The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen has told the population of Kudahuvadhoo that development is “pointless if people can’t relax.”
“The end result of all this effort, of constructing harbours, and sending our children to school, should be to ensure that people can relax and live in peace, happiness and freedom. Otherwise there’s no point in doing all this,” Yameen was reported as saying during a campaign rally.
The PPM candidate is also said to have urged voters to say no to politicians who disturb the peace and make unrealistic promises.
Yameen’s comments echo his prior argument that the worst kind of extremism in the Maldives is the encroachment on other people’s rights.
The comments follow the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) pledge to implement 137 development projects worth MVR 30 billion (US$1.9 billion) over five years by the PPM’s primary opponent.
In the party’s detailed ‘Costed and Budgeted’ manifesto, former President – and current candidate – Mohamed Nasheed explained that the manifesto included 51,000 job opportunities, a savings scheme for higher education, a student loan scheme, a MVR2000 (US$129) allowance for every single parent and person with special needs, and an allowance of MVR2300 (US$149) for the elderly.
Nasheed also pointed out the importance of introducing a development bank in the Maldives.
“Take a look, this manifesto will not contain even a single policy which has not been accounted for. Even if we are asked to submit a budget to the parliament by tomorrow, we are ready to do so,” Nasheed told a crowd of 8,000 on Saturday (August 24).
The current government’s – of which the PPM is a partner – decided to suspend development projects this year after the state was found to have exhausted its annual budget for recurrent expenditure (including salaries, allowances and administration costs) in the first quarter of 2013.
President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan has blamed the current economic situation on the excesses of the Nasheed government.
The decision was made in same month that currency reserves in the Maldives were found to have “dwindled to critical levels”, according to the World Bank’s biannual South Asia Economic Focus report.
Criticisms made by Yameen in Kudahuvadhoo were also addressed at the MDP rally earlier in the week, with Nasheed railing against politicians who campaign by promising gifts to certain individuals and communities.
Jumhoree Party (JP) candidate Ibrahim Gasim has come under fire from both the MDP and the PPM this week, with PPM spokesman Ahmed Nihan describing the JP’s campaign as effectively “dumping money” in certain parts of the country.
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom also travelled to Kudahuvadhoo as the campaign entered its final ten days. The PPM leader told the island’s people that the “shattered” economy could only be mended by his half-brother Yameen.
“Our economy is seriously damaged and destroyed. This is not the way it should be, and this is not how it was before either,” said Gayoom.
After succeeding Gayoom, Nasheed was said to have inherited “the most challenging macroeconomic situation of all democratic transitions that have occurred since 1956”, according to the World Bank.
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“The end result of all this effort, of constructing harbours, and sending our children to school, should be to ensure that people can relax and live in peace, happiness and freedom. Otherwise there’s no point in doing all this,” Yameen was reported as saying.
Yameen is talking bollocks as usual. You don't have to build a harbour or send a child to school to relax or to live in peace. Just look at various tribal populations all over the world. They have never heard of a harbour or school, but live in perfect harmony with nature and by all accounts are much more relaxed than any of our modern societies.
The key question is: Was there peace, happiness and were people relaxed last time Yameen and his brother ran the country like their own private enterprise for 30 years?
Very hypocritical for these people to talk of peace and freedom when there is neither in their political ideology.
Only me = stability
Others = chaos.
Unfortunately this is the classic argument of all dictators from Saddam, Hugo Chaves, Castro, Putin etc..
He and his people had 30 years to all that. Bit late now
In Yameen’s view extremism is encroachment on other people’s right…..?. Sounds like the guy doesn’t like to be watched and criticized. This is wake up call for media freedom. This guy never liked to live with media focusing on him and doesn’t have tolerance for criticism. If you want be a public servant, you must have tolerance to cope with your enemies, don’t dream to repeat 30 years of egoistic maniac rule. Just chill out and stay out of politics if you think you can’t handle critics , we will bombard you if you ever get in to the seat we are not electing you to rule us, you are getting vote to serve the people. You don’t seem to be on the right track with that supremacist mentality. We are now in Aneh Dhivehi Rajje, we don’t live flattering, and glorifying people like you. If you don’t have guts to face people then sit behind, you are not special. Yes we want peace but not at the expense of freedom
This from the man who doesn't want religious freedom in the country and is shocked when countries legalise gay sex. LOL!
Do we need to return to the 30 year rule?
There is a clear choice for maldivians on 7th september.
@maama... Precisely, weel said.
Yameen's ONLY policy is his own NEED TO BE FEARED! He'll destroy anybody, every value, every heart, to achieve that objective.
When Yameen says PEACE, he means it in the same sense Hobbes meant it. That is to say that when he says PEACE, he really means FEAR through violent subjugation.
Fear can give the external impression of PEACE, but it is an illusion of peace only, not true peace.
Sadly, THAT is the only so called "PEACE" the greedy care about, the security of their capital and resources at the expense of the brutal trauma of the people.
Within the minds of the "peaceful masses" meanwhile, there is anything BUT peace. The masses will be traumatised within by terror, agonised by anxiety.
FEAR is not PEACE Yameen.
There is NO TRUE PEACE without SOCIAL JUSTICE.
Welfare programs and political rhetoric aside - I think we all need to take Yameen's advice and relax.
An elections is not the end. A couple more down the line and we will start to see it as the hum-drum exercise it is. No political party can accommodate the wishes and needs of every activist and supporter in their midst. So parties will need to change their current tactic of giving handouts to the every Talib, Dawood and Haroon from the public treasury. Once this realization sets in and once activists realize the pointlessness of getting emotional and overly charged-up about who comes into power then the only people who will feel any real pressure will be the guys at the top who are the only persons that are accountable to their financiers and overlords for their success at the polls. On that day, and only on that day, will the Maldives see real peace.
I myself believe that a healthy debate and the occasional participation in campaign rallies is as far as the average person should get involved in the struggles between the ruling parties. We are not soldiers in an army. We are but spectators in a cyclical spectacle.
Whatever happens we will still have to work for a living, worry about our finances and our children, and try to get by. For the average voter the difference between Yameen, Waheed, Nasheed or Qasim is minimal. All of them would do the same thing to court the masses - that is hand out welfare and hold self-aggrandizing ceremonies to commemorate the establishment of basic infrastructure/services. I say this based on Nasheed and Maumoon's overall performance. It remains to be seen whether Yameen, Waheed, Qasim or anyone else that we see fit to elect does any different.
@tsk tsk... "...average person..." ???
So if we are not an elitist Be'Fulhu GOD like yourself we should re-learn our Divinely Ordained role in society as beggars?
Well, please do forgive our blasphemous desire for freedom Oh Lord.
We humbly resume our place at your Holy Feet and Beseech THY Mercy with the most self degrading sacrifice of self contempt we can offer, THY LORD!
No wonder we feel like we need to behave like.. "soldiers..."
@tsk tsk
There is a difference between a political party and a mafia clan.
Can't say you have honed your skills in sophistry all that much during your hiatus.
Try harder.