Day: September 9, 2012

Maldives’ political situation “very positive”: new US Ambassador

New US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Ambassador Michele J Sison, on Sunday presented her credentials to President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, and met with the Maldivian press.

Ambassador Sison replaces Ambassador Patricia A Butenis. She was previously US Deputy Ambassador in Iraq, as well as Deputy Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates.

She has also worked as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, providing broad policy oversight of US relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Sison on Sunday morning met with President Waheed, Vice President Waheed Deen and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon, and said she looked forward to meeting the Foreign Minister at a later stage.

“I have been reading about the Maldives for quite some time and am impressed by the warm welcome I received this weekend,” she said.

Asked for her early impressions of the country’s political situation and stability, Sison said it was “very positive. You have democratic institutions in place, you have a vibrant and dynamic media, all of the ingredients are there.”

“What troubles me, and I’m sure troubles the Maldivian people at this point, is that recent events have contributed to a slowdown in the normal political life of the country – for example the vital work of the Majlis. I know we all want to see the political system able to proceed so that important legislative drafts can be discussed and debated and normal political life moves forward in a productive manner.”

Sison said she was encouraged by the work of the current leadership dialogues, “which have the potential for real progress as the country moves towards elections, and I hope will smooth the way for the Majlis to move forward.”

Sison confirmed that she had read the report produced by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) into the circumstances surrounding February 7’s controversial transfer of power, and noted that the US had “very publicly welcomed the release of the report.”

“I did receive a copy and highlight the summary for my staff. It was a subject of intense interest in Washington,” she said.

Sison said the US had “publicly commended the commission’s co-chairs for their leadership and commitment to a thorough and what we feel was an inclusive review process.”

“We consistently called for all Maldivians to respect the findings of the report. Now we look forward to the implementation of the recommendations and call on all to respect the findings and exercise restraint, and continue the vibrant political expression in the Maldives and channel it in a productive and non-violent manner.”

Sison however refrained from stating whether this stance meant the US would back the Maldives’ government’s bid to be removed from the agenda of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the Commonwealth’s human rights and democracy arm.

“I know that the issue is very topical right now, and I’ve [received] various views from political actors and will continue to seek input,” she said.

Asked whether the US was concerned about a broad shift in Maldivian foreign policy from Western allies towards China, Sison responded that “a very simple answer is that the US, as a friend of the Maldives, is encouraged that Maldivian foreign policy is growing in terms of representation and cooperation.”

In her address, Sison noted that key areas of bilateral cooperation would include “furthering the hopes and dreams of youth and women. I really do believe that the US has a useful role to play in the Maldives, particularly in the maritime security, economic and education sectors.”

She announced the imminent arrival of a senior US educator who would be working with the Ministry of Education “on curriculum development and the general professional development of Maldivian educators.”

Ambassador Sison also remarked on the US’s training of the Maldivian police, which she noted would be “very visible this month” as the trainers focused “on the importance of community policing and protection of human rights.”

The US is currently providing US$7.1 million towards an integrated water resource system on Lhaviyani Hinnavaru and Haa Alif Dhihdhoo islands.

It is also contributing US$20,000 in funding towards cultural preservation and the restoration of pre-Islamic artifacts in the National Museum, which were destroyed by a mob that broke into the building amid February 7′s political turmoil.

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Bangladesh media reports SAARC summit uncertainty following regional unrest

Political unrest in the Maldives and Nepal during 2012 has set back preparations for the 18th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Bangladesh-based media has reported today.

According to The Daily Star newspaper, the next summit meeting for the heads of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives had been scheduled to be held in Kathmandu during May 2013.

However, the chances of meeting such a date are now alleged to be unlikely over reports that no preparatory work has been undertaken by Nepalese authorities.

Citing unnamed “diplomatic sources”, the Daily Star has claimed that the postponement of an inter-summit session of the organisation’s council of ministers by the Maldives – in its position of current SAARC Chair – had further set back Nepal’s own preparations.

“The Maldives, the current SAARC Chair, is also in serious political crisis following the alleged ouster of Mohamed Nasheed as president of the country in February last,” wrote the newspaper.

The inter-summit session is reported to have been required under the SAARC Charter to be held six months after the organisation’s previous summit in order to finalise the dates, venue, and agenda of its next meeting.

Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla and President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza were not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press.

The previous SAARC summit meeting was held back in Addu Atoll in November 2010.

During the summit, former President Mohamed Nasheed identified several key issues to be addressed including trade, transport, economic investment, security against piracy, climate change and good governance.

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Chinese aid not limited to US$500 million loan: Waheed

Speaking upon his return from China yesterday, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan told reporters that Chinese aid to the Maldives will not be limited to the US$500million (MVR7.7billion) loan finalised last week.

Waheed revealed that the Chinese government had pledged to make all necessary aid available to the Maldives, including assistance with road and shipping development, reported Haveeru.

The President expressed his hope that his meeting with Chinese businessmen would result in harbor development projects in the Maldives.

Regarding China’s view on Maldivian politics, Waheed noted that the Chinese were amongst the first nations to recognise his unity government.

“The Chinese Prime Minister personally told me that he had full confidence and support for the Maldivian government,” Waheed was reported as saying.

When speaking with Xinhua before his trip, Waheed praised China’s policy of non-interference in foreign affairs.

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Arrival of sniffer dogs delayed

The Indian High Commission in Male’ has told local newspaper Haveeru that there will be a delay in the introduction of sniffer dogs to combat drug trafficking.

Despite a request last June from the Maldives Police Service (MPS), an official from the High Commission said that the MPS had told them that the appropriate environment in which to keep the animals was not yet ready.

Police media official Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef told the paper that the plan will still go ahead with the assistance of the Indian government.

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US dollar exchange rate could hit MVR 20 by year’s end, warns JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim

Local business tycoon, media owner, MP,  Jumhoree Party (JP) leader and member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), Gasim Ibrahim, has warned that the dollar exchange rate of the Maldivian rufiya may rise to MVR 20 by the end of the year – a 25 percent increase.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Gasim told local media that the main reason for the Maldivian currency to go down was “selling Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to GMR, selling the shares of Dhiraagu, and the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company.’’

Gasim claimed the three companies were now taking US$2 billion dollars out of the country annually.

At the press conference, Gasim – who also operates domestic airline Villa Air, under the FlyMe brand  – alleged the former government had not awarded the airport to GMR in a way that would benefit the citizens, and expressed concern over increased fuel prices and landing fees.

Gasim’s comments follow GMR’s suspension of Villa Air’s credit facility due to unpaid bills of MVR 17 million (US$1.1 million) for fuel, ground handling and passenger service fees, according to local media reports on Saturday.

His concern over currency devaluation follows the former government’s managed float of the rufiya within a 20 percent band of the pegged rate of MVR 12.85.

In April last year, then-Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz explained that the government decided to change the fixed exchange rate to a “managed float” to shape government policy towards increasing the value of the rufiya and ultimately bring the exchange rate down to MVR 10 – an oft-repeated pledge of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The worsening balance of payments deficit could not be plugged without allowing the market to set the exchange rate, Inaz continued, adding that through lowering the fiscal deficit and spurring private sector job growth “a path would open up for us to reach the lower band (MVR 10.28).”

“My estimate is that it will take about three months for the market to stabilise and reach a balanced [exchange] rate,” he said.

Following this decision of the former government the then opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), which has since divided into two factions, held protests in the streets of Male’ against the decision.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) however praised the Maldives’ decision to effectively devalue its currency as a  “bold step by the authorities [representing] an important move toward restoring external sustainability.”

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Government urges CMAG to remove Maldives from agenda

The government has sent a statement to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group’s (CMAG) demanding its removal from the group’s agenda, ahead of its teleconference this Tuesday (August 11).

In the statement, dated September 7, the government argues that there remains “simply no justification for keeping the Maldives on the [CMAG] agenda”.

The CMAG had placed the Maldives on its formal agenda in February although President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s government has maintained that the group “lacked the mandate” to to so.

Waheed’s government also spent £75,000 (MVR 1.81 million) on advice from former UK Attorney General and member of the House of Lords, Baroness Patricia Scotland, in a bid to challenge what they deemed was the Commonwealth’s “biased” stance on the Maldives, and has continued to express disapproval at what it terms “interference” by the Commonwealth.

The government’s statement offers five reasons in support of its removal from the CMAG agenda.

Firstly, the government pointed out that the recently completed Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) had found no legal issues surrounding the transfer of power, adding that its international observers had hailed the report as “exemplary.”

The publication of the CNI was closely followed by an independent legal analysis which has raised serious doubts over the credibility of the CNI’s findings.

The teleconference statement added that former President Mohamed Nasheed had also welcomed the report, “though with some caveats”.

The most notable of the caveats mentioned by Nasheed was that the report left the country in a “comical” situation “where toppling the government by brute force is taken to be a reasonable course of action.”

Secondly, the government reasons that the CNI’s findings of police brutality are already being acted upon by the relevant independent institutions – the Police Integrity Commission (PIC), the Human Rights Commission (HRCM) and the Prosecutor General (PG).

The onus placed on these institutions since the release of the report has again raised doubts as to their ability to handle these politically sensitive investigations.

However, the fourth reason cited for the removal from CMAG’s agenda was the government’s willingness to expand cooperation with the Commonwealth in order to strengthen the institutional infrastructure.

This willingness to enhance relations with the Commonwealth appears at odds with the apparent enmity shown by senior figures towards the organisation since the CNI’s release.

Both Dunya Maumoon, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Dr Hassan Saeed, Special Advisor to the President, have publicly argued that the Maldives had been treated unfairly, suggesting that the country should leave the organisation should it not be removed from the CMAG agenda without delay.

“Should the Maldives continue to be kept on the CMAG agenda, I have to say that there are a lot of citizens and very senior members of the government who have many serious concerns regarding whether the Maldives will stay on as a member of the Commonwealth,” Dunya told the press last Thursday.

Dr Hassan launched a scathing attack in a comment piece for local newspaper Haveeru, in which he argued that the Maldives had received “third class justice” from the Commonwealth.

“It is my belief that the Commonwealth and its institutions have treated us very badly,” wrote Dr Hassan.

“I would now argue that if CMAG does not remove the Maldives from its agenda in its next teleconference on 11th of this month, we should end our relationship with the Commonwealth and look to other relationships that reflect modern realities of the world,” he said.

President’s Office Spokesman Abbas Adil Riza was reported in local media today as saying that he does not feel CMAG should intervene in any future challenges the country faces.

When discussing the current visit of Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon, Abbas said he felt this would be McKinnon’s last visit to the country.

The third reason listed by the government in its statement to CMAG argues that calm had been maintained “despite some serious efforts by the opposition to create unrest.”

Although there was widespread anticipation of unrest before the release of the CNI with Nasheed at one point calling for his supporters to “topple the government”, the demonstrations surrounding the report’s release were not accompanied by a notable increase in violence.

The presence of international news crews in anticipation of unrest did, however, did lead to greater coverage of the ensuing protests.

The statement also mentions the initiation of the ‘Leader’s Dialogue’ talks which it claims will focus discussion on practical issues such as legislation which will ensure elections next year can be held freely and fairly.

Finally, the government argues that the stigma of remaining on the CMAG agenda is negatively affecting foreign investment and tourism in the country.

“The Maldives, which is one of the smallest countries in the Commonwealth, is experiencing difficulties in finalising foreign investment projects, and in some cases, concessional loan financing, as well as a drop in tourist arrivals into the country as a result of being on the CMAG agenda,” read the statement.

Ministry of Tourism figures show that this year’s tourist arrivals had grown just 2.8 percent compared to the same period in 2011. Figures for 2011, however, showed growth of 17.6 percent compared with 2010’s arrivals.

President Waheed travelled to China last week where he finalised agreements for a US$500 million loan (MVR7.7billion).

“It is therefore time that the Maldives is removed from the formal agenda of the CMAG and allow the government to focus on what it is expected to do; cultivating and nurturing democracy in the Maldivian society,” concludes the statement.

“After all, in democracies, governments are answerable to the people,” it finishes.

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Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Don McKinnon arrives in Male’ for post-CNI discussions

Commonwealth Secretary General’s Special Envoy to the Maldives, Sir Don McKinnon, has arrived to Male’ yesterday to discuss the report released by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) following its investigation into the controversial transfer of power on February 7.

Presidents Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told local media outlet Sun Online that McKinnon was to visit Maldives before the release of the CNI report, but had to delay his visit because President Mohamed Waheed Hassan was not in town, and because of the holidays that followed.

Riza further stated that the government believed that this would be the farewell visit of McKinnon in his capacity as the Special Envoy.

He also added that the government would acknowledge the efforts made by the Commonwealth in helping resolve the political crisis that followed after the transfer of power, but added that the government “sees no role for the Commonwealth any more in the domestic issues of the country”.

Riza did not respond to calls at time of press.

Minivan News understands that Sir Don McKinnon is set to meet both President Waheed and his predecessor, former President Mohamed Nasheed.

McKinnon’s visit comes at a time where the current government of Maldives and the Commonwealth are at loggerheads over the issue of Maldives still being in the formal agenda of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

President Waheed has already sent letters to member states of CMAG demanding the immediate removal of Maldives from the CMAG’s agenda, claiming that the report by the CNI clears all doubts on legitimacy of the current government.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs and daughter of former President of 30 years Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Dunya Maumoon, has already hinted about an impending withdrawal of Commonwealth membership if the Maldives is not removed from the formal agenda of the Commonwealth’s human rights and democracy arm.

Speaking at a press conference held in the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Dunya said, “We call on all the member countries of the CMAG to remove us from the agenda at the earliest possible opportunity. We do not altogether deserve to have been put on this agenda.”

Dunya stated that following the release of the report by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), many foreign countries had complimented the commission’s work. While she expressed concerns that “reactions from two countries are somewhat worrying”, she declined to name either country.

CNI Report

On August 30, CNI released its report into the circumstances surrounding the controversial resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed and the transfer of power on February 7, stating that the transfer of power was legitimate and that it was neither a coup d’état nor a resignation under duress.

The CNI was initially a three member panel (Dr Ibrahim Yasir, Dr Ali Fawaz Shareef and Chairman Ismail Shafeeu), formed by President Waheed Hassan to examine the circumstances surrounding his own succession to presidency.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of ex President Nasheed and the Commonwealth subsequently challenged the impartiality of the CNI, and it was reformed to include retired Singaporean judge G. P. Selvam and a representative of Nasheed’s, Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed.

Retired Court of Appeal judge from New Zealand, Sir Bruce Robertson, and Canadian UN Legal Advisor Professor John Packer, were appointed as international advisers representing the Commonwealth and UN respectively.

Nasheed’s representative Saeed resigned from the CNI on the evening of August 29, denouncing its credibility and alleging that the final report excluded testimony from key witnesses as well as crucial photo, audio and video evidence.

According to the published report, the change of government was “legal and constitutional”, and the events of February 6-7 “were, in large measure, reactions to the actions of President Nasheed.”

“The resignation of President Nasheed was voluntary and of his own free will. It was not caused by any illegal coercion or intimidation,” the report claimed.

In addition, “There were acts of police brutality on 6, 7 and 8 February 2012 that must be investigated and pursued further by the relevant authorities.”

The report dismissed the MDP’s allegations that the government’s ousting was a ‘coup d’état’, stating that the Constitution “was precisely followed as prescribed.”

“There appears nothing contestable in constitutional terms under the generic notion of a ‘coup d’état’ that is alleged to have occurred – quite to the contrary, in fact,” the report claimed.

“In terms of the democratic intent and legitimacy of the authority of the Presidency, as foreseen in the Constitution, President Waheed properly succeeded President Nasheed.”

“As President Nasheed clearly resigned and now challenges the voluntariness and legitimacy of his action, the onus is on him to establish illegal coercion or unlawful intimidation.”

Counter report by Sri Lankan legal experts

A legal analysis of the CNI report by a team of high-profile Sri Lankan legal professionals – including the country’s former Attorney General – prepared upon the request of the MDP stated that it was “selective”, “flawed” and had exceeded its mandate.

The legal analysis’ authors include two Sri Lankan Supreme Court attorneys – Anita Perera and Senany Dayaratne – and the former Sri Lankan Attorney General Shibly Aziz.

The analysis focused on five main areas: the CNI’s compliance with its mandate, the procedure pursued in exercising this mandate, the evidence gathering process, the adherence to the “imperative dictates” of natural justice, and the legal issues which ensue from this.

“The Report offends the fundamental tenets of natural justice, transparency and good governance, including the right to see adverse material, which undermines the salutary tenets of the Rule of Law.” Read the report

The report further suggested that there was “in fact adequate evidence to suggest that duress (or even ‘coercion’ and/ or illegal coercion as used by CNI) is attributable to the resignation of President Nasheed.”

“Even by the yardstick of ‘coercion’ or illegal coercion which the CNI has incorporated for reasons one cannot fathom- given the clear mandate- , ex facie the events accepted by the Commission and without anything more, does strongly and convincingly establish the ‘coercion’ or ‘illegal coercion’, the yardstick chosen by the Commission,” it read.

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