issues.

More recently, Yameen reached an agreement with former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to maintain sustained pressure on the government following discussions between the three leaders.