As part of his current tour to Shaviyani atoll, President Mohamed Waheed visited Lhaimagu on Saturday morning.
In his meeting with the people of the island, President Waheed assured that his administration would treat all citizens equally, as opposed to the policy of the previous government. He added that equitable treatment of all citizens was also guaranteed in the Constitution.
The President said that his government would also be fully inclusive. In this regard, he said, all major political parties were already part of the unity government, while the Maldivian Democratic Party was invited to join his Cabinet.
The President expressed regret that MDP chose not to be part of the unity government which had the backing of majority of the people. Instead of joining the government, he said, former President Nasheed was trying to “come back to power through force”.
“That is why we hear all sorts of things [from the MDP]. We need not give any attention to them,” said the President.
Speaking of the promises the previous government had made to the people of Lhaimagu, President Waheed noted that none of the promises was fulfilled, while even funds were not allocated for those projects. He said he would not make any empty promises, but the government would try to address at least one major issue faced by the people of Lhaimagu.
Focusing on environmental problems faced by the islanders, President Waheed said his policy was to advance action over words.
“While we keep saying at international forums that the Maldives is a vulnerable state, we’ve neglected addressing environmental issues in various islands. We’ve merely been telling other countries that the Maldives is at the forefront of the fight against climate change”.
The President said his policy therefore would be to plan special projects to address environmental issues faced in the islands.
