Hacked  By  r4dBlack

MALE: Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said he will be taking a 20 per cent cut to his monthly state allowance because of the country’s economic difficulties. Under the bill on protection and privileges for former presidents passed yesterday, Gayoom will be eligible for a Rf75,000 monthly allowance and a Rf50,000 housing allowance.

“I would like to tell the beloved Maldivian people that I do not intend to use the financial benefits in the amounts specified,” said Gayoom. “I decided to do this because I believe using this money for the beloved Maldivian people is very important at this time."

In response to the country’s economic downturn, the government announced a package of austerity measures in August, including pay cuts for civil servants and political appointees of up to 20 per cent.

MP for Galolhu North Eva Abdulla told Minivan News she welcomed Gayoom’s decision. “This government has constantly reiterated the need to economise and live within our means. It is encouraging to see the ex-President aligning himself to this line of thinking especially given his past excesses.”

Since coming to power last year, the government has blamed the country’s economic crisis to the yawning budget deficit inherited from the former administration.

In a press release today on the passage of the former presidents’ bill, Gayoom said he was “very happy”.

The bill has been at the centre of a heated debate with many arguing the specified allowances were too high at a time of economic duress.

Article 9, which stipulated parliamentary approval was needed before ex-presidents could be taken to court, was another point of contention among MDP MPs and activists. Tensions spilled out onto the streets earlier this week when over a 1,000 people protested outside of parliament.

But despite the article’s removal yesterday, all MDP MPs abstained from voting and surprisingly, DRP MP for Feydhoo Alhan Fahmy.

They were joined by three independents - Thulhaadhoo MP Nazim Rasheed, Kulhudufushi North MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa and Kaashidhoo MP Ismail Abdul Hamid - all rumoured to be in talks with MDP about signing up to the party.

Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid said yesterday the wording of the article left room for doubt as to its constitutionality.

But in an interview with DhiTV yesterday, Gayoom said he had initiated the move. Nihan told Minivan News today the decision was made to “accommodate MDP”.

“We hadn’t passed any bills...if anything could be passed, it’s happy news. We found a solution. We sat together and thought about the people,” said Nihan.

Both Eva and MDP MP for Machangoalhi North Mariya Didi have expressed scepticism over Gayoom’s role in the abolition of article 9.

Mariya said the ex-president had a number of opportunities to speak out against the provisions in the bill and had taken credit out of habit. “He has done that for the past 30 years,” she said.

Meanwhile Eva said she believed the decision was made because of public pressure. “The public simply refused to be dictated to on this and allow further injustice in the name of this one man,” she said.