How Genuine are the Candidates?

No one has so far said they are standing for the election because of the 62,000 rufiyaa salary. We don’t even expect them to admit it, but at least for some candidates the salary must be a big issue. It’s really a funny situation. The candidates as well as the voters know that election promises will remain just that: promises and nothing else.

Most candidates claim their reason for standing for a particular constituency is because they know the place well. However, in most cases the truth is that the candidate lives in Male and has no contact with the home island except for occasional visits during the Eid Holidays. The real reason to choose the constituency could more likely be to take advantage of the presence of relatives in the island.

When a candidate is asked what they will do for the constituency, they usually come up with long lists of projects including schools, harbors and resorts. Realistically speaking Majlis members will have no direct influence on decisions to build such infrastructure, since they come under the purview of the executive branch of the state.

Few candidates appear to concentrate on the actual role of Majlis members and their realistic contribution to the process. But if the voters are happy with what the candidates say, who are we to complain?