Muizzu links a debt-free future to Maldivian independence on Victory Day
Speaking at the Victory Day ceremony in Malé on 3 November 2026, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu urged the Maldives to free itself from debt and secure economic independence, the President's Office said.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu urged the Maldives to shed its debt burden and win economic independence, in a Victory Day address at Republic Square, Malé, on the night of 3 November 2026.
According to the President's Office, he likened the pursuit of economic freedom to the country's armed liberation from subjugation.
Remembering 3 November 1988
The President honoured the martyrs who defended the country on 3 November 1988 and paid tribute to their sacrifice. Thirty-eight years on from that aggression, he observed, two new generations have come of age without having witnessed it. He said the nation owes its young people a secure national independence, economic self-sufficiency and lasting sovereignty.
The case for economic independence
Economic independence, the President argued, is essential to a self-sufficient, prosperous and happy society. In his view, the country's language, religion and way of life can be protected only if the economy does not force the Maldives to rely on others.
He pointed to work by the Government to:
- move the country away from the risk of bankruptcy
- halt irresponsible monetary expansion
- pay down State debt
He described transformative reform of public finances as necessary to protect the nation's nationhood, independence and sovereignty, and pledged to build a prosperous, self-sufficient State placing equal weight on spiritual and material development.
Defence and the National Service Programme
On security, the President said foreign military personnel have left the Maldives, international work to recover lost maritime territory is under way, and the Maldives National Defence Force is quickly building up its capabilities.
He also cited the National Service Programme, set up to develop young people with a strong national outlook. Over 1,000 young people have been trained under the programme, and many have since joined the workforce, he said.
Closing appeal
The President said his decisions would be driven by the goal of reviving Maldivian national values and protecting the country's independence. He urged citizens to put national loyalty and the common good ahead of political feeling and personal interest, and to work together for a prosperous, self-sufficient Maldives free of debt.
