Pres vows to complete long-delayed "election" projects

President Mohammed Muizzu said on Monday that he will begin anew and complete the projects that were started by the previous government for the elections and had been stopped soon after the proverbial boundary stakes had been put up.

He said this in his presidential statement at the opening of the parliament this year.

Without naming anyone, the President said that some infrastructure development works had been started in the atolls leading up to the elections in the fashion where stakes are put up to mark territory for development. However, at some point such projects had stopped, he said.

President Muizzu, who took office in November, said, "Many such projects have come to a halt. The sites dug for road construction and to build sewerage services lay in ruins with no progress for years, the equipment and materials procured for these projects are damaged. There are some projects that are causing distress and difficulties to the entire government and the people”.

"The projects that have been delayed all over the country are now being re-started as per the requests of the people”.

Former President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih came to power in 2018 with a promise to provide water and sewerage services to all islands in Maldives. Work had also begun to establish the service in many islands. In addition, port constructions had been added to the fray.

The projects announced in President Muizzu's presidential statement on Monday include the establishment of water and sewerage services and the construction of ports. He said that:

"By God’s will, I will complete water and sewerage services in all the remaining islands during this term, and I will build harbours in all the islands as well," he said.

Some of the President's further remarks on rural development:

“As the economy strengthens and state revenue grows, we will ensure equitable distribution of the benefits of these development projects, for the enjoyment of people in all islands”.