MP Mickail accuses government of allowing foreign financial influence by keeping Rasmalé agreement secret

MP for Gaafu Dhaalu South constituency Mickail Ahmed Naseem has said that those who previously took to the streets protesting for transparency of the Uthuru Thilafalhu agreement, after coming to power, have now given a foreign entity the opportunity to exert financial influence and power over the Maldivian state. Speaking during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Mickail presented a resolution calling for the full disclosure of the Commercial Terms Agreement signed between the Maldivian government and Eagle Hills, a UAE-based company, for the 'Rasmalé' project, also known as the Maldives Waterfront and Marina. The resolution highlights that more than 500 hectares of reclaimed land has been given to Eagle Hills for 99 years without any acquisition cost or rent, and that the company has been granted the right to lease developed properties to third parties. Mickail's resolution warned that keeping such a major project secret paves the way for corruption. Mickail also criticised a last-minute change to parliamentary rules proposed by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdulhannaan Abu Bakr, who supports the ruling PNC. The change would require a vote before debating any resolution, which Mickail described as an obstruction aimed at blocking the debate on the Rasmalé agreement. He said that the secrecy surrounding the agreement and the interference in parliamentary procedure show that those who once campaigned against secrecy are now allowing foreign influence to take root.