Fairness is Fairness: Maldivian Columnist Questions Yameen’s Exclusion from 2023 Race

A Maldivian columnist, Ahmed Zahir (Hirigaa), has raised serious questions about the fairness of the legal process that prevented former President Abdullah Yameen from contesting the 2023 presidential election. In a piece published on Daura, Zahir argues that the system was manipulated to exclude Yameen, citing that then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih considered Yameen his toughest potential opponent. Zahir claims that consultations were held with current President Mohamed Muizzu, then Solih’s running mate, about the possibility of Yameen running. The columnist points out that Yameen’s candidacy was closed by the Elections Commission based on a court verdict that had not been finalized through the three tiers of courts. The Supreme Court, Zahir states, contradicted its own precedents by denying Yameen eligibility. Furthermore, Zahir notes that the Prosecutor General’s Office has dropped charges against others in related cases, yet Yameen’s case drags on. He argues that the verdict should be left to the people, not the courts, and calls for evidence-based justice. The piece questions why officials now in power, who wept in court when Yameen was barred, continue to pursue the matter. Zahir concludes by expressing no faith in the system but faith in the people, reiterating that fairness must prevail.