The opposition coalition has accused the government of prioritizing political considerations over eligibility in the allocation of land plots in the housing scheme to influencing the upcoming elections.
In response to the announcement of beneficiaries under the "Bonveriyaa" housing projects, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People's National Congress (PNC) expressed concerns about potential misuse of land in the Malé area. They accused the government of announcing beneficiaries with the intention of influencing the upcoming presidential election, which is only 75 days away.
They said this was a political act to influence the elections and demanded that ACC and the authorities investigate the crimes committed by the current administration by leaving out so many Maldivians that had applied while favouring government officials as well.
PPM and PNC alleged that the announcement of beneficiaries was politically motivated and called for an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into wrongdoings by the current administration. They also accused the government of favoring government officials while excluding many Maldivians who had applied for the housing scheme.
A total of 15,164 applications were submitted for the "Binveriyaa" scheme. This includes both individual and joint applicants, amounting to a total of 23,088 applicants. From these, 12,794 applications met the eligibility criteria, which is a total of 19,857 applicants who are currently being considered for the scheme.
However, Monday's announcement of beneficiaries under the "Binveriyaa" scheme included lawmakers from the current administration among the list of recipients.
The opposition's statement expressed the lack of justice and fairness in the allocation of land and highlighted their concerns about the administration's alleged failure to fulfill their pledge of providing 20,000 flats. It further criticized the current administration for leaving housing projects initiated by the previous administration incomplete, resulting in unused and empty flats.
"It is President Abdulla Yameen's policy to ensure that every Maldivian in need of housing can obtain housing in the Malé area. That was his election pledge in 2018. [We] take this opportunity to assure the people of Maldives that if President Yameen's government is given the opportunity to serve again, he will provide housing to all Maldivians in need in the Malé area," the statement said.
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