News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — Parliament began debate this week on a government‑backed amendment to the Former Presidents’ Allowances and Protection Act, a measure that would sharply reduce the benefits granted to past leaders and, for the first time, extend limited allowances to former vice presidents. The bill was introduced by PNC MP Mohammed Shahid on behalf of the administration, with its first reading heard in the Majlis on Wednesday.
One of the most significant changes would suspend allowances for any former president who is elected for a second term or holds another public office. Under current law, former presidents are entitled to MVR 175,000 a month to maintain an office, staff and facilities for social work. The proposed amendment would repeal that provision entirely, eliminating state funding for such offices.
The bill also narrows the scope of state‑funded protection. While current law provides security regardless of residence, the amendment specifies that protection will not be extended to former presidents living abroad. Security would only be guaranteed if they return to the Maldives.
The legislation goes further by addressing a gap in the existing law: the absence of provisions for former vice presidents. The amendment proposes a monthly stipend of MVR 25,000 and access to health care in the Maldives and overseas. But eligibility would be limited to those who completed a full five‑year term. That requirement means only one former vice president, Faisal Naseem, qualifies. He served from 2018 to 2023 under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Other former vice presidents — including Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, Mohamed Waheed Deen, Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor and Abdulla Jihad — all served shorter terms due to resignations, impeachments or removals. Adeeb, who was convicted of corruption, is barred from privileges altogether. The current vice president, Hussain Mohamed Latheef, remains in office under President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
The amendment also seeks to suspend benefits for former vice presidents if they later serve another presidential term or hold public office.
Existing law provides former presidents with a monthly allowance of MVR 50,000 if they served one term, and MVR 75,000 if they served more than one. In addition, they receive MVR 50,000 per month to cover expenses. The government now proposes to reduce these amounts, part of a broader effort to cut state spending.
President Muizzu announced on September 10 that his administration would move to reduce allowances for former presidents and members of parliament. He argued that the privileges were excessive and no longer justified. Former President Mohamed Nasheed was the only past leader to respond publicly, saying he supported reducing pensions for former presidents. “I also think the amount of pensions given to former presidents should be reduced,” he wrote on X.
The debate reflects a growing consensus among lawmakers and segments of the public that the state should not continue to fund lavish benefits for former leaders. The Finance Ministry has said the budget currently allocates MVR 175,000 per month for the running expenses of former presidents’ offices, a cost that would be eliminated if the amendment passes.
For President Muizzu, the proposal is part of a broader campaign to streamline government spending and reduce duplication across state institutions. For the judiciary and political class, however, the bill signals a historic shift: a move away from the culture of entitlement that has long defined Maldivian politics.
