Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has praised President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for demonstrating "exemplary service" as the nation's head of state, citing his unprecedented commitment to direct engagement with citizens across the archipelago.
The Vice President relayed this commendation via a social media post, highlighting that President Dr Muizzu is the first Head of State to visit every inhabited island in the Maldives in record time.
According to the Vice President, President Dr Muizzu assumed leadership with a clear determination to serve the people closely, a pledge he has fulfilled by becoming the first Maldivian leader to visit every single inhabited island within the initial term of his administration – an achievement reached in record time.
During these extensive tours, President Dr Muizzu has been actively meeting with island communities, overseeing the operations of government agencies, launching crucial rural developmental projects, and inaugurating completed works. The Vice President emphasised that this hands-on approach exemplifies the standard of service expected from the highest authority in the state.
To date, President Dr Muizzu has visited a total of 187 islands since assuming just under two years ago, with 64 of these islands receiving a second visit, underlining his sustained dedication to understanding and addressing the needs of every community directly.
This relentless outreach, the Vice President concluded, sets a new benchmark for leadership in the Maldives.
President Dr Muizzu Breaks Governance Status Quo
President Dr Muizzu’s historic milestone, achieved in under two years—approximately one year and eleven months—underscores the administration’s commitment to decentralised governance and accelerating development across the archipelago.
While previous Heads of State have barely managed to visit all inhabited islands during their mandated five-year terms, President Dr Muizzu’s rapid completion marks a distinct break from traditional Maldivian political culture, which has long been criticised for centralising decision-making in the capital, far removed from the daily concerns of rural citizens.
President Dr Muizzu took office pledging to challenge this status quo, moving away from systems where policy was defined merely in an office in Male’ and committing instead to fulfilling promises through service and direct engagement with the people.
The intensive travel schedule is central to President Dr Muizzu’s promise to narrow the gap between the government and its people. His administration operates under the pledge to visit every island twice before the end of his term. Already, this commitment is well underway - in addition to completing the first circuit of all 187 islands, the President has already returned to 64 islands for a second engagement. These visits have included extensive discussions with 148 local governance bodies, including Atoll and Island Councils, as well as crucial Women’s Development Committees (WDCs).
These visits are more than symbolic - they function as decentralised cabinet meetings. Accompanied by delegations of ministers and heads of state-owned enterprises, the President facilitates on-the-spot discussions regarding long-pending development projects and immediate needs. This direct structure allows local councils to bypass the protracted process of traveling to Male’ and dealing with multiple individual ministries, ensuring that citizen priorities are discussed directly at the highest executive table.
Through this historic pace of travel and direct engagement, President Dr Muizzu is not only fulfilling a flagship campaign promise, but fundamentally reshaping the relationship between the government and its people.