Nasheed launches MDP's main manifesto, pledges 20,000 flats

Presidential candidate for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed has pledged to build 20,000 housing flats within their next five year term of a MDP government.

The former president made the pledge with the launch of MDP’s main manifesto for the 2013 to 2018 term, in an event held in Raalhugandu area Saturday evening.

Highlighting key components of his plan for the next five years, Nasheed said that his party will produce 51,000 jobs, establish a savings scheme of MVR 120 million to facilitate higher education opportunities, allocate MVR 118 million to provide student loans, and plans to implement 137 different development programs in the atolls.

“Through the tax system, through the projects that we will implement and through the different investments, we will gain a revenue of MVR 72 billion, within the next five years,” Mohamed Nasheed said.

Funds for their projects and programs have been properly calculated, the pledges are not hallow promises, he said.

Criticizing his rivals, the former president said: “The way our rivals make pledges, as you would all know, the first person they meet on an the island might say ‘I would like a fishing boat’, and (they would say) ‘yes, we’ll give that person a fishing boat’, and the next person they meet might be a teacher who might say ‘I would like an iPad,' and the teacher gets an iPad.”

On a different note, Nasheed said that the large deficit of the State budget is alarming.

“The State’s deficit is alarming. We are currently talking to people who have experience in managing the economy. There is no room for a single step without careful consideration,” Nasheed said.

Participated by a large number of supporters, the launching of MDP’s main manifesto started with a rally from Social Centre in Majeedhee Magu yesterday evening, and ended with the official unveiling ceremony near Raalhugandu, Boduthakurufaanu Magu.