President Waheed hands flats to ‘top 50’ police, promises more

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has expressed hope that more housing will be made exclusively available for police and military officers, while speaking at a ceremony to hand over 50 flats on Hulhumale’ to law enforcement officials yesterday (August 2).

Speaking at last night’s ceremony in Male’, the president said the whole nation should recognise the role that the police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) played towards maintaining law, order and national security. He also called on officers to “uphold the constitution” and help ensure a peaceful election next month.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) meanwhile has raised concerns whether the 50 flats – which it contends forms part of the “Veshi Fahi” Male’ (decongestion) project launched under the previous government in 2011 – were being given to the “needy” and most deserving.

Since President Waheed’s government came to power during the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012, which followed a mutiny by sections of the police and military, more than 1000 officers have been promoted, while 110 new police officers were hired.

A housing scheme was also introduced for police officers, with 300 flats to be constructed in Hulhumale’, arrangements were made for cheap accommodation in Sri Lanka for police officers and their families and a loan scheme was set up for police officers.

According to the President’s Office website, while handing over 50 flats to specially selected officers yesterday, Dr Waheed also praised the majority of police officers who had served the nations for a long period of time under “difficult living conditions”.

He also praised Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz, who took office following a mutiny by certain officers that led to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation in February 2012, for the “developmental achievements” to the institution made during his tenure.

Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that the 50 officers presented with housing were required to undergo an “internal” selection procedure, based on specific criteria outlined by the institution itself.

Haneef explained that all officers who applied for the housing were then judged on a points system using the aforementioned internal criteria, with the “top 50” officers being selected.

“Big concern”, MDP claims

MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said it was “very concerning” that police should be given flats exclusively, to the detriment of teachers, doctors and other civilians. He also questioned how officers themselves had been selected for the process.

“The intention for these flats was for the needy and people who deserved them. This is why these flats were built,” he added.

Ghafoor claimed that while some of the officers may have deserved the housing, which he said had been set aside from the “Veshi Fahi” Male’ program established under the former government, there was concern that some officers involved in last year’s mutiny had been rewarded with flats.

President Waheed awarded the housing days after Commissioner Riyaz declared that police will continue to refuse any orders the deemed “unconstitutional”.  The comments were made as Riyaz expressed concern over leaked proposals for reforming the country’s security forces allegedly devised by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) should it win the upcoming presidential election.

“I don’t want to say anything specifically about something that has been prepared politically or for a political purpose, but we do have a constitution and the MPS is an institution formed by the constitution,” he said, speaking just over a month ahead of the 2013 presidential election.

Proposals in the paper – leaked on social media earlier this month – include transferring the police to the authority of city councils, similar to the system in the US, while providing salaries and allowances of officers through the Local Government Authority (LGA).

The commissioner also rejected the professional capacity of individuals behind the reforms, which he claimed sought to “dismantle” and undermine the large role security services play in the country.

“I’d like to tell the MDP that they should clarify whether it is their policy or not. If it is their policy, it is of great concern. This [police] institution will be very concerned,” he said.

“Politicians should not try to play with this institution. Help this institution develop. Work to make this institution more responsible. To make it operationally accountable. Don’t use political influence to carry out political objectives through this institution.”

Riyaz alleged that certain senior government figures over the last three years had attempted to limit or weaken police in the country through the use of political influence that led to officers “straying from their path”.

He insinuated that police would not allow a similar event to happen again.

The opposition MDP have continued to question the legitimacy of the leaked reform proposals, claiming the party had no knowledge of such a document, despite backing the idea of a ”transitional arrangement” to reform the country’s security forces after last year’s power transfer.

The opposition party continues to maintain that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a “coup d’etat” after being forced to resign from office following a mutiny by sections of the police and military.

The allegations were later rejected by a Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) that ruled that there had been “no coup, no duress and no mutiny”, while also calling for action taken against unlawful acts committed by the country’s security forces following the transfer.

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16 thoughts on “President Waheed hands flats to ‘top 50’ police, promises more”

  1. What about the

    (1) Top 50 doctors.
    (2) Top 50 teachers.
    (3) Top 50 nurses.
    (4) Top 50 midwives.

    Clearly, the regime recognises only one force, the force of the baton.

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  2. These are the acts of a man who is politically on the "death bed" as it were. He is handing out his parting gifts to those who brought him where he is. Nothing more, nothing less.

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  3. Maybe you should setup a new Constitutional Court and appoint Riyaz and Nazim as the Chief Justices, since they seem to be the highest authority on the constitution.

    Bribing the crimminal gangs for protection now, are we? Mr. President this is not Thailand, Bangladesh or Pakistan. No government will survive a strong international advisory against travel, much less sanctions. The coup govenment only survived because of a facade of legitimacy. A clear mandate by the people and your puppet masters are out.

    They had an opportunity, they took it, by joining them, you sold your soul and this is not the end, the devil will be back for more. 50 flats will not cut it, soon you will run out of options.

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  4. The devil is trying very hard to come back as the president . But i doubt that " Fili Nasheed " will get kick out on the first round.

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  5. Let the thugs who attacked us take the flats. When we attack them, having their families in the same place will reduce collateral damage, as they'll be more willing to surrender when they realize that if they fight back, they're putting their families at risk of being collateral damage.

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  6. Well, atleast the people and hopefully the international community can see now that the CONI report was a whitewash and that we did indeed have a coup. Why else reward these people who was so vicious with the supporters of Raees Nasheed?

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  7. Wihile i detest the bagees, and disagree with a dedicated housing scheme for certain professionas, MDP should be honest and admit that dedicated housing for Police was a project approved while MDP was in power.

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  8. We had seen a coup in Egypt recently ? Where was the sitting president now ? Is he freely walking on the streets ?

    If there was a coup in Maldives ? Where was the sitting president at that time ? Is he being put in Jail ?

    If there was a coup in any country, then the sitting president will never be able to walk freely in the country and either will be put behind the bar or will have to take a refuge outside the country.

    In Maldives, Nasheed is freely campaigning in the country and this proves that he had resigned himself and was not a coup.

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  9. Maldivian man, you are wrong. They will not occupy those flats but rent our for a handsome 5 digit figure so you will not be able to attack their family members. Also Waheed will not be here after September as he shall re enact his Waheed go scenario. He shall perish in this life for the treachery he displayed after Prez Nasheed gave him chance to return from wilderness in Afganistan,

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  10. nasheed tried to get the police and military to act outside the constitution.when they refused he resigned and claimed he was forced to resign at gunpoint. this is not a coup.coni had international observers

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  11. This is expected.

    MDP MP's wanted all housing schemes they did, to be allocated to their party.

    Anni ran a hare-brained medical scheme, which was a failure from the beginning. Patients literally forcing the doctors to perform unnecessary procedures.

    I don't blame BMW on this one. Every single president we have had, spends more than half his time, trying to devise means and methods to hold on to power and literally less than 5% thinking about the general public.

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  12. Considering the fact that 30 million dollars was spent to secure the cuop, what these law enforcement officials are getting peanuts. Perhaps they would be happy enough to eat the crumbs leftover from BMW's table?

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  13. Wow this blatant corruption. It's not even random draw, but to whom Riyaz considers top police officers.

    Just amazing isn't it.

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