Tourism boycott call by Nasheed is an act of desperation- Abbas

“Tourism boycott call by Nasheed is an act of desperation” says the Government Spokesperson Abbas.

The Government of Maldives has responded to former president Nasheed’s call to boycott Maldives tourism in an interview to the Financial Times yesterday.

Spokesperson for the Government Mr. Abbas in an interview to Miadhu news said that the government strongly condemn the actions of Mr. Nasheed who is currently enjoying all the protections and leisure of former Presidents. He added that Nasheed’s call will harm the people of the Maldives and must stop defaming of the brand “Maldives”.

Speaking to financial times former president Nasheed called “cancel all the current bookings, those who are planning on booking I would suggest to cancel the bookings. Maldives does not have a legitimate government”

In response of Nasheed’s statement the government spokesperson said “this is an act of mire desperation and playing his final cards and now he has chosen the joker”

“Nasheed’s own words is good enough response in it self. If one were to give a thought to what he says, for example he says Maldives is being Talabanized by this government but in the next line he is calling to boycott Maldives tourism. My question is who would benefit most from such a tourism boycott? Isn’t that what the so called radicals want to happen in Maldives?”

Abbas further added that to isolate the people and economically deprive the people of development and modernization will crate the foundation for what Nasheed is calling as “Talabanization”. “one question the real motives behind Nasheeds call” said Abbas.

He further said that Nasheed has been a “flip flop” and changed his line on the circumstance that led to his resignation. Pointing to Nasheed’s statement in Financial Times about the role of big businesses such as Vice President Mr. Deen in his resignation Abbas said “it is now the third time he had changed his version, the first one was that Mr. Gayyoom was behind 7^th Feb. Than later he changed his version that Indian High Comissioner Mr. Mulay was behind the events. Now its his third version that big business is behind”’

Abbas said that the call for Maldives boycott is not new and that Nasheed and his Friends of Maldives founder David Hardingham has tired and failed this even before, and they will not succeed even this time.

Abbas questioned Nasheed’s conspiracy theory of big businesses in tourism and Talabanization does not go in line. “what benefit does the big businesses in tourism has from the so called talabanization?” therefore he said if there were any anti social elements it was with in Nasheed’s ranks.