A unity government will include Maafushi island in Kaafu atoll in the first of islands in which land reclamation will be carried out, pledged opposition coalition’s Presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Having arrived in Maafushi island on Thursday afternoon as part of his one-day trip to three islands of Kaafu atoll, Solih said that several islanders are in need of plots of land which they have not been provided with due to lack of available land.
Solih added that after land reclamation in the island, the unity government will assemble a land using plan to accommodate for land uses for citizens, after which the plan will be put into effect.
Adding that the guest house business former President Mohamed Nasheed had instigated in Maafushi, making it one of the favorite tourist spots in the atoll, Solih stated that Nasheed must be thanked for the progress the island has seen. Moreover, highlighting former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s efforts for development scheming, Solih added that gratitude must be expressed for him as well.
Highlighting that while most of the islanders are employed, there may not be a single unemployed person on the island, Solih said that such an island does not exist in the country, with the island needing more citizens to fill in the occupations in the island brimming with job opportunities.
Although Maafushi has become one of the most desirable tourist spots in the Maldives, Solih stated that a lack of solution to the waste disposal issue in the island is concerning. The opposition candidate pledged to build specialized centers in the island in order to promote water sports.
The guest house business is wide-spreading as a main pillar of promoting tourism across the outlying atolls, with the current administration spending approximately US Dollars three million to promote tourism. Solih said that a unity government led by the opposition coalition will expand tourism promotion expenses by the current administration, by threefold, adding that separate expenses will be allocated for the promotion of guest house businesses across the outlying atolls.
While the opposition Presidential hopeful on Thursday visited Maafushi island where several political frontrunners and leaders are being prejudicially incarcerated, one of his earlier pledges was to free political detainees on the first day as elected President of the Maldives.
Solih is on a one-day trip to three islands of Kaafu atoll. Whereas he has already covered Gulhi and Maafushi, Solih is currently in Guraidhoo island where he is to also inaugurate a campaign site.
