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Farooq Mohamed Hassan, Deputy Director General of the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company and recently appointed Shadow Environment Minister, has exposed cartel pricing behaviour by the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company.

Speaking at a meeting of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Friday, he claimed the company, which is now 76% owned by the government and has a monopoly on water supply in the Maldives, lowered prices during the 2003 Presidential elections campaign to benefit President Gayoom.

He said that as a result, the government agreed to pay an annual sum of Rf.10 000 000 (US$ 781 250) of tax payers’ money to cover the losses the company suffered.

He said that since then, the company has been pushing up the price of water to boost profits, meaning it had turned a profit by the fourth year of operations, instead of the fifth, as projected in the original plans.

He also criticised the company’s policy over water supply, metering and the chloride content of the water.

Farooq remains in the post of Deputy Director General but says he has been sidelined the company, which has ceased to consult him since he became a Shadow Minister.

“I am determined not to quit because if the ministers and deputy ministers can work in DRP I have an equal right to work in MDP,” he says.

A number of known MDP members who also work in government organisations have been subject to problems, ranging from general harassment to being fired for their involvement with the opposition.

Farooq is one of them, and is now calling for the company to honour its obligations under a joint venture agreement made when the company was founded.

Under the plans, the company should have provided water supply and a meter for every Maldivian household, rather than every house. In Male’, two or three families often live in one house due to the enormously high population density. But often, each household, defined as those who cook for themselves, does not have its own water supply.

Farooq is arguing that every household should now have a water supply and a meter, in order to take the onus off the government to provide public water taps where people can get water.

He has also complained about the company’s policy of charging Rf.30 per month as a rental fee for water meters. He says it violates the joint venture agreement and the company makes over Rf.450 000 every month from the charge, which is too much. Instead, he wants the company to charge for the meter up front.

He also argues that with less than 10% of water consumed used for drinking, the company should not spend so much money on producing water with low chloride content. He says that drives up prices when people are already paying for bottled water and do not need such high quality tap water.

Minivan News has tried on several occasions to contact staff from the MWSC to offer the company its right to reply. So far, our calls have gone unanswered and nobody has responded to our messages.

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Since the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) was established again on November 27, it has proven that it is not afraid to speak out over many issues.

That has been a surprise for many after the first Commission’s history was another sad chapter in Maldivian history, fraught with government meddling, argument and evasion of human rights issues, eventually leading to the organisation’s collapse.

But for many it will not come as a surprise that the newly formed Commission has refused to look into the controversial events surrounding the November 10 arrests leading up to a cancelled demonstration.

The Commission’s head, Ahmed Saleem, told Minivan News he was concerned an investigation might “exacerbate the problem” and that it was for the government and the MDP to work out the issues.

Events leading up to November 10 saw a government crackdown with over 100 people arrested in the run up to an opposition rally, which was later cancelled for fear of bloodshed. Many spent more than a month in jail and some are still incarcerated. Hunger strikes by some detainees were also allowed to progress dangerously far, leading to a situation where lives were at risk.

Allegations of multiple human rights violations and mental torture abound and many will be disappointed that the Commission is washing its hands of the controversial affair.

Speaking about the HRCM’s overall success so far, Saleem, the Commission’s head, said: “I personally feel we have not done badly, from what I hear from my friends,” but he added that he felt it was up to the public, journalists and others to evaluate their success.

The jury is still out for many. “They have got positive vibes, but in terms of results, it’s too early to tell,” says Chief Spokesman for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Hamid Abdul Gafoor.

But in the new Commission’s first press conference last Thursday, held at its offices in Male’, it said it has received 161 cases this year, 59 of which it has closed. Since it formally began last month, 40 cases have been filed and 13 completed.

Some of those cases have centred on key issues in Maldivian politics and given the Commission an opportunity to have its say. And it has spared few from criticism.

So far, it has censured the police’s approach to gang warfare, the various charities and NGOs for their slow work in tsunami recovery and the government for its defamation regulation changes.

In a statement about the recent wave of gang violence in Male’, the Commission said: “It is sadly noted that during the attacks that took place on three consecutive nights, not enough effort had been made to stop it.” It went on to say: “We call on the peace keeping forces to do everything necessary to ensure that such incidents do not recur.”

The police insist they did their utmost to stop the troubles, but they have come in for harsh criticism from the local press, the Commission and the public.

On tsunami recovery, Saleem said: “Considering that it has been two years since the tsunami, we can say that there is not enough effort being made to provide aid to those affected.”

“We have received, and continue to receive a lot of complaints about that. We are looking into it,” he added. His remarks come after a barrage of criticism against the network of charities trying to redevelop tsunami struck regions.

Islanders in Kolhufushi, Meemu Atoll, have actually seen their situation worsen since the arrival of the British Red Cross. Not only do they still not have permanent houses (only 8 out of 1 200 are now living in permanent homes) but the charity’s work has also led to 400 coconut trees being cut down and agricultural land being destroyed. The Commission is due to visit the island soon.

The international community and media, including Bill Clinton and the UN, have said the charities’ response has been simply too slow and they still have not spent enough of the money they were given.

Regarding defamation, the government has withdrawn its proposal to make new changes to its regulations applicable four months in retrospect after the Commission said that such a change was unconstitutional.

The Commission’s ruling, which the President, Ahmed Saleem, described as “a matter of principle,” came after this website’s sister newspaper Minivan Daily filed a complaint against the government’s planned changes by ministerial decree.

But there still remain many concerns over defamation as a civil offence; not least the fact changes will not be debated by parliament before being passed. Instead they will be instituted by ministerial decree, without any due democratic process.

They will also allow for a fine and damages of up to Rf.1 000 000 (US$78 125), which in a country where 42% live on less than US$2 a day, is a huge amount. Blood money is only Rf.100 000, which is a sum that can be paid under Islamic law to the family of a murdered person, in order to absolve the killer of guilt, if the family agree to forgive.

So far, the Commission has made a strong start, but many challenges still lie ahead and more concrete results are needed if it is to show itself to be more than a paper tiger.

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Three producers at state channel TV Maldives have been relieved of their duties following an internal investigation into leaked documents.

The three will nominally keep their jobs and pay, but have been told to do no more than sign in every morning at 8.30am.

Ibrahim Muaz Ali, Ahmed Zahiru and Ilham Ahmed have had internet and phone cables disconnected from their desks and have been told they are no longer able to write, present or narrate programmes.

But they are still being paid, at a basic rate of Rf.2 170 (US$ 170) per month. That means tax payers’ money is being wasted while none of the three are producing any programmes. Under guidelines set by the President’s Office, the producers say they should be working on at least one programme a week.

Mohamed Asif, a senior staff member at the channel, told the three to not bother coming to work at all. On December 18, they received a letter formally telling them they had been relieved of their duties.

The three TVM workers had been at the centre of an investigation within the channel after a series of embarrassing leaks, including a website being set up featuring documents, emails and gossip about the channel. “There have been indications [of their involvement in the website] in our investigation.” Ali Khalid, Chief Executive Officer of the channel, told Minivan News.

But the producers insist they have no links to the website. “I don’t have any involvement in that,” said Ilham Ahmed, who added he was “very angry” about the way he has been treated.

At current, it is not clear what the final decision will be over the three producers. Khalid says he does not know what will happen to them, but insists he does not categorise them as “rebels”, saying: “One guy has taken leave…another guy has just not been up to the mark.”

But the producers remain defiant and say the treatment they have received is unfair. Administrators at the rebel website say their case may now be reported to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and the President’s Office.

But back at TVM the channel insists it has to impose discipline. “When you run an organisation there will be internal documents that should not be publicised,” Ali Khalid told Minivan News earlier this month. Today he said, “As an employee of TVM, they should have some discipline of leaving some sensitive information within.”

But discipline has been sorely lacking at the channel recently.

Earlier this month, Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed resigned his post as Assistant Director General and Head of Human Resources, saying there was “a conflict of interest” between the channel and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. He is now Shadow Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture.

Last month, a TVM journalist, Adam Mighdaadh, exposed why he had resigned from the channel in 2004. In a letter he had written to the Information Minister, Mohamed Nasheed, he said: “While I was an employee at TVM, I always worked to expose the truth, but my efforts were always set back due to the influence of the heads of the newsroom.”

The administrators of the rebel website about TVM told Minivan the investigation was run by nine senior staff, including Chief Executive Officer at the channel, Ali Khalid. According to the administrators, the committee also included Hassan Maanu, Aishath Hanaa, Ibrahim Rasheed (Thalvaaru), Abdu Raafiu, Raashidhu (Information Director), Nazeeru, Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed (Who recently resigned to become MDP Shadow Cabinet Member) and Mohamed Asif (Mondhu).

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed Shaheed has said that the Government of the Maldives would welcome human rights assistance.

In a meeting held on Thursday with the United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr. Patrice Coeur-Bizot, Shaheed discussed ways in which the UN could assist the Maldives in implementing fundamental, international human rights instruments.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two key human rights policies that the men discussed were the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Speaking of the issues discussed, Shaheed said: “The centerpiece of President’s democratic reform agenda is protecting human rights and the government is committed to bring human rights standards in the Maldives to the internationally accepted levels. To achieve that, the Government welcomes assistance from the United Nations and the Commonwealth.”

Coeur-Bizot responded by saying that the United Nations was “encouraged” by the measures taken by the Maldivian Government and then went on to elaborate on possible ways in which the organisation could assist the Maldives in implementing international human rights policies.

But unlike Mr. Coeur-Bizot, not everyone was convinced of the government’s good intentions.

Following an accumulation of events across the country over several months, which have completely disregarded human rights, many citizens have begun to believe that the Government’s rhetoric is filled with nothing but empty promises delivered only to please the international community.

This opinion was further validated by recent statistics given by the new Human Rights Commission (HRC) during their first press conference also held on Thursday.

According to the HRC 40 cases of human rights abuse have been filed since its creation only a month ago. Of those, 13 cases were filed since November 27.

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According to a new survey, twenty five thousand Maldivians have immigrated to Male’ from the outer atolls over the last five years.

The study, which was based on the 2000 and 2005 censuses, revealed that people who chose to move to Male’ did so for a variety of reasons.

The main reason was that the capital offered many more services that were simply not available in the atolls. These include everything from health and education facilities to trade and occupation outlets and even entertainment.

Despite the fact that services are improving throughout the atolls, the recent study shows that the number of people flocking to Male’ has not decreased as a result. Analysts have also predicted that the trend will continue in the future.

According to the latest census, more than 100 thousand people are currently living in Male’- a 25,000 person increase since 2000. The new data makes Male’ the most densely populated capital in the world when compared to available land.

As a result, in addition to Male’, Maldivians have also begun moving to Vili-Male’ and Hulhu-Male’, which are both a short boat ride away from the capital.

The influx has sparked significant development.

Hulhu-Male’ will reportedly house 50,000 people by the completion of its first stage of development, which is estimated to finish in 2020.

Planners have also estimated that over the next 15 years, about 15 per cent of the country’s inhabitants will migrate to Hulhu-Male, and by the time development is finished, approximately in 2044, over half of the current population of the country will be able to live there.

According to Miadhu News, a large number of people have already begun spending “hard earned” money to buy flats in houses in Hulhu-Male’ because of the island’s ideal location.

One such person, who was interviewed by the publication, was Mohamed Ali. Ali, who is originally from an island in the north, said he was one of many Maldivians who were eager to obtain land near the capital.

He was quoted as saying: “I gain a lot of money from my carpentry work. I saved a lot of it to buy a small house or a flat in Hulhu-Male’. I am really grateful for it.”

Ali went on to say that two other people from his island received land in Hulhu-Male’ and that many more were looking to move there.

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It did not take long after the mention of the word democracy in the Maldives for the notion of “spin” to come along.

The government was quick to sign up PR firm Hill and Knowlton, part of the massive WPP media empire, to help public relations. They now have a ‘strategic communications unit’ and are very careful to manage their message in the most effective way possible.

As democracy grows, and the shackles of media control slowly come loose, the government will realise it cannot control journalists, only its own message to them. The MDP must realise the same, and should have done so for the case of 10/11.

I do not take issue with the point that the MDP has appeared to have lost ground after 10/11. It has. I take issue with the fact that it actually has lost ground. It has not.

The government has controlled people’s perception of the issue very cleverly, and has many believing that the MDP was weakened by 10/11, and is now splintering. Foreign Minister, Dr. Shaheed was reported to have said in Haama Daily recently that he could not bring the Commonwealth diplomat, Musa Hitham, to the country to oversee talks, because the MDP was splitting. That was classic spin straight out of the Hill and Knowlton handbook.

That Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra) has resigned to form a new party is not a symptom of MDP weakness. It is a consequence of the development of a democratic mentality amongst Maldivians, who now want to express themselves through greater political association. In fact, as the man himself argues, his new party actually weakens the government’s stance, and opens up a new front for attack. If, as many expect, Ibra comes out representing businessmen, his party will form a very wealthy and influential new front.

The only MDP split they need to be concerned about, is between the parliamentarians and the new shadow cabinet. Acting Party President, Zaki, says the split will allow the MPs to focus on their work in the Majlis while the shadow ministers deal with policy and press. The MDP needs to ensure that is true, in order to maintain unity.

But, spin and verbal legerdemain aside, the MDP has benefited from the 10/11 experience. To show its strength, it has flexed its muscles but not used violence. That gives it a strong stance in talks with the government – “power is nothing without control,” as an iconic TV advert for tyres once said.

The MDP have shown they can bring people on to the streets. They have also shown they can control them, calling off the protest at the last minute and ensuring it did not go ahead. That shows potential power, and discipline.

The government, on the other hand, has emerged red-faced, smiling sweetly and trying to persuade foreign diplomats it had no choice but to arrest more than a hundred people. The fact they did so is key. It has left the regime looking far more repressive than the international community feels comfortable with, and also clearly shaken by the threat of protest.

Releasing prisoners in dribs and drabs, it looks like a naughty child returning stolen sweets to Mummy. As numerous statements and reports spill out condemning the arrests and detentions, the government’s moral authority has been hit. They are working hard to put that right, and nearly every headline coming out of the Strategic Communications Unit currently features the words, “human rights.”

That is not to say diplomats are not concerned about the MDP’s behaviour. The MDP does need to exercise restraint and impose discipline on itself, as the UK High Commissioner, Dominick Chilcott, said. But he also pointed out: “Democracy makes societies more united…it releases pressure…it is a safety valve.” Unless the safety valve is turned on, it is a real concern that people will become impatient and look for alternative means of provoking real reform.

That must not happen. One way of preventing it is through a consolidation of party politics. It is time for more ideology. The political parties must start expounding their political visions. It is time for the inflammatory rhetoric to stop, and the policy building to begin.

The other criticism made in the aftermath of 10/11 is that it caused the New Maldives ministers to be sidelined. There is some truth in that, but it will prove to be only temporary, as the government needs them – they are the personification of its commitment to democracy.

Without them, there is no-one to assure the international community there is political will on the government’s side to usher in democracy. They are the masters of spin, and the credible face of the regime, so their symbolic status is huge. Without them, nobody will really believe that the cabinet is committed to democracy.

So as November disappears into the past, the Maldives is left with a new political landscape, which is broader and more inclusive. It will mean more political parties and the development and discovery of what a right to political association really means. That, in turn, will give further strength to the democratic process to usher in change.

The MDP has derived power from popular support. It has derived moral authority from its restraint. They are big bargaining chips in future negotiations. Now, with that strong footing, it must show it has the wit and the expertise to rule.

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5,272 signatures in support of the Maldives Social Democratic Party (MSDP) were handed to the Elections Commissioner on Tuesday, Haveeru reports.

No-one from the Elections Commission has agreed to confirm the numbers for Minivan News.

The leader of the MSDP, Reeko Ibrahim Manik, is quoted as saying he believed the new signatures would be “legit.”

Previously, the MSDP had submitted 3,574 signatures, of which the elections commissioner claimed 2,395 had been unacceptable. The commission had said some of the ID numbers had not matched, some signatories had not been 21, some names had been repeated and some signatories were members of other parties.

The Elections Commissioner, KD Ahmed Manik, said his organisation would now begin checking the new signatures.

According to state rules on registering a political party, the names and signatures of 3,000 proposed supporters are required.

“We tried to verify the people last time around also,” the Elections Commissioner said in Haveeru. “Hopefully this time, there will be 3,000 legit signatures. Since there are such a huge number of people who have signed the list, the possibility is very high.”

The MSDP will become the fifth registered party in the Maldives if the Commissioner deems everything to be above board.

There are plans for more political parties in the country, with former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) president, Ibrahim Ismail, preparing the groundwork for his Liberal Democratic Party.

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Nearly two years on from the tsunami disaster which struck much of South East Asia, including the Maldives, and relief organisations are coming in for heavy criticism for the slow progress they have made.

According to the UN Department for Aid and Development database, seen by the BBC’s Newsnight programme, about US$6.7bn was committed in total by governments and charities to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.

However, more than US$3.3bn has not been spent.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari has visited the tsunami areas for the UN, and described the news as “very disturbing”.

“It should really not take this long to build permanent housing. I do not accept the explanation that it is going to take four to five years, in some cases, seven. I’m an architect, I know how long it takes to build a house,” he told the BBC.

Former US President Bill Clinton is due to publish a report tomorrow on lessons learned from the tsunami recovery. “Only 30 to 35% of the people have been put back into permanent housing,” he said. “We have to do better than that.”

The international media has also launched a stinging attack on the charities’ work. Today’s Guardian newspaper in the U.K. writes: “Bureaucracy, poor planning and the cynical withholding of money by some governments and charities are believed to have caused the inordinate delays in the four countries most affected – Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives.”

Here, the British Red Cross now has only until the end of next year to spend its remaining funds, a deadline set by the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organisation of UK charities. “That wasn’t a realistic time frame,” says Jill Clements, head of the Maldives mission. It now appears highly unlikely that the charity will have completed its work by that time, meaning it will have to decide on a new strategy from 2008.

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) insist they have made progress and spent a higher proportion of money donated than anywhere else.

Joe Lowry, and IFRC spokesman, insists the overall picture is not as bad as this latest news suggests. “The Maldives has shown the best progress,” he says. “We said that it would take us probably five years to complete our programmes, we are two years in and we have already spent 40% of our money, more in Maldives.”

“The headlines are disappointing for us because it shows that the message of what we are trying to achieve has not been understood,” he said, speaking to Minivan News.

He added that the slow pace of recovery is the result of careful planning. “We have a situation where we want to be actually positive that people have ownership of land before building,” he says, saying that questions such as planning permission and various government regulations have to be resolved before building can start.

He also claims the IFRC has tried hard to “build back better” and provide full infrastructure to compliment the housing. “We would be neglecting our responsibilities if we just built housing estates without all the myriad things that go into building a community,” he said.

The IFRC’s achievements to date include helping the Red Cross Red Crescent to build 106 permanent homes, with 553 under construction, out of a planned total of 1,550. They have also helped with the construction of four out of 15 supplementary water supply systems.

The IFRC has been involved in the foundation of the Maldives Red Crescent, which is still not up and running after more than a year of arguments and wrangling between officials.

Another high-profile failure has been redevelopment on the island of Kolhufushi, Meemu Atoll, by the British Red Cross. Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and President Gayoom have visited the island, which was one of the worst hit. Redevelopment work there is now on hold, half finished, and islanders are furious.

The British Red Cross abandoned the project in May after continued in-fighting between the two villages on the island. The charity has told the government to sort out the problems before it will return. So far only 8 out of 1 200 residents are currently living in their own homes. The rest are in temporary shelters.

Jill Clements, head of the British Red Cross mission, has described the fiasco as: “very sad and very frustrating.”

The disagreement focused on a plan to move the entire settlement to the centre of the island, rather than rebuilding houses on the coast. The Red Cross was only there to work only on rebuilding destroyed houses, rather than building on new sites, and was waiting for authorities’ approval before moving ahead.

But majority support for the plans was frustrated by the objections of just five families who wanted to stay where they were. The conflict eventually escalated to a level where the Red Cross had to hire security guards to protect contractors.

The situation is still no less turbulent, and islanders have been protesting this week as Planning Ministry officials attempt to survey the island. They are now working under police protection from 20 officers. Islanders are furious as the half-finished work has destroyed the only agricultural marshland they had, and has seen 400 coconut trees, an important source of food, cut down.

The Red Cross around the world has been given more than $2.2bn. According to their own figures, most of that – $1.3bn – is still in the bank. It promised to build 50,000 permanent houses in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. So far only 8,000 have been completed.

In the Maldives, the Disaster Emergencies Committee says 216 houses had been completed by December. It also says charities have constructed three new schools and built warehouse facilities on 6 islands.

Approximately a third of the Maldives’ population of 300,000 were severely affected by the tsunami, which left 82 people dead. Twenty-six remain unaccounted for and are presumed deceased and 21,663 were displaced.

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Police say they have arrested three men in connection with the death of Ibrahim Shaheem, 27, a Himnadhoo Island Office official found dead last Thursday.

His body was discovered by children on a beach in Himandhoo, North Ari Atoll. Shaheem is thought to have died between 3.15 and 3.45 pm. A police forensic team and the Special Investigations Unit have been carrying out investigations on the island.

Shaheem’s family says he had been out fishing on Thursday afternoon, and spoke to his wife on the phone at 3.15pm. He never replied to a text message she sent him soon after.

His body was taken to hospital in Mahibadhoo Island, South Ari Atoll, where he was pronounced dead. He has since been buried in Himandhoo.

Since his death, it has emerged that Shaheem’s younger brother was attacked last October, and slashed with a box cutter before being tied up and thrown onto a burning boat. Left for dead, he only just survived and was left with severe burns to 35% of his body.

Shaheem’s wife says her husband had received numerous death threats, after video he had taken was submitted by police as evidence in a controversial case over the use of mosques on the island.

The conflict began when most of the local population refused to pray in a government built mosque, saying it was erected upon a former cemetery, defying the preaching of the Prophet Mohamed.

As a result, the islanders constructed their own mosque, “Dhar-ul-Khair”, which was later closed by the government on October 7, who said it was against the Protection of Religious Unity Act. The mosque was then demolished by police.

Shaheem’s video showed locals praying in “Dhar-ul-Khair”, and was submitted as evidence by the police in a case which was later thrown out by the Attorney General.

A reliable source within the Attorney General’s office says the case was scrapped on the grounds that Shaheem’s entry into the premises had been unauthorised under Islamic law.

The government reshuffled its island staff as a result of the row, with Island Chief, Abdul Rahman, being moved to Rasdhoo. His successor, Adam Areef took over the jurisdiction of the island’s office the same day. Former Deputy Chief, Adam Mohamed was also relocated to Malhos.

State newspaper Haveeru reports that in a related case, another man from Himandhoo has been arrested on charges of ‘disrupting the religious unity and creating religious disharmony among the citizens’. Ahmed Shakeeb, 29, who is from Male, was arrested while in Himandhoo, the Maldives Police Service said.

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