Opposition urges against sacrificing projects for political gain

Opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) has urged the government to stop shifting projects from one island to another for political purposes and complete the work on F.Magoodhoo airport.

The Magodhoo Council and residents have raised their voice against the government's plans to halt the construction of the airport in Magoodhoo, and instead continue the project in Nilandhoo, which is 10 minutes away. An emergency motion was also moved in parliament on Monday against the move.

Around 70% of the work on the Magoodhoo airport, which was started by the previous government in 2022, was completed by November 15 last year.

MDP condemns the government's decision to stop the project for political purposes to help President Mohammed Muizzu's kin win the upcoming parliamentary elections.

President Muizzu’s sister Fathmath Sauda is contesting the Nilandhoo constituency.

MDP is concerned that state resources are being moved around without any planning and in a way that hinders development.

“This will seriously undermine the confidence of the state finances and foreign investors,” MDP said in a statement.

The statement said the airport project in Nilandhoo was started without an EIA. MDP believes that the project was started hastily to win the election for the President's nephew.

"And this is a misuse of state resources and a waste of state treasury to the detriment of the development of the atoll and the country and we strongly condemn it,” MDP said.

The party said that such incidents are a revival of what has been erased in the last five years of governance.

The MDP will find a legal solution in the 20th session of the Parliament to ensure that development projects cannot be changed and stopped.