Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has sharply criticized the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), accusing the party of paying people to attend its upcoming rally and manipulating state resources for political gain.

Speaking at a People’s National Front (PNF) campaign site gathering on Monday night, Yameen questioned the funding behind PNC’s heavily promoted mass rally and dismissed claims that the event would demonstrate the party’s popularity.

The former president argued that widespread reports and social media discussions have revealed that individuals are being paid and provided accommodation to travel to the capital Malé City for the gathering, adding that the public has ridiculed the government for resorting to such tactics.

Yameen condemned what he described as the arrogance and pride of the current administration, suggesting that a truly strong political movement would not need to “make noise” to prove its strength.

He challenged PNC to mobilize supporters from the Greater Malé Region (GMR) alone if its grassroots base was as large as claimed.

The former president further alleged that employees of government offices and state-owned enterprises are being pressured to attend the rally, asserting that only the naive would believe the public is unaware of these coercive measures.

Continuing his criticism, Yameen accused the government of redistributing several major development projects, valued at approximately MVR 2.8 billion, to benefit political allies. He claimed that projects nearing completion have been reassigned without collecting acquisition fees, suggesting deliberate misuse of public funds and authority for political favoritism.