Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and MP for Vilifushi constituency Riyaz Rasheed yesterday submitted a resolution to the People’s Majlis calling on former Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed to resign from his post as UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights to Iran.
Sun Online reported that the resolution was linked to the recently published 2010 audit report of the Foreign Office, dating from the time Dr Shaheed headed the department during the Presidency of Mohamed Nasheed.
The media outlet reported that Rasheed’s resolution called for action to be taken against Shaheed for his part in what the MP believes to have been corrupt practices.
“We call for the investigation of these accusations of corruption, and also to take action against Dr Shaheed,” the resolution is said to have read.
Shaheed responded to the corruption allegations shortly after the report’s release, calling them “politically motivated, misleading, ill-informed, and anachronistic”.
He noted that the report highlighted “systemic deficits” but said he felt they were in no way indicative of a lack of integrity of civil servants in the office.
Rasheed was today unwilling to speak with Minivan News, so it remains unclear what action he proposes the Majlis take against Shaheed who works in an independent capacity, without salary, on behalf of the United Nations.
Comments on Shaheed’s Twitter page yesterday suggested that he failed to see how Rasheed’s wishes were pertinent to the Majlis’s remit.
“Why doesn’t [Riyaz Rasheed] petition FIFA to sack me?” he asked in one post.
“If someone told him that a resolution in the parliament is not going to strip of him his FIFA referee accreditation, he might understand,” said Dr Shaheed, when speaking with Minivan News today.
Shaheed also suggested that the move by Rasheed was an angry response to the recent disclosure of details concerning money owed by the government to forensic accounting firm Grant Thornton.
The firm recently invoiced the government for over Rf107million (US$7 million) as a cancellation fee, after the current government requested the firm halt its investigation into illegal oil trading involving prominent politicians.
Special Rapporteurs are appointed after being recommended to, and ratified by the Human Rights Council (HRC) – a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly.
The HRC’s handbook on its special procedures states that “individual mandate-holders are selected on the basis of their expertise, experience, independence, impartiality, integrity and objectivity.”
Rasheed’s resolution says that Shaheed owed his position to an opportunity provided to him by the Maldivian state which may allude to his nomination having come from the Foreign Ministry. This is allowed for in the HRC’s procedures.
The position, however, is by its very nature not affiliated with the government, as the HRC handbook makes clear.
“The requisite independence and impartiality are not compatible with the appointment of individuals currently holding decision-making positions within the executive or legislative branches of their Governments or in any other organization or entity which may give rise to a conflict of interest with the responsibilities inherent to the mandate,” reads the document.
Shaheed yesterday was keen to make clear via Twitter that he served as special rapporteur in an individual capacity: “I am NOT in a post allotted to Maldives!” he tweeted.
Riyaz, who is the DQP’s sole parliamentary representative in the national unity government, also claimed that he felt Shaheed’s continuance in the position would damage the reputation of the Maldives.
Riyaz made headlines earlier in the year after calling for the Maldives to withdraw from the Commonwealth following the organisation’s criticism of the government’s attempt at political reconciliation.
This proposal came after Rasheed had criticised the current head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II, labelling her “physically challenged” on national television.
Riyaz also criticised the democratic credentials of Britain owing to the Queen’s position as head of state despite the fact that she is a constitutional monarch whose powers are largely ceremonial.
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Riyaz Rasheed is a corrupt politician who has stolen public money from State Trading Organization. His level of understanding how the world functions has been a disgrace to the state of Maldives.
Empty vessels make the most noise. Enough Said.
Riyaz Rasheed is the leading monkey in the MP jungle! Sad to see such shallowness in the people who run this nation. Even more disappointing is the fact that such baseless talk are accepted by people like Ablo Shahid, who we thought were a little bit better than the likes of Riyaz Rasheed! How wrong can we be?
Riyaz Rasheed is a stupid a****** who doesn't know anything about where he is working at the moment our Parliament House, because of his stupidity we had to close our ears and eyes in shame to the outside world, ex. getting out of being a member of commonwealth who with a sane mind will say that? wonder why didn't stay as a refree for life?
Shaheed faces a serious accusation of corruption - the damage has already been done on his career.
Riyaz Rasheed is a lunatic. Ahmed Janaza Shaheed the most selfish unprincipled wanna be politician this country ever produced.
Bark all u want Riyaz!!!
hahahahahaha!!!
no one from the UN will hear a guy who is so corrupt, even to save his skin, he attacked the
Queen of England !!!
so melodramatic !!!!!
or should I say Melon Head,,,
this post is not given by this parliament idiot!!!
why can't u get it!!!!
hahahahahaha !!!
why can't this governament at least put a tape on this fool'smouth,,,,!!!
hahahahahaha !! classic!!
Its so sad to see our country is run by pinheads like Rasheed and Baghee Waheed 🙁
We can always trust Riyaz Rasheed to show how ignorant and stupid some Maldivians MPs can be.
Dr.Shaheed is corrupt to his smallest nerve!!
Riyaz Rasheed knows how much fleck he will get for silly outcries such as this.. He does this on purpose. He should be tried for melodrama and creating unnecessary opportunity for insult, rather than stupidity. At the same time, I'd like Dr. Shaheed's role in securing this lucrative contract for G&T with the Maldivian govt. to be investigated. Why can't a well-resourced firm such as G&T not find anything still? Were they led astray by Dr. Shaheed?
Riyas has a point.
UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is a domain USED by Shaheeed to manipulate Maldives politics. It is becoming a sovereignty threat to Maldives, with its unnecessary call for religious freedom in Maldives. In his time as FM, Shaheed has laid the ground work to facilitate other religions to Maldives under the guise of HRC. He must have been handsomely rewarded.
What makes this possible in a UN body is because HRC does not function according to usual UN protocols. It is an unusual (a very new) UN body dominated by NGOs and LBG groups, that 'name and shame' nation states, even if toothless in practice.
The LGB/anti religious groups will protect their loyal agent Shaheed at what ever cost. This is why he confident even to stand up against his motherland.
Riyaz Rasheed is a lunatic who just makes false statements on just anything and any body, what damage will do to Shaheed's career.Most of the time these are statements fed to him by the maumoon's inner circle.
Regarding the Hassan IX comments, it was Maumoon's Attorney General Hassan Saeed who adopted the UN Covenants on Human Rights, without a reservation, when it was much talked about in the country to save maumoon from foreign criticism after Evan Naseem's brutal murder by the hand of military at Maafushi Jail and the following shooting at the inmates killing several in the same Jail
now again different story from Shaheed and MDP. When Dr. Shaheed was appointed , MDP and Anni and Shaheed told the media that it was given because Nasheed government was the human right champion and not on because of the individual capacity.
But I agree that Dr. Shaeed - ( Janaza Shaheed) can not be removed from the post by the Government and Riyaz may be misunderstood.
Point here is that MDP and Anni always try to twist the story to suite to their needs and they are not honest people.
Hsaan IX get your facts right when you write damning stuff against people.
I think Shaheed should be tried for high treason. As FM he first signed the Vienna Law which ensured our Constitution becomes second fiddle to international law; then he signed human rights treaty to ensure that Gayoom will go to jail to for human rights abuses; then he revised CMAG mandate to ensure that if Anni is deposed CMAG will pressure Maldives; and then he moves to Geneva to kick Gayoom! And then he also hired GT to track down Yameen and set a fine as a trap, and then exposed Baroness!!!!
@Traitor
Exposed Baroness and exposed Shaheed is not a bad idea.
Riyaz Rasheed is unfit to sit in the parliament . He has no idea how world functions.
Shameless opportunist this Shaheed but a smart man.
He managed to con two governments into helping him further his own career ambitions. Hats off to you Shaheed. You exemplify the capitalist spirit of success through exploitation.
Eiyaz is right Shaheed is a thief plus a traitor, he has even stolen campaign money of DQP 100K dolloar given by Crown Nazeer to DQP. He left DQP to MDP because of this investigation in the party.
Who is Riyaz to bring false allegation against Shaheed. Riyaz should first learn how to do his job and then he can check his hands before pointing his fingers at others.
Riyaz Rasheed is one amongst the many, "SICK" members of our unworthy parliament.
This hatter has nothing but "thick crude oil" in his brain and wonder if at all his brain can be refined, ever!
This traitor regime know this is a really "mad hatter" and he is being fed with sufficient oil he needs, to fuel this kind of idiocy.
This is one MP whom the people will have to be aware!
Not that he could do anything, but not to elect in the next election.
He is a mere disgrace.
Riyaaz rasheed dr.shaeed didn't pocket any money from the government that small amount was spent on the ministry staff but you have stollen 20 million public funds you traitor go to hell you uneducated bast---d
ahmed janaza shaeed = the most shameless opportunist in the maldives.