MP Shujau: President Muizzu ran PPM administration, Yameen was busy playing card games

Ibrahim Shujau, the senior deputy leader of ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), says that it had been President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, then the housing minister, who ran the entire state during the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) administration, while then-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had been “busy playing card games as usual.”

Addressing a PNC rally on Wednesday night in AA. Ukulhas, Shujau, the parliamentary representative for Baarah, unleashed heavy criticism against Yameen as well as the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Shujau alleged that Yameen spent most of his time during his administration playing card games, and wouldn’t even pick up his phone when called by local councils regarding projects.

“Back then, it was Housing Minister Muizzu who delt with everything. President Yameen would be busy most night playing card games as usual,” he said.

Shujau said that it was President Muizzu who shouldered the responsibility of running major infrastructure projects such as the initiative to develop the Male’ ring road.

He went on to accuse the former MDP administration, headed by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, of corruption.

Shujau said that the MDP administration hadn’t publicized fiscal reports in six months back when President Muizzu took office in 2023. He said that they also weren’t provided the financial reports of state-owned enterprises during the transitional period.

He alleges that this was a deliberate move to cover up MDP’s corruption.

Shujau said that it wasn’t until President Muizzu formally took office on November 17, 2023 that he got access to the state’s financial reports, and launched reforms.

The lawmaker alleged that MDP attempted to impeach President Muizzu at this point, when acts of corruption began coming to light.

Circling back to Yameen, Shujau said that the USD 1 billion in the state’s reserves at the end of his administration in 2018 cannot be credited to the former president alone, but had been the hard work of the team who now stand with President Muizzu.

Shujau also warned people against falling for MDP’s attempts to “mislead the public.”

Concluding his speech, Shujau said the Maldivian people had happy days ahead, and urged the people to stand by President Muizzu as he works “to resolve the problems created by the MDP administration.”