President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that he supports establishing a preferential voting system that would conclude the presidential election in one round. He said this in a message posted to the WhatsApp channel he created to provide information to the public. In the President’s message, he stated that the voting system he advocates for is the preferential voting system. This system eliminates the second round of the presidential election and allows people to rank their preferred candidates when voting.

In addition to the President, former President Mohamed Nasheed has also expressed support for a preferential voting system. He revealed this in a post shared on social media. Some major countries in the world use a preferential system in presidential elections. In countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, this system exists where people vote by ranking candidates in order of preference instead of voting for just one candidate.

Currently in the Maldives, for a presidential election to be won in the first round, a candidate must receive 50% plus one vote of the voting public. Otherwise, a second round of the election must be held. Since the presidential system, all elections in the Maldives have elected the President after two rounds of voting. The Elections Commission also notes that having to hold two rounds in the presidential election is extremely costly.

While the President supports moving to a preferential voting system with one round for the presidential election, he also supports holding the presidential election and the parliamentary election together.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the Maldivian military will bear the highest national responsibility of maintaining peace, glory, and dignity without allowing any disturbance to the Maldivian state and country amidst the changes coming to the world and the changing times and situations. He said this in his congratulatory address on the occasion of the 133rd anniversary of the Maldivian military being celebrated today.

In the President’s address, he noted that this nation has remained as an independent country under the rule of one government due to the continuous sacrifices made by people to uphold the country’s independence and unity. The President said that the Maldivian military, who work to defend the country and ensure safety and security, has always played the most important role behind these sacrifices.

Referring to the work being done by the military for the country, the President said that the military always prioritizes the interests of the Maldivian nation and people over their own selves and families. He noted that in every major issue and difficult time faced by the country, it was the Maldivian military who took the initiative to shed sweat and blood for Maldivians, bearing the burden tirelessly day and night. “As long as national blood flows in the veins of the Maldivian military, as long as the pulse of freedom beats in the hearts of the Maldivian soldiers, God willing, there is no sunset for Maldivians’ independence and persistence,” the President’s address highlighted.

The President said that the secret of every progress and success achieved by Maldivians is the continuation of this country as an independent state. The President said that it is the enthusiasm, sacrifice, and unwavering determination of the Maldivian military that lifts the torch of Maldivian independence to the horizons.

Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon has said that the hard work done by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to enhance the military capabilities of the National Defense Force is deserving of gratitude. In a post shared on social media sending congratulations on the 133rd anniversary of the military, Minister Ghassan sent anniversary greetings to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. In addition, he also extended congratulations to the military leadership, the brave Maldivian soldiers, and their families.

Minister Ghassan highlighted the hard work done by the President to enhance the military capabilities of the Defense Force and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Maldivian military.

The government continues to do a lot of work to improve the quality of service of the Maldivian military. It is the President’s promise to further empower the Maldivian military and for Maldivians to manage their own security affairs. Under that promise, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has introduced an “Air Corps” to the Maldivian military service for the first time in the country. With this, the Maldivian military has gained the capability to monitor the country’s maritime zone by air.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, has responded by saying that in the name of running political parties, they are insulting the country and families. The Minister responded to the derogatory comments made about the President at a meeting of the People’s National Front (PNF), a party founded by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. A video circulating on social media shows former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and a member of that party criticizing the President using offensive language at a PNF meeting. Many people are expressing their sentiments on social media, condemning the comments made about him in that video.

Regarding the video, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed said that even before the 2007 systematic vote in the Maldives, during a systematic debate between the two major parties at the time, the former Vice President Dr. Jameel, who can be seen in the video, became angry and left the stage, unable to control himself, after calling the people there incompetent and ignorant. He said that even 17 years later, we see the same scene, with people losing their senses when they get hold of a microphone and violating the dignity of wives, children, and families.

The Minister said that when language becomes vulgar and one starts deciding on matters such as forgiveness, heaven, and hell, which are attributes that belong only to Allah, one is forced to repent. He prayed for the Maldivian Islamic Ummah to be saved from the poison of such tongues.

The Minister said that compared to such people, the difference with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is his steadfastness, describing him as a gentle person with good morals. He also said in his post that the President is someone who respects others’ dignity and works tirelessly day and night with determination to fulfill the promises made to the people. The Minister also said that as the President’s actions become successful and his popularity among the people increases, losing control will will not bring any benefit.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed also said that people like Dr. Jameel, in the name of running political parties, are insulting the country and families, and that this is not something that educated youth and civilized Muslim citizens would accept.

Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Ahmed Shiyam has responded to comments made by opposition members at a PNF meeting, stating that governance is something Allah grants to those who work hard with good intentions, and not decisions made on street corners. A video circulating on social media shows former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and a member of that party criticizing the President using offensive language at a PNF meeting. Many people are expressing their sentiments on social media, condemning the comments made about him in that video.

In a post regarding this matter, Minister Shiyam said that there are things that should not be said, even in politics. He also said that “when someone gets hold of a microphone on a street corner, they lose their senses and act as if the world has turned to gold,” and that it would be “much better” to remember that Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is the leader elected by the people in 2023.

The Minister said that governance is something is something Allah grants to those who work hard with good intentions. He also said that it is Allah who grants paradise to those who persist in doing good deeds. Furthermore, Minister Shiyam stated that governance is not decisions made on street corners, and that he prays for guidance for those who think in such ways.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government has decided to offer full scholarships to 45 individuals to pursue studies in Fisheries Management. The President made this statement while speaking on the fourth episode of the “With the People” podcast. The President said that if the full potential of the fisheries sector is realized, it could contribute up to three times more to the GDP than tourism.

Noting that the Maldives has a vast sea area and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by the grace of Allah, the President said that the government has not yet been able to derive economic benefits or tap into the EEZ as desired.

“We practice very sustainable fishing. We catch each fish individually. We don’t use nets to sweep like foreign countries do. So, the whole world accepts our fishing practices. Therefore, we can expand our fishing to the entire sea area. Even without going that far, there are many things we can do. There are ways we can utilize fishing and other marine resources,” the President said.

The President highlighted that opportunities are now open for foreign parties to invest in various areas, including mariculture, and things are progressing. Therefore, he said the government’s policy is to utilize ocean resources in the most economically beneficial way.

“We have established a college named Maldives College for Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the National University. We will be offering full scholarships for Bachelor of Fisheries Management from this college in the coming days. All preparations for this have been made. We estimate that we can provide scholarships to 45 students based on our current budget allocation. We are also running other smaller courses,” the President said.

The President stated that this college is a significant step towards developing human resources for the sector. He added that the government is also working through higher education to facilitate scholarships and courses in various fields related to fisheries.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has stated that sharing information is a high priority for priority for him and that he has decided to meet with journalists on the 3rd of May. The President revealed that he will meet with journalists on May 3rd, which is internationally recognized as World Press Freedom Day, during the fourth episode of the “With the People” podcast series, where he answers questions from the public.

The President said that any kind of question can be posed at the press conference he will hold on May 3rd, and he invited journalists to start preparing for it from now. “If a TV station extends an invitation, I am ready to participate in a program conducted by that station and answer questions,” the President said.

The President stated that his aim is to deliver results, and therefore he spends a lot of time working. However, he said that he will dedicate time to matters related to sharing information as much as time allows, and that he will also give time directly to journalists in the future. Sharing information closely with the people and listening to their opinions and concerns is something the President is giving special attention to. While various ministries of his government are also conducting regular press briefings, the President continues to share his statements through various media and social media platforms.

When sharing information in this manner, he pays attention to all age groups and engages with them in ways tailored to those age groups.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sent a case to the Prosecutor General’s Office to prosecute former CEO Hassan Shah and several former employees of Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). Regarding this case, the ACC stated that in connection with the tower construction project carried out to provide housing for MTCC employees, the company’s executives worked to provide undue benefits to the company awarded the contract. As such, the ACC has requested prosecution against former MTCC CEO Hassan Shah, Shifa’u Ali who was then General Manager and a member of the Tender Evaluation Committee, Hussain Zuhury, Mohamed Nazim, and Ismail Adham who were members of the Tender Evaluation Committee at the time.

The ACC said that in connection with the announcement to find a party to build two 15-storey towers in the second phase of Hulhumale to provide housing for MTCC employees under the government’s housing policy, points were awarded to a foreign company in violation of the evaluation criteria among the bidders. They also said that after awarding the project to that company, even though the company acted in a way that required termination of the agreement, instead of terminating the agreement, “advance payments” and “progressive payments” were released to the company. The ACC also said that efforts were made to assign works required under the agreement as separate tasks, and while the contracted company had not carried out the work as per the agreement, that agreement was not terminated. The ACC said these actions have caused significant financial losses to MTCC.

In this case, in addition to the financial loss of MVR 39,241,855.78 to MTCC, the ACC has instructed MTCC to calculate and recover additional financial losses incurred. The charges requested for prosecution in this case include the offense of using official influence improperly to obtain and provide benefits, as well as the offense of acting otherwise in a matter where the state could have benefited. The ACC has also sent to the PG’s office an additional charge of attempted crime against Shifa’u Ali.