Even with Complete Political Empowerment, the President Remains Humble and Grounded
Despite the overwhelming show of support at the ruling party PNC’s Mega Rally—widely regarded as one of the largest political gatherings to date—President Dr Mohamed Muizzu demonstrated exceptional humility and composure. The scale of the crowd underscored his firm political standing, yet his conduct reflected a leader deeply connected to the people and free from arrogance.
Unlike previous leaders who used such platforms to target political rivals or issue threats, President Dr Muizzu refrained from mentioning a single name. He instead highlighted that the nation’s jails today hold no political prisoners, a clear departure from the politics of confrontation.
At the Friday night event, titled “Dhiveheenge Raajje,” the President also made several important announcements, energizing and uplifting the massive audience gathered. His approach stood as a powerful example of confident, mature, and principled leadership.
At Friday night’s event titled “Dhiveheenge Raajje,” President Dr Mohamed Muizzu made several major announcements that thrilled the massive crowd gathered for the rally.
One of the most significant announcements focused on delivering housing for all. The President reiterated that his administration will implement this pledge in its fullest sense—a core electoral promise to ensure every Maldivian family has access to proper housing before the end of the current presidential term. In line with this commitment, multiple projects will commence this year, with further developments planned for the next.
Speaking at the rally, the President revealed that construction of 825 housing units across various islands will begin this year through private-sector contractors. An additional 1,100 housing units will be developed in 16 islands under next year’s budget. He also highlighted progress in the Malé region, noting that 3,000 housing units are currently under construction under the Bank of Maldives (BML), with work on another 4,500 units set to begin soon.
The President announced that land reclamation for the ambitious Rasmale’ project will be completed within five months. A list of 15,000 beneficiaries who will receive residential plots from Rasmale’ will be finalized before reclamation concludes, and the land allotment policy will be announced next week.
Addressing concerns about housing projects initiated by the previous administration, the President assured that all recipients of flats and land would receive what they were promised. He added that dredging will be undertaken where necessary to hand over land from areas yet to be reclaimed.
Another major announcement addressed a key public concern: electricity bills during Ramadan. The President stated that domestic electricity bills will be capped at MVR 400 (about USD 26) for the upcoming Ramadan.
Since taking office in November 2023, the government has introduced special concessions and gifts during every Ramadan. The President confirmed that this tradition will continue, with each household again receiving a case of canned tuna. Furthermore, any electricity bill amount above MVR 400 for domestic tariff households will be waived as a discount.
Last Ramadan, the government distributed 111,231 cases of canned tuna—50,519 to households in Malé City and 60,712 to households in the atolls—along with discounts on electricity bills.
The President also addressed one of the nation’s persistent challenges: the growing number of unregistered foreign workers. He announced that significant progress has been made, with authorities having collected fingerprints from more than 191,700 foreigners residing in the Maldives.
He emphasized that resolving the issue of undocumented migrants is a top priority of the administration. When the government took office, there were no accurate statistics on the number of foreign workers. Today, authorities have collected biometric data for 191,723 individuals, including all ten fingerprints, enabling the government to identify who they are, where they live, and other key details.
With the deadline for biometric submission nearing, the President warned that any foreigner who remains unregistered or fails to submit biometrics will be immediately deported once the new enforcement operation begins. “Not a single foreign worker can remain in this country without providing biometrics or their details,” he stated.
He added that more than 9,021 foreigners have been deported over the past two years—including undocumented migrants, individuals involved in offences, and those unwilling to regularize. This marks a 143 percent increase compared to previous deportation levels.
Although the rally was originally planned for the Artificial Beach area, the turnout was so large that the crowd extended far beyond the venue into the surrounding roads, underscoring the scale of public support.
