Tuesday
23rd Apr 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Solih
President Solih Dismisses Kooddoo-Vilingili Bridge Campaign Vow; Claims Shark-Breeding Ground as Obstacle
President Solih during a visit to Ga.Villingili. Photo: President's Office
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has dismissed a promise to connect GA. Vilingili and GA. Kooddoo with a bridge as a passing remark.
President Solih spoke this way during a broadcast web-conference in which he spoke with MDP campaign teams for the upcoming Local Council Elections.
During the conference with the campaign teams of Huvadhoo (GA and GDh) Atoll this week, a questioner asked the President when the promise made by former President Mohamed Nasheed to connect GA. Maamendhoo and GA. Kooddoo would be fulfilled. Former President Nasheed, the leader of the ruling MDP, is currently the speaker of the Majlis.
In response, Speaker Nasheed said that such a bridge would have to be "scientifically investigated". Chiming in, President Solih mentioned that connecting GA. Vilingili and GA. Kooddoo was also "once said".
"We had once said that we would look into whether or not a bridge could be built between Vilingili and Kooddoo", said the President.
The bridge had been a campaign promise that President Solih had made when he visited GA Vilingili in 2018 as a presidential candidate. He had said that the citizens should think about ways to create connections between islands. He had said that "it would not be too expensive" to build a bridge between Kooddoo and Vilingili.
Speaking at the web conference, President Solih said that the location where the bridge would be built was a shark-breeding habitat, and he implied that this was a good enough reason to not build a bridge there.
"When we mentioned the bridge, it was mentioned to us that sharks or something like that would breed in that area between Kooddoo and Vilingili. Even so, studies are ongoing. We might be able to look for alternatives", said President Solih.
Although President Solih had mentioned shark-breeding, it is worth noting that the area between Vilingili and Kooddoo comprises of deep ocean. It is also noteworthy that sharks do not breed in deep waters.
President Solih had also mistakenly claimed that the distance between Kooddoo and Vilingili was 900 feet. The actual distance is 900 meters (2,952 feet).