MDP accuses govt of land, flat handover block to sway parliamentary election

MDP MPs on Tuesday accused the government of trying to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections by delaying the allocation of land and flats under the Binnveriya and Gedhoruveriya scheme of the previous government.

The permanent list of housing schemes run by the previous government will not be respected and the land allocated under it may change, Housing Minister Dr Ali Haider had said.

Galolhu South MP Mikail Naseem moved an emergency motion in parliament on Tuesday calling on the government to clarify the policy of this government regarding housing projects run by the former and expedite the handover of land or flats to the beneficiaries.

Some MDP MPs who debated the issue have accused the government of making changes or suspending the previous government's housing projects with the intention of influencing the upcoming parliamentary elections.

"He gave the warning at his first press conference on housing when he came to power. And now today’s government intends to link the housing of the people to the next parliamentary elections," Mikail said.

"The question raised about the flat list and the registry of land allocated to the people of Male is actually linked to the upcoming parliamentary elections. When candidates come to the polls, they are threatening to rob every family who does not vote for PPM-PNC candidates.

In his speech, Mikail questioned the decision of this government to dredge the Fushidhiggaru lagoon at a cost of MVR 400 million without developing the Gulhi, Giraavaru and Hulhumale lagoons dredged by the former government.

Supporting Mikail's remarks, Dhaandhoo MP Yaugoob Abdullah said the previous government's housing projects were stopped by the ACC and this government.

"What they are trying to do now is to insert the ACC into the land and the flat scheme, so that the ACC and the government can influence the upcoming parliamentary elections so that PPM-PNC candidates can win the election in the elections," MP Yaugoob said.

"The government is delaying the handover of these flats and land, not showing it as something the government is doing, blaming the ACC, the ACC is trying to get in between and hold this until the election is over”.

MP Yaugoob said the government has been influencing independent institutions in the recent past.

“Today we are seeing that the independent institutions are being used as units or sections of this government,” he said.

"And this government is not even 10 days old yet, and twice last week, the president's brother, through a minister from the President's Office, has been sent to influence the court by deciding the verdict against President Yameen".

During Tuesday’s debate, some MDP lawmakers said that a decision on trusting the current government and housing minister Ali Haider would be taken after considering the government's handling of housing projects undertaken by the previous government.

The two main housing projects implemented by the government of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih were the Binveriya scheme to give land to Male residents in the Male area and the Gedhoruveriya scheme to give flats to people living in Male long term.

Timeline:

During the presidential campaign and after winning the election, President Mohammed Muizzu said that no application forms for flats and land will be canceled, and no land and flats given to any citizen will be confiscated.

However, Housing Minister Haider held his first press conference and said that the government does not want to respect the flat list of the previous government and it will be reviewed. The minister also said that the place where the land has been granted under the Binveriya scheme may be moved to another area in the same island where the land was granted.