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.
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12 Responses to “THIS COULD BE GAYOOM’S LAST 26TH OF JULY…”
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Any idea how much it costs per year for his pleasure retreat Aarah??? Yes we should not let our next president to use these assets. Otherwise that person could become another gayoom. Good thoughts on the Aarah, and just to add, Theemuge could also become a museum. I don’t know about the yacht, he would probably flee the country in the yacht. That could be his escape plan.
It’s no surprise to know how much he lies in his own biography. I never cared to read it because i know it will be full of lies. He lied to the people even in his first few years as the president. For example, when he reclaimed land in Male’ he said it’s for the poor and homeless Maldivians. But land was given to his friends, relatives, government companies, nss officers, to the rich… Same happened with Villingili. And now Hulhumale land and rent not affordable by the poor. He is a ruler who lies to his people. It funny when he talks about others lying…
Theemuge as a hospital for children? That has a good sound to it. That would be the day!
theemuge is good fora library. good place dho? all can enjoy with reading history there. or batter make a star hotel for the most riches .from the profit money can run a good children hospital for our children . muliyaage is good for any president.aarah should be keep for our president,instead of a dhoani we should give him good luxury bohkuraa,
Theemuge - Democracy Museum, Displaying the wealth gap, brutality and abuses and the 30 year rule of Gayoom + The fight to democracy. Charge $25 per head for foreign visitors…
Aarah - Part of Museum, $35 per head for foreign visitors
Yacht - Celebrity transfer only… $5000 per transfer…
This scale of spending and excess is a sin while we are classed as among the 45 underdeveloped countries on the planet.
I wonder what Islam says on this?
Arah we keep as luxury resort for best of the best doctors abroad. They can come and stay for free but they have to spend some time in our Hospitals for treating our poor patients. Even the yacht we can keep for them for visiting all the islands with full of doctors and medication. what do you think?
the best part of this whole change of maumoons regime is that the next president to be elected has a time frame for his term, that is a period of 5 years rite?
i agree of using aarah to another purpose.
mifaharu vaane golhaaboa baalan
I am dreaming one day to take my child to Theemuge Children’s Hospital when he gets sick and play in the small garden there till our token is called by doctor.
Good idea, you can register my support, on this.
Theemuge should be converted to a 5 star hotel,maybe with another 7 storey building for normal rooms,in the open ground behind. nd the rooms in the original building wud be special suites, including a “presidential suite” for the mega riches. nd the hotel shud be named, “The Palace” nd be decorated with the theme of maldivian leadership nd the history in mind. this wud generate income, nd shares frm the hotel should be sold to the public to mak it a public limited company.then every maldivian cud own a peice of theemuge.”why waste so much money on building another Nasandhura palace” wen already..”The palace” is thre for the taking.
prety gd idea. we should get rid of dictatorship frm our beloved country.
I would like Theemuge to be a Museum, we do not have many places to show to the tourists in Male’…It would be interesting place to show the toursit and even the public the lavish life-style of one man for the all islands. A Future Government can raise lots of money from this museum, and also preserve the 30 years legacy for future generations.