MP shahid calls for abolition of Malé Dhaftharu, calling it a tool for political gain

PNC Member of Parliament for the Hulhudhoo constituency, Mohamed Shahid, today called for the abolition of the Malé Dhaftharu (Malé Registry), stating that it was created by political leaders to secure votes.

He made the remarks during a debate in Parliament today on a resolution submitted by MDP member for Kendhoo constituency, Mauroof Zakir. The resolution addressed the delay in receiving flats for many of the 4,000 individuals who were selected for housing under the former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's "Gedhoruveriya" housing scheme.

Shahid stated that many residents of his constituency, Hulhudhoo, are registered in Dhaftharu, and he believes all these citizens should be returned to their original island registries.

Referring to the referendum held in Addu City last Saturday, he pointed out that when important decisions concerning their native islands are made, those registered in the Dhaftharu cannot vote on them, yet they also do not receive flats in the Malé region.

"When such a vote comes up, the people in that Dhaftharu cannot vote to make that decision. Yet, it is a Dhaftharu where they don't get a flat, they can't get medicine, and they can't go abroad (for services). Therefore, the first step must be to abolish this Dhaftharu immediately," Shahid stated.

In addition to abolishing the Dhaftharu, he called for the process of allocating flats and land plots to be handed over to an external party. Shahidh argued that this measure is necessary to safeguard the process of determining recipients of "political flats" from political influence.

"That is when this issue will be settled. The way it is now, it will never be settled. What happens is that the party office is preparing the flat list," Shahid asserted.