THIS COULD BE GAYOOM’S LAST 26TH OF JULY…
by Aisha
“I have no assets”[…] “ I have my salary, my wife, my children and the house in Male’ which I have built. That’s all. I have nothing else. No property, no businesses whatsoever, no dhoni”. P246, A Man for All Islands, Quote from President Gayoom.
In this quote, Gayoom fails to mention his luxury lifestyle which is costing Maldivians an important part of the state budget:
Theemuge, his current residency costs the country 123 Million Rufiya (US$ 9.6 million) per year.
The average rent in Male’ is 11,000 Rufiyaa (US$856) for a 2 bedroom apartment, while a majority of the population earns an average of 3000 Rufiyaa (US$233) per month.
The dhoni he doesn’t have is no less than a yacht.
Picture courtesy of Dhivehi Observer.
But while the average Maldivian struggles to pay for food, bills, education and medical expenses, the state, aka us, is paying for our president’s pleasure retreat Aarah rather than providing electricity, harbours and decent schools and hospitals for some islands.
President’s pleasure retreat Aarah.
Picture courtesy of Dhivehi Observer.
Ironically, our president’s solution to our current economy is to build a costly monument commemorating the Tsunami, or to have the SAFF cup tour to every inhabited island.
However, the average Maldivian is already aware of the unfairness of this situation. The question we should be asking ourselves is: what if this was Gayoom’s last 26th July? Should Theemuge, Aarah or the yacht remain for our future president to use?
As state properties, perhaps it is time for these valuable assets to be given another use. Rather than offering any President of the Maldives a sultan’s lifestyle, they could be “recycled” for the benefit of the entire population.
Theemuge could become:
a) a public library
b) a state university (with a swimming pool…)
c) a hospital for children
Aarah could become:
a) a world university and research centre for marine biology
b) an organic farm
c) a research centre for environmentally friendly solutions for our country
The yacht could become:
a) an ambulance touring the atolls for emergencies
b) lease to visiting supermodels and film stars to generate revenue for government.
Every aspiring current president is a property owner and therefore, if ever in power, should return what belongs to the people.
This year is our chance to make it the last 26th July of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as president of the Maldives, and finally give it the true meaning of Independence Day.
THIS YEAR IS OUR CHANCE TO MAKE A CHANGE
by Aisha
“Food shortages, suspected malpractices, lack of educational opportunities, citizens spying on one another, fear…the Maldives was far from the carefree paradise the tourists seeking sun, sand and sea believed.” P108
“The president did not rule by fear alone. The power of office was boosted by his involvement in enterprises that enriched his cronies as well as himself. He was aided by the lust of Western tourists for tropical holidays which they discovered were happily hassle-free in the Maldives.” P102
The above sentences may seem familiar; however they are no campaign slogans criticizing Gayoom, or the words from an opposition politician. These are quotes from our president’s biography, A Man for all Islands, in the chapter “Shooting Star” in which Royston Ellis describes life under Nasir’s rule.
When Gayoom came to power, he promised there would be no more fear, no more corruption, and no more food shortage.
And yet, since 1978, what has really changed? Do all Maldivian children really go to bed properly fed as Gayoom suggested it in his last speech for the SAARC summit? Have we not lived in fear for the last 30 years? Isn’t his power boosted by tourism that enriched his cronies as well as himself?
Ironically, the Maldives of 1978 are very similar to the Maldives of 2008. The main differences are that today, our society is crippled by drugs, gang violence, unemployment, inflation of prices, religious extremists and overcrowding in Male’.
The very recent employment bill is about to serve the interests of business tycoons of the tourism industry by failing to provide fair and equal workers rights to half of the Maldives workforce.
This year is our chance to make a change.