President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has asserted that he has not derived any personal benefit during his presidency.
Speaking at a campaign event held in Male', Maafannu on Monday night, President Solih said although some accuse him of corruption, he has never misappropriated state funds for personal gain. He openly challenged those making allegations of corruption to present any evidence to the relevant authorities for a thorough investigation.
"You are welcome to initiate an investigation the very day I conclude my presidency. I can guarantee that there will be no basis for accusing me of any wrongdoing," he said.
The president said the government formulates and implements policies in consultation with all relevant stakeholders in such a way that it benefits all citizens of the Maldives. The President then said that if he lost the presidential election, the Maldives would go bankrupt.
“We are stabilizing the economy knowing that there are two sides to a coin,” he said.
President Solih further said the government's foreign policy has made it easy to raise funds from foreign countries and financial institutions. Despite criticism from the opposition, the President emphasized that the funds are extended to the Maldives because the lenders have confidence in the government's capabilities.
Encouraging his supporters, President Solih said he was confident of winning the final round of the presidential election. In response to criticisms from rivals regarding the unexpected surge in voter re-registrations for the second round, President Solih said many of these applicants were recruited by the main-ruling MDP, as a significant number of them did not vote in the first round for various reasons.
