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Youth Minister Zahir Hussain

Youth Minister Zahir used his ministry’s resources for daughter’s Speical Majlis campaign

Senior Correspondent in Maldives - 21^st June 2004

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Zahir Hussein, used his Ministry’s resources for the campaign to get his daughter, Lubna Zahir Hussein, elected to one of the Shaviyani Atoll seats for the Special Majlis, DO can reveal.

The Youth Ministry donated a large number of volleyballs and nets to all the islands in the Atoll
during Ms. Hussein’s campaign.

On Foakaidhoo, Ms. Hussein arranged with her father’s Ministry to equip the island’s football pitch with
expensive flood lights.

A staff of the youth centre in the Atoll’s capital Funadhoo, Abdulla Haneef, accompanied Ms. Hussein on her campaign travels to Fokaidhoo and other islands. It is not known if Mr. Haneef was on leave during the activities.

Reports from Funadhoo also say that there was increased activity on the island’s youth centre,
resulting in a substantial amount of tea-drinking during the campaign.

Minister Hussein has close relations with Funadhoo, as well as other islands housing youth centres, which are funded by his Ministry.

These centres bribe island youths away from politics and dissent through large screen video projections, cable TV, fitness, sports and music facilities.

Minister Hussein has been known to hold candid chats with rural youth in which he warns them to keep away from politics.

“Politics is a dirty game”, he is reported to have said, “ Take it from someone who knows. Young people shouldn’t get into it.”

However, he did not apply the same standards when it came to his own young daughter’s election bid.

In the Maldives, young people have to wait until they are 21 to obtain voting rights even though under-21 make a major proportion of the population.

Ms. Hussein won the election but many people on Komandoo, Maakandoodhoo, and Milandhoo have
unofficially disputed the results.

At least one Katheeb (Island Chief) from Shaviyani atoll has been suspended for openly supporting Ms. Hussein's opponent.

Minister Zahir is long term friend of Gayyoom, they both studied in Egypt and Zahir has been in the cabinet except for a brief period. He served longest as Education Minister. Minister Zahir is more than just a friend of Gayyoom and hence tend to operate above the law. Minister Zahir is also the owner of Haveeru Daily Newspaper.

Minister Zahir is very supportive of his children's endeavours. This has been evident from the day he supported Lubna Zahir whilst she was running in Ameeniyaa Sports Meet. He was in a frenzy screaming "Baarah Lubna! Lubna Baarah"

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