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.