Seeking temporary gain leaves many things behind: Faisal

Former vice-president Faisal Naseem has warned against pursuing short term political gain ahead of the upcoming local council and women’s development committee elections, saying such decisions risk lasting damage that may prove difficult to undo.

Speaking at the launch of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) campaign for candidates contesting the 4 April local elections in Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo, Faisal said actions taken for “temporary advantage” could leave “many things behind” that would be hard to reclaim.

Reflecting on the country’s constitutional history, he said it has not always been possible to govern strictly in accordance with the Constitution ratified 18 years ago.

The struggle to amend it, he noted, came at significant cost. “Many people were imprisoned and property was lost in the efforts made by the people to amend the Constitution,” he said.

Faisal said that politics, like business, should allow space for fair competition.

His remarks came in the context of the government’s proposal to hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously. Officials have said the move would reduce state expenditure, but Faisal, a senior figure in the MDP’s campaign questioned that rationale.

If the aim were purely financial, he said, it would also mean abolishing the presidential term. “We don’t have to talk about what will happen if one person is in power forever. We have experienced all that,” he said.

He also criticized what he described as a culture of dependency fostered by expanding public sector employment.

“The government’s employment of everyone has increased laziness,” he said, adding that citizens should not fear losing their jobs. “People working in state jobs are paid by the people. They should not be afraid.”

Urging voters in Kudahuvadhoo to back MDP candidates, Faisal said the election was a choice about the country’s future.

“Please secure every vote you can for MDP candidates, even those from another island in Maldives. We are working for the country, for our children and for our future,” he said.