Former President Abdulla Yameen has accused President Muizzu of bribing lawmakers from the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC). Speaking at a People’s National Front (PNF) gathering on Monday night, Yameen claimed that the Parliament, despite having a supermajority, is ignoring issues related to India and refusing to disclose agreements with the country.
Yameen alleged that lawmakers are being bribed with large sums of money in addition to their regular salaries. “Now, the bribe money they get has become very important. The MVR 50,000 or MVR 75,000 they get every month, on top of their Parliament salary. The President has bribed the MPs and bought them all,” he said.
In response, President’s Office Spokesperson Heena Waleed denied the claims, calling the reports of monthly cash handouts to MPs “completely untrue and false news.”
Yameen also expressed concern over the agreements made between the current administration and India, calling them more dangerous than those made by previous governments. “This is our government now. The same agreement that was reached earlier has been made in a way that is more dangerous for the Maldives,” Yameen stated, criticizing Parliament’s inaction on the matter. “No committee is working to bring the agreement forward.”
The agreements in question were submitted by Hithadhoo Medhu MP Ahmed Azaan on June 9 to the Parliament’s Security Services Committee (241 Committee). A sub-committee was formed to look into agreements between India and the Maldives, including the Hydrography Agreement, Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTF) Agreement, and the Dornier aircraft agreement.
Despite these agreements being under review, Yameen noted that President Muizzu has failed to deliver on promises related to India. The Indian helicopters and Dornier aircraft have not been returned, and while talks were held to remove Indian soldiers, Yameen claimed that they have been replaced by personnel from the Hindustan Aeronautics Company, which is part of the Indian army. However, the government continues to insist that Indian soldiers have been successfully removed from the Maldives.
The allegations mark the latest in a series of criticisms from Yameen, as he continues to challenge the policies of President Muizzu’s administration.
