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Green public lighting project launched in Hoadedhoo

A green public lighting has commenced in Hoadedhoo, Gaaf Dhaalu atoll which will replace ninety street and harbor lights with LED lights, and power twenty of these with solar energy.

The project titled ‘Improving efficiency in municipal street lighting and public space lighting in Hoadedhoo’ will also place 24 new streetlights in a recently populated area of the island .

Additionally, through this project a study will also be carried out to identify carbon emission contributions at houses and in other institutions on the island, with programmes being held to create renewable energy awareness in the community.

To initiate the project an inception workshop was held from 16 -17 May and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Hoadedhoo  Council and Huvadhoo Aid – the implementing organisation.

The project, worth US$73,750 is jointly funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) (US$48,700) and Huvadhu Aid (US$18,210) with contributions from the council and community (US$6,840).

Huvadhoo Aid is a Hoadedhoo based civil society organisation focused on rural socio-economic development and improving quality of life in Gaafu Alifu and Gaafu Dhaalu atolls. Initially established 1987, the organisation now has over 270 members.

GEF is an independent financial organisation consisting of a partnership between 183 countries which works with international institutions, civil society organisations, and the private sector to address global environmental issues.

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Malé City signs sister city agreement with China’s Shenzhen City

Malé City Mayor Mohamed Shihab has signed a “sister city agreement” with China’s Shenzhen City to enhance cooperation and strengthen ties.

In a press release today, the council said Shenzhen is one of China’s most developed cities and that the agreement will promote cultural and commercial ties between the two cities. It did not provide further details.

Malé City has previously signed a sister city agreement with Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

Former Mayor Ali Manik visited Kaohsiung in November 2012 after the city was assigned to mentor Male’ in sustainability by the international organisation of which both are members, Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI).

But the government issued a statement denouncing Malé City Council’s decision to become sister cities with Kaosiung City, pledging the Maldives’ support for the “one-China policy”.

Links between the Maldives and China have grown rapidly in recent years, largely in step with the exponential growth of Chinese tourist arrivals which accounted for nearly 30 percent of visitors in 2013.

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Maumoon Hameed among applicants for prosecutor general position

Four current judges have applied for the latest opening for the position of Prosecutor General (PG) according to local media.

The names reported include Criminal Court Judge Muhuthaz Muhsin, Drug Court judges Mahaz Ali Zahir and Abdul Sattar Abdul Hameed, as well as Baa Hithaadhoo Magistrate Court Judge Ummu Kulsoom Aboobakuru.

Additional applicants include the former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa and state prosecutor Aishath Fazna Ahmed.

Prominent lawyer Maumoon Hameed has applied for the PG post for the second time, after being rejected by the People’s Majlis four months after he was first put forward by his uncle, President Abdulla Yameen.

The PG’s position has been vacant since former PG Ahmed Muiz resigned from the post prior to a scheduled no-confidence vote last November. The opposition MDP brought the motion after suggesting Muizz had failed to take action against security forces who mutinied on February 7, 2012.

Prior the full house’s failure to approve Hameed’s nomination, the Majlis’ oversight committee had recommended that Hameed not be approved for the position, with committee chair Rozaina Adam telling Minivan News that the nominee had failed to meet the group’s assessment criteria.

The recent resignation of the acting prosecutor general Hussain Shameem has thrown thrown the justice system into confusion, with both state prosecutors and courts unsure of the legal validity of ongoing trials.

Despite calls to reconvene the Majlis, the government has maintained that cases can continue until the 18th Majlis begins its first session later this month.

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LGA suspends Malé City Councilor

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has suspended Malé City Council Member Ibrahim Mamnoon over allegations of misconduct.

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim, who heads the LGA, sent a letter to Mayor Mohamed Shihab informing him that Mamnoon has been suspended without pay for five days.

Nazim did not reveal details of the allegations.

Mamnoon was elected on the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives ticket.

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Tata Housing group agrees to revised contract, ready to resume construction

After resolving contractual disputes with the government, Apex Realty has announced it is prepared to resume work on its Malé housing projects as soon as the agreed amendments are introduced into the contract.

“We are committed to the Maldives project and can start the project within 45 days after the final nod is received from the Housing Ministry and contract amendment is signed,” said Mr Sandeep Ahuja, Director at Apex.

The project – a joint venture between the Maldives Housing Ministry and the housing arm of multinational conglomerate Tata – was agreed under the government of Mohamed Nasheed in 2011.

The combination of commercial and social housing was due to be completed within three years before stalling following disputes with the new government over the terms of the contract.

One of the four sites given to Apex for development was subsequently earmarked by the new administration as the site of a new Supreme Court, leading to reportedly heated negotiations.

“Apex Realty officials have undertaken multiple rounds of meetings with the Economic Council of the Cabinet and the Ministry of Housing to find a mutually acceptable solution to contractual issues,” read an Apex press release today.

The Apex group revealed that it had indicated its acceptance of the revised terms to the Housing Ministry.

“Apex Realty is now waiting for Ministry of Housing to enter into an amendment to the contract to record the modified terms.  Apex Realty is willing to recommence the work and finish the project in the shortest possible time.”

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Government, opposition congratulate India’s BJP on election win

President Abdulla Yameen and former President Mohamed Nasheed have congratulated India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on winning India’s general elections.

In a message to Prime Minister elect Narendra Modi, President Yameen said he is “elated and has no doubt that India has chosen the most proficient leadership to enter a new era under BJP’s leadership.”

Yameen said the Maldives attaches the highest importance to its relations with India and said he hopes “cooperation between the Maldives and India will further develop under your leadership and guidance in a constructive manner.”

The BJP’s 272 seat win secures it a simple majority in the Lok Sabha. No party has controlled a majority in the parliament since the Congress Party’s 415 seat win in 1984.

Meanwhile, Nasheed in a tweet to Modi congratulated BJP on its success and said he looked forward to “working together for a strong South Asia.”

In reply, Modi said “We value our relation with Maldives & will work towards strengthening our ties further.”

Modi has been accused of doing little to stop communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 in which at least 1,000 people died, most of them Muslims. Modi, who was chief minister of Gujarat at the time, has always denied the allegations and was never charged.

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Week in review: May 10 – 16

The reverberations of the the deputy prosecutor general’s resignation continued to be felt across the criminal justice system this week.

Despite the Supreme Court’s order for confused state prosecutors to return to work, the majority of cases continued to be cancelled as the courts struggled to adjudicate on the leadership vacuum at the PG’s Office.

This confusion was typified by Drug Court Judge Mahaz Ali, who expressed his disagreement with the government’s suggestion that a ‘state of necessity’ existed, enabling the most senior state prosecutor to assume the office’s responsibilities.

While the Supreme Court announced the formation of a committee to review current judicial laws, the judicial watchdog said it would look into Judge Mahaz’s blogging.

Further examination into a large crack in the Meedhoo Island reef will be required as experts admitted that the long-term effects of the 13 metre fissure were unknown.

The discovery was made amid a mammoth 20 hectare reclamation project on the island conducted by Boskalis International. The Dutch company – currently conducting numerous projects in the country – came under this fire week for what local NGOs have called “environmental crimes” during its recent dredging activities.

The accusations did not stop authorities mooting Boskalis as the likely partner for the government’s second reclamation phase of the Hulhumalé development project.

Speaking at the launch of another Boskalis project in Thulusdhoo, President Abdulla Yameen urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to expedite stalled cases concerning infrastructure projects.

Reclamation projects could take on a new urgency should this week’s prediction from climate change experts prove true, as it was revealed that the collapse of antarctic glaciers has the potential to increase sea levels by 1.2 metres in coming centuries.

The completion of a Japanese sponsored solar energy project this week will be scant consolation to pessimists.

Pessimism regarding the buoyancy of the country’s democracy was evident in Transparency Maldives ‘Democracy at Crossroads’ survey this week which revealed extraordinarily high levels of cynicism within the electorate.

Skepticism was also evident at the Human Rights Commission’s ‘National Inquiry on Access to Education for Children with Disabilities’ as parents questioned the state’s efforts to provide education to all.

The Capital Market Development Authority meanwhile was optimistic that the country can be developed into a global financial centre, while the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)warned that further fiscal “slippages” would undermine the country’s debt sustainability.

The prospect of increased wage expenditure by the government receded once more, however, as the president returned the pay commission bill to the Majlis for the third time this week.

The MMA’s warning was not enough to prevent President Yameen pledging MVR1 million to the national football team, should it reach the last four of the AFC Cup – scheduled to start in Malé and Addu next week.

Visiting football fans who take a liking to the country’s southernmost atoll will soon be able to return to stay in one of the 2000 guesthouse beds that Addu City Council aims to develop via its Guesthouse Tourism Promotion Board.

Finally, suggestions by the US State Department that Maldivian authorities were aware of funds being raised for terrorism abroad were rejected, as were the Maldivian Democratic Party’s suggestions that the extremist ideologies were becoming prevalent within the security services.

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Union leaders’ dismissal leads to staff arrests on Full Moon Sheraton

Four members of staff at Sheraton’s Full Moon resort in Kaafu Atoll were taken into police custody yesterday, following the refusal of three dismissed employees to leave the premises.

While the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) has said the individuals were dismissed due to their participation in Labour Day celebrations earlier this month, representatives of the resort have said the dismissals were preceded by “a number of incidents”.

“There is no freedom of association or freedom of speech in the Maldives, especially not in the tourism industry,” said TEAM Secretary General Mauroof Zakir.

Police have informed Minivan News that the staff members were arrested for obstructing police duty following a call from resort management yesterday afternoon.

Shumaes Rasheed, Marketing Communicating Manager at Full Moon, provided further details:

“As the associates refused to leave the island, Maldives Police Service were notified to assist them in escorting them off the island.”

“Another four associates were arrested by the police for obstruction in carrying out their duties, and these associates have also been dismissed,” added Shumaes, noting that the welfare of the guests had not been affected by the incident.

Zakir told Minivan News that those initially dismissed were “key trade union leaders” on the resort, who had been preparing to  enter collective bargaining with resort management.

Zakir said that the letter of termination issued to those dismissed referred to a gathering on May 1 during which the TEAM members decorated their association hut with banners calling for a minimum wage to US$600, improved freedom to speech, and other internationally recognised union rights.

“We cannot accept that, a wilful and peaceful gathering organised by the union is allowed in the ILO convention,” said Mauroof – noting that this was a convention to which the Maldives is a signatory.

The arrests followed a gathering by employees calling for their colleagues’ reinstatement,  into which police “immediately intervened”, said Mauroof. He suggested police had been on the island for a number of days as part of a pre-planned operation.

Yesterday’s unrest was the latest in a number of incidents of staff unrest among the workers in the country’s largest industry which contributes an estimated 80 percent to the country’s GDP.

Figures from the Tourism Ministry have today revealed arrival figures to have increased by 11.2 percent this year compared with the same point in 2013 – a year which saw a record 1.3 million tourists arrive in the country.

Rising number of incidents

“It is unlikely anything will come out of parliament that will give protection to the workers,” noted Mauroof, suggesting that concerted industrial action by the country’s 26,000 tourism workers may be the only way to improve workers rights. 25 percent of the 17th Majlis are themselves resort owners, he added.

Despite the political turmoil of recent years, the country’s primary industry has remained sacrosanct, with the Majlis even passing legislation prohibiting such acts.

The tourism boycott bill passed the house in October last year, making it illegal to call for a boycott, to support or endorse of a boycott, to participate in a tourism boycott, or any act that would incite fear amongst tourists.

Mauroof suggested that the rising frequency of unrest on resorts in recent months could be attributed to a combination of a rising cost of living in the country and greater awareness of workers’ rights.

Increasing “overuse” of the Freedom of Assembly Act – much criticised since its introduction in 2012 – by authorities was also cited by the TEAM leader as cause for the dismissal of over 150 tourism employees.

“If the government has positive intentions to protect workers – things might change. Otherwise we will need some international leverage.”

Despite the general desire to separate the country’s primary source of income from its fractious politics, a number of resort workers have alleged in recent months that their dismissals were directly linked to the political leanings of their employers.

Both Gasim Ibrahim – owner of the Villa Group – and Ahmed Shiyam – owner of Sun Siyam Resorts –  have been accused of purging staff rosters of staff members aligned with opposition political groups. Gasim and Siyam are the leaders of the ruling coalition Jumhooree Party and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), respectively.

Earlier this week, a small but vocal protest could be heard circling the capital Malé, with a lone demonstrator pleading with the MDA leader:

“Sun Travel, I’m begging you on my knees, don’t threaten your employees. Don’t force people into your party. Don’t do this.”

Last month it was revealed that police were investigating a threatening phone call allegedly made by Siyam to a former employee of Vilu Reef resort.

“Let me tell you, you don’t have any rights,” the Dhaal Meedhoo MP was heard to say. “If you try to harm my business I will destroy you.”

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NGO Junior Chamber International train youth leaders

The Maldives branch of the NGO Junior Chamber International (JCI) has held a training programme in leadership for young people.

The training sessions took place between May 14 -16 at the Society for Health Education (SHE) building, and were aimed at empowering young people to create positive change in their local communities.

The event was organised by the JCI head trainer for Asia region Yogesh Chandak, and was attended by 29 JCI members.
JCI Maldives president Ali Shakir stated, “Such courses will result in increasing Maldivian youth’s capability to stand firm on any global platform,” reported Haveeru.

“The youth has a very good opportunity to go into the world via JCI. This organisation offers to promote those who wish to take on leadership skills and go forward.”

The level of inclusion of youth leaders in the formulation of the current government’s youth policy has been questioned this week by leaders across the political divide.

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