The awarding of 90 hectares of land to a foreign company was an atrocity, former President Abdulla Yameen said last night, warning that the deal would be defended in Parliament if government candidates are elected in the upcoming polls.
Speaking at a rally of the People's National Front (PNF), a new party that he is attempting to form, Yameen stressed the government's agreement to hand over an area the size of a city as compensation to the company contracted for the Fushidhiggaru land reclamation as the main reason for not electing government candidates.
Located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Male', the size of the Fushidhiggaru lagoon is about 1,280 hectares. The reclamation of 1,153 hectares for the development of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's flagship "Rasmale'" city was contracted to the Capital Marine and Civil Construction Company (CMCCC). Including land to be reclaimed by the company, CMCCC was awarded 89.6 hectares in exchange and paid USD 20 million in advance.
Despite characterizing the deal as an atrocity, Yameen did not name any company. He called it a "paper company with no money or resources." The value of the land allocated to the company was MVR 72 billion, he said, noting that 90 hectares was one-third of Hulhumale'.
However, the company is now trying to raise finances by selling the land as it lacks funds to continue the land reclamation, Yameen said, calling it a loss for the nation.
"My God. Now we'll lose everything," he said.
Yameen characterized the transaction as an atrocity. The government cannot be held accountable by electing pro-government candidates to the 20th People's Majlis as the MPs would try to defend the transaction involving the 90 hectares of land, he said.
The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) contested in all past elections but the party was now defunct as it has not fielded any candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, Yameen said.
The first task of "burying" PPM was the transfer of PPM councillors and senior officials in the Fonadhoo constituency to the People's National Congress (PNC) with no objections from the party's leadership at the time, Yameen said.
