Maumoon Abdul Gayoom " Towards New Heights ": Afternoon Press Brief at the Media Office

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Afternoon Press Brief at the Media Office

01 October 2008

• Shame in one’s relatives endemic in the Maldives
• Gayoom to file suit against Adhaalath Party
• Rumors of MDP-JP Alliance

Media Manager of the Maumoon 2008 Campaign Ibrahim Athif Shakoor spoke at the 1630 press briefing held on weekdays at the Maumoon 2008 Media Office today. He called for a change in the current Maldivian attitude of being ashamed in one’s relatives for fear of the cry of “nepotism”.

He said that he is confident that the citizens of Baa Atoll had no hand in the attacks on Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) Presidential candidate Ahmed Thasmeen Ali in Thulhaadhoo island. He also commented on the rumored Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – Jumhooree Party (JP) alliance. He confirmed that current Minister for Tourism Abdullah Yaamin’s appointment was a political move. He dismissed claims from independent Presidential candidate Dr. Hassan Saeed’s camp that Addu Atoll is behind him.

Campaign Trail

Shakoor provided the media with an update of the campaign trail. He said that DRP Presidential candidate and incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is currently in Dhaalu Atoll after completing his tour of Laamu Atoll.

He also said that DRP Presidential running mate Ahmed Thasmeen Ali is currently touring Baa Atoll.

Baa Atoll

Shakoor expressed his confidence in the fact that the citizens of Baa Atoll appreciate the hard work Thasmeen Ali has done in the past for them as the atoll’s MP. He said that Thasmeen Ali had served more than two terms as MP for Baa Atoll.

Shakoor repeated his condemnation of the attacks on Thasmeen Ali’s person in Thulhaadhoo Island.

He also said that he is certain of the fact that JP Presidential candidate Gasim “Burumaa” Ibrahim is responsible for these attacks as the perpetrators had arrived from Royal Island Resort which is a resort hotel owned by Villa Hotels – a subsidiary of the Villa group of companies of which Ibrahim was until very recently.

JP-MDP

Shakoor also said that he has reason to believe the rumors that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has formed an alliance with the JP.

He said that both those parties have joined forces as they believe such an alliance would increase their chances of contending in the elections.

Gayoom vs. AP

In response to a question from the media regarding candidate Gayoom’s comments on Voice of Maldives’ (VOM) Riyaasee Inthihaab (Presidential Election) political talk show which was broadcast live from 2200-2300hrs last night Athif Shakoor said that he believes Gayoom will stand by his statement to file suit against the AP for defamation.

In the recent Supreme Court (SC) case of the Adhaalath Party vs. Elections Commission (EC), the AP had said that the EC had committed an unconstitutional act by approving Gayoom’s bid for the presidency. The grounds on which the AP based their case were that Gayoom does not meet the requirements of a President set out in Article 109(a) of the Constitution as they did not believe that Gayoom is a muslim of the Sunni sect.

According to Shakoor, the AP’s case had no grounds as Gayoom’s religiosity has never been contested in a court of law therefore it would be slander to claim that he does not follow Sunni Islam.

Yaamin

A member of the press asked Shakoor whether Abdullah Yaamin’s recent appointment as Minister for Tourism was a political move made in order in response to the Tourism Employee Association of Maldives’ (TEAM) planned protest.

Shakoor replied that politicians are raised to political positions for political reasons and that Yaamin is a capable man.

Family

In response to questions about allegations of nepotism brought against Gayoom for giving his half-brother Yaamin a cabinet portfolio Shakoor said that the current attitude of being ashamed of one’s own blood relations for fear of such allegations has become a serious issue in the Maldives.

He believes that the people should not be deprived of the services of capable and talented individuals solely based on their family ties.

He said that India is not ashamed of the Gandhis and neither is the US ashamed of the Kennedys.

He also made note of the contributions of the Gandhi family and Kennedys such as Edward “Ted” Kennedy who is a senior Democrat and US Senator from the state of Massachusetts.

Addu for DRP

The media asked for the DRP’s views on Dr. Saeed’s camp’s that Addu Atoll is behind him as Addu is the atoll of his birth.

Shukoor replied that the media would attest to the fact that Gayoom received overwhelming support from Addu Atoll and that he was confident that the citizens of Addu would not support a person just for reasons of birth but would take an individual’s capability into consideration as well

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Development Heights in the last 30 years

1. In 1978 the GDP per capita of the Maldives was USD 200 but today it is USD 3,000 - a 15-fold increase.
2. In 1978 there were only 4 government schools and 15,000 students. Today, there are 349 government schools and more than 86,000 students studying in the Maldives.
3. In 1978 there were only 65 university graduates in the country but today there are more than 3,000.
4. In 1985 there were 23 doctors and 74 nurses in the country, but now there are 550 doctors, 1,200 nurses, 600 medical personnel, and 800 community health workers.
5. The Infant Mortality Rate in 1978 was 120 per 1,000 live births, but today the number has been reduced to 10.
6. From 1978 till today, the Maternal Mortality Rate has been decreased from 6 to 1 per 1,000 live births.
7. Child Mortality Rate of children under 5 has been reduced to 18 per 1,000 live births from the previous figure of 180.
8. Life expectancy has been increased from 48 years in 1978 to 73 years in 2008.
9. In 1978 there only 7 doctors for all Maldivians totally but today there are 500 plus doctors
10. In 1978 there were only 7 doctors working in the country, but today the number exceeds 500.
11. From 1978 to 2008, the number of hospitals in the Maldives grew from 1 to 22.
12. The number of tourist arrivals in 1978 was 29,325 but today the figure stands greater than 675,000.
13. There were only 17 resorts and 1,300 beds in the Maldives in 1978. However, today there are 94 resorts and 22,000 beds.
14. The fish catch in 1978 was 25,800 tons but it has increased to 184,158 tons in 2006.
15. There were 413 mechanized fishing boats in 1977 but today the number exceeds 2000.

His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is truly a man of the people. He is a leader who has earned the people’s trust and one who understands the needs of his people. It is under his skilled stewardship that Maldives became a highly respected member of the international community. Gayoom has maintained religious unity and promoted Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and understanding. He is a philosopher, an academic and an Islami Scholar. Campaigning under the slogan of “Towards New Heights” he is undoubtedly the best contender in the presidential race.

Born in Male’ in 1937, to a middle-class family, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom demonstrated academic potential at a young age and, following early schooling in the country, went first to Al-Azhar University in Cairo and later to the city’s American University. He obtained an M.A. in Islamic Studies at Azhar, where he also studied law and philosophy. His Degree in Islamic Studies earned him an academic appointment as Lecturer in that discipline to Nigeria’s Abdullahi Bayero College, a faculty of Ahmadu Bello University. According to the work of biographer Graham Wilson, Gayoom is one of the three most intellectual students to ever graduate from Azhar University. Gayoom married Madam Nasreena whilst in Egypt and started his family while working in Nigeria.

Gayoom returned to his homeland in 1971 and began a long and successful career in serving the nation. His public service, which began with a teaching post at Aminiyya School, one of the only three government schools in the country then, is one of the most distinguished. He served as the Manager of the National Shipping Department, which quickly led to his becoming Director of the national Communications Department. By 1974, he had established his reputation as an able administrator and consequently, was appointed Special Under-Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister. His first overseas appointment was to the diplomatic post of Deputy Ambassador to neighboring Sri Lanka which was followed quickly by his appointment as the Maldives Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

On his return to Male’ in 1977, he was appointed Minister of Transport, and then in November of 1978 was nominated as Presidential candidate by the Citizens’ Majlis winning a record 92.9% of the popular vote in the referendum which confirmed him as the people’s choice for the post. The people’s decision has proven to be a prudent one for the country; a decision that brought the Maldives, with its relatively small geographical size and few resources, rapid progress and development, as well as an established and reputed position in the international arena.

The record-breaking progress, of the country, in the past 30 years under Gayoom’s able and far seeing administration is truly remarkable. Gayoom has guided a country poor in natural and human resources, within 30 years to astonishing heights of progress. This change did not just come about of its own accord. It is an undeniable fact that it was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s able leadership that guided the country to those heights.

The pace of socio-economic development in Maldives is a testament to Gayoom’s hard work and vision. The multiples increase in per-capita GDP, increase in average life expectancy in the Maldives from 48 to 71 years, the decrease in the rate of child mortality and advancements in the educational and health sectors all bear witness to this fact. Gayoom’s leadership has enabled Maldivian fishermen to harvest the wealth of the Maldivian seas and made Maldives a synonym for the best of what a relaxing holiday can be.

After 25 successful years of nation building, at the inauguration of his 5th term to the Presidency, Gayoom announced that in this, his 6th term, he would prioritize the full and modern democratization of the now fast developing Maldives. The successful implementation of the education programs which he initiated in his first term in 1978 and the excellent results of his social and economic strategies had resulted in a young and educated population, who Gayoom believed, were now ready and primed to enter into the boisterous and animated arena of a modern, liberal democracy. Gayoom, had hoped that his Reform Agenda which he proposed in June of 2004, would be completed by the end of this 6th term, however it was not to be and Gayoom the originator and prime mover of the Reform Agenda is running for president today to ensure the smooth progress and successful culmination of the process of reform and democratization that he initated five years ago.

Significant achievements have already been made under Gayoom’s Reform Agenda which include a new, modern and liberal constitution whose Bill of Rights is amongst the most comprehensive in the world and in accordance with International Standards. Independent Institutions required by the new Constitution have now been created including the recently established Supreme Court, that has ensured that the powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary are now fully and effectively separated. A free and vibrant media is now flourishing in the country. These changes brought about, in the face of local and international skepticism and even active resistance, was implemented with patience, perseverance and foresight by Gayoom.

However, as these institutions are creations of the New Constitution, they are still in their infancy, some only a week old. They need time to mature and gain experience and acceptance. While the Maldives has a proud history which is more than 2000 years old, the new democracy of the Maldives, is yet a fledgling one. These will be testing times. The draftsman, who with foresight and wisdom, drew up these blueprints, is invaluable in these times, so that the rights, which bring with them corresponding responsibilities, are woven into the fabric of the Maldivian way of life and become part of our culture. This is too difficult a challenge and important a responsibility to be passed onto a new comer, a challenger with no experience and maturity, wisdom or foresight. This is not the time for experimentation. It’s the time for the only contender with a proven track record.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is ready to serve the people and take this country to new heights in five dynamic years.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Afternoon Press Brief at the Media Office

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Development Heights in the last 30 years

His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

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