President Says Maldives Has Been Freed From ‘Spirit Of Political Revenge’

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the Maldives has been freed from what he described as the “spirit of political revenge” that previously existed in the country.

Speaking at the official ceremony marking the Maldives’ 61st Independence Day today, President Muizzu said the administration had taken steps to strengthen independence across various sectors, including through the expansion of democratic freedoms.

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He said domestic independence could only exist when democratic freedom was fully achieved, claiming that no previous administration had granted as much freedom for political activity as his government.

President Muizzu said political leaders currently faced no obstacles to carrying out political activities, contrasting this with what he described as a previous culture of jailing opposition political leaders.

“No political leader has been arrested up until now. No former president has been jailed. Is this how things were done in this country before? As soon as an administration was elected, it rushed to try to jail the person who had most recently left office. Nothing other than a spirit of revenge was implemented in the nation,” President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said.

The President said his pledge to eliminate the spirit of revenge had freed the nation from what he described as a highly poisonous force.

He also said the culture of cruelty that had existed in the country for generations had been brought to an end and that democracy was being implemented to its fullest extent.

President Muizzu further said his administration had ensured freedom of expression and freedom of the press to their broadest extent.

However, he said citizens must exercise these freedoms within the boundaries set by the Constitution, national laws and Islam.