Addressing the nation on the occasion of the 53rd Republic Day, the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamad Solih said maintaining independence, sovereignty, and religious unity would be the top priorities for his government, Sun news reported. 

“These are the two things that will the top priorities for us as long as I remain in this position. That is the protection of the religious unity of the Maldivian people and ascertaining the independence and sovereignty of the Maldives,” Solih was quoted by Sun news as saying. 

The remark by the president came in the backdrop of the constant opposition parties’ pressure that accused the government of compromising the freedom and sovereignty of the nation. 

Reminding the people of the achievements of his government, Solih said when we took charge of the nation, many rights like freedom of expression, and press had been curtailed. We restored all those fundamental rights, he added. 

The Maldives had witnessed a clampdown on press and political criticism in the tenure of former President Abdullah Yameen who lost the general election in 2018. 

On free press, President Solih said, it has the power to change the direction of the nation in any way, depending on how this freedom is utilized. He added responsible journalism requires to dispel false information and revealing truth. 

Calling the COVID-19 pandemic a “catastrophic economic disaster,” he said the government has had to reprioritize its directions and tried to mitigate the effects it had on people’s lives. The President also credited the success the nation achieved in controlling the spread of the virus to the cooperation it received from the people.