Maldives’ impending free trade agreement with China has corrupt foundations and is therefore void to begin with, said Ali Shiyam, former President Mohamed Nasheed’s economic advisor.
Shiyam, who also reserves a seat at the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s economic committee, said that parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh had ‘blindly’ backed the government’s proposal in parliament at the behest of incumbent President Abdulla Yameen.
The government proposed the landmark free trade agreement last week on Wednesday, 29th November, and it was promptly passed by 30 votes in favour.
While the rest of 85-member legislature had abstained, with opposition parties protesting the proposal entirely on the grounds that it does not seek consultation with the local business community and lack of disclosure to the public.
The agreement was then sent to review at the National Security Committee, of which many parliamentarians aligned with the opposition said they were not notified. Some of them said that they were notified after the sitting began.
The committee sitting concluded within a span of 15 minutes behind closed doors, and reporters were barred from entering.
Shiyam told RaajjeTV that the agreement would benefit China a lot more than it would the Maldivian economy, despite Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed having previously stressed on how it would supplement local industries, especially fishing.
Shiyam went on to say that similar agreements with other countries have resulted in it being detrimental to their local businesses.
“Powerful countries no longer conquer smaller ones with weapons, it is done through strategic takeover of their economies” Shiyam said.
