Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim has said that People’s National Congress (PNC) mayoral candidate Major General (Rtd) Moosa Ali Jaleel has consistently demonstrated courage, sincerity and a strong commitment to serving the country throughout his decades of public service.

Nazim made the remarks while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the PNC’s South Machangolhi campaign office. Reflecting on his interactions with Jaleel over the past 30 years, Nazim said that on every occasion he encountered him, Jaleel showed courage, sincerity and a willingness to serve the nation.

Deputy Speaker also noted that Jaleel had shown readiness to make sacrifices for the country during challenging periods, adding that he had contributed significantly to the process of revising the Maldives Police Serivce Act before it was ratified.

Speaking at the event, Nazim encouraged residents of Malé to support Jaleel in the upcoming mayoral election, stating that his courage and dedication to public service make him a suitable candidate for the post.

Highlighting International Women’s Day, which was observed yesterday, Nazim said the current Administration had strengthened the role of Women’s Development Committees by converting the allowance provided to committee members into a salary and granting them greater authority. He also urged the public to elect PNC candidates to the committees.

Nazim further responded to criticism from the opposition regarding the decision to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day. He said the decision to allow the two elections to be held simultaneously had been supported during the constitutional drafting process.

He explained that the gap between elections in the past was mainly due to the time required to establish an independent Elections Commission under the new Constitution and to enact and implement election-related legislation and regulations.

Nazim noted that the parliamentary elections were delayed until May 2009 due to the time taken to pass these laws and formulate the required regulations. He added that holding the elections on the same day could help increase public participation in the electoral process.