Nasheed: Govt. can’t employ everyone hit with pepper spray

Leader of MDP, former President Mohamed Nasheed says complaints regarding unemployment of political activists was embarrassing, and that the government does not have the resources to employ all political activists.

His remark came in response to criticism over continued employment of government officials loyal to the former administration, and the allegation that the activists who had worked to bring the current administration to power had been sidelined.

Speaking at the inauguration of the MDP Youth Congress this Saturday, Nasheed said the current administration came to power with the promise of equal and fair treatment to all, irrespective of political affiliations.

He said that the administration had promised the people that no one would be unfairly dismissed from their posts.

Nasheed said that the assumption that all political activists who had taken part in demonstrations in favor of the current administration and had been hit with pepper spray during those demonstrations should be employed was an embarrassing misconception.

He said that “those hit by pepper spray” also had options, but that realizing those options was “up to them”.

“That’s correct. The people hit with pepper spray should also have options available to them. They also must be engaged in something. But it is not possible for the government to employ everyone. It isn’t feasible,” said Nasheed.

He took example from Iceland to explain his point.

He said that though Iceland and Maldives were equal in total population, Iceland employed only 7,000 civil servants while Maldives employed 32,000 civil servants.

He said that administration spent close to MVR 1 billion on salaries and allowances for civil servants on a monthly basis.

“We spent MVR 700 to MVR 800 million on a monthly basis on civil servants. Now what’s left to spend on development after deductions for water, fuel, electricity and maintenance? There won’t be anything left for development,” said Nasheed.

He appealed to the public and MDP members not to accept rumors and allegations without giving it proper thought.

“Don’t just accept anything someone says. Don’t get sold for a futsal field. It’s as if it’s something great. But it’s the ruin of football. They have built futsal fields everywhere,” said Nasheed.

Several senior MDP members have publicly aired their resentment against the current administration over allegations that the several of the party’s high-profile activists have been sidelined, and officials who had campaigned for former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had been selected over them for political positions.