Kulhudhuffushi City Mayor Mohamed Athif has criticised the government’s growing number of Senior Political Directors (SPDs), saying each SPD will cost the state around MVR 1.5 million in salaries over five years, and that the same amount could have been used to boost productivity if invested directly in young people.
Speaking at the launch of the MDP’s campaign for the April elections, Athif said the previous MDP administration had completed the work needed to open Hanimaadhoo International Airport as the main economic gateway in the north, but the current government had failed to operationalise it for two years.
“Our government was preparing to build guesthouses in the islands, complete sewerage systems, and, if we had a second term, give opportunities for youth to start SMEs and develop tourist beds in the region,” Athif said.
He then turned to the number of political directors appointed across ministries.
“By my calculation, if an SPD is paid MVR 25,000 a month, that’s MVR 1.5 million going to each SPD in five years. What if they gave that MVR 1.5 million to these kids and told them to build a guesthouse? At the very least, it would increase the productivity of the nation,” he said.
Athif accused the government of hiring large numbers of political directors to create dependency.
Council adhi WDC inthikhaabah MDP ge campaign launch kurumah baahvaa “Heyvahlaa Thayyaru” jalsaa https://t.co/6u4vr5qoJN
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“They are hiring political directors to force people to beg. The purpose is to make the islands do whatever the government wants,” he said.
He added that the MDP is the only party contesting the elections with clear policies and ideas for the people.
“This party saw the days when people had to beg for school stationery and books; this party saw how people were kept under island arrest; this party recognised single parents, persons with disabilities and the elderly who needed social protection; and it was this party that understood how poor families struggled to afford higher education for their children. It was also this party that recognised the need to populate the islands of this country,” Athif said.
His remarks come as the opposition continues to highlight the size of the political machinery under the current administration. Opposition figures claim the number of political posts now exceeds 2,000, with hundreds appointed across ministries at various levels. The government has not disclosed the exact figures.
Salaries for political posts remain one of the largest expenditure areas in the state budget since the new administration took office.