President

Gaumee Party has said that the President Mohamed Nasheed gives false and untrue information to international media, and that this is damaging to the country and its people.

A press release by Gaumee Party today said that it is noted that ever since he assumed his post as President, President Nasheed has been giving false information to international media sources. It also said that the President makes no attempt to speak truthfully or give correct information during these interviews.

“Early in his presidency, what he told the international media made us feel like the country might go underwater any time now. This resulted in investors and tourists keeping a distance from us. After this, his statements implying Maldivians’ involvement in terrorism made travel extremely difficult for Maldivians. It became a struggle for Maldivians to obtain visas to several parts of the world, including our most neighboring countries,” says Gaumee Party.

They also said that the President’s statements and actions are not formulated such that the country and people profit from them.

Gaumee Party also said that in an interview with an Australian paper The Saturday Age, the President said that three islands disappear from the Maldives every year. While this is an outright lie, this statement was also made at a time when much damage had been caused to the country’s image following his claims of the existence of prostitution in Maldivian resorts.

Gaumee Party also noted that several comments made on articles published by worldwide media ridicule President Nasheed’s speeches, and remarks are made which are rather damaging to the country’s image. They also said that the President is not concerned about the vulnerability and damage he exposes the country to, by making such statements.

“The victims of such interviews by President Nasheed are Maldivians,” reads the press release by Gaumee Party.

The President’s Office said that this press release by Gaumee Party is politically motivated and contains no truth, and that they trust that Gaumee Party will work in a more responsible manner in the future.

Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said that the information given in such interviews to the international media is not formulated by the President himself, and that such interviews are given as responses to questions posed on issues regarding the country. He further said that it is not the government which talks about the country sinking or the existence of terrorism in Maldives.

“The statements by Gaumee Party are politically motivated. We hope they work in a more responsible manner than this. What happens in the Maldives cannot be held secret from the outside world. When the President is asked questions regarding these issues, he cannot say that these things are not happening,” Zuhair said.

Zuhair also said that it is not the President who talks about the country going underwater, and when asked if the islands face erosion due to changes in the global climate condition, the President is in no position to deny it.