Former President Mohamed Nasheed has called for a nationwide pause on infrastructure development projects over the next four years, emphasizing the need for fiscal restraint and economic recovery.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) today, Nasheed said it is crucial to halt all infrastructure works currently undertaken under the banner of development, arguing that such projects often lead to increased debt rather than genuine progress.

Nasheed wrote that the slogan for the upcoming elections should be ‘Let’s pause for now,’ and the next president should pledge to slow down.

He added that true prosperity lies in achieving a budget surplus, noting that reducing public debt is key to ensuring long-term national stability.

Nasheed expressed confidence that Maldivians are “knowledgeable and aware” and will understand the need for fiscal caution.

Nasheed’s comments come a day after he criticized the government’s approach to airport expansion, stating that building airports in close proximity to one another was economically unsound and would impose unnecessary financial burdens on the national airline.