Former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik says the opposition coalition must take control of the country in 2023 when the next Presidential election is scheduled.
The former President who is also the special adviser to the main opposition party Progressive Party of the Maldives PPM said this at the opposition gathering held last night to welcome ex-President and opposition leader Abdullah Yameen after his jail sentence was overturned in court.
Dr. Waheed said that the current government is indecisive in its work and is seen as too 'lazy' to achieve any goals.
He noted that the Maldives had seen progressive changes when Yameen came into power but the current administration is a picture of negligence and irresponsibility.
The former president said that any party should come to power with a vision for the coming years but the current administration has no such vision or a vision for the country in 20 years.
Dr. Waheed also said that the current government had no ideas or understandings but had only questions. He questioned whether the work to further develop the fishing industry has now been finished and whether it is enough that Maldivians only occupy 40 percent of all tourism-related jobs in the country.
Dr. Waheed highlighted that the country's economy had slid down to never-before-seen levels and that the government had failed to assist the people when they were struggling with the worst of the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic.
He also said that the state reserve was extremely depleted and that the government's debts have grown because of executing irresponsible financial policies.
He said that the whole country needs to work to gather to lift the nation from the current stump and that all politicians must set aside their own agendas to protect the country's best interests.
