President: Resources don

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that government resources are not spent on constructive projects due to internal unrest in the Maldives.

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the achievements of TC Sports Club at Dharubaaruge on Thursday, President Yameen said he often digressed from spending government resources on constructive projects due to internal conflicts. He said that if this continues, the government would be forced to pull back its resources from sports and focus on finding solutions to those problems.

President Yameen stressed that everyone should have the freedom to walk around peacefully anywhere in the Maldives, and this freedom should be available especially to tourists.

He said that discussions are ongoing with the newly-appointed police commissioner to pardon delinquents who have been crime-free for long durations, to allow them to rejoin the labour force.

“We are not talking about people who have committed serious crimes,” he added.

He called on youth to refrain from taking to the streets to create unrest, and instead act as responsible citizens who cooperate with the government in implementing its policies.