As part of the tour he began this morning to Noonu Atoll, President Mohamed Nasheed visited Hen’badhoo and Maalhendhoo of Noonu Atoll this afternoon.
Meeting the people of Hen’badhoo, the President said the nature of the Maldives as a country and the country’s identity was, to a large extent, linked to the small island communities such as Hen’badhoo.
Noting that a large proportion of the country’s population was dispersed in small island communities, he acknowledged the development achieved by the peoples of such small islands.
In addition, referring to the government’s policy to establish an integrated transport network between islands and atolls, the President said the development of the Maldives depended on the extent to which islands and atolls were interconnected.
After his visit to Hen’badhoo, the President visited Maalhendhoo of Noonu Atoll.
Addressing the people of Maalhendhoo, President Nasheed said the biggest satisfaction of the government was being able to get the people’s participation in planning the development of their respective islands and communities.
In this regard, the President said, the development programmes included in the next year’s budget would be implemented in consultation with the people.
He said any development should result in quality education, healthcare, job opportunities and means to achieve self sufficiency for each individual.
During the meeting with the peoples of both the islands, the President highlighted the importance of the upcoming local council elections. He said this election would give the people the opportunity to govern themselves and empower them to decide the development path they wanted for their islands.
The President also responded to questions from the public regarding the issues related to the islands.
