Abdul Raheem Abdulla, the acting leader of the opposition alliance has accused India of assisting the then-opposition in "stealing" the 2018 presidential elections.

PPM and the People's National Congress (PNC) make up the present opposition, yet it was the PNC's leader who made this assertion during a PPM event on Friday night.

Abdel-Raheem added that the current coalition administration had tarnished institutions and discredited "values from our forefathers" such as respecting and obeying leaders.

Also speaking at Friday's protest was Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, who campaigned as Yameen's running mate in 2013 and served as the administration's first vice president until his impeachment by the People's Majlis in 2015.

Speaking at the gathering, Dr Jameel stated that, Yameen, who was convicted of laundering USD one million through the state-run Maldives and Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) during his presidency, is now a political prisoner, and MMPRC embezzled cash were brought in suitcases by numerous people, he said, and now they're sitting at home.

Jameel said that the present PPM-PNC opposition is the “strongest,” owing to the fact that it is led by the “most capable and dynamic leader,” former President Abdullah Abdullah.

Jameel joined the current ruling coalition after his 2015 impeachment, but he returned to PPM last year and is now part of Yameen's defence team.