The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has said it expects to release its full manifesto both in print and online in the next 48 hours.
After the party yesterday (August 30) unveiled its economic policy, PPM Youth Wing President Dhunya Maumoon was quoted as saying that a full manifesto document would be available to the public in the next “couple of days”, according to local newspaper Haveeru.
PPM Presidential Candidate Abdulla Yameen is the last individual contesting the election on September 7 not to have launched his full manifesto.
His rivals; MP Gasim Ibrahim of the Jumhoree Party (JP); President Dr Waheed – standing as an independent – and former President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have all released blueprints for their respective plans if elected to office.
Yameen – half brother of former autocratic President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – has this week nonetheless detailed key factors of the PPM’s economic policy should he become head of state.
According to Sun Online, the policy will include attempts to lower current interest rates on loans for develop tourism or fisheries businesses. He expressed concern that while interest on loans was offered by the country’s banks at a rate between 10 to 12 percent, members of public with savings in these same banks were receiving between three to four percent of their deposited funds.
Yameen was quoted pledging to try and curb the difference between the costs associated with borrowing and saving in the Maldives in line with other countries.
Current tourism Minister and PPM Deputy Leader Ahmed Adheeb also helped unveil the party’s economic policy, pledging to oversee “serious changes” to the country’s economy at macro-level.
According to Sun Online, Adheeb unveiled the party’s plan to launch ‘economic regions’, while also showing videos detailing several harbour constructions and a proposal for an airport in Kulhudhuffushi.
Minister Adheeb was not responding to calls at time of press, while Minivan News was awaiting a response from PPM MP Ahmed Nihan concerning the party’s manifesto launch.
Despite holding the largest number of MPs of any party serving in President Waheed’s coalition government, PPM Leader former President Gayoom earlier this week expressed concern that the Maldivian economy had been “seriously damaged and destroyed”.
He argued that Yameen was the only presidential candidate with the required experience to bring economic stability to the country.
JP manifesto
Speaking during the launch of its own manifesto earlier this month, the JP, led by business tycoon and MP Gasim Ibrahim, claimed it expected to finish above the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in the first round of the upcoming presidential election, before securing a second round victory.
JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal has said the party’s manifesto included a pledge for a ‘holistic’ approach to taxation, promising to introduce income and capital gains tax, and increase taxation of the wealthy.
This would include reducing the 60-70 percent of national income devoted to recurrent expenditure to 40 percent, by investing in local infrastructure and raising revenue through the private sector.
The JP has also launched a ‘Religion and Nationalism’ policy, pledging to strengthen Islam in the Maldives, including the establishment of an Islamic University, introducing Arabic as a teaching medium, strengthening relations and donor ties with other Islamic nations, and making the Quran a mandatory school subject.
Forward with the nation coalition
Meanwhile, President Mohamed Waheed’s ‘forward with the nation’ coalition, which claims to have been the first party to fully outline its election plan after rolling out its policies in July and early August – has outlined four key campaign focuses based around Islam, social protection, education and environment.
Among the incumbent’s pledges are plans to establish “floating hospitals” in the north and south of the country, a 50 percent reduction in household energy bills, opportunities for empowering women along with the provision of social protection and education and vocational training for Maldivians up to 18 years of age.
MDP manifesto ‘Costed and budgeted’
The opposition MDP has published what it calls a ‘Costed and Budgeted’ manifesto, including plans to establish 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.
Former President Nasheed also pointed out the importance of introducing a development bank in the Maldives during a rally to launch the full document on August 24.
“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,” he said during the launch.
The party has separately unveiled policies based around expanding mid-market tourism through focusing on supporting guesthouses on inhabited islands, and a specific youth development plan focused on sports and entertainment.
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It will go back to the old brutal dictatorship if this man wins!
This is why politics in the Maldives are considered a joke by the rest of the world.
7 days before an election and they decide to release their manifesto. This should have been published months ago so that people know what they are voting for and can raise questions with their MP as to what this actually stand for.
How can MPs campaign for a party if they don't know what is intended if they are elected. Remember people you are not voting for a person, you are voting for party policies that shape your future of the whole country, not just what your local MP has promised, which may not appear in the manifest.
We already know what the PPM's manifesto is.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/1236989_543541622360043_319294680_n.jpg
The people of Maldives made slaves to the whims of the Maumoon 'golhaaboa' gang. Forced to bow before the so-called 'god king'. Kept in backward ignorance, suffering abject poverty and injustice.
The 11th hour is not the time to release the manifesto when you are running for high office. This is a sign of poor leadership and mismanagement.
The READINESS of Manifestos corresponds to the competence of the candidates to govern.
Its hard to imagine what PPM did all these days, if they cannot come up with their plan.
Besides, an economic manifesto will be incomplete if everything else is not complete, because all the programs depend on economic polices.
Therefore, it is now reasonable to assume that PPM Manifesto would be just a fairy tale.
PPM does not represent a "party". It's a family business. If anyone needed confirmation, this "manifesto" is the proof you need. I've never heard of a political party anywhere in the world that comes up with a manifesto 7 days before an election!
Their campaign is based on a single premise: the 30 year dictatorship and a continuation of that legacy by the Gayyoom family. Outsiders such as Bondibaiy Jameel are sacrificial pawns ready for slaughter at a moments notice. Just ask Umar Naseer!
I'm not sure why they are even bothering with a "manifesto". Their arrogance and the belief that people will still side with old dictator meant they thought they were above this "manifesto" business.
Do read the article about the Maldives in this weeks issue of The Economist.
The larger world is watching - rather unimpressed..
Lest we forget. No return to the past, please.
People are voting for the person in a presidential system not for the party.
The best two people in this election is Dr. Waheed and yameen.
Nasheed is a worst of them all and he is proven dictator .
MDP manifesto is with just arbitrary figures and it has not addressed how the income will be generated and it has only highlighted how the money will be spend.
Anyone can write any figure and then fool the people but MDP had failed to mentioned how they will earn the money.
Since there are very little assets left to sold, there is nothing much to sell to get some money too.
Nasheed promised to bring 300 million dollars from europe within 30 days of his presidency , but never was able to get 300 million even in 3 years.
Nasheed said that he will run the country with one resort and a laptop, but the guy screwed the whole economy within 3 years.
Nasheed managed to robbed this country in 3 years much more than what Gayyoom was able to do in 30 years.
Nasheed managed to make the country debt to 32 billion in just 3 years where as the country'r debt was only 9 billion when Nasheed took over the office.
We are not stupid to believe this idiot and we know that the guy could not even managed his family business and had made to go bankrupt within just few years of taking over the business.
A guy who could not managed his own business, how can the guy is able to manage a country.
PPM and other political outfits certainly need outside help to learn the tactics and strategies of campaigning in a democratic multi-party system.
MDP had the benefit of help from the British Conservative Party as well as a creative team of campaigners whose bread and butter was trying to convince the public to latch on to their message way before the new Constitution ushered in the current system.
I think the best bet for all concerned would be to admit that we know very little about this strange new system and try to seek help from experienced persons abroad. Local 'campaign agents' and 'strategists' still rely very much on distributing cash for votes and hiring orators and stand-up comedians to liven up a rally.
@kuribee
You still live in a world that when you do not have control you can lie and repeat the same les until you think evryonr will believe you. Forget evidence, fact, truth etc.. Nasheed's regime made honest mistakes but that was down to the dregs of the dictatorship derailing anything for the gretaer benefit of the country.
Ahmed.
You and yellow fever gangs can write anything here and majority of people will not believe a word.
You will see your GOD gets kicked out on 7th Sept.
kuribee, we know you guys are trying to kill Anni because he had the guts to arrest your 'child porn enabler' ablho.
Yes, you PPM guys even tried to kill Anni after the presidential debate. But we have already infiltrated your gangs, and whatever attempt you do to harm the presidential candidate who cares about us will be neutralized.