Author: Ahmed Naish

President Mohamed Nasheed has said a Maldivian ruler would no longer be able to govern the country as a false republic under a facade of democracy.

In his address to the nation on Republic Day, which also marks the one year anniversary of the first democratically elected government, the president said that a democratic republic was the solution to the slavery and oppression of history.

“Therefore, God willing, no Maldivian ruler would be able to govern a republic in name only,” he said. “That uncivilised tradition was washed away from these shores by you, by the beloved people of Maldives, by Dhivehin.”

Meaningful change

In his opening remarks, the president said it was fitting to look back on the lead-up to the inauguration of the country’s first democratic government on 11 November 2008.

“It was the day that the rulers of the past 30 long years and the way they ruled changed,” he said. “It was the moment in the nation’s life when it changed from one state to another.”

The reason the change was possible was because the public seized the moment, he said.

There were many reasons Maldivians longed for change, he continued, and it would not have come to pass if people prioritised material benefit.

“Unless citizens want a meaningful change more than material gain, human history has not shown that a long autocracy could be changed to a democracy,” he said.

Maldivians yearned for a philosophy that placed human dignity and honour at its centre and longed to be free from fear and anxiety.

“Today it is one year since we began the journey towards this meaningful change,” he said. “However, Maldivians have longed for this meaningful change for hundreds of years.”

As time passed, it became an unattainable goal, he continued, and they could not free themselves from the clutches of power-hungry rulers and their devious designs.

“Hopelessness and despair” came to reign and people came to believe that slavery was freedom, he said.

A new day

The president said he wished to assure all citizens that he would carry out his responsibility and would not waver in surmounting the obstacles in his path.

He added that the new administration would do all it could to consolidate democracy and ensure that only compassionate governments would follow.

The essential rights and freedoms of the new constitution existed in the old one as well, he said, such as the right to an attorney.

“Until those in power vow to govern fairly, a law that is written down would not be of much benefit to the people,” said Nasheed.

Further, he said, an administration intent on good governance would not use the lack of legislation as an “excuse” to not work for the well-being and benefit of the public.

“One thing I know for certain is that there are thousands of people in this country who long for justice and their rights,” he said. “But, understand, the change you the people brought to this country is not a small and ordinary change. This day last year was not just the day that a presidential term ended and a new one began.”

He added the hardest task at hand was bringing the country back on track after years of inequitable and unjust practices.

“Therefore, it is not just individuals that we have to get justice for,” he said. “Finding justice for this country is a higher, loftier responsibility.”

Just as individual liberty and basic rights are guaranteed, he said, what the government was doing was ensuring justice for the country.

Growing pains

There has never been a government in Maldivian history except the current one that ended a year without arresting political prisoners, said Nasheed.

The new government has a vision that will last for generations, the president said, and it took the responsibility upon itself because it had the intelligence, sincerity and courage.

The change that was envisioned would only be possible when people change from a tribal mindset to “stand tall to the nation’s true height”.

The president concluded his speech by expressing confidence that the Supreme Court and parliament would mature and develop.

“It will hurt when new teeth grows,” he said.

In the introductory remarks, Home Minister Mohamed Shihab said the country was in “a bitter state” when democracy was won.

“The democratic Maldives inherited a devastated and despairing generation, a weakened and indebted economy, a poor and impoverished people,” he said.

He added the first responsibility of the first democratic government was rescuing the country from a “deep pit”, establish freedom, justice and mechanisms for a compassionate government.

The Civil Service Commission has denied claims by the finance ministry that Rf1 billion (US$77 million) was injected into budget in June due to incorrect information provided by the commission.

A press release issued by the CSC yesterday states that the commission worked together with the finance ministry and sought its advice through all the stages when the pay scheme for civil servants was restructured in February.

“The two sides did not carry out the work only at a technical level. The highest level on both sides was involved,” it reads. “Both sides examined all the accounts and knew the figures. A surprising figure did not emerge in the accounts either then or now.”

The finance ministry reportedly told parliament’s finance committee that it added the Rf1 billion because of incomplete information about civil servants when the pay scheme was restructured in February.

According to local daily Haveeru, Finance Minister Ali Hashim and State Minister Ahmed Assad told the committee last week that the ministry was not given complete information on temporary staff and employees hired on a contract basis.

“So when we came to the middle of the year and evaluated the salaries again, we believed the projected figure right now is what we estimate for this year,” Hashim told MPs.

Assad said Rf4.2 billion (US$326 million) for civil servants’ salaries was estimated from the discussions with the CSC, but when the information was cleared up, it increased to Rf5.2 billion (US$404 million).

The corresponding figure for 2008 was Rf3.3 billion (US$256 million).

Assad said a list of employees who were paid obtained by the ministry did not tally with the CSC list.

He added the ministry learned in June that the actual figure needed would exceed Rf4.2 billion as the information provided by CSC did not include contracted employees and others.

MPs severely criticised the government after its projected costs turned out to be inaccurate. An error of 23 per cent in the estimates was hard to believe, they said, and records of payments to employees should be available at the finance ministry and Bank of Maldives.

Responding to the criticism, Assad said he believed such an error should not have been made and the information was provided by the CSC.

He added the lack of an accurate registry of government employees was “shameful”.

The CSC press release states that the commission informed the finance ministry of 30,334 employees when the pay scheme was restructured and estimated that Rf3.35 billion had to be spent on salaries and allowances for 11 months.

It adds that there were 29,334 civil servants when the CSC enforced pay cuts on 1 October due to the special economic circumstances.

“In June this year, Rf275.82 million (US$21 million) was spent on these employees (the employees that were working in June),” the press release states. “This means, when the calculations are done based on that for 11 months, the expenditure will be Rf3.03 billion (US$233 million).”

Therefore, it adds, Rf321.93 million (US$25 million) would be left over from the estimated figure of Rf3.35 billion (US$260 million) the CSC gave to the finance ministry at the beginning of the year.

Poor maintenance and management of supplies at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in the past led to waste of over Rf10 million (US$778,200), Mohamed Zubair, the hospital’s CEO revealed.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Zubair said the hospital’s material management system was not properly utilised when the board took over in June and equipment at storage did not tally with the system.

“Our system shows that about Rf10 million has been wasted on medical supplies and other related items,” he said, adding the waste could be reduced when the system was properly used.

He added about 95 per cent of the work on tallying the items has now been completed.

“We are now working on establishing the material management system, that is storing and medical supplies, up to ISO certified standards,” he said. “This is necessary to reduce waste.”

Health Minister Aminath Jameel said information was not easily available in the past.

“For example, with supplies, they didn’t know what was in the warehouses,” she said. “There’s a lot of equipment that we got after the tsunami. So, we have found out in the past year that there’s a lot of equipment in different warehouses. In Male’ and the atolls. There was a lot of waste.”

She added a lot of equipment in storage was unused.

While there was a lack of resources in some areas, the health minister said, unnecessary purchases had been made for others.

Further, she said, the new government had to pay over Rf18 million (US$1.4 million) from this year’s budget for inherited unpaid bills.

The ministry had to postpone various projects due to budget constraints, she said.

Zubair said the hospital purchased a new CT scan machine in October, adding it would greatly assist in diagnosing heart diseases.

Among problems faced by the hospital in catering to the public was excessive leave-taking by staff, he said.

Although it negatively impacted the hospitals productivity, he said, IGMH had to give the leave under the Employment Act.

Zubair said IGMH had 500 nurses, but 60 per cent were on leave most of the time. “So we’re able to use about 250 or 230,” he said.

Following discussions with India’s Shri Chitra Institute, he added, the hospital has secured three placements for Maldivian neurosurgeons and cardiologists.

The lack of a cardiologist at the hospital has lead to increasing complaints from the public.

The Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) has asked the Elections Commission (EC) to remove 5,044 people who signed for the party last year from its official registry.

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday, Umar Naseer, leader of the party, said the party received over a 100 complaints from people claiming they did not sign for the party.

“So the committee decided to remove the whole batch,” he said. “This is because the same team collected the signatures from all over the country in 2008.”

He added the team could not provide adequate explanations to the questions raised by the committee.

Umar said he estimated the removal of the new members would leave just over 1,000 members in the party.

Mohamed Hassan Manik, vice-president of the party, told Minivan News yesterday that Umar acted unilaterally and his behaviour was “unacceptable”.

“He did it on his own using staff from his company,” he said. “The party’s national council has to approve or have a say in the matter according to the party’s regulations.”

The EC does not have to process the request since it was done in violation of the party’s rules, he said.

But, Umar denied the council had to be informed. “There’s a management committee formed to oversee matters of party members. It does not have to inform the council,” he said.

Umar said the decision was made after the party received a letter from the EC asking for verification of its membership to allocate funds for next year’s budget.

“So we felt the time had come to make a decision,” he said.

In August, a resolution to dissolve the party proposed by Umar was rejected by six out of nine council members.

Umar said yesterday that plans to dissolve the party are still ongoing and he will propose it again at the party’s next congress.

He added the party’s regulations stipulated that a congress must be held every year.

Following the resolution, Umar has been active with the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party and told Minivan News at the time that he made the decision after the party failed to win a seat in the parliamentary election.

“The present party system in the Maldives is set now,” he said. “There are two major parties and there’s no future for smaller parties such as ourselves, so there’s no point in keeping a party for the sake of it and using public funds.”
Hassan Manik told Minivan News that six members out of the national council’s 11 signed a letter calling for Umar’s resignation.

Manik said yesterday that the council was still seeking his resignation.

In late August, Umar changed the locks of the party’s office, leading the council members to call him a “dictator”.

But, Umar told Minivan News he decided to close the office because he did not want to use public funds to run the party any longer. “We spend more than Rf12,000 (US$900) on electricity, Rf4,000 (US$300) on rent and Rf2,000 (US$160) on cellphone bills,” he said.

Manik said the IDP president had indicated he would join DRP. “Umar Naseer’s fear is that without him, IDP will attach itself to MDP and attack him,” he said.

The party had no plans of joining the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party, he said, and would instead focus on holding the government accountable.

Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed has narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence initiated by the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance (DRP-PA) coalition.

 
Of the 73 MPs in attendance, 37 MPs voted in favour of the motion, two abstained and the rest did not participate in the vote. A majority of the full membership of parliament, or 39 votes, was needed to remove the foreign minister.
The DRP-PA coalition has 35 MPs. The independents who voted in favour of the motion were Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem, Guraidhoo MP Ibrahim Riza, Kurendhoo MP Ahmed Moosa and Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir.

As speaker, Keyodhoo MP Abdullah Shahid of the DRP could not vote, while Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy of the same party joined the MDP MPs and other independents in not participating in the vote.   

The two MPs who abstained were Kulhudhufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed, an independent, and Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim of the Republican Party.
Presenting the motion, Thohdhoo MP Ali Waheed of the DRP said it was based on allegations that the foreign minister misled the public regarding ties with Israel and placed his personal interest first.

“[It was submitted] because we have seen behaviour from Dr Shaheed in formulating the country’s foreign policy and implementing it that did not befit a government minister and because we see that he has put his personal interest above the nation’s to remain as a minister by any means possible,” he said.

At a press conference on 15 September, he continued, the foreign minister said the government was in the process of establishing ties with Israel and he did not see any reason not to pursue it.

But, Waheed said, on 25 September it was reported in the international media that the Israeli foreign ministry had confirmed that diplomatic relations had been established and important agreements had been signed.

“So far the Maldives’ foreign ministry has not issued a statement about this,” he said.

Waheed said although Shaheed told Haveeru Daily on 7 October that diplomatic relations would not be established without properly explaining the matter to the public, the foreign ministry had issued a press release 16 days before about agreements that were signed with Israel.

“Arab-Islamic countries and especially OIC [Organisation of Islamic Conference] countries will definitely not approve of the Maldives establishing such ties with Israel,” he said.

He added establishing ties with Israel would compromise national security and lead to terrorist organisations targeting the Maldives.

Defence

In his statement, Shaheed denied that full diplomatic ties had been established with Israel.

As the motion was sent to the foreign ministry on the afternoon of 27 October, he said, the minimum 14-day notice stipulated in the constitution had not been given.

“On 17 November, 2007, regarding the motion of no-confidence against the attorney general, the speaker of the parliament at the time ruled that it could not be accepted as it was submitted without a substantial reason,” he said.   

While a precedent had been set, he continued, it was questionable why the motion was tabled.

Shaheed said a vote of no-confidence could be justified only in cases where a minister had committed a serious crime or grossly neglected his duties.

The opposition’s motion did not fit the criteria as it does not back up the allegations with specific examples or clarify how his personal interest was prioritised, he said.

The only agreements signed with Israel were Memorandums of Understanding for assistance in tourism, agriculture and health, he continued, while the claim that the Israeli foreign ministry announced that ties had been established was untrue.

A statement on the Israeli foreign ministry website stated that the agreements were an important “first step to normalise relations”, he said.

Shaheed offered copies of agreements for diplomatic ties and other documents that prove the former government decided to normalise relations with Israel in June 1994 under three phases.

The three phases were allowing Israelis to travel to Maldives, announcing opening up of trade and establishing full diplomatic relations. 

Shaheed further offered copies of a research that showed that countries that established diplomatic relations with Israel did not face terrorist attacks.

Other small countries such as Micronesia that vote with Israel at the UN have not been attacked, he said.

Further, he added, 27 countries in the OIC had diplomatic ties with Israel.

Concluding his statement, Shaheed said it was regrettable that MPs had neither questioned him nor summoned him to a committee to clear up the allegations before submitting the motion.

“Whether or not Maldives has established ties with Israel is clear in black and white,” he said. “It does not leave any room for debate. It can be cleared up by a single phone call, a single letter or a single website.”

Debate

During the debate, MDP MPs and some independents severely criticised the opposition for submitting a motion based on unfounded allegations.

Most MPs said the motion was politically motivated and was intended to hamper the government.

Opposition DRP-PA MPs spoke about the atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.

Ungoofaru MP Dr Afrashim Ali and Vili-Maafanu MP Ahmed Nihan quoted verses from the Quran that cautioned against friendship with Jews and Christians.

Ali Waheed said if Shaheed was strapped to a polygraph test, the machine would blow up.

Alhan Fahmy, who voted against the party line, said he met the foreign minister and found that the allegations were untrue.

The opposition’s activities should be more responsible and since the president was empowered to formulate the foreign policy, the no-confidence vote should be against him.

“The reason we show should be acceptable,” he said. “Today, I don’t believe that this reason is valid. This is a very sad day in my political career as I have to talk against the party that I sacrificed for.”

He added that seeking a motion of no-confidence against the foreign minister did not amount to holding the government accountable.

Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam said he was confident participants at the two-day climate change summit would adopt a declaration to go carbon neutral.

“It’s positive thinking that they have about a carbon neutral goal. Based on their statements and interventions we have written a draft declaration and circulated it to them,” he told Minivan News at the end of the first day of negotiations.

Aslam said the participants would now go and make necessary changes before returning to the final day tomorrow to hopefully sign the declaration.

The environment minister said the worst-case scenario would be if there was no consensus, but added he was certain some countries would be willing to sign.

“We will just be adding to the club…we are always seeking new members to the club,” he said.

Aslam said the declaration would allow signatories to go to the landmark UN climate change conference in Copenhagen this December and ask developed countries for assistance for a clear plan.

“We can say we need your assistance. And we will do it to the extent we can even without your help,” he said.

In March, President Mohamed Nasheed announced plans to make the Maldives the first carbon neutral country in the world by switching to renewable energy and offsetting carbon emissions.

At the inauguration ceremony today, the president called on vulnerable countries to show “moral leadership” and form a carbon neutral bloc ahead of Copenhagen.

The bold move to form a group of vulnerable countries committed to going carbon neutral comes three days after the final found of climate change negotiations in Barcelona reached an impasse.

Rich and poor countries remained divided over how to apportion the burden of emissions cuts and how much financial assistance was necessary to fund the deal.

“Continued negotiations year after year get us nowhere so what’s really innovative here is some of the poorest countries with the least resources beginning to offer the most in getting global carbon cuts,” Mark Lynas, the British environmentalist who drew up the Maldives’ carbon neutral plan, told Minivan News.

Lynas, who was yesterday appointed advisor on climate change, said he thought African countries such as Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania had showed they were the most like-minded today.

“Even if it’s only aspirational it will make a difference. They obviously can’t make their entire national policy on the hoof and will still have to do the costing,” said Lynas.

“But all these developing countries are constantly asking for money and the money never materialises…But as the president said money follows where inspiration begins.”

Ten participants from the countries most vulnerable to climate change attended the Climate Vulnerable Forum hosted at Bandos Island Resort. These include Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Kiribati, Barbados, Bhutan, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.

A bill on child abuse was passed by parliament today with amendments to increase jail terms for sex offenders.

Of the 60 MPs who participated in the vote, 58 voted in favour, two voted against and one abstained. The two MPs who voted against were Bilendhoo MP Ahmed Hamza and Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Kulhudhufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed, an independent, who drafted the legislation, proposed a raft of amendments to reverse the changes to the jail terms made by the committee that reviewed the bill.

A total of 36 amendments were passed.

The bill was passed with longer jail terms than those decided upon by the committee, which set a minimum sentence of one to two years for some offences.

The bill specifies various categories of offences, including molestation, performing a sexual act in the presence of a minor, forcing a minor to watch a sexual act, child abuse by a person in position of authority or trust, exhibiting genitals to a minor, incest and abusing a minor after forcing them to take an intoxicating substance.

The jail term for incest will be between 20 and 25 years, while the sentence for paying a minor for sex will be 15 to 20 years and those convicted of abusing a minor after forcing him or her to take drugs will get 25 years.

Other amendments passed include: empowering criminal court to detain a suspect after investigation; the establishment of a mechanism to make information on sex offenders available; and a provision for child witnesses to give testimony on camera outside of court.

Final words

During the final debate before today’s vote, some MPs expressed concern that the jail terms or penalties were too harsh and said offenders should be given opportunities for rehabilitation.

Several MPs argued that the harsh penalties could be used unfairly or for political purposes.

Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed, a member of the committee, said the chairman of the Judicial Services Commission, the prosecutor general and other stakeholders were consulted.

“They said they believed there should be limits in specifying sentences. So the committee decided limits of between 2 to 15 years, 2 to 18 years and 2 to 25 years,” he said.

Riyaz said MPs should consider the competency of the judiciary in delivering fair trials.

“We agree to sentencing a person to even 40 years if it [the charges] can be effectively proven against him…because we were afraid that a person might get a long sentence for just tickling, the committee thought about it and formulated the bill this way,” he said.

Ungoofaru MP Dr Afrashim Ali said a person unjustly accused of inappropriately touching a child and a sex offender who leaves the child with severe injuries should not receive the same sentence.

Hamza, one of the two MPs who voted against the bill, said a fundamental principle of the criminal justice system was that it is better to let 99 criminals go than unfairly punish an innocent person.

As a father, he said he agreed that tough measures needed to be taken to combat child abuse, but MPs should put reason ahead of their emotions and consider the judiciary’s capability to deliver fair trials.

Several MPs said laws to give harsher penalties to people who abuse children were urgently needed due to the gravity of the problem in the Maldives.

Nasheed said he accepted there may be teething problems in enforcing the law and he would support strengthening legal procedures.

Presenting the bill in July, Nasheed said common complaints about law enforcement included lack of funds, facilities and expertise.

“I have drawn up a timetable to fully implement everything in the bill within three years,” he said.

Nasheed added he would submit his “action plan” to the committee to place obligations on the government to implement the law.

Special procedures and guidelines

The bill proposes jail terms without the possibility of parole or early release, and suspends the right to silence and release from detention while investigation is ongoing.

Further, under the bill, children under 13 cannot give consent for sexual acts, while consent given by children between 13 and 18 will not be deemed legal unless proven otherwise, “in clear terms”.

The bill specifies special categories of evidence to be admitted in trials of child sex offenders – such as narration to third parties – while courts would be asked to accept lesser standards of evidence.

Victims will be provided avenues to seek financial compensation from the offender and the state shall provide security, rehabilitation and counselling to the child.

The law will classify the victim’s information from public access or the media. If passed, failure to alert the authorities of a child sex offence will be deemed itself a punishable offence.

A bill on establishing a Maldives Broadcasting Corporation proposed by Kulhudufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed was sent to a seven-member ad hoc committee for further review with unanimous consent today.

Presenting the bill, Nasheed, former information minister, said the purpose of the bill was to bring Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM) under one parent company and establish a legal framework for a free and independent state media.

“[The objective is] to establish a public service broadcaster that originates from the people, serves the people, is controlled by the people, run with the people’s money, and ultimately is accountable to the people,” he said.

He added the legislation will ensure that coverage is fair and balanced and free from undue influence from the government, political parties or entrepreneurs.

It specifies how the company will be formed, its objectives, its organisational structure, essential characteristics as a public service broadcaster, public aims, the role of the director’s board, how members should be appointed and the role of parliament.

Nasheed said he first submitted the bill under the former government but parliament at the time did not manage to pass it.

“I’ve drafted this bill in compliance with the standards set by an international organisation that helps establish and develop public service broadcasting in the Asia Pacific region,” he said. “It is commonly known as AIBD.”

He added the legislation incorporated standards set by international press freedom organisation Article 19.

Parliamentary approval

Most MPs commended and praised Nasheed for the well-drafted legislation.

Opposition MPs and some independents accused the government of using state media to “spread propaganda” and stressed the importance of ensuring editorial independence.

“While such an important bill is being debated on the Maldives broadcasting channels that reach the largest number of people, it is regrettable that Television Maldives cut off Majlis live after the questions to the minister,” said Thohdhoo MP Ali Waheed of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

He added that it underlined the importance of passing the legislation as soon as possible.

MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) objected to parliament appointing the board of directr’s and making them directly answerable to parliament.

Madaveli MP Mohamed Nazim said giving authority over the corporation to parliament would not ensure that it was free of political influence.

Dhidhoo MP Ahmed Sameer said politicians were not on the board of the public broadcasting service of the United States.

Sameer questioned the rationale behind allowing parliament to appoint members to the board of directors. “Why is it that STELCO’s board is not appointed by [parliament]? Or STO’s board?” he said.

Inguraidhoo MP Hamdhoon Hameed of the DRP pointed out that the arts and culture policy of the MDP manifesto stated that a board approved by parliament should oversee state media.

Thulhaadhoo MP Nazim Rashad, an independent, proposed allowing the government to nominate members for the board to be approved by parliament.

Propaganda

Some opposition MPs said people no longer watched TVM because it was biased in favour of the ruling party.

Mulaku MP Abdullah Yamin of the People’s Alliance said Rf200,000 (US$16,000) a month was being spent from “the people’s money” for a show called “Hope and Reality” to sell the government’s policies.

Thulusdhoo MP Rozaina Adam said TVM recently recorded interviews with her, DRP MP Ahmed Nihan and MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa and omitted hers in favour of balance, but TVM’s “Raaje Miadhu” (Maldives Today) programme had just one DRP member flanked by two or three MDP members every night.

Gemanafushi MP Ilham Ahmed said MPs of the DRP-PA coalition met with TVM officials and employees the night before and they expressed support for the bill.

Ilham said he expected them to oppose the legislation. “But what we saw was completely different. They said we want, want, want to work independently.”

Henveiru South MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor of the MDP said the bill was submitted “prematurely” as there should be legislation to establish laws and guidelines for broadcasting.

Vaikaradhoo MP Ali Arif, an independent, proposed an amendment to section nine(c), which states that providing a platform for a plurality of views was among the public aims of the company.

Arif proposed adding the phrase “political views” to the clause.

Fares-Maathoda MP Ibrahim Muttalib proposed amendments to include programmes that disseminated Islam and prohibit those that were un-Islamic.

He proposed abolishing section nine(c) as it could lead to pluralism and different opinions in the country.

Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem seconded the amendments.

Responding to MPs concerns after the debate, Nasheed said allowing parliament to appoint members would prevent one political party from dictating to or dominating the board as parliamentary decisions were made following public debate and negotiation.

Independent institutions are “making excuses” to avoid lowering salaries and allowances of its employees despite agreeing that economic circumstances warranted reducing expenditure, Ahmed Assad, state minister of finance, said today.

Addressing press, Assad said it would not be too hard for institutions to find legal reasons for avoiding the pay cuts.

At a meeting at the president’s office yesterday, the heads of independent institutions informed the president of legal issues that might arise in reducing salaries.

“If you want to find an excuse, there won’t be anywhere that you can’t find it. They might say, we have made contracts with people,” said Assad. “But, in truth, contracts are made with everyone, regardless of what kind of job he is in.

“A contract does not necessarily have to be written. A verbal contract is legally accepted as a contract as well. So they can continue giving excuses to any degree. That is not really the issue.”

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday, Fuad Thaufeeq, president of the Elections Commission, said although the Civil Service Act empowered the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to reduce civil servants’ salaries, said Fuad, there was no such law for independent institutions.

“In fact, the Employment Act says it can’t be done,” he said. “That is our main concern.”

Muaviz Rasheed, the vice-president of the Anti-Corruption Commission, said the commission drew up contracts with its employees for five years and did not anticipate having to reduce salaries so soon.

Discriminatory pay

Assad said it was worth noting that civil servants and their counterparts in various commissions who do the same work do not get the same pay.

“My question is while a civil servant hired by the Civil Service Commission, a janitor, gets Rf4,000 (US$311) with Rf3,100 (US$241) salary and Rf1,000 (US$77) service allowance, I don’t know on what principle a worker at some commission should get Rf11,750 (US$914),” he said.

He added he was not referring to the pay of technical staff such as commission members.

“What is the difference between an administrative employee who works at customs and an administrative employee at parliament or at the president’s office or some place called public works?” he asked.

Regardless of the job title or the work place, he continued, all the employees did the same type of work and were paid out of the government’s budget.

The Employment Act states that there should not be any difference in pay for people who do the same work, he said.

Finance Minister Ali Hashim said the ministry will have meetings with all independent institutions individually next week.

“First of all, some independent institutions questioned whether there were special economic circumstances or not,” he said, adding he was happy to learn that they have accepted it now.

Hashim said the ministry preferred that the institutions propose the cuts themselves after reviewing their budgets.

Consensus

Assad said the finance ministry was very glad that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was giving up 20 per cent from his monthly state benefits.

A bill on privileges and protection for former presidents that stipulates Rf75,000 (US$6,000) in monthly allowance and Rf50,000 (US$4,000) in housing allowance was passed by parliament this week.

Gayoom announced yesterday that he would take a cut of 20 per cent from both allowances.

“This means that the leader of the opposition party has accepted the circumstances have arisen,” said Assad.

Further, he continued, the Civil Service Commission had also accepted that the country’s economic situation was exceptional.

“So now we have accepted this from all sides,” he said. “So why are you [independent institutions] hesitating?”

Since there was no longer any doubt, the question that remained was determining the percentage of reductions to be made, he said.

The government introduced a raft of austerity measures in August, such as pay cuts of up to 20 per cent for political appointees and cutting back on foreign travel, to alleviate the budget deficit.

Following deliberations at the cabinet, the government also requested the Civil Service Commission (CSC) reduce salaries of civil servants. Pay cuts of up to 20 per cent for civil servants came into effect this month.

The CSC agreed to the pay cuts on the condition that independent institutions enforced a similar reduction for its employees.

Fuad said CSC President Dr Mohamed Latheef mentioned the condition at the meeting.

“We want to make pay cuts as well to cooperate with the government, but we want to do it under the law,” said Fuad. “We cannot take these measures without a law for it.”

Hashim said the ministry has revised its forecast of Rf7 billion (US$544 million) of income this year to Rf5.8 billion (US$451 million).

“As you know, import of goods to the country is falling and the government income from it will be lower,” he said. “And taxes from tourism, or lease rent, are also lower.”

The salary reduction for civil servants will be in place until the government’s revenue exceeds Rf7 billion.