People who see their own interests 24 hours a day cannot lead the country: Dr. Jameel

Vice Presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of Maldives Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has said that people who see their own interests 24 hours a day and has no sincerity, cannot lead the country.

Speaking in Nasandhura Palace Hotel at a campaign gathering last night aimed at people from islands living in Male’, Dr. Jameel said that the people have to consider what will happen to the country if they hand over the presidency to a people who’s mind changes 24 times within 24 hours.

“We’ve been saying this from day one, that we don’t believe a person who see his own interests 24 hours a day can lead the country,” he said. “If you hand over the presidency to a bunch of people who’s minds change 24 different ways within 24 hours. People should really think about the turn the country will take then.”

Aiming harsh criticism at his opposition, Jameel said that the behavior of certain politicians these days are like that of, “a scene of people who’s facing a political full moon.”

“They might stay in one place the night before, go and rule at another place today. I don’t believe that anyone will believe that such people can prioritize the interests of the country,” Dr. Jameel said.

He also criticized the judicial system and asked if the people are being provided due justice, especially through the reforms process that were initiated in 2008 and the new constitution, the same year.

“A lot of people hoped, after the reform process started and through the constitution in 2008, that the Maldives would have a very perfect judicial system. This system, through the Constitution, (the establishment of) the Judicial Service Commission, through the laws of the courts and other laws (that govern them), this system is very expensive,” Dr. Jameel said.

“Today’s reality is that, even if we reflect upon the magistrates in the island courts to the judges who sit in the courts of Male’, they receive higher salaries and better privileges than all of the common people. But the question is, while the system and their salaries are being upheld by taxes, do the people get their justice?”

He described the state of the judiciary as “the worst the country has seen in its entire history.”

“In what country, in what way can a country’s people be made to suffer, batter the people and intimidate them, kidnap them and use the people’s money through corruption, abuse the people’s property through millions and then sell them, but have no investigation, no trial for these people, these events require you to give considerable thought to the state of the country,” Dr. Jameel said.

He said that Maldives has fallen from all international standards and that certain candidates’ name will not be on the ballot paper if the country’s judiciary was in proper form.

“In reality, some of the people who are standing for presidency should not have their names on the ballot paper if the country’s laws are being followed, if the State’s policies are properly implemented. Somebody has to be responsible for this. I believe that the blame goes on the judiciary,” he said.

Dr. Jameel said that PPM will establish a sound government and a proper judicial system in the country.