Minority Leader of the Parliament of the Maldives Ahmed Saleem has criticised President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih over the Presidential Address he delivered in February.
The parliamentary regulation dictates that the party with the highest number of parliament members, excluding the party represented by the president, be allowed to respond to the presidential address each year. As such, Minority Leader Ahmed Saleem was allowed to give his response as the parliamentary group (PG) leader of the main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
In his response, Saleem accused the government of violating democratic principles by hindering the work of the opposition. He further said the government needs to publicly disclose details of its work to fulfill its pledges, especially on the government housing projects, murder investigations, and projects being conducted in the atolls. He also repeated the opposition's criticisms of the government's foreign policy and called on the government to disclose details of the agreements made with foreign entities.
Government coalition parties have praised the Presidential Address delivered by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the Parliament of the Maldives for the year 2022.
In his Presidential Address, President Solih highlighted the plans of his administration for each individual sector and the strategies and policies in place for economic progress. He reiterated the commitment of his administration to addressing the most pertinent needs of the public and ensuring the well-being of the whole population.