Gasim criticises Yameen over leaked audio clip

Leader of Jumhooree Party (JP) Gasim Ibrahim has heavily criticised Abdullah Yameen, accusing him of ‘telling untruths’ about Gasim in a leaked audio clip.

Speaking at a rally held by JP in Thaa Guraidhoo last night, Gasim said that Yameen may have tried to smear his own people, but he was aware of Yameen’s own actions earlier.

Gasim said that Yameen, while Gasim held the post of Minister of Finance in former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration, never participated in the vote on budgets proposed to the parliament.

He also accused Yameen of being the reason behind Gayoom’s failure in the 2008 election.

“While he speaks to defame his own people, we know the things he himself did back then. When I held the post of Finance Minister, he [Yameen] never voted on the budget. Not even once. So he wasn’t hostile towards me, but towards his own people. Because of this, Maumoon had to step down as President of Maldives. Not because of something we did. So when he tells untruths such as these, we have to explain the truth to the people,” he said.

An audio clip was leaked recently, of Yameen talking to Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir about Gasim and Gayoom, back when Gasim held the post of Minister of Finance.

In the clip, Yameen is heard criticising Gasim for proposing an excessive budget to the parliament.

Yameen said that Gasim wanted 14 resort islands that were leased while Dr Mahmoodh Shaugy acted as Minister of Tourism, and Gasim applied for these resorts under the names of different people.

Yameen also said that under the new Constitution, Gayoom could only contest in the 2008 presidential election due to the efforts made in this regard by PA – that is, because PA voted in favour of passing an amendment to the Constitution to allow a person who had held office for two terms to stand in the election.

Yameen said that even some members of DRP voted against this amendment, including Kanditheemu MP Mohamed Hussain, Ilyas Ibrahim and Ibrahim Manik (Summer Blue). He said that even former Minster Dr Mahmoodh Shaugy left the parliament hall when the vote was asked, to answer ‘an important phone call’.

Yameen said that Gayoom could stand in the election in 2008 because 14 members of PA voted in favour of passing this amendment to the Constitution.