Fayyaz Brands PNC Lawmakers ‘Traitors’ Over Ras Malé Deal, Vows to Revoke Secret Agreements

Any member of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) who participates in the government’s secretive land deals will forever be branded a traitor to the country, former Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail warned, pledging that a future Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration will unilaterally revoke any project undertaken without public consent.

Fayyaz, who is campaigning for the MDP’s presidential primary ticket for the 2028 election with the backing of MDP Chairperson and former President Mohamed Nasheed, delivered the stern rebuke amid escalating political scrutiny over the administration’s development pact for Ras Malé.

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Expressing grave concern over national vulnerability, Fayyaz drew parallels to international geopolitical shifts, warning that large global powers can easily exert undue coercion over a small island developing state like the Maldives.

“That is what happened to Palestine as well,” Fayyaz said. “If anything is done without seeking the consent of the Maldivian people, we will revoke it once we come to power.”

Scrutinizing the financial viability of the government’s commercial arrangements, Fayyaz challenged the economic rationale of handing over public assets without open procurement procedures.

“By spending USD 700 million, they are receiving USD 3.1 billion. Economically, that makes no sense whatsoever,” he stated. “If you are going to do this, shouldn’t you go for an international competitive bidding process?”

Fayyaz also pointed to recent legislative maneuvering in the People’s Majlis, where bills touching on sensitive foreign policy matters, including legislation restricting criticism against Israel have been repeatedly submitted, withdrawn, and reintroduced. 

He cautioned that combining opaque land transfers with sudden, controversial legislative actions indicates a troubling disregard for national sovereignty.

“If anyone has even an atom’s weight of respect in their heart for the Maldivian nation, any member belonging to the PNC who participates in this will forever become a traitor,” Fayyaz asserted.

While Fayyaz openly opposed the project, former President and current MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed, who endorsed Fayyaz’s candidacy, appeared to avoid taking a definitive stance on the issue.

Nasheed struck a noticeably ambivalent posture, conceding support for the concept of an investor residency program while stopping short of calling for the deal’s outright cancellation.

Nasheed stated that while opening the Maldives to a residency programme is positive in principle, the government has kept the contract hidden from public view. He highlighted two primary concerns based on available information: the lack of an advance payment to the state and the decision to locate the multi-billion-dollar development inside the Greater Malé region. 

Rather than demanding that the administration scrap the venture, Nasheed advised the government to send the contract to Parliament as soon as possible and utilize its parliamentary majority to enact the necessary statutory framework.

The mixed signals from MDP leadership come amid intensifying fallout over the 21 September commercial terms agreement signed between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills. 

The deal allocates 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Fushidhiggaru Lagoon (Ras Malé) under a 99-year leasehold for the proposed “Maldives Waterfront and Marina” project, reportedly granted without lease acquisition fees or rent.

The agreement has drawn broad opposition across the political divide. Former President Abdulla Yameen questioned the feasibility of the state ever reacquiring developed properties once lease terms expire, urging Eagle Hills to abandon the scheme entirely. 

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih told the MDP National Congress that while the party does not oppose lawful foreign investment, granting 500 hectares without upfront fees demands immediate disclosure. 

Meanwhile, former Vice President Faisal Naseem and Malé City Mayor Adam Azim have accused the administration of pursuing a hidden, covert agenda that risks undermining social and religious cohesion.

The deal also faces legal challenges at the Supreme Court level by counsel Ali Hussain and the civic campaign “Maldivians’ Land for Maldivians,” which contends the concession breaches Articles 250 and 251 of the Constitution concerning public property transfers and foreign land control.

The administration has firmly rejected allegations of sovereign concessions. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and government ministers maintain that absolute ownership of the underlying land remains with the Maldivian state, with Eagle Hills’ rights strictly confined to above-ground development under forthcoming statutory real estate frameworks.