In a comment made in reply to the last post in this blog, a Mr./Ms. Vaaf raised a few issues. Firstly, with regards to the question of whether the auditor general is pro-MDP, you will have to make this assessment yourself, dear reader. Do so by taking the time to read the latest audit report on Theemuge, and considering who it favours in the run up to the parliamentary elections.
Mr./Ms. Vaaf asks "Do we need those who embezzled for 30 years back in the parliament?" How is the public to know who these individuals are when the AG is dedicated to investigating the former president only? Everyone else referred to in his report is a 'bodu beyfulheh.' This from a report which makes statements on the former president and his wife's apparel habits?
As for the cost of Theemuge (USD 17 million), ask yourself 'why not?', dear reader. This is a palace for the president of Maldives, and not for a blue-collar worker. Also, consider that this palace was built not for Maumoon, but all presidents who are to come. Certainly no parliament member in the Majlis at the time made any objections. Nor did any construction company contracted to build the palace.
Mr./Ms. Vaaf is concerned with the expenses incurred in maintaining the presidential palace of Maldives. What should concern him/her more are expenses like the one chalked up under the title 'public sector investment program' in the government budget. On average over a billion rufiyaa a year was spent from 2006 to 2008 under this category. Question is, how many Maldivians benefited from this program? How many Maldivians can say that any of their capital expenses were refinanced through government aids? If this budget is not drawn from, then why does it keep growing every year?
What of the projects which ran aground? Hulhumale' for instance? Over USD 350 million spent on reclaiming a land which has been left unused for nearly a decade.
So why is Maumoon the root of all evil? And why is it especially so this close to the parliamentary elections? Since the AG's appointment in January 2008 he has failed to extend his investigations beyond Theemuge, Maumoon and his family. It is almost as if he is intent on serving the public's taste for slander.
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6 comments:
The AGO's work "is driven by a strategic Audit Plan prepared independently by the AGO and endorsed by the Parliament." (From AGO website)
"Although the audit [of Theemuge] was originally planned for August 2008 it was twice delayed on the request of senior staff at Theemuge. It was eventually carried out from January to April this year." - From Minivan News
The AGO has conducted audits of STO, Tourism Ministry, Stelco and Customs to name a few.
There is no way that an Audit report of Theemuge will ever favor Gayoom even if it came out last year, beginning of this year or end of this year or the next decade. It simply does not matter. What the report does favour is truth to be revealed to the public and for setting a precedent and warning towards current and future leaders of this country. Is there a particular time for it to be revealed? I think not...and certainly not in this case when Theemuge was supposed to have been audited last year.
It is utterly absurd for you to suggest that the public has to be denied this info or that there has to be a certain time for it to be released.
Your accusation that the AG is dedicated to investigating the former president only is based on your ignorance of the fact there have been audits of other govt offices.
And since Theemuge was the ex-president's residence it is he who should be responsible for whatever misappropriation and unscrupulous expenditure that was incurred in the running of that building. Why should the report name recipients of his favours? What would be the point?
"Certainly no parliament member in the Majlis at the time made any objections [to building the palace].". Well obviously! This is the kind of totalitarian regime we've managed to escape in the last election.
Simon: it seems to me that you're no less a puppet than the AG himself. I'm simply saying that the AG is only limiting its investigative scope to Maumoon and not the rest. Here you are trying to convince me that I'm an idiot to demand a more generalized approach (especially exposing the names of the people who knowingly indulged in the corruption).
I'm not denying the AG has not undertaken other audits, but for some reason none of these audits are as scathing. Makes one wonder if Gayoom did it all by himself.
The timing must surely be of interest to you. When you published an article on your blog pleading to the public to change the government, you obviously had a political motivation. People who read your article would know what your intent was. This is very similar to the AG's agenda. Especially since there is a precedent.
I think it is absurd that you suggest the public be denied 'info' on the corruption enjoyed by the lesser government officials. If we do, we'll have a reprisal of the post-Nasir autocracy. Unless you happen to want it of course (for whatever reasons).
Shaafiee,
Yes, you are right about the reports pertaining to Gayoom being especially scathing.
The way I think of this is very simple. Democracy is great but it too is flawed. I mean how else does a terrorist organisation such as Hamas (especially since it is known to exercise heavy-handedness against its own people including executions) get elected in Palestine?
Anyway, I support AGOs work in bringing the reports in such a manner to public attention. We, well certainly I, do not want to see a loophole in the democratic system letting in Gayoom in power just because the public was ignorance of his bloody atrocities - whether it is by winning more parliamentary seats or otherwise. The man is a known totalitarian dictator and no amount intellectual acrobatics by you or anyone is going to change that fact.
To jump into a trap knowing what kind of trouble it holds is suicide. In my opinion AGO is doing its job not in MDPs interest but in the interest of all Dhivehin.
Obviously you see it differently.
The AG did a report on Bank of Maldives. It gave an incomplete list higlighting specific names of DRP officials who have taken loans and not names of people who had taken out bigger loans who were pro mdp. bias it is.
Well people are seeing nepotism and all that which they were complaining about before at a bigger scale.
Yes Maumoon, because he was Maumoon, would've always required a $17 million dollars to do whatever he wanted with it. the parliament trusted him with this money and what did we get in return?
It's all evident in the AG's report. I don't need more evidence.
Once while Mavota shareef was a Member of the Peoples Majlis, whiles the construction of Theemuge was in progress and he question why so much money is being spent on such a project without the approval of the Majlis.
For this question, Abdul Rasheed Hussein said it was being built for the Very Very Important Persons (VVIP's) who visits our country.
Voil, now we know who that VVIP is, don't we?
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