'Madam' has no influence on PNC, it is run by the President and leadership: Shujau

Baarashu Constituency Ibrahim Shujau has put forth his opinion last night that a first lady has no influence over The People's National Congress (PNC), and that the party is wholly run by the President and his leadership. His remarks appeared to allude to Fathimath Ibrahim, spouse of former President Abdulla Yameen.

During the PNC meeting, Shujau stated that Yameen didn't get a second term due to the former President's wife Fathimath Ibrahim influencing PPM's leadership.

During the 2018 elections when Yameen was running for a second term, then-First Lady Fathimath had opened up a separate campaign office and had been conducting campaign activities with her team of senior officials. There were concerns among the party leadership about the way certain sections of the party had been conducting activities.

"Thanfully, Madam isn't here to run the party. The party is run by the President and the party's leadership," stated Shujau.

He went on to say that PNC wants to conduct their affairs their way, with national interests being at the forefront.

"If a member of our party doesn't acquire gainful employment then by the guidelines of our party, he will be provided employment. This is because we are running a party-led administration. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has the courage to run a party-led administration," Shujau stated.

Shujau went on to say that when President Muizzu came to Presidency, the nation was in disarray, and that the first thing he had to do before anything else was to sort the nation out.

He stated that when President Muizzu's term began, children had access to pornographic websites. Illegal immigrants were at an all time high. Vape and cigarette use was out of control. NSPA and Aasandha was mostly geared towards treating illnesses relating to smoking. Fishermen's dues were being held. And that many government projects had been halted.

He went on to say that these were problems that Yameen and former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih couldn't solve.

"We were not able to get to general members of the party because we had to work on saving the nation. The Dollar issue isn't a problem that started recently. When the government changed in 2018, and during President Yameen's government, the Sovereign Development Fund had about a billion Dollars. The MDP government took it all for themselves," said Shujau.

Shujau went on to say that the Sovereign Development Fund was to help with national debt and was the work of President Yameen and then-PPM members of the People's Majlis, but that the funds were used up for various other reasons.

And so one of the first things this government did was to ensure that future governments can't use the funds as they please, said Shujau.

Yameen has criticized the government about the Dollar issue, with Shujau responding strongly.

"President Yameen, you should put the Dollars you have in your house into the bank. Then this problem will be solved," stated Shujau.

"If we are made to be thieves, then President Yameen is the main thief."

Shujau went on to say that President Muizzu is an honest President and expressed confidence that he wouldn't commit any act of thievery.

He also lashed out at some of the PNF leaders who speak in Yameen’s favour, in his defense.

"I want to tell some of the people who are talking quite loudly lately that when we sacrificed ourselves for President Yameen, none of you were there. Couldn't even see any of you," said Shujau.

"Maleeh was in the kitchen making samosas. Jameel was in the UK throwing accusations of theft."

Former minister Maleeh Jamal and his first vice president, Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, are now Yameen’s closest associates. However, they were very critical of Yameen's government and had been known to work against him.

"We honored him, even placed an empty chair dedicated for him, a decision made by the party leadership. President Yameen was in jail unjustly and we should keep the seat in his honor," Shujau said, referring to the vacant seat kept in Yameen's name at PPM rallies during President Muizzu's campaign.

Referring to the construction of the new terminal at Velana International Airport, which was started in 2016 during the Yameen government, Shujau said, “We are in confusion about the airport's 'paternity' now.”

Shujau said that no matter what percentage each previous government had worked on the development of the airport, it is the incumbent government that is completing and inaugurating the new terminal.

"Fireworks and drones will be flown by those who are doing that. They could not shoot fireworks during the MDP government. The money for that was eaten up during the pandemic," he said.

"Take credit all you want, we're the ones opening the terminal."