Democracy Led to More Corrupt Says Deputy Speaker

Member of Parliament Ahmed Saleem, who represents the Eydhafushi constituency, has said that corruption in the Maldives has grown since the country adopted democracy.

Saleem made the remarks during a parliamentary debate on a resolution submitted by Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir. The resolution sought to determine Parliament’s position on allegations that employees are being dismissed from state-owned companies for political reasons under the pretext of workforce reductions.

During the debate, Saleem argued that corruption has always existed and has never been completely eliminated. However, he said that the problem became significantly worse after the introduction of democracy in the Maldives.

“Corruption has existed from the very beginning. It has never been completely stopped by anyone. It has always continued. But especially after this thing called democracy came, it crossed all limits. It went beyond all limits. In reality, we are not taking the necessary measures to address these issues.”

Saleem described corruption as a persistent problem that exists everywhere, but said it escalated after democracy was introduced in the country.

He also argued that corruption cannot be completely eradicated, noting that even highly developed countries continue to face the same challenge.

“This is not something that can be completely stopped. Even in the world’s most developed countries, including the United States, which is one of the most developed nations, corruption still exists.”

Saleem further noted that, in his view, previous sessions of Parliament had done relatively little to combat corruption.