Former President Abdulla Yameen said tonight that he does not support the “major change” the opposition MDP is working to bring to the system of governance, and that the Maldives is not ready for a parliamentary system.
In an interview with Sangu TV marking the 18th anniversary of the Constitution, Yameen said that executive power is not something that should rest in the hands of two people — it is something that should be held by one person.
“I don’t support it, you see. That’s not a system that would work. If there’s a prime minister, there’s no need for a president. If there’s a president, there’s no need for a prime minister. Executive power is power that rests in the hands of one person,” Yameen said.
The “major change” jointly proposed by former President Mohamed Nasheed and former MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail involves keeping a president as the head of state, while also having a separate leader elected by popular vote to run the government. The MDP has now endorsed the proposal.
Yameen said the parliamentary system is something Nasheed has been advocating for from the very beginning, and that is why he is repeating it now. However, he said it is not a system he supports. He noted that although he himself had previously supported a parliamentary system, he abandoned that view because, during his time as a member of parliament, he saw the extent to which money influences the legislature.
Yameen also said parliament is a place that is “up for sale,” and it is currently not in a state capable of holding the country’s major issues in check. If the nation’s interests and major decisions become something that is “up for sale,” that is not a situation that serves the country’s interests, he noted.
Yameen said he does accept that amendments to the Constitution may be needed in some areas — particularly things like “vaanuvaa” (indefinite pre-trial) detention, which infringes on citizens’ rights, and he sees no problem with changing such provisions. However, he repeatedly stated that he would not support any change relating to the system of governance itself.
