The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has sought to misrepresent the entire transaction and procedures regarding the allocation of 4,000 housing units initiated by the previous MDP government under the Gedhoruveriyaa housing scheme, as conveyed during a press conference held today.

At the press conference, Mohamed Mauroof, the former Legal Counsel of the President's Office, stated that proving 15 years of residence in Malé was not a requirement for applicants under the Gedhoruveriyaa scheme. According to him, during the MDP administration, all applicants were assumed to have met this requirement unless evidence suggested otherwise.

However, civil service employees who have worked at the Housing Ministry, both previously and currently, told MMTV that even then, proof of 15 years of residence in Malé was assessed based on the documents submitted by applicants. After the initial provisional list was released and numerous people filed complaints, officials decided to accept additional supporting documents, while still requiring applicants to meet the documentary evidence criteria, according to these employees.

Mauroof also claimed that if there was no evidence indicating that a Malé resident had lived elsewhere, they should be considered to have resided in Malé for 15 years. However, according to the guidelines established by the Gedhoruveriyaa Committee for administering the scheme, verification of an applicant's 15-year residence in Malé – if they had not been officially registered as a Malé resident for that period – was to be determined during the verification phase, primarily through a review of submitted documents.

Additionally, the committee's guidelines clearly specified the types of documents that would be accepted as proof of 15 years of residence in Malé. These included employment-related documents, proof that a spouse had worked in Malé for 15 years, evidence of the applicant attending an institute in Malé, or proof that their spouse had studied or was currently studying at an institute in Malé, as well as pension information and residency documentation.

While no announcement was made about accepting documents beyond those outlined in the guidelines, there was no official amendment to permit additional documentation.

Furthermore, Mauroof's claim that the Malé City Council had issued the most documents to support applicants in proving their residence in Malé has been contested. During President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's tenure as Mayor of Malé City, the City Council did not issue such documents – the documents submitted by applicants were instead obtained from island councils.

The statements made during today's press conference reflect only part of the broader discussion. Throughout, MDP representatives presented assertions that have been challenged as inconsistent and lacking substantiating evidence.