Malé, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that hist first and foremost priority is to fulfill the presidential pledges he made during campaign and that he has not decided on running for a second term.
In an online press conference held today, President Solih said that he would not be able to serve the people to the fullest if his only target was for a second term in office and that what he’s trying to do is to fulfill the promises he had made to the Maldivian public during his campaign.
If I decide to run for another term, everything I do will be to increase my popularity for the next election. If I go to the people again asking them to elect me without fulfilling my previous presidential pledges, people will not accept me. For now my priority is to fulfill those pledges. It’s not the time to think about another term yet
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
President Solih also added that he does not do things for the popularity to be elected for a second term and that he was not running the government with that aim. He also told that the person who only thinks of an additional term in office would always do things for the attention and that it is not beneficial to the people.
President Solih’s remarks on a second term comes after Spokesperson of the President’s Office Mabrouq Azeez said that the current governing party MDP, requires two terms in power to ensure complete development in Maldives.
While speaking on the “Fashaairu” programme if Raajje TV on February 16, 2021, Mabrouq said that due to the current situation in Maldives, there have been some delays in the development projects. He further went on to say that no president had been able to rule for two consecutive terms since democracy was established in Maldives while noting that this becomes an obstruction to the country’s development planned by that administration.
In addition to this, Mabrouq had likened the Maldives’ situation to that of America where President Barack Obama is known to have ensured the most development to the country in recent history. Mabrouq had noted that even President Obama was not able to accomplish much in his first term for which he received a lot of backlash. However, Obama went on to accomplish great things for the country in his second term after being re-elected, said Mabrouq.
Replying to a question whether President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih would compete for a second term in office, Mabrouq had said that it depends on how things unfold in the coming year. He had also praised President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih highlighting that the president prioritizes discussions with the connoisseur of the field.
