President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has refused to acknowledge social stratification of Maldivian citizens into two groups.
Noting that development efforts budgeted by the government do not target specific communities, President Yameen expressed astonishment at how some critics, at this civilized age and time, continue to categorize Maldivians as those from Male’ and those from atolls. Observing that the majority of this cabinet consists of people originating from islands other than capital Malé, the President said that people from all islands are Maldivians and therefore enjoy the same rights and privileges.
“I have always said that for me, Maldives is one Maldives. There is no ‘Malé and atolls’. We have talked about this on multiple occasions. Therefore there is no such thing as ‘people from the atolls’. They too are Maldivian citizens. It is not during my tenure that these categories emerged,” the President said.
President Yameen said that anyone who delves deeper into the issue would discover the administration’s strong policies that facilitate all-inclusive development.