On Thursday night, former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom claimed that the government is just now creating the necessary legislation even though it already signed the agreement for the Rasmalé project, asserting that the project does not adhere to the current legal framework.

During one of the series of town hall meetings arranged by the PNF, Yameen noted that Home Minister Ali Ihusaan and Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib could not offer the community a reasonable justification for the Rasmalé project.

Yameen additionally contended that if the government is advancing the Rasmalé project by bypassing established state protocols through specific interpretations of the Constitution, it is essentially weakening the Constitution’s own authority.

He stressed that the constitutional amendment enacted during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's term, which bars foreign entities from owning Maldivian land, is still in effect.

Yameen was believed to be alluding to Article 251 of the Constitution, which states that no portion of Maldivian territory can be surrendered to a foreign entity. The article specifies that any section of the Maldives can only be leased or otherwise given to a foreign entity for a maximum duration of 99 years.

Yameen also highlighted comments by Muthalib regarding the necessity of enacting particular legislation to enable the provision of 500 hectares of land in Rasmalé to Eagle Hills.

"They are establishing the law after finalizing the issue and signing the contract; hence, it is clear that this is not proceeding within a legal structure," he remarked.