A total of Rf1.3 million (US$84,300) was spent on healthcare costs for former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his wife from 2010 to April this year, MP Ahmed Hamza of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) revealed at parliament’s Finance Committee meeting yesterday.
The MP for Bilehdhoo revealed the figures during committee deliberations on a request by the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to establish rules and guidelines for covering health expenses for former presidents and their spouses.
According to the Finance Ministry, Rf302,560 (US$19,621) was spent for the Gayooms’ healthcare in 2010, Rf713,803 (US$46,290) in 2011 and Rf298,572 (US$19,363) so far this year.
Article 7 of the Protection and Privileges for Former Presidents Act (Dhivehi) – the first piece of legislation passed by the then-opposition majority parliament after convening in May 2009 – stipulates that healthcare for ex-presidents and their spouses either in the Maldives or overseas shall be provided by the state.
The law however does not set any limits to the health expenses to be borne by the state.
In addition to healthcare costs, Rf3.86 million (US$250,324) was spent on the former president’s office in 2010, Rf2.1 million (US$136,187) in 2011 and Rf700,000 (US$45,396) as of April this year.
Local media reported that following discussions at the Finance Committee yesterday, MPs decided to recommend that the Finance Ministry purchase a health insurance package for former presidents.
MP Hamza suggested offering an insurance package similar to those provided to retired high-ranking officials at the United Nations.
MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem of Gayoom’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) reportedly insisted that the package should cover all forms of treatment to be in compliance with article 7 of the Protection and Privileges Act.
However, most MPs concurred that there should be a ceiling limit for healthcare costs for former presidents.
The legislation on protection and privileges for ex-presidents was required under article 128 of the constitution, which states, “A person who has served in the office of president, serving his term of office lawfully without committing any offence, shall be entitled to the highest honour, dignity, protection, financial privileges and other privileges entitled to a person who has served in the highest office of the land. Such protection and privileges shall be specified in law.”
“Unreasonable”
Prior to the passage of the Act in October 2009, MPs of the then-ruling MDP denounced the monetary benefits in the draft legislation as excessive and “unreasonable.”
The bill stipulated a monthly allowance of Rf75,000 (US$6,000) in addition to Rf50,000 (US$4,000) for housing and Rf175,000 (US$14,000) for staff and office space.
The ruling party said at the time that the total figure would shoot up once the cost of health, transportation and security was taken into account, estimating that a total of Rf3 million (US$233,000) would be spent a month on former President Gayoom.
MDP MP for Hithadhoo North, Mohamed Aslam, observed that ex-presidents would be allowed to seek medical care anywhere in the world at the state’s expense.
“The benefits are too high as Rf300,000 (US$19,450) a month for someone who has retired is beyond reasonable expectations,” Aslam had argued. “Also, the government is in a financial crisis and it will be difficult to pay such a huge amount.”
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Dear Naish,
state has already spent MRF3million on Nasheed since 07 feb benefits/entitlements/inaayath. His wife Laila still gets to take SPG bodyguards to WHO workshops on state expenses!!!!!
@faxu don't invent figures from thin air. MRf 3 million since feb 7th!! that is Mrf 20,000 a day to date on Nasheed?
use logic when u try to deceive people to protect immortal maumoon n his mounting hospital bills.
"Finance Committee", Members of Parliament, why are you letting governments do this to us?
This guy is raping us!
Stop this at once!
Hand him over to Dhivehi Hanguraama!
These healthcare benefits to public office holders should be scrapped. They should only be entitled to whatever healthcare benefits the state can provide to any other Maldivian. Nothing more and nothing less.
Maumoon is transplanting every organ in his body with new organs.
Who foots the bill every time Nasheed travels abroad? Those figures are quite believable.
The legislation on protection and privileges for ex-presidents was required under article 128 of the constitution, which states, “A person who has served in the office of president, serving his term of office lawfully without committing any offence, shall be entitled to the highest honour, dignity, protection, financial privileges and other privileges entitled to a person who has served in the highest office of the land. Such protection and privileges shall be specified in law.”
According to the majority of people, no president has served term of office lawfully in the history of the Maldives...so MPs should not waste their valuable time in such issues as there are Top Urgent bills to be passed as the country is going towards a BLOODBATH even if the MPs don't feel or understand it....influential MPs like businessmen and heads of Political Parties are seen backing the Street Boys who kills or attempts to kill people on the roads and Parks
This is not a question of who foots the bill when Nasheed or Maumoon does this or that.
This is about the rape of a nation unjustly.
@ Impartial Comments. Get your mind together.
You may compare as much as you like and support who ever you may want.
But be reasonable when this kind or rape is concerned.
I would think if you compare Gayyoom's expenses and Nasheed's expenses while they were in office and compare it systematically,
you can see the difference between these two!
Just be the better judge before commenting over such an issue like this.
Should you not be a beneficiary of Gayyoom, you will feel the difference and effect.
The past presidents are becoming a financial threat to the economy, in addition to the political instability to the nation.
How can we save the country from them? It is worse than Portuguese occupation, at least they are not each others throats everyday.
Maumoon is an old man. The older he gets, the more medical care he will need. Geriatric care these days are not cheap. So his bills are not going to get any lower; in fact they will rise.
There has to be a limit to the medical bill. But one cannot blame Maumoon for needing geriatric care. . He already has dementia. Soon he would need hip replacement, will have osteoporosis, incontinence, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Arthritis, the whole gamut of elderly ailments. Can the people of Maldives afford to foot this bill? I think not.
Maummon lives on public money. Then public has the right to know how whether the money is not wasted on expensive face lifts and makeovers.
Past presidents health ailments should be transparent to who ever who needs it in the public because it is our money.
Women are emotional creatures and a large percentage of Amnesty workers are women or effeminate men. It is to be expected that they will not always like the measures we rely on to preserve stability and virtue. Measures that sometimes entails the use of threat and force.
Nonetheless, what is effective is effective. This is not the time for us to begin questioning authority. Our leaders and police are accountable to God, not to us.
To believe otherwise is to invite rebellion and anarchy, and that we cannot afford. Not at this juncture in which the resources of our police forces are stretched so thin.
Right now, some among the MalDeviant Democratic Party have become highly adept in the dark arts - and sorcery is not to be taken lightly, for it poses a unique challenge to the criminal justice system.
If done properly it will leave no forensic trail and the perpetrator is guaranteed secrecy. Hence the incidence of this crime has risen spectacularly in recent weeks.
Sin and debauchery amongst our youth has also multiplied greatly and our policeman must also tend to this with all the vigor and alacrity their station demands of them. For the fruits of promiscuity, prostitution and harlotry are more harlot women and more MalDeviant men.
The logistical impact of this is immense, as there are not enough policeman as there are sinners and deviants. Force is what allows them to compensate for this deficiency.
If anything our policemen should be even less lenient. I admire their patience greatly. I would have garrotted half my family by now.
I have information that Maumoon is turning himself into a cyborg using state funds. he will be invincible in robot form. maumoon the 1.3million rufiyaa man
@ Bondibai Jameel.
If What you said was true, then he won't be Maumoon any more . He will be Frankstain. Too bad for PPM.
While PPM are trying to stop or limit Aasandha and ordinary people are dying of curable diseases. Maumoon is having the all the luxuries money could buy. All this because he gets the pension money for being the tyrant dictator and Bodu Vagu of Maldives for 30 years.
I agree. Keep him alive.
...why? You can't interrogate a corpse.