President Yameen pledges to give out reclaimed land in Mahibadhoo

President Abdulla Yameen has pledged to reclaim and give out land in ADh. Mahibadhoo within two years, if re-elected.

Speaking at a campaign event in Mahibadhoo on Monday, the President made the pledge after acknowledging the lack of land in the island.

While Mahibadhoo has 20 hectares of land, President Yameen said that 10 hectares can still be reclaimed.

He also said that, while Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s government spent MVR 50 million on the island, his government spent MVR 114 million.

While President Yameen has been quoting the book on island development released by the President’s Office, the public has been noting discrepancies in the book, such as the excessive costs of various projects.

The book states that more than MVR 5 million was spent on leveling the ground to build the Mahibadhoo football field. The same amount could have been spent on a mosque of reasonable quality.

In his speech, President Yameen severely criticized MDP, the main opposition party, saying that their government saw the biggest acts of corruption and oppression. However, he also admitted that the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)’s embezzlement scandal during his administration was the largest case of corruption in Maldives’ history. Other large cases of corruption in President Yameen’s administration have also been revealed in audit reports.

His term also saw the most arrests and convictions of politicians and activists, with almost all the political leaders either in prison or exile.