Opposition leader, former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom, stated today that a PPM/PNC government would see the establishment of an airport at Dhiguvelidhoo, within Komandoo's constituency.
He said that if the next presidential election was not "stolen", the next government would be a PPM administration. He said that a PPM administration would see an airport at Dhiguvelidhoo built.
Speaking at a campaign ceremony to drum-up support for Moosa Fathuhy, the opposition's candidate for the recently-vacated Komandoo Majlis seat; the former President highlighted several development projects that his 2013-2018 administration had implemented in Komandoo.
He said that his administration had recognised that Komandoo's greatest need had been housing, and his administration had reclaimed a large section of land from the lagoon and prepared it for habitation. He said that this was done because his administration had understood the difficulties faced by the people of Komandoo.
The former President mentioned that his administration did not implement development projects in preparation for upcoming elections, but rather it had been his policy to work to solve any difficulties or problems faced by the citizens whenever he learned of them.
He noted that even today, the greatest pressures faced by the people of Komandoo was related to housing. The former President said a PPM government would solve those problems, and that he would continue the solutions that he had already begun implementing, as well.
He said that an airport could be built, but the company that was responsible for operating the planes was "at the bottom of the sea"; in reference to Maldives Airports Company Limited, which had suffered substantial losses in the past year.
He said that early in his political career, he had established Island Aviation in response to the bankruptcy of the national airline. He noted that the company, worth some MVR200 million, was MVR600 million in debt with most of its planes unrepaired and grounded.
He said that the task at hand was to rebuild the company, but he needed the support of the people of Komandoo for that.