MPs condemn Nasheed

Several Members of Parliament (MPs) have condemned former President Mohamed Nasheed’s call to boycott Maldives tourism during his visit to the US.

Maduvvari MP Visam Ali raised an urgent debate and said that Nasheed’s call on tourists to cancel their bookings to travel to Maldives might result in the country facing more economic losses than it can handle, and that the Maldives might face serious economic trouble unless the relevant authorities take action to resolve this problem.

She said that a former President calling to boycott the country’s main industry is not acceptable.

“Tourism is the most important industry in the Maldives. Damage caused to this sector would result in direct losses to the Maldivian people. If tourist arrivals decline, we will not be able to recover those losses,” Visam said.

MPs of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that tourists should not travel to Maldives and bankroll the current illegitimate government.

MDP Chairperson and Hulhuhenveiru MP Reeko Moosa Manik said that MDP would always protect tourism in Maldives, however, when a group of people use the money received from operating resorts to overthrow a government elected according to the Constitution for five years, the international community should know about it.

Kaashidhoo MP Abdullah Jabir said that MDP members were already planning to boycott Maldives tourism sector even before they came to power, and their purpose of doing so was to drive Maldivians into poverty.

“They want Maldivians to go back to wearing sarongs and live on the streets. That way they do not have to keep any accounting or marketing records. Through poverty, they want to make people their slaves,” Jabir said.

Meedhoo MP Siyam said that no citizen, especially not a former President, can call to close all doors for income for the people.

“A person who can do this has no love for the country. We should not believe that such a person can do anything for the good of our nation,” Siyam said.

Most MPs who spoke at today’s Parliament session agreed that any attempt by any Maldivian to damage the tourism industry is a great betrayal to the nation.