Friday
3rd May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Solih and the First Lady. Photo: President's Office
The current administration ignored Victory Day, much like all the other years since President Ibrahim Mohmaed Solih came into office.
Governments have always celebrated the Maldivian victory at the hands of armed Tamil mercenaries on November 3, 1988, on the same day each year. However, this has not been the case since the current administration took over. They have effectively ignored the day of victory for four years.
The opposition has criticized the Solih administration for its abandonment of such an important day in the history of the Maldives.
People’s National Congress (PNC)’s leader, Abdul Raheem, said in a news conference held in 2019 that the government will not celebrate Victory Day, at any capacity, because President Solih’s father in law had been a co-conspirator of the devastating coup d'état on November 3, 1988.
Despite continued public scrutiny, the administration has chosen to ignore this year’s Victory day as well.
When TMJ reached out to the government Spokesperson at the President’s Office to clarify whether any activities of celebration had been planned to mark this day, he did not respond.
While the government refuses to acknowledge the historical importance of this day, Abdulla Luthfee, the man who orchestrated the coup stated that the First Lady Fazna Ahmed’s father, (Sikka) Ahmed Ismail Manik asked him to assassinate former President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom.
Sikka Ahmed Ismail Manik was sentenced to 15 years in jail for his role in the Victory Day coup d'état. Therefore, people have speculated that this was the reason behind President Solih’s refusal to acknowledge the significance of the day.
The administration is known to celebrate small things, even though they have successfully disregarded an important day in Maldivian history. The government has spent significant amounts of money in recognition of menial occasions.