President: No pressure strong enough to resign

President Abdulla Yameen has said that he had not faced any pressure strong enough for him to resign.

The President made this remark while talking to reporters at an event at Muleeaage this morning, for several councillors to join Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

He said that whether to remove him from presidency will be decided by the people at the Presidential Election in 2018, and opposition groups’ allegations against the government are not reasons for a President to resign.

Opposition groups are protesting against the government because they have realised that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, said the President.

“If a case is filed to court and a sentence is issued by the courts - regardless of whether the convict is a leader of a large opposition party – the sentence will be executed by this President,” he said.

President Yameen further said that he was requested by President of Adhaalath Party Imran Abdulla, to settle the case against former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim outside of the court; and that he responded to this request by saying that the President does not have any role to play in cases that have been filed to court.