President Solih's Visit to Addu City Reveals Lack of Support in Region

President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih of the Maldives paid a visit to Addu City on July 13th, 2022, but the reception he received was far from warm. Despite Addu City having a resident population of close to 20,000 people, only 200 individuals turned out to welcome him. This low turnout has raised concerns about President Solih's level of support in the region, particularly as he campaigns in the Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) primary election for the upcoming presidential elections.

It is reported that many of those who did attend the event were forced to do so, which further casts doubt on the level of genuine support for the President in Addu City. This lack of enthusiasm for President Solih's visit is indicative of a broader trend in the Maldives, where the President has found it difficult to garner support in many of the population centers. This includes not only Addu City, but also the capital Male City, Kulhufufushi City, and Fuvahmulak City.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has been in power since 2018, with President Solih at the helm. However, it seems that many Maldivians are not impressed with his leadership and his party's performance in the last 4 years. The Maldives has been facing multiple issues such as economic and social crisis, political turmoil, corruption and rising crime rate, which has led to a loss of faith in the current government.

This lack of support for President Solih in these population centers could spell trouble for him as he campaigns for the party's ticket in the upcoming presidential elections.