Thursday
2nd May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
President Yameen. Photo: PPM
Former President of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom has shared previously unknown details of the agreement between the state and India’s GMR company for the sale of Velana International Airport.
Speaking at PPM's gathering last night, the party leader, president Yameen posed that while MDP speaks today of VIA, what had they done regarding the airport issue in 2008. He said that even the youth of the Maldives remembered how the MDP government sold the national airport.
President Yameen revealed that VIA was initially given to GMR for 25 to 35 years with the condition of extending their contract upon request after the lease was up. He said that, sans the time limit, the agreement ensured that the Maldivians lost control of VIA and was under the authority of the company long term.
Yameen stated that it drove the people and their constituency representatives to get a Public Finance Regulation approved and ratified into law to stop the state from selling public property without approval of the parliament. The former president said that this was the first time a law clearly dictated the instances that a president could not interfere and assert dominance over the situation in the Maldives.
President Yameen said that he was a part of the opposition that drafted and presented the bill to the parliament floor and they got the bill approved since it was clear that the government was selling VIA to GMR.
Yameen said that members such as Thasmeen, Gasim and Hassan Saeed were behind PPM working towards a common goal; disallowing the president to sell off public property. He said that the government sold Dhiraagu shares, MWSC stock and was slowly selling everything meaningful.
Yameen said that this was a direct road leading to subservience, where the Maldivian economy would cease and the country would have gone under the feet of India. He said that even then PPM worked to keep this a free country.
President Yameen stated that although the president is elected with the people’s votes, the parliament is elected with more votes and confidence from the people they represent and therefore, a decision from the parliament majority must be followed by the country leader as well.
President Yameen said that the government proceeded to sign the agreement despite the parliament’s approval to pass the bill into law, keeping the bill unratified until the agreement went through. He said that it affirmed the former President Mohamed Nasheed’s lack of nationalism and integrity as a leader.
Yameen summarized that during Nasheed’s administration, PPM struggled to keep the government from selling VIA to GMR and during the President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim’s Administration the party struggled to get the airport back.
President Yameen revealed that Indian leaders spoke to President Dr. Waheed during his official trip to India requesting ease for GMR. He said that since the president was on official state business, it was expected of Dr. Waheed to have promised ease to GMR while also ensuring that VIA was returned to the people of the Maldives.
Yameen revealed that prior to the discussion on what to do about the GMR issue, PPM pleaded with Dr. Waheed to just terminate the agreement. He said that since PPM was supportive of the Waheed Administration, they had offered the president their advice. Yameen said that he had visited the President’s Office on invitation and was met with other leaders of the government, the likes of Thasmeen, Gsim, Yameen, Hassan Saeed and Dr. Jameel, who wanted to reclaim VIA for Maldives.
President Yameen said that he was the first person to have been arrested for their efforts against GMR, saying that they were trying to overthrow the government. Yameen said that Dhoonidhoo officers wanted his statement admitting to a coup, but they were unsuccessful on that front. He said that Gasim and Dr. Jameel was also arrested for the same reason.
President Yameen highlighted the fact that President Nasheed was the first president to have started taking political prisoners and the participants of the campaign against GMR were the first one to have been arrested. He said that during his meeting with Dr. Waheed and the other leaders, everyone but Hassan Saeed and himself were for the GMR Agreement.
The former president said that at the time of the Public Finance Regulation being approved, all of the political opponents were against the GMR Agreement. However, at Dr. Waheed’s meeting with all these leaders had a change of heart. Yameen recalled that Gasim said that “the country leader would know best how to proceed.” and that Thasmeen had said that “Maldivian development projects are dependent on foreign investments and if such a huge investment was turned away, we may never get another significant investment.”.
President Yameen said that Dr. Waheed was being advised by former Defense Minister Colonel Mohamed Nazim.
Yameen stated that he had heard Imran claim to have voted against GMR in that meeting, however, the current Minister of Home Affairs attended the meeting twenty minutes late, long after the vote was taken the meeting was coming to an end.
The former president recalled the GMR issue, following the government’s inauguration of VIA’s new runway and seaplane terminal developed under the major VIA development project commenced during hitime in office under his intent initiative. He said that he did not feel the incessant need to be rewarded for everything good he contributed.
The Velana International Airport development project was held in high regard by the administration.