Local Actor Ali Seezan has been appointed as technical advisor to Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture Ahmed Adheeb, reports local media.
According to the President’s Office, Seezan was appointed to the position last Thursday with a salary of MVR 15,000 (US$ 972.76) and an additional allowance of MVR 10,000 (US$ 648.50), a total monthly income of MVR 25,000 (US$1,621.27).
Seezan – who is the nephew of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik – has won National Film Awards and Maldives Film Association Award twice and is a member of business tycoon and MP Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree Party (JP).
He has recently been seen attending President Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP) rallies.
Minister Adheeb – who was recently pictured in the media with an infamous pair of Armenian brothers linked with drug trafficking, money laundering, raids on media outlets and other serious crimes in Kenya – told local newspaper Haveeru that he had no role in the appointment of Seezan.
According to statistics obtained by local media outlet Sun Online, the government is spending MVR 5 million (US$325,000) a month on 136 political appointees, approximately US$4 million a year.
The monthly spend includes 19 Minister-level posts at MVR 57,500 (US$3730), 42 State Ministers (MVR 40,000-45,000, US$2600-2900), 58 Deputy Ministers (MVR 35,000, US$2250), five Deputy Under-Secretaries (MVR 30,000, US$1950) and 10 advisors to ministers (MVR 25,000, US$1620).
President Mohamed Waheed is officially paid (MVR 100,000, US$6500) a month, Vice President Waheed Deen (MVR 75,000, US$4850).
Waheed’s Special Advisor Hassan Saeed, the Chancellor of the National University and the Controller of Immigration are paid at ministerial level.
The country’s 77 MPs are meanwhile paid a base salary of MVR 42,500 (US$2,750) per month, a further MVR 20,000 (US$1,300) per month in allowances for phone, travel, and living expenses, and a further MVR 20,000 in committee allowances.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has meanwhile criticised President Mohamed Waheed for appointing family members and activists “who took part in the coup that ousted the democratically elected president.”
President Waheed’s Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP) was earlier accused of offering illegitimate inducements to join his party to people ranging from youths to employees of government companies, in a bid to shore up the party’s membership base ahead of parliament’s dissolution of parties with less than 10,000 members.
In October 2012, a number of young people came forward and alleged to Minivan News that they were offered government positions, promotions, jobs with salaries of more than MVR 10,000 (US$650) a month, music equipment and even hosted parties, if they joined GIP.
GIP Secretary General Ahmed Mushrif dismissed the allegations at the time as an “outright lie”, and said that the party from its formation had never attempted to add members illegally.
A young Maldivian working in the tourism sector told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that a parliament member and prominent figure in the industry had called him and asked him to sign with GIP “as a favor”.
“He told me that in return for me joining the party, I would be rewarded with a position in the current government that I could never have even imagined. He further tried to convince me that all I needed to do was join the party – I could vote for anybody I wanted,” he said.
Another person who has worked in the civil service for the last 15 years told Minivan News that he was contacted by GIP with a promise that he would “easily be promoted” to a supervisor level job if he joined the party.
“A GIP member called me and told me that I could easily get promoted to supervisor level if I left my current party and joined GIP. Even though I am not an active MDP member I said I would think about it, but later did not respond to his calls,” the civil servant said.
A third person – aged 20 – claimed that he and his group of friends aged around 18 to 22 were approached by GIP through a friend and were invited to the party’s office where they were received by the party’s Deputy Leader and the former Maldives High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mohamed ‘Nazaki’ Zaki.
“When we arrived we were received by ‘Nazaki’ Zaki and treated with pizza. He said that in return for joining GIP, he would offer each of us a job with a salary not less than MVR 10,000, but asked us not to question where the jobs would be allocated from,” the youngster claimed.
Apart from the job, the source alleged that Zaki had offered him and his friends “music equipment and a place to play for free” to those among them who wished to play music. He added that the group were also promised various entertainment activities such as “hosted shows and parties”.
“They asked us to join the party and work in the party’s youth wing,” the source said.
When they asked what they were supposed to do as members of the party’s youth wing, the source said Zaki had told them that their main task would be to increase the party’s membership as it was “currently very low”.
At the end of the meeting, the high commissioner reportedly suggested the holding of a party event that would be fully funded by GIP.
“They said we should all party sometime. Maybe they said that because we had long hair and looked stylish,” the source suggested.
Download a ‘Who’s Who’ spreadsheet of Dr Waheed’s ministerial appointees (English)
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"A young Maldivian working in the tourism sector told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that a parliament member and prominent figure in the industry had called him and asked him to sign with GIP “as a favor”."
Why would they asked him to the party in then first place ? If this guy have been a prominent figure, then he would have been picked by some political party long before this and he would have been in very senior position within the ministry.
The fact the guy is still working in middle level is prove that this is mere lame lies and not true at all.
This is usual fabrication of story by Minivan to promote Nasheed.
is he a Doctor too? of what?
I just cant think of ANYTHING technical that he will be better than, or even close to the educated kids who are crying for a job.
Either Adheeb is gay or someone else is wringing his arm!!!
1600 sounds about right for a low-life such as this guy. It's funny how these muslim politicians suggest people party one day, and call for flogging and stoning the next.
Such is the state of neanderthals living in mordis.
@Kuribee
"The fact the guy is still working in middle level is prove that this is mere lame lies and not true at all."
Excellent work, Sherlock!
What would Adhaalath and their sympathisers "human being" and "Shimee" say? Maybe his job is like one of those wine-boy Ganymedes of the Islamic Paradise - to dance to Adheeb's tune and keep the masses intoxicated while Waheed and co. bleed the treasury dry.
@ athiests above..
Please...! What has this got to do with Adhaalath and stoning and neanderthals islam etc. You guys must be repeating this like a mantra even at sleep.
Seeson is not from adhaalath party, he is just a normal entertainer who got in to politics. Why is it not ok for him to be in politics but Reeko to be in politics? Had he signed to MDP he would have been praised by this atheist gang. Have always suspected these athiest nutters have screws loose in head. But you guys are convincing me now...
Favours and aged old techniques of letting a band of kids enjoy access to music instruments and the works plus coffee money etc., etc., is not going to do the job Nazaki Zaki is thinking!
Kids these days are damn too smart to dance to silly gigs of outdated dustbins!
Seezan will know where to squeeze to get what he wants! And will squeeze!
All these kids hold their head high and know what is going on!
They all know the trap they are being lured into.
So they will act with patience, courage and diligence!
Numa, Seezans concubine is to be appointed technical adviser of ministry of gender.....
Yoosey, the comedian soon is becoming adviser to ministry of islamic affairs,
Nasira (the lady with a gadya) is destined to be adviser to home affairs minister on garbage management
Mala (referee) has got a choice of state minister of youth or polygamy adviser
Dhagande (famous footballer) is now ambassador of sports
Oh! Arthur brothers are officially supreme advisers of the government on how to dispose the hundreds of kgs of harsh (under the sea), bullets from various asses and goats, cocaine (from indian cargo boats), thousands of 'oil' packets confiscated from parteys, and brown sugar that has officially replace white sugar in hotas in huvadhoo atoll..
We must support these important figures to move the country forward...and save us from the economical and political disasters created by nasheed.
Thumbs up!
Sexy Seazun is a dangerous lady-boy you see. He may have tasted man-flesh, yet his swords may also taste MDP flesh soon...very soon [he] especially searches for Kula Yjellow flesh I hear...
MDP is a union of inflammatory non-violent 'democrats', with exception to the presidency-man himself. And team. They find unable to register what the enemy camp sought to imply with these juvenile gimmicks .... It notes that they do not register MDP plea's for common-sense and sensible verikann' you see...It notes that great violence remains ahead, because they may be toying with yo fella's clad in yjellow there....and nay not listening to your superior arguments.
What is smarts after all they say. Is it knowing the words of angrezi, dressing eating typing like the white-man only....they ask.,
Fear, the city is rank with it. Advance and lay all to waste to it all pls.
The power of a cave man book versus the power of 'education. so it shall be...
even a phd holder may feign broken language wen in the company of such refined folk (lol).. nd y not? hmm
Being in politics, signing up for a party and getting elected to a political position is different from........(Here it comes)
Being appointed by Adheeba. Or shall I say virtually bribed?
Since Waheed's govt is aligned to Adhaalath, AP's views on this matter would be interesting, after all they'd like everyone to think that they have the last say in all things Islamic. While they're at it, a comment on Fidha Waheed's Kali Ma speech would be great too. 🙂
Of course this is wrong, however, it should be pointed out that president nasheeds government was run in this manner.....there were both paid and unpaid advisors....particularly powerful people included Bodu Sappe who was controlling major decisions/ projects at national level... Without them being evaluated in a fair and transparent manner
Never under estimate people. Adverb also started as a clothes model for Escap Shop. Now is a minister.
Seazun cannot be less 'refined' than most political apointees today. Compare like with like
It's ok to be gay