Airport privatization – a ploy to help Israelis use Maldives airport to bomb Arabs – DRP

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

In a colossal failure common sense and in am pathetic effort to gain support for his party’s anti-campaign against airport privatization, Umar Naseer, Deputy Leader of opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has alleged that airport privatization would help Israeli Defense Force (IDF) use Maldives airport in a possible aerial campaign against Arabs.

“That means, if [the operators] allowed it, an Israel flight can come and stop over after bombing Arab countries,” Umar apparently told Minivan News. However, as Israel is right next to Arab peninsula, Umar seems to have no clue why an Israeli aircraft might fly to Maldives, after flying for 5 hours in the center of the Indian Ocean, while it can fly back to Israel in an hour.

While DRP has expressed concern on possible use of Maldives airport by Israeli Defense Force, DRP is also blocking government efforts to bring an innocent Palestinian detainee from Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

“Privatization is a good policy, but there should be limitations,” Umar said.

He claimed that if the airport was privatized, the Maldives would not have the authority to decide which flights would be permitted to land at the airport. However, Mahmood Raazee, Minister of Civil Aviation and the Chair of the Privatization Committee said that the government could exercise authority on such decisions.

Umar Naseer also added that out of 3000 Maldivians working at the Airport, 50% will lose their jobs and questioned the merit of privatization if a large proportion of the money received via airport would drain out of the country.

Umar and the opposition parties seems to be of the view that if the development tax of USD 25 per person could be collected by the Maldives government, the airport will automatically upgrade itself.

He claimed the government was pushing ahead with the privatisation deal because “there are no successful businessmen in the government”. Despite the allegations, Finance Minister, Ali Hashim and Civil Aviation Minister, Mahmood Raazee are well known businessmen in the country. Both men were owners of the Lintel Investments, which owns the Le Cute, country’s leading perfume business. Ali Hashim and Mahmmood Raazee, were the key faces behind the move.

Privatization is a government policy in countries such as India, which’s Prima Minister Manmohan Singh is the country’s most decorated economist.

Parliament today has passed a law which prohibits selling public properties, without Parliament approval. However the bill will become law when the President Nasheed signs the bill into law.

Reader Comments

  1. Do you think we are nuts. Israel, a country with ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads need us to mount an attack on its enemies who are geographically near them than Maldives. An idiot is an idiot regardless of him being a Deputy Leader of DRP

    Posted by Mohamed | June 29, 2010, 1:56 pm

  2. It is really pathetic to see this joker Umar Naseer talking absolute nonsense. The air space of any country is under the jurisdiction of that country. So even if there is an airport managed by a private party no flight can land there without the authorization of the government of that country. It is time that someone tell this joker Umar Naseer to stop taking like a lunatic.

    Posted by Ali | June 29, 2010, 4:42 pm

  3. just a thought, how far does this project further the interests and bank balances of our current finance and civil aviation ministers?

    Posted by loremipsum | June 30, 2010, 3:47 am

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