Former President Mohamed Nasheed has publicly voiced his support for reducing pensions granted to former heads of state. Speaking amid growing public and parliamentary discussions, Nasheed took to X (formerly Twitter) to affirm, “I too support this idea of reducing former President pensions,” even sharing lines from an old poem to underline his point.
Government Plans Amendments to Pension Laws
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu previously stated on September 10 that the government intends to introduce amendments to Parliament concerning pension entitlements for former Presidents. While he did not provide a specific timeline for when the proposed changes will be presented, he confirmed that efforts are underway to make the amendments a reality.
The proposed changes aim to harmonize pension and retirement benefits for individuals leaving State positions. Under the planned amendments, anyone retiring from a State role would forfeit pension benefits if they subsequently assume another State position.
Public Reaction to State Spending on Former Officials
The discussion over pensions has drawn widespread public attention, especially after a statistical report detailing state expenditures on former and current Parliament members and Presidents was released. A Maldivian citizen requested the report under the Right to Information Act, which later circulated widely on social media.
The report highlighted that health insurance for former officials cost the government over MVR 18 million over the past decade. It also revealed that VIP airport lounge usage by the current Parliament totaled MVR 1.5 million.
Currently, former Parliament members aged 55 and above receive monthly benefits, while former Presidents continue to receive state-provided monetary allowances. The ongoing debate reflects broader public concerns about government spending and the sustainability of pensions for high-ranking officials.
