The Midnight Caller: Mashi Maali parade mocks the order it wasn't supposed to mention

Weeks after the Criminal Court issued a sweeping order barring anyone from discussing Adhadhu's "Aisha" documentary – and jailed two of the outlet's journalists for testing it – the annual parade turned the allegations of sexual misconduct against President Dr Mohamed Muizzu into street theatre.

The "L Sofa" – a piece of furniture central to the documentary's allegations that has since become a fixture at opposition protests – recurred across several floats in a range of variations, alongside a "Second Wedding Feast" and a character billed as "The Midnight Caller" as the protest carnival the parade has become rolled down the northern island's main road.

The post-Eid al-Adha tradition has grown into a national spectacle, offering biting political commentary on broken promises and bureaucratic blunders. Ahead of this year's rally, however, the Kulhudhuffushi city council put out guidelines prohibiting the use of photos or names and reminding individuals to bear responsibility for their own floats.

"Emanjege Phone" (That Girl's Phone) catalogued mock reasons for the 58 calls the president is alleged to have made to a former staffer. They included “to check if the kid has been put to bed, to see if you can come over tonight, if you’ve put on your nighties.”

A performers paid tribute to Adhadhu's Leevan Ali Nasir, who was jailed for 10 days after reporting the release of the gag order. 

Chief government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said on Facebook that he considered becoming a meme in the Maali parade "a medal," calling it "the height of notoriety in Maldives." His float invited opponents to "come and debate." 

One float took on the military's "lousy" handling of the Vaavu cave-diving recovery in which a Coast Guard diver died, referencing the "Fiko chamber" (deco chamber) and assistance from Western countries.

The recent alliance of former presidents Abdulla Yameen, Mohamed Nasheed and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih – convened in opposition to Muizzu and in defence of press freedom – drew two floats of its own, one staging "three thieves" around a round table, plotting their way back to power.

Other floats channelled local frustrations, targeting failed policies, broken pledges and the now-customary U-turns. Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, the main referral centre for the three northern atolls, was captioned "we'll tell you when to be sick," "closed today," "go back to your island." 

The city's two members of parliament came under fire alongside the "white shirts," a swipe at political appointees who secured senior posts through the two ruling-party MPs.

"Bingaa" (foundation) marked stalled projects launched by Muizzu. His administration's poor showing in April's council results was represented as a bar chart and a row of yellow chairs with a single blue one dragged behind.

A suitcase of dollars carried a sign insisting the black market dollar rate "won't climb."