Carrying out political activities to come to power obstructs development: Nasheed

Presidential Candidate of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that conducting political activities purely for the purpose of coming to power is a major obstruction to development.

Nasheed said this while speaking at rally in Gnaviyani Fuvahmulah tonight, as part of MDP’s ongoing campaign activities for the upcoming presidential election.

“The leaders of the Maldives have always often carried out political activities to ensure development. But sometimes we, some of our leaders, carry out political activities purely to come to power – this is the biggest obstruction to our development,” he said.

Nasheed said that the purpose of establishing an airport in Fuvahmulah was to bring about development in the island, and noted that the island had however not experienced this anticipated development.

He said that it is a ‘waste’ that the island lacks the business and employment opportunities that should have been introduced with the establishment of the airport.

Nasheed assured that tourism activities will be introduced in Fuvahmulah at a fast speed within the first 100 days of an MDP government. He said that due to the introduction of guest houses, Kaafu Maafushi now has ‘dollars in abundance’, and mentioned that the exchange rate for dollar in Maafushi is MVR 15.

He implied that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has concluded his political life, and said that his government can only be sustained with the support of the people of Fuvahmulah.