Presidential candidate of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), former president Mohamed Nasheed has said that MDP, if elected, will increase civil servant salaries according to increases in the rate of inflation.
Nasheed made this promise while addressing MDP supporters at a rally last night.
He said that his government has been accused of cutting civil servant salaries during their earlier stint, but they actually increased the salaries of all civil servants below the post of assistant director by 20 to 30 percent.
He said that his government, however, withheld 15 percent of all civil servant salaries for a period of one year following the economic crisis faced by the Maldives in 2009. He described this as a ‘loan’ taken from civil servants, due to the high government deficit.
He said that this ‘loan’ has since been repaid to civil servants by the government.
The truth, however, is that the Civil Service Commission had to take the matter to court in order to repay this money to civil servants. Nasheed’s government in fact refused to pay the money even after the court ordered them to do so. The money was eventually paid by the government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed.