Lawmakers of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) called in Parliament today for a public referendum to determine whether 500 hectares of land from Rasmalé should be granted to Eagle Hills company free of any lease rent.
Debating a resolution calling for the disclosure of the agreement signed between the Maldivian government and Eagle Hills, MDP MPs asserted that public opinion must be sought before granting portions of Maldivian territory to foreign entities for residential use on 99-year leases.
"I call upon this government and this Parliament to hold a public referendum on this matter as soon as possible. Honourable Speaker, this is something we must do today. Proceeding with this project without a referendum would be an act against the pulse of the Maldivian people," said Hulhumale' South MP Ahmed Shamheed.
He said that Maldivian land, its laws, and the Constitution belong to the citizens. He argued that on major issues such as the Rasmalé project, the people should have the final say rather than leaders elected for a five-year term.
Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad, contributing to the debate, noted that the Rasmalé project is not one that can be easily halted once started. He warned that the agreements being signed to facilitate the project cannot be "fixed" later in the same way that ruling People's National Congress (PNC) lawmakers amend legislation.
"I believe we should ask the people, as the law provides us with that opportunity. We lose nothing by consulting the citizens. I say again, if this is decided without consulting the public, it will end up like today’s tax bill," Ziyad said.
MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem said during the debate that if a referendum were held on whether to grant half of Rasmalé to Eagle Hills, not even five percent of the population would support it.
"The government found it very easy to amend the law and the Constitution to head toward a referendum regarding the merger of two elections. Honourable Speaker, there will be no greater concern than this during these five years," Meekail said.
"...This is the time to ask the people; this is the time to seek their consent. Honourable Speaker, if they have the courage, they should go to a referendum."
While the MDP called for a public vote to gauge general opinion, PNC lawmakers maintained that a referendum on the matter was unnecessary.
The resolution submitted to Parliament calling for the disclosure of the details of the agreement between Eagle Hills and the Maldives was rejected by the PNC-majority chamber.
