Tag: PA

President did not mention corruption and mismanagement in his speech: PA

The minority opposition People’s Alliance Party (PA) led by Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said issued a statement responding to the presidential address of Mohamed Nasheed delivered on March 3 during the opening ceremony of parliament’s first session of this year. The PA boycotted the first session of parliament.

‘’Peoples Alliance recognises and appreciates the slight change of tone of the Presidential Speech of 2011, although he partly fulfilled the purpose of the speech, he had failed to address the real issues facing his administration and the country,’’ said PA in the statement.

The PA said that the president did not mention the issues of corruption and mismanagement in his administration, and claimed that the citizens were disappointed because Nasheed had made no plans to solve these issues.

‘’The public was hopeful that the President would address the significant issues of 2010 and inform the public of policy changes to facilitate an atmosphere of trust between the government and opposition parties,’’ the PA said. ‘’We believe that this is important because the President lacks the ability to sit down with opposition parties. We also believe that sitting down together is not enough, the President needs to have the ability to sit together and work sincerely with opposition parties.’’

The President’s speech was presented more as a philosophy than a specific proposal, the PA claimed. “For example, the President expressed his intension to strengthen regulations within the context of the existing laws and implement those regulations to increase the value of Maldivian currency, but failed to explain the specifics of what he meant and what policy changes the business community should expect.”

The party claimed Nasheed’s remarks on deficit reduction were “misleading.”

‘’The forecasted deficit of 2010 wasn’t reduced by efforts of cost reduction.  In reality, the Rf1.2 billion (US$78 million) received by privatisation of the airport was recorded as income and used for recurrent expenditure of the budget. Therefore the expected budget deficit of Rf3.8 billion was reduced to Rf3.1 billion using this income,’’ the party said. “The only measure to reduce deficit in 2010 was to cut down the salaries of civil service. The number of political appointees is increasing year by year.”

PA said Nasheed’s statement on external debt “does not clearly draw the picture.”

At US$607 million we are witnessing a significant increase in the official external debt of the past two years, said the PA.

“We believe that the actual figure will be even higher than this.” PA claimed. “Because since the IMF has restricted the direct borrowing of the Ministry of Finance, the government has started borrowing through government companies by giving comfort letters to companies such as the Works Corporation for politically motivated projects.’’

These projects, PA claimed, would not bring any income to those companies and that the government would have to pay for these debts itself. ” Therefore the overall debt will be even higher than US$607 million.’’

The President’s proposal to strengthen regulations and implement them to increase value of rufiyaa “could mean that he will implement tight controls and control foreign currency exchange, from an economic point of view,” said PA.

‘’We strongly believe that the value of rufiyaa cannot be appreciated through force and strict regulations,’’ said the PA. ‘’Instead we need fiscal responsibility and economic stability to appreciate the value of rufiyaa.’’

The party said that providing housing ‘’is yet another tool to manipulate voters.’’

‘’The government’s plan to offer 25,000 square feet of land of subsidy for 10 housing units worth US$35,000 has failed, and until today not even one housing unit has been delivered from the 10,000 units promised.”

The PA said the few housing units that the government could deliver to the people would be delivered in 2013, “for no reason but to influence the presidential election.”

‘’The policy of duty exemption to the north and south regional ports is not a policy to increase trade in that area,’’ added the party. ‘’Rather it gives the opportunity to give tax exemption to a few businesses that are affiliated with the government.’’

The PA also said that although the President had stated that the capacity of the airport would be increased under its contract with GMR, ‘’the new development plan doesn’t include a new runway.’’

‘’That means only the same number of flights or a slight increase can be expected, since we are operating on a tight schedule even now,’’ the PA claimed. ‘’Additionally the privatisation of the airport does not help the dollar shortage. Dollar earnings for the airport and fuel will be repatriated outside the country while the payments by GMR to Maldivians and Maldivian parties will be paid in rufiyaa,” the PA alleged.

The PA accused Nasheed and his government of either “lacking basic knowledge” on the nation’s economy, or “lacking sincerity and commitment to solve the economic issues.”

‘’The contradicting statements of the President regarding the dollar shortage are a fact supporting that President Nasheed is having difficulties understanding the economy,’’ said PA.’’While he is so concerned with climate change and internal affairs of other countries to get fame, we suspect he is not even seriously thinking about the national security and the impact of his policies on our economy.’’

PA urged the President ‘’to drop out of campaign mode’’ and face reality.

“At the end of the day success will be measured by outcome. Vision does not create jobs, we need to see meaningful and sustainable real action.’’

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MP Nazim highlights decentralisation as budgetary concern on back of IMF findings

As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week released its latest update on the Maldives’ finances, prominent opposition MPs have criticised the government’s budget strategy in areas such as decentralisation, despite conceding the need for greater political cooperation from rival parties.

Ahmed Nazim, MP for the People’s Alliance (PA) party and a member of the Majlis’ Public Finance Committee, told Minivan News that he believed current government policy was ultimately stifling economic development, claiming administrative costs within the civil service remained a notable problem.

“We have small percentage [of funds] to invest in the economy.  We cannot move finances to a higher level though as the government doesn’t have the right policies to do this,” he claimed.  “For instance, we need to reduce the number of [inhabited] islands by linking them and cutting the overall number of cost centres required for decentralisation.”

The comments were made as the IMF claimed that the Maldives economy was currently “unsustainable” even after cuts made to the annual 2011 budget, as it concluded its Article IV consultation.

The IMF’s Mission Chief to the Maldives, Rodrigo Cubero, told Minivan News at the time, that while the government had introduced the core components of a modern tax regime that would begin generating revenue from this year, these achievements were offset by new spending on legislative reforms such as the decentralisation act.

Ultimately, the 2011 budget was passed on December 29, days ahead of a constitutionally-mandated New Year deadline, with 69 out of 77 MPs voting to pass the bill with five amendments.

Earlier during the same day, Mahmood Razee, acting Finance Minister of the time, said it would also be vital to try and ensure the predicted 2011 budget deficit remained at about 16 per cent, after coming under pressure institutions like the IMF to cut the 2010 figure of around 26.5 per cent.

While preliminary figures had pegged the 2010 fiscal deficit at 17.75 percent, “financing information points to a deficit of around 20-21 percent of GDP”, down from 29 percent in 2009, the IMF reported.

Ahmed Nazim, who was part of a multi-party evaluation of the draft 2011 State Budget before it was sent for Majlis approval, said that joint committee meetings to discuss the IMF’s findings were set for next week (9 March).

However, talking to Minivan News ahead of these consultations, the PA MP said that he believed one of the key concerns highlighted in the report was that of recurrent government expenditure.

According to Nazim, the costs, which he said resulted from use of electricity and other day-to-day needs, were accounting for about 17 percent of total government expenditure – charges, he claimed, that could have been cut further.

In line with these concerns, Nazim took the example of the number of decentralised administrative posts created through last month’s Local Council Elections as an example of unsustainable spending.

The PA MP claimed that present government policies based on building housing or harbours across a wide number of islands was creating further problems for future national cost cutting.  As a solution, Nazim, claimed that it would be important to consider depopulating and reducing the total number of inhabited islands by offering the population a choice of relocation possibilities.

“It [depopulation] is the only way to reduce the wage bill, otherwise every island will have to have services like health centres and councils,” he said.  “The only way to cut spending is to transfer small island populations to other habited islands of their choice.”

Nazim claimed that a government strategy of attempting to increase mobility of the population to find jobs and homes in other atolls and islands through an improved transport network had failed to achieve these goals so far.

However, the PA MP said that he believed some opposition groups such as the majority opposition the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) had been too “heavy handed” in their approach to working with government on decentralising the country.

“I was advocating that even now, we will work with the MDP to reduce the number of [island] councilors in small areas from five to three posts.  There is simply not enough work for all of them to do,” he said.  “Some opposition took a heavy handed approach meaning there was no need for compromise.  The DRP wanted it their way when it came to each of the wards.”

Nazim claimed that he still hoped to work with the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on plans to reduce the number of posts on councils. He said this was particularly the case on smaller islands, boasting populations of less than 1000 people, which could be cut to just three council representatives instead of five.

State Minister for Finance Ahmed Assad said that he was ultimately encouraged by the role of parliament and political opposition in working to try and reduce the country’s budget deficit compared to last year.

“If we look back to the passing of the budget in 2010, this time parliament were much better [in evaluating the budget].  They just asked for some shuffling about of the figures,” he said.  “That tells us they tried to work within the framework and limits of the budget set by the treasury and finance ministry.”

However, in considering affordability of the overall budget and government financing in the year ahead, Assad claimed that he believed that cost cutting would have been easier with the support of legislative bodies and the judiciary.

As of January 1 2011, the government reinstated the wages of civil servants and political appointees to similar level before respective cuts of 15 per cent and 20 per cent were made back in 2009. The government claimed revenue expectations for the year would ensure the salaries were sustainable.

Addressing recent controversy, over issues such as a Privilege Bill for judges and parliamentary figures, Assad said that MPs and the judiciary also needed to bear the brunt of cost cutting.

“Civil servants understood the need for salary cuts, but at the same time why should only they have to face it.  It is a hardship everyone should share,” he added.  “It is a matter of sharing the responsibility.  The government was not followed by the judiciary on the issue of wages.”

While accepting that more cuts were needed to be made to the civil service in line with IMF expectations, Assad claimed that it was not possible to make redundancies in the civil service without creating additional jobs elsewhere.

“Obviously, we appreciate that we can’t just make lots of people unemployed from the civil service,” he said.  “But, we can’t go on like this.”

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PA to boycott Presidential address to parliament

MPs from the People’s Alliance (PA) party have said they will boycott the speech to be given by President Mohamed Nasheed at the first parliamentary session of 2011.

”PA believes that the Presidential address Nasheed gave during the first sitting of the first session of 2010 was not given as stated in article 84 of the constitution,” said the PA in a statement.

Article 84 of the constitution says that at the beginning of the first parliament session of each year, the President shall address the Majlis on the state of the country, as well as present proposals for trying to improve the nation.

The PA stated that rather than giving Nasheed’s presidential address as a speech based on the state of the nation and proposals to improve the state, his last opening address was based on threatening opposition figures.

”The presidential address was a hopeless speech, thus a speech that threatened the citizens,” said the party in the statement.

PA alleged that the president had attempted to smear the respect and sanctity of parliament and also attempted to make the pubic lose confidence in their the MPs.

The party recalled the arrest of Jumhoory Party leader and MP Gasim Ibrahim, as well as PA Leader and MP Abdulla Yamin, claiming the president misused the power of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to detain them.

Criminal charges against the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Ali Waheed and Mahlouf were said to be politically motivated, the party alleged.

”Moreover, he [the president] made false accusations about MPs, made the entire cabinet resign, called MPs ‘wild animals’, attempted to run the government with a cabinet that does not have the consent of the parliament and made the parliament face obstacles in conducting its work fully,” claimed the PA. ”[Nasheed] gave warnings about all this during his presidential address [in 2010].”

The PA also claimed that the current government has always violated the constitution and laws.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that the decision of the opposition parties were against the national spirit.

”It is the constitutional duty of the president, not something that is initiated by the government,” said Zuhair. He added that the President will give his presidential speech regardless of whether members of the opposition boycotted it.

Zuhair said ”that means the opposition started to use National Ceremonies as political tools.”

”If they boycott the presidential address, they are betraying the citizens,” he said. ”They are the symbols of the citizens.”

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Road to 2013 uncertain for opposition despite election gains, says PA

The path towards 2013’s general election is unclear for the Maldives’ political opposition according to the People’s Alliance (PA) party, despite last weekend’s local council elections serving as an “encouraging” guideline for how they could fare during national polling.

PA Secretary General Ahmed Shareef told Minivan News that in light of the performance of opposition parties, particularly the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) in securing the majority of island councils around the country, the manner in which they would come together to try and hold the government accountable was far from certain.

Shareef said a formal coalition between four or more of the country’s opposition parties was one possible option, but added that this remained far from a certainty in the current political climate.

The claims come amidst reports of further political infighting within the DRP, the country’s main opposition party, as factions supporting current leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and dismissed former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer vie for control of the party.

The disputes led yesterday to protests outside the DRP headquarters by a crowd calling for Thasmeen’s resignation, followed by his announcement of the signing of a second coalition agreement with the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP). The PA and DRP already maintain a coalition and together own a parliamentary majority.

Although not wishing to comment on the reported disputes between factions in the DRP itself due to allegations of the involvement of the PA in instigating them, Shareef added that party did not currently believe that the DQP’s coalition with the DRP would affect its own coalition agreement leading up to 2013’s race for the presidency.

“I don’t think the coalition with the DQP will affect our position with the DRP yet,” he said. “If the DRP, DQP, PA and JP came into a formal coalition than that would be provide strength for the opposition.”

However, following a local council elections campaign that saw the DRP obtaining the majority of the island and atoll council seats at the expense of conceding municipal gains in Male’ and Addu Atoll to the rival Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the potential for a formal arrangement between various parties was uncertain, at least according to Shareef.

“Personally, looking at the political status of the Maldives, especially the opposition parties, I don’t see a clear picture of what will happen in 2013 [the date of the country’s next general elections], he said.

Although Shareef said that the PA’s key focus at the elections centred primarily on reducing the number of ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) seats obtained across the country, he claimed that the party was in support of local councils and encouraged them to work for constituents and not their own partisan ambitions.

However, the PA Secretary General reiterated comments made by other political parties like the DRP concerning the lack of details on the exact role and responsibilities that the newly appointed local councils will have on the nation’s politics.

“We really don’t know how system will work or how affiliated it may be with government,” he said.

In this uncertain post council election environment, Shareef said that he believed there were already reports that numerous opposition parties were working to stifle possible developments or strategies planned by elected councils.

“We hear from many councils that they will do this or that to especially make things difficult for the opposition,” he said. “If DRP candidates are there, they will make things difficult for the MDP people in the island, if MDP is in the councils the opposite will occur. That will not be the real objective why we have elected a council.”

The PA secretary general claimed that he believed one problem from the local council elections was the lack of any published rules written within the legal acts outlining decentralised government and objectives for the local councils – legislation he said that should have been in place before voting started.

Shareed claimed that a lack of voter education, particularly on what was expected of them and the significance of their vote, might be problematic in cases where councils provided “favours” such as land rights to their respective parties.

“So far these rules and regulations are not developed,” he said. “There are many important procedures and rules to be developed by the Local Government Authority (LGA).”

With the appointment of members onto the LGA expected to take place soon, he hoped these rules and other mandates would soon be developed and formally published.

“Maybe at the end of the month, with all the election results announced, we would expect for the LGA to be formed,” he said. “It is formed, but it currently only has one member – the Home Minister, who is the President’s representative on the LGA.”

The Home Minister was not responding to calls at time of press.

From the perspective of the PA, emotions were mixed on the reaction to the local council elections.

Due to its ongoing coalition agreement with the DRP, where it opted not to compete directly against candidates perceived to have strong chances of being elected, Shareef said that the PA had itself acquired one atoll council seat out of eight candidates running on a ticket from the party.

While accepting that the elections were free, Shareef said he did not believe they were fair; particularly in terms of the resources available to the ruling MDP, which he alleged had used state funds to aid its election campaigning as well as providing itself disproportionate access to state media at the opposition’s expense.

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MPs deny involvement following rumours of DRP-PA plan to oust Speaker

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group leader and MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik has denied rumours the MDP is planning forward a no-confidence motion against Speaker of the Parliament, DRP MP Abdulla Shahid.

Late last week, opposition leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Ahmed Thasmeen Ali alleged that some DRP and coalition partner People’s Alliance (PA) MPs were plotting with MDP MPs to forward a no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

‘’MDP MPs will always, always vote according to the party line,” claimed Moosa, dismissing rumours of a planned no-confidence motion against Shahid.

“MDP is not a party divided into factions and groups,’’ he added, in reference to the recent factional turmoil within the opposition.

He claimed the intention of the rumours was to divide the MDP parliamentary group, “because DRP has already been split,’’ he claimed. “MDP will never fall into factions, no matter how much the opposition tries.’’

Thasmeen last week told the media he would not support such a vote, and assurances that “most” of the DRP MPs would not vote against Shahid.

The PA Secretary General Ahmed Shareef told Minivan News that no information on the accusations raised last week by Thasmeen.

“Nothing has been done to forward a no-confidence motion [against the Speaker],” said Shareef.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan also dismissed rumours of the joint no-confidence motion against the Speaker as false.

”There are a few who are trying to split our party and they are taking advantage of this,” said Nihan. ”They are circulating this rumor through the media, and as far as I am concerned, it has never been discussed.”

He said that no DRP MPs had informed him of a potential no-confidence motion.

Meanwhile, DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom emphasised that DRP MPs “will not join the no-confidence motion against Shahid and have not even discussed anything like that.”

Dr Mausoom said he could confirm that DRP MPs had not planned to put the motion forward.

”There maybe someone bitter about Shahid who wishes to do so, but he is the best Speaker of parliament I have ever seen,” Dr Mausoom said. ”He has worked in a very volatile environment, but he has handled the situation well as a smooth operator.”

Dr Mausoom said he was ready to breach the party’s three-line whip in the event the DRP did decided to put forward a motion to dismiss the Speaker.

However, daily newspaper Haveeru has quoted a DRP MP anonymously that discussions about forwarding a motion to dismiss Shahid have been going on for two months, along with potential candidates for the speaker position.

Leader of the DRP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali originally raised the matter when he told the media that he had information that a no-confidence motion against Shahid was to be filed in parliament in what would be rare cooperation between DRP, MDP and PA MPs.

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Opposition coalition shows strain in scuffle over committee meetings

The major opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), headed by Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and “honorary leader” former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has issued a statement accusing its coalition partner of “misleading the people over DRP.”

Together the DRP and the People’s Alliance (PA), led by Gayoom’s half-brother Abdulla Yameen, form a majority in the country’s parliament, however recent tension between the two parties suggest the coalition is under strain.

”We condemn and regret the action of PA,” said the DRP in a statement. ”Unlike the PA, the DRP has elected many candidates for the upcoming local council elections and these sort of irresponsible actions will have an effect on all the DRP candidates, all supporters of DRP, and all the opposition parties.”

The DRP observed that Yameen had spoken to local media DhiTV and SunFM about the long delay between DRP and PA committee meetings, and said that Yameen has  put the blame on Thasmeen.

”All he said was intended to smear respect for the party and was very wrong,” read the DRP statement.

Thasmeen, the party claimed, had struggled to hold meetings with the coalition despite agreeing to hold the meetings at any venue and time Yameen wished.

”Both sides agreed that meetings would be organised by PA deputy leader Moosa Zameer, but up until now, a time and venue has never been organised,” said the party.

DRP explained that Yameen had failed to attend a DRP/PA parliamentary meeting for almost one and half years, “and has also informed other members not to attend these meetings.”

The party requested Yameen stop speaking “irresponsibly”.

Yameen recently told local radio station SunFM that all the work done in parliament to make the government accountable was performed by PA, and said that there were 22 issues at the committee stage being delayed because DRP was not cooperating with the PA.

He also claimed that the government was able to make the GMR Airport deal because an amendment to the Financial Act was kept on Speaker Abdulla Shahid’s table for too long, rather than presenting it to the parliament chamber.

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DQP accuses DRP of misleading the public over its Addu Atoll attitude

The Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has claimed that the public may have been misled over its views on hosting a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Addu Atoll next year by the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Some Rf231 million is expected to be included in the 2011 state budget to fund next year’s SAARC summit in Addu Atoll, which will try and outline projects and policy areas of collaboration for regional member states.

However, DRP MPs in parliament have argued that it would be wiser to spend the Rf231 million for the development of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah instead of using it to prepare for the SAARC summit.

DQP Deputy leader and MP Riyaz Rasheed said that he boycotted the parliament committee while researching the budget.

”It was not the intention of the DQP to work against the hosting of the SAARC summit in Addu Atoll, and we will not support such a plan,” said the party in a statement.

The DQP added that it wanted to try spending the SAARC money according to a strategy that will better benefit the people of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah, “instead of making the money go to the pockets of specific individuals.”

The DQP said the party had requested parliament to provide detailed information on the budget to all MPs in order ”to avoid making it something that solely benefits the relatives and close acquaintances of the ruling [Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)], like the government did last year.”

”This party will always try to avoid corruption in developing Addu Atoll and other atolls,” the DQP stated.

The party said that it did not wish to remove the money allocated in next year’s budget to hold the SAARC summit in the Maldives.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Alliance Party (PA), a group led by Abdulla Yamin, half brother of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and a fellow member of the opposition coalition, has also issued a statement regarding the DRP’s position on Addu Atoll.

The PA claimed that the DRP’s statement read in a way that could be considered to suggest that it was opposed to the development of the SAARC event and Addu Atoll itself.

”We do not oppose holding the SAARC summit in Addu Atoll,” said PA Secretary General Ahmed Shareef. ”We demand to upgrade the regional hospital of Addu and also demand to money to upgrade the Maldives’ College of Higher Education’s (MCHE) campus in Addu Atoll.”

Shareef claimed that the PA has been mainly trying to avoid having development money for the atoll wasted.

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PA leader Yaameen reportedly considering presidential bid with DRP

People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdullah Yaameen has told local reporters that he would stand as presidential candidate for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), if a primary is held for the position.

Speaking to the DhiTV channel, Yaameen, brother of the former president and DRP leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said that he would consider standing as a single presidential candidate representing a “coalition” of opposition parties.

The comments were made amidst claims of a divide among some in the DRP concerning supporters of current party head, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and those of former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, who was dismissed on December 2 this year by a party disciplinary committee. Naseer has moved to claim that this dismissal was illegal under the DRP constitution, a claim rejected Thasmeen.

Naseer told Minivan News that he travelled to Malaysia this week with a number of party representatives to discuss both Gayoom’s and his own political future within the DRP, including an offer for the former president to stand once again for the nation’s top political  position. He added, that no decision had yet been taken by Gayoom

Naseer claimed however that Gayoom had committed to begin travelling around the Maldives during next year’s local council elections to try and win voter confidence, as well as personally backing him in the dismissal dispute.

“Mr Gayoom believes that the dismissal was illegal and he wants the party to abide by its own constitution and still believes that I hold the office,” he claimed.

DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef said at the time that the party has not sought to talk with Gayoom or contact him regarding the rival faction in the party, and added that he was not concerned over the potential involvement of the “honorary leader.”

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PA joins Salaf in condemning co-education

The minority opposition party People’s Alliance (PA), led by the former president’s brother, MP Abdulla Yameen, has strongly condemned the idea of introducing co-education.

A statement issued by the PA claimed that the government was attempting to “douse the light of Islam” in the country, and called on the government to “immediately terminate this action.”

“Majeediyya was a male school and Ameeniyya was a female school since the beginning, it is a big trait to the proud history of the two schools to introduce co-education,” the statement said.

PA said that co-education was implemented for island schools because there was no other way due to a lack of facilities, and that females and males were not mixed because people decided that way.

“in Arabiyya school two genders are mixed only when it becomes a basic need, however, we note that although students were mixed, girls and boys sit in different halves [of the classroom],” PA said.

PA referred to research conducted at Cambridge University claiming that single-sex education had better educational outcomes.

“The current government, as soon as they came in to administration, have cunningly attempted to douse the light of Dhivehi and Islam,” PA alleged. “It has given a deaf ear to the petition presented to the government with the signature of hundreds of concerned authorities.”

Minister of Education Dr Musthafa Luthfy yesterday told Minivan News that co-education has been a part of the Maldivian education system for a long time.

“When we studied at ‘Edhuruge’ [traditional places of learning, where classes were held at a teacher’s house] there were girls and boys mixed,” said Dr Musthafa. “There are currently only four schools in the Maldives that are not co-educational.”

Dr Musthafa said his idea was to develop an integrated educational system that comprised of science, commerce, arts and aesthetics.

“If anyone is in doubt, they can ask parents and school managements whether students have moved further away from religion or closer to it after I assumed office,” he said.

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