Home Minister: Crime rate rises with introduction of democracy

Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer has said that crime has been observed to increase in many countries with the introduction of democracy.

Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate the construction of a police station in Hulhumalé this morning, Umar Naseer said that it is not only in the Maldives that crime increased in its democratic infancy.

He said that for example, crime was unusually rife in India when it gained independence and became a fully democratic country.

The situation was the same in South Africa, so the current “wave of crime” in our country is not unique to the Maldives, said Umar Naseer.

He said that while most citizens are law-abiding, a criminal environment is created by individuals who exploit the rights guaranteed to everyone by the laws.

Also, while it would be easy to trample on democracy and put an end to criminal activities, the government is trying its best to ensure a safe environment for the people while also safeguarding democratic principles – which is not an easy task, the Home Minister said.

To do this, he said that the country has to establish relevant laws and ensure police presence, and efforts are already under way to achieve these targets.