Author: Ahmed Naish

Majlis standing committees’ composition approved as parties reach compromise

A five-member select committee tasked with constituting parliament’s standing committees has finalised the composition of the 13 committees after political parties reached a compromise today.

Following weeks of disagreement, a proposal by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim Shareef – seconded by MP Ahmed Amir from the government-aligned Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) – was passed with three votes in favour at the 12th meeting of the select committee.

In addition to Shareef and Amir, the select committee included MP Riyaz Rasheed as the chair from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), MP Gasim Ibrahim from the Jumhooree Party (JP), and MP Anara Naeem from the Adhaalath Party (AP).

JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim did not participate in the vote after objecting to a change in the number of seats in some committees.

The committee decided to increase the number of seats in the public accounts oversight committee to 13 and reduce the number of seats in the petition committee and ethics committee to 10.

A proposal by MDA MP Amir to constitute the ‘241’ security services committee with 14 seats was also approved with six seats for the PPM, three seats for the MDP, two seats for the JP, one seat each for the MDA and AP, and one seat for Independent MP Muaz Mohamed Rasheed.

Article 241 of the constitution states, “A committee of the People’s Majlis shall be established to exercise continuing oversight of the operations of the security services. The committee shall include representation from all the different political parties within the People’s Majlis.”

Aside from the 241 committee, Muaz – the sole remaining independent – was assigned to the ethics committee.

Reflecting the ruling coalition’s majority with its 46 MPs in the 85-member parliament, the PPM-MDA secured a voting majority on all standing committees with the exception of the privileges committee.

Parliamentary rules dictate proportional representation on the standing committees based on the number of MPs in each party.

Concluding the select committee meeting today, Chair Riyaz Rasheed said the committee’s report will be submitted to the Majlis floor, where it would be put to a vote.

The PPM MP for Thaa Vilifushi expressed gratitude to political parties for agreeing to compromise.

The protracted dispute over the allocation of seats on standing committees has left parliament deadlocked since the first regular sitting on June 2.

Two consecutive sittings had been called off amid disorder in the chamber after MDP MPs insisted that preliminary debate on bills could not begin in the absence of standing committees to review legislation.

Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed adjourned yesterday’s sitting to hold discussions with political party leaders.

At last week’s sitting, pro-government MPs had accused the opposition of obstructing the Majlis to thwart the government’s legislative agenda, while MDP MPs accused the ruling coalition of attempting to create “a one-party state” without parliamentary oversight.

Today’s sitting was meanwhile adjourned to allow the select committee to conclude its work. Speaker Maseeh has since announced that the next sitting will take place at 10:30am on Monday (June 30).

The first piece of legislation up for debate is the bill on establishing special economic zones, the centrepiece of the government’s legislative agenda.

Majlis composition:-

PPM – 41 MPs (48.2%)

MDP –  24 MPs (28.2%)

JP – 13 MPs (15.3%)

MDA – 5 MPs (5.9%)

AP – 1 MP (1.2%)

Independents – 1 MP (1.2%)

Standing committees:-

Public Accounts Committee – six seats for PPM, four seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

Government Oversight Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

Independent Institutions Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

‘241’ Security Services Committee – six seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP,  one seat for MDA, one seat for AP, and one seat for the Independent MP.

National Security Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

Social Affairs Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for AP.

Economic Affairs Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

National Development Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, one seat for JP, one seat for MDA, and one seat for AP.

Rules Committee – six seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, one seat for JP, and one seat for MDA.

Ethics Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, one seat for JP, and one seat for the Independent MP.

Privileges Committee – six seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, and two seats for JP

Petition Committee – six seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, and one seat for JP

General Affairs Committee – five seats for PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat for MDA.

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Housing minister informs MPs of Addu City development plans

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz has told the Majlis of plans for a large number of infrastructure projects in Addu City this year.

Construction of housing units, harbours, roads, health centres, sports facilities, and mosques as well as upgrading of schools are among development projects in the pipeline for the Maldives’ southernmost atoll.

Responding to a query from Addu Meedhoo MP Rozaina Adam at today’s sitting of parliament, Muiz said that developing the second city was a priority of President Abdulla Yameen’s administration.

Muiz noted that harbour construction in the Hithadhoo and Hulhumeedhoo wards were underway and were expected to be completed by the end of the year.

A project for deepening the Maradhoo harbour is also expected to commence this year, he said.

Preparations were also underway to commence a road construction project in Addu City, Muiz revealed, adding that the ministry expected to award the project to a contractor in July.

Questioning of ministers resumed in parliament today after a hiatus of more than two years. Under parliamentary rules of procedure, MPs are allowed to pose questions to cabinet ministers at parliament sittings following a 14-day notice.

Continuing the list of development projects, Muiz said permits have been secured from the Addu City council for a housing project financed by a loan from the Chinese EXIM bank, for which “detailed drawings” have now been completed.

“The work that is currently ongoing is putting up fences around plots of land designated for this project and preparing the site,” he explained.

Application forms have also been processed for 25 row houses built in the Feydhoo ward by the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), said the minister, noting that the final list was announced on June 11 – while the lottery draw took place yesterday (June 23).

Moreover, projects overseen by the Office of Programmes and Projects – which functions under the Housing Ministry – include the upgrading of the Addu zone stadium ahead of May’s AFC Challenge Cup and the construction of classrooms in Hithadhoo, he said.

Projects in the bidding stage meanwhile include construction of a mosque in Meedhoo with a capacity of over 700 worshippers, the addition of eight classrooms to the Hithadhoo Nooranee School, and construction of a four-storey building in Feydhoo with 12 classrooms.

The ministry expects these projects to commence during 2014, Muiz said.

A “design and supervision consultancy agreement” has also been signed for the construction of a 100-bed hospital in Hithadhoo with loan assistance from the OPEC fund, Muiz revealed.

Discussions were presently ongoing with the Addu City council on designating a different site for the hospital as the plot of land initially chosen was adjacent to a football stadium, Muiz added.

The minister explained that changing the site would require approval of the financier, which could see the project halted for some months.

Harbour construction in the Meedhoo ward is meanwhile expected to be complete by the end of November.

Following Muiz’s answer, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP Rozaina inquired about stalled road construction and installation of street lamps in Hulhumeedhoo.

She noted that the road construction project was launched by the Road Development Corporation in May 2013 under an agreement to complete the work within a year.

In response, Muiz said discussions were ongoing with the Finance Ministry to secure finances for the stalled road construction project.

Installation of street lamps was a municipal task undertaken by the city council, he noted.

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India should assist Maldivian people in changing the government, says Nasheed

Assistance in changing the government is the biggest relief the Indian government could offer the Maldives regarding compensation owed to GMR for the premature termination of its airport deal, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

Speaking at a rally at the reopened Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) haruge (meeting hall) last night, the main opposition party’s acting president said he had learned that GMR would inform the Indian government of the situation.

“In my view, that relief is for that [Indian] government to work together with us, the Maldivian people, to change the government of the Maldives,” Nasheed said.

After 18 months of arbitration proceedings, a Singapore tribunal ruled last week that the concession agreement signed by the MDP government with the GMR-led consortium in June 2010 to manage and develop the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) was “valid and binding.”

Former Attorney General Azima Shukoor – incumbent at the time of the termination – has this week maintained that the agreement was invalid under Maldivian law.

Nasheed yesterday contended that parties in the ruling coalition had fanned anti-Indian sentiment and incited anger among the public towards the country in their efforts to topple the MDP government, which he claimed were orchestrated by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

He also referred to anti-Indian rhetoric by senior officials of the current administration in the weeks leading up to the eviction of GMR in December 2012.

Former President Gayoom exploited nationalism and Islam – which are “accorded the highest place in the hearts of the Maldivian people” – to mislead the public with “lies”, Nasheed argued.

The MDP has also announced its intention to sue former President Dr Mohamed Waheed for defamation and damages caused by his administration’s unilateral termination of the concession agreement.

Sovereign debt crisis

The Singapore tribunal concluded that the Maldivian government and the Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) were “jointly and severally liable in damages to GMIAL for loss caused by wrongful repudiation of the agreement as per the concession agreement.”

The Bangalore-based company is seeking US$1.4 billion in compensation for “wrongful termination” of the contract – an amount that eclipses the Maldives’ annual state budget.

The compensation owed is due to be determined in the second phase of the arbitration process.

In the wake of the arbitration decision, Attorney General Mohamed Anil said that current administration would honour the verdict and expressed confidence that the government would not have to pay the US$1.4 billion sought by GMR.

“According to the agreement, [we] mostly have to compensate for the investments made. We said we do not have to pay the amount GMR has claimed,” Anil told reporters on Thursday (June 19).

President Yameen had predicted in April that GMR would only be owed US$300 million in compensation.

Nasheed, however, predicted last night that the compensation figure would not be “lower than US$800 million”, a fee which would plunge the Maldives into a sovereign debt crisis as the foreign currency reserves are currently below US$100 million.

Warning of an impending economic crisis, Nasheed called on the public to awake from its “slumber” and “consider what is happening to our country”.

Nasheed also accused former Attorney General Azima Shukoor – who had advised cancellation of the contract on the grounds that it was void ab initio (invalid from the outset) – of attempting to mislead the public concerning the arbitration ruling.

Shukoor has told newspaper Haveeru that the contract was illegal under Maldivian law.

“Even if the agreement is legit under Common Law, it does not necessarily concur that the agreement had also been made according to Maldivian laws.

“Nobody sitting as AG in Maldives can still pronounce the deal to have been done as per the Public Finance Act. No one can. That’s why I spoke against it even then,” she was quoted as saying.

She further argued that the termination of the agreement was justified as the domestic economy would have suffered “unimaginable losses”.

Nasheed however questioned the “literacy” of ministers in the “coup government,” noting that a legal process for terminating the contract through arbitration was laid down in the concession agreement.

Public-private partnership

Nasheed also defended the initial awarding of the contract – in a bidding process overseen by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC).

As public debt was over 60 percent of GDP when the MDP government took office in November 2008, Nasheed said his administration believed loans should only be obtained for capital investments and infrastructure projects.

The government decided to privatise the airport in a public-private partnership as loans could be put to better use to “upgrade hospitals, improve schools and build water and sewerage systems,” he explained.

Referring to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) ruling out corruption in the airport privatisation deal, Nasheed noted that the commission had concluded that the government would have received US$534 million from the consortium during the 25-year lease period.

Conversely, MACL would have made a profit of about US$254 million in the same period if the airport was operated by the government-owned company.

While MACL paid on average MVR96 million (US$6.2 million) a year to the government from 2005 to 2010, Nasheed noted that GMR paid MVR872 million (US$56.5 million) in 2011 as concession fees.

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MDP to sue former President Waheed for defamation, damages over GMR airport deal cancellation

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is preparing to sue former President Dr Mohamed Waheed for defamation and damages over his administration’s unilateral termination of the GMR airport development deal.

The main opposition party announced in a press statement on Thursday (June 19), following a Singapore arbitration tribunal ruling that the agreement was “valid and binding”, that it would pursue legal action against the former president and other responsible parties in both Maldivian and international courts.

“Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and his coup partners had spread falsehoods concerning the GMR agreement, incited hostility and antagonism towards the MDP among the public, and attempted to defame this party,” the press statement read.

“And [they] plunged the nation into serious strife and discord, paved for the way for a coup, and toppled the first democratically elected government of the Maldives in a coup d’etat.”

The party contended that Dr Waheed’s administration was responsible for the compensation the Maldivian government would likely have to pay GMR – which would be “a financial burden the country cannot bear” – as well as loss of investor confidence, soured bilateral relations, and the damage to the Maldives’ international reputation.

The concession agreement signed with the GMR-led consortium in July 2010 to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was beneficial to the Maldives, the statement continued, and its abrupt termination was unlawful.

“Void ab initio”

In November 2012, following a campaign spearheaded by Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla calling for the nationalisation of the airport, Dr Waheed’s cabinet declared the concession agreement void ab initio – invalid from the outset – and gave the consortium a seven-day ultimatum to hand over the airport.

On December 7, the government took over the airport and evicted GMR, prompting the Indian infrastructure giant to seek US$1.4 billion in compensation for “wrongful termination” of the contract – an amount that eclipses the country’s annual state budget.

In a letter sent to the Bombay Stock Exchange last week, GMR explained that the arbitration tribunal concluded the Maldivian government and the Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL) were “jointly and severally liable in damages to GMIAL for loss caused by wrongful repudiation of the agreement as per the concession agreement.”

The determination of liability – the first of two phases of arbitration – will now be followed by the determining of compensation owed.

In the wake of the arbitration decision, Attorney General Mohamed Anil said that President Abdulla Yameen’s administration would honour the verdict while expressing confidence that the government would not have to pay the US$1.4 billion sought by GMR.

“According to the agreement, [we] mostly have to compensate for the investments made. We said we do not have to pay the amount GMR has claimed. We always said we will have to pay compensation, and that this compensation has to come through the agreement,” Anil told reporters on Thursday.

President Yameen had predicted in April that GMR would only be owed US$300 million in compensation.

False pretext

Meanwhile, addressing supporters in Malé at an MDP maahefun (traditional celebratory feast ahead of Ramadan) Thursday night, former President Mohamed Nasheed argued that opposition parties misled the public to topple the MDP government in February 2012 with false allegations.

Opposition parties at the time had claimed that privatising the international airport posed a threat to Maldivian independence and sovereignty as well as Islam, Nasheed recalled.

The concession agreement with the GMR-led consortium was characterised as detrimental to the Maldives, he added, which was used as the pretext for the “coup” on February 7.

“Today it is becoming clear to us that the agreement was valid, and that it was terminated in violation of legal principles as well as international norms, in a way that causes serious damage to the Maldivian people,” Nasheed suggested.

Referring to AG Anil’s insistence that the compensation figure would not be too high, Nasheed accused President Yameen’s administration of continuing to mislead the public.

Nasheed stressed that the amount owed to GMR as compensation was not yet clear, noting however that the arbitration tribunal has ordered the government to pay US$4 million to the company to cover its legal expenses.

“The question we are asking now is, who will be paying those dollars? The dollars will be paid from our pockets. Legal action must be taken against those responsible for us having to pay these dollars,” he insisted.

“We have to seek compensation for the damage caused to our government. We know, we can see, that President Yameen’s government will not last. We know that President Yameen’s government does not have the support of the people. They cannot rule over all of the people in this country with the support of just 25 percent of the public.”

Changing the current government was “a duty and an obligation” for the MDP, the former president said, advising supporters not to despair.

“God willing, our courage will not flag. We will not be afraid and we will not back down either,” he said.

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Gasim’s remarks vindicate MDP’s stance on “coup”: MP Imthiyaz

Gasim Ibrahim’s revelations of pressure from within the judiciary and the security services to endorse President Abdulla Yameen’s candidacy vindicate allegations of a “coup d’etat” on February 7, 2012, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Imthiyaz Fahmy ‘Inthi’ has said.

The Jumhooree Party (JP) leader said last week that he was urged to support Yameen by judges as well as police and army officers.

Gasim had claimed at a press conference on Tuesday (June 17) that he decided to back the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate in the presidential election run-off in November 2013 after the requests “for the sake” of the institutions.

Speaking to Minivan News, MP Imthiyaz noted that the MDP had maintained that “sections of the judiciary, the military and the police were part of the coup and the subsequent unlawful and unconstitutional interference in the presidential and the parliamentary elections.”

“Now this truth is coming straight from the horse’s mouth,” the re-elected MP for Maafanu North observed.

“If the judiciary, the military and the police were to decide who should hold the office of the president then it gives a horrifying message. And in fact it happened as they demanded, thus people’s power was violated.”

Kingmaker

Gasim had said that judges as well as police and army officers had met him personally and appealed to him to support the PPM candidate.

“Otherwise we had been silent [on endorsing a candidate] and neutral. We made that decision after considering the unrest and instability and possible harm to the public caused by the rising political tension,” the business tycoon had said.

He also claimed to have spent MVR20 million on Yameen’s campaign in the three days leading up to the run-off polls on November 16.

After finishing in third place with 23.27 percent of the vote in the repeat first round of the presidential election, Gasim initially announced that the JP would not back either candidate.

However, the JP’s council reversed its decision to remain neutral following a meeting between Gasim and PPM leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed had emerged the frontrunner in the first round revote with 46.93 percent while Yameen polled 29.73 percent.

After endorsing Yameen, Gasim told the press that the JP decided to form a coalition with the PPM in order to “[overcome] the challenges faced by police, military and the judiciary, to save them from undeserved allegations made against them by certain groups, to maintain the independence of this Ummah [Islamic community] and nation, and for the protection of our religion and motherland.”

Meanwhile, at last week’s press conference, JP Deputy Leader Ilham Ahmed insisted that the police, army, and judiciary would “bear witness” to the truth of Gasim’s claim.

However, online news outlet CNM has since reported that the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has denied asking the JP leader to back Yameen while the police declined to comment.

Troubled polls

Last year’s presidential election was marred by repeated delays, multiple cancellations, a Supreme Court-ordered annulment and police obstruction.

On October 7, the Supreme Court annulled the results of the first round of the polls conducted on September 7 in a controversial 4-3 decision – citing a confidential police report – despite unanimous positive assessment of the polling by more than a thousand domestic and international election observers.

While the secret police report alleging irregularities – which was not shared with the Election Commission’s (EC) defence lawyers – was dismissed by a UN expert review, the credibility of the evidence cited by the apex court was also questioned by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives after it emerged that some citizens were incorrectly recorded as being deceased.

The Supreme Court’s decision came after Gasim sought annulment of the first round results alleging widespread electoral fraud.

In what was the EC’s sixth attempt in two months to conduct polls, Yameen narrowly defeated Nasheed with 51.39 percent of the vote (111,203) to the MDP candidate’s 48.61 percent (105,181).

In January, Nasheed told reporters that the MDP suspected electoral fraud using fake national identity cards in November’s polls, contending that non-existent people were added to the database at the Department of National Registration (DNR) as part of “efforts to rig the election through the Supreme Court.”

MP Imthiyaz meanwhile noted that Gasim has now “publicly admitted” that judges met the business tycoon seeking his endorsement of the PPM candidate.

“What do you expect when an election case goes before the court at the request of the court itself? This was how the country’s democracy was completely destroyed,” Imthiyaz said.

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Dredging International NV awarded US$50 million Hulhumalé reclamation project

A US$50 million contract for dredging and reclamation work in Hulhumalé has been awarded to Belgian company Dredging International NV, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has announced.

HDC revealed in a press release today that the letter of award to carry out the project was issued to the company yesterday (June 18) following discussions with the government.

“The project work will commence within a period of two months and the reclamation works is estimated to be completed within a period of seven months,” read the press release.

“It is estimated that the Hulhumalé Phase II reclamation and coastal protection work will be completed by the end of December 2015.”

Phase two of the Hulhumalé development project involves reclamation of 240 hectares of land “with a target population of 100,000 people,” HDC explained.

According to the corporation, development plans for the fully reclaimed artificial island includes residential developments, a business district and “commercial spine,” a light industrial park, a yacht maria and cruise terminal, a knowledge and technology park, a heritage island a tourism district.

“Both Hulhumalé Phase I & Phase II developments are planned in line with the government’s overall vision to bring sustainable youth related developments,” the press release noted.

HDC Managing Director Suhail Ahmed told local media this week that the government was seeking a loan from the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) to finance the second phase of the Hulhumalé development project.

Suhail said HDC was “going through the terms of the loan deal” and “assessing all conditions,” adding that the project would likely be state-financed.

“Youth village”

Phase two of the Hulhumalé development project was among five mega-projects pitched to international companies at an investor forum held last April in Singapore.

While the dredging project was “conditionally awarded” to Dredging International NV in July 2013, the company withdrew due to financial constraints.

According to the company’s website, Dredging International NV was established in 1974 and specialises in “the construction and development of harbours, artificial islands, estuarial dams, canals and inland waterways, dyke construction and reinforcement, beach replenishment and coastal protection, supply of dredged aggregates and salvage activities.”

Developing a ‘youth village’ in Hulhumalé with a population of 50,000 was a key campaign pledge of President Abdulla Yameen.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony for a land reclamation project in Thulusdhoo last month, President Yameen said the government’s objective was to relocate people from small islands in the atolls to Hulhumalé.

Economic opportunities in small islands were limited due to their size and isolation, he added.

The government hoped youth from smaller islands would migrate to Hulhumalé as well as other islands selected for land reclamation, Yameen said.

In April, Yameen said the HDC’s development plans were being revised to achieve the new administration’s goals.

The vision for the youth city includes a “technopolis park” as well as entertainment and sports facilities, he said, in addition to facilities for the tourism and fisheries industries.

“The youth village will not involve only housing [projects]. It will also include other projects related to the youth village such as the creation of light industries to provide job opportunities, as well as arrangements for food and beverages required by modern youth and restaurant facilities for [fast food],” he said.

Yameen also revealed last month that the government planned to tender the the Malé–Hulhulé bridge project in early June.

“God willing, before the end of the first two weeks of June, we will tender the bridge project. With that, additional studies needed for the project – that is the direction and extent of ocean currents – will be undertaken by the party awarded the tender,” he explained.

In February, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed pledged that the Malé–Hulhulé bridge project – which he described as “iconic for the whole region” – would be completed in two years.

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JP open to negotiations with PPM, says Gasim

The Jumhooree Party (JP) is open to discussions with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) as the party does not believe the coalition agreement has been terminated, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim has said.

Speaking at a press conference at the JP headquarters in Malé yesterday (June 17), Gasim said he was pleased that President Abdulla Yameen had said that the parties could discuss problems with the coalition agreement, adding that the JP was ready to join discussions at a time and place of the PPM’s choosing.

“We are ready to go forward in the best interest’s of the nation’s peace and stability,” the business tycoon said.

Unlike other political arrangements, Gasim stressed that the coalition agreement between the parties was signed in the presence of witnesses with the signatories swearing by God to uphold the agreement.

“How can it be said that such an agreement has been dissolved without any just reason? I am certainly frightened that they decided that such an agreement has been dissolved,” the MP for Maamigili said, adding that he feared the “wrath of God” as a result of the PPM’s actions, which would affect “innocent people” as well.

He noted that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had signed the agreement on behalf of the PPM in his capacity as the party’s leader.

Gasim said that the JP has yet to be officially notified in writing of the termination of the coalition agreement.

The PPM had announced in a press statement that the party’s council decided unanimously on May 26 that the agreement “has been brought to an end by the Jumhooree Party as of today” after Gasim contested for the post of Majlis speaker.

Holding up the agreement and reading out clauses at the press conference, Gasim said that the PPM had so far not been able to explain which part of the agreement that the JP breached.

Gasim also contended that the PPM had violated the agreement by failing to either consult the coalition partner before nominating individuals to independent institutions – such as President Yameen’s nephew Maumoon Hameed for prosecutor general – or provide 33 percent of political posts in the executive as stipulated in the agreement.

Campaign trail

After initially announcing that the party would remain neutral, the JP’s council decided to endorse Yameen three days before the second round of the presidential polls on November 16 after JP candidate Gasim finished in third place in the first round with 23.37 percent of the vote.

Gasim claimed yesterday that he had spent MVR20 million on Yameen’s campaign ahead of the run-off polls on November 16 as the coalition agreement stated that the parties should support each other.

Gasim said he gave part of the money at the request of Yameen and his running mate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed while the rest was spent for JP members to visit islands on campaign trips.

Moreover, Gasim claimed to have spent a further MVR20 million for the PPM during the parliamentary election campaign.

“I sent an amount no less than MVR20 million to President Maumoon and President Yameen,” he said.

Of the coalition candidates to whom Gasim provided financial assistance, the JP leader said former MP for Kinbidhoo, Moosa Zameer, was the only PPM candidate to have lost.

Gasim went on to criticise the two JP MPs  – Milandhoo MP Hassan Mufeed Abdul Gadhir and Nolhivaram MP Hussain Afeef – who signed for the ruling party this week, noting that the pair had signed an agreement under oath to remain in the JP until the end of their five-year terms.

He noted that members of coalition partners switching parties was a violation of the agreement.

Gasim said he had heard that the pair were given MVR10 million each to switch allegiances as well as suggesting that the MPs had told him the government had threatened to cease development projects in their constituencies.

Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim and Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed had also told the JP leader that they decided to sign for PPM as they could not continue their work without doing so, Gasim said.

JP Deputy Leader Ilham Ahmed meanwhile argued that the ministers should have resigned from the cabinet before signing for the ruling party as the pair had been appointed to JP slots.

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Majlis sitting called off amid opposition protest over committee composition

Today’s sitting of parliament has been called off by Speaker Abdulla Maseeh after opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs raised consecutive points of order objecting to the composition of the Majlis’ 13 standing committees.

Adjourning the sitting amid disorder in the chamber, Speaker Maseeh announced that he would “discuss the issue of the standing committees with political party leaders.”

Government-aligned MPs accused the opposition of obstructing proceedings to thwart its legislative agenda.

The standing committees were constituted yesterday by a select committee with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and coalition partner (MDA) securing a majority on government oversight committees.

The five-member select committee – comprised of a representative from the five political parties in parliament – approved the composition of committees after MDP MP Ibrahim Shareef walked out of yesterday’s committee meeting in protest, contending that the seat allocation was unfair.

The committee’s decision will be put to a vote on the Majlis floor on Monday (June 23).

At the beginning of today’s sitting, Speaker Maseeh gave the floor to MP Rozaina Adam to present legislation on medical negligence ahead of a preliminary debate.

The MDP MP for Addu Meedhoo however declared that she was withdrawing the proposed legislation as there were “no committees in the Majlis to review this bill.”

“And we don’t know when [the standing committees] are going to be formed. So our People’s Majlis is in a state today where we cannot even envisage when the committee is going to be formed and when it would be able to consult relevant authorities and work on the bill,” she said.

Rozaina said she wished to make changes to the bill after consulting the Medical Association of Maldives, after which it be resubmitted as soon as standing committees are constituted.

Speaker Maseeh, however, insisted repeatedly that parliamentary rules allow for the formation of ad hoc or select committees to review legislation.

The report forwarded by the select committee formed to constitute standing committees will be tabled in the agenda for Monday’s sitting, he added.

Standing committees

MP Ibrahim Shareef – who represented the opposition party in the select committee that approved the standing committee composition – contended that the legislative process could not begin in the absence of standing committees.

While the MDP had been willing to compromise on the committee composition, Shareef said the PPM did not want the opposition party to have a voice in parliament or be able to exercise oversight.

The ruling party had begun efforts to “create an autocratic one-party state like we had 30 years ago,” he said.

In the wake of the select committee decision yesterday, Shareef told reporters that the opposition party would be forced to resort to direct action if its MPs were not afforded the opportunity to hold the government accountable through parliament.

Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ilham Ahmed accused the speaker of stalling as the government had not finished “hunting” for new MPs.

Two JP MPs signed for the PPM yesterday, joining a number of political appointees who have switched to the ruling party in the wake of the termination of the agreement between the former coalition partners.

MPs who leave their party should be “ashamed” of themselves, the JP deputy leader said.

“We will not allow a brutal and autocratic rule. You should believe, we saw two or three MDP working alone courageously,” he said, referring to the MDP MPs’ efforts in the Special Majlis or constitutional assembly convened to revise the constitution.

“We will see that here again. So I don’t believe the Majlis can carry on before committees are formed,” he said.

“Obstruction”

Pro-government MPs meanwhile accused opposition MPs of attempting to stall parliamentary proceedings and obstruct the government.

PPM MP Saud Hussain accused opposition MPs of scheming to disrupt parliament with points of order and prevent debate on government-sponsored legislation.

PPM MP Riyaz Rasheed – chair of the select committee that determined composition of standing committees – urged the Majlisopposition party to resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue.

“There’s nothing you can make us do by yelling. We should do things peacefully,” he said.

PPM MP Ali Arif argued that the opposition party had no grounds to complain as the party had been granted 39 seats on the standing committees, which reflected the party’s numbers in parliament.

Moreover, he added, the absence of standing committees was not a problem at the moment as preliminary debate had not been completed for any piece of legislation so far.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed meanwhile stated on social media that standing committees should be formed in accordance with “the spirit of the constitution” to allow parliament to hold the executive answerable.

“MDP is the party that represents the whole Maldives. Thanks to MDP MPs,” the opposition leader tweeted.

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PPM-MDA coalition secures majority on government oversight committees as MDP threatens street action

The composition of parliament’s standing committees has been approved today with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and coalition partner the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) securing a majority on key government oversight committees.

The seat allocation on the 13 standing committees was decided by a five-member select committee – chosen at the first regular sitting of the 18th People’s Majlis earlier this month.

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) select committee member MP Ibrahim Shareef, however, walked out in protest after claiming his party had not been adequately included in the decision.

Prior to today’s meeting of the select committee, political parties had been unable to reach an agreement on the committee composition as a two-week deadline stipulated by parliamentary rules elapsed last week.

A proposal by MDA MP Ali Mauroof to have 11 members on each standing committee with the exception of the ‘241’ security services committee was passed with the support of Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim and Adhaalath Party MP Anara Naeem.

Parliamentary rules dictate proportional representation in standing committees for political parties based on the number of MPs in each party.

The ruling coalition with its 43 MPs secured a majority on the public accounts committee, government oversight committee, independent institutions committee, national security committee, and economic affairs committees with five PPM MPs and one MDA MP on each committee. Former coalition partner JP was allocated two slots on each oversight committee.

The opposition MDP with its 25 MPs was meanwhile allocated four seats each in the government accountability committee, rules committee, and petition committee and three seats in the other ten committees.

On the security services committee, the select committee decided to allocate four seats for the PPM, three seats for MDP, two seats for JP, and one seat each for the MDA and Adhaalath. The sole remaining independent MP, Muaz Mohamed Rasheed, was also given a seat on the 241 committee.

Article 241 of the constitution states, “A committee of the People’s Majlis shall be established to exercise continuing oversight of the operations of the security services. The committee shall include representation from all the different political parties within the People’s Majlis.”

Concluding today’s meeting of the select committee, Chair MP Riyaz Rasheed said the committee report will be forwarded to the Majlis floor for approval.

The 13 standing committees includes four committees dealing with affairs of parliament in addition to nine oversight committees.

Parliamentary proceedings had been stalled pending the constitution of standing committees. A regular sitting has meanwhile been scheduled for tomorrow (June 17).

Street action

Speaking to reporters following the select committee meeting, MDP MP Shareef declared that the minority party would not participate in the standing committees.

The committees were constituted “unjustly” without the participation or input of the main opposition party, Shareef said.

“We will protest in the chamber and we will take to the streets too if we have to,” he warned.

Shareef had warned at a press conference yesterday (June 15) that the MDP would be forced to resort to direct action or street protests if the party was unable to hold the government accountable through parliament.

An opposition majority on government oversight committees – the public accounts committee in particular – was international best practice, he noted. Shareef argued that the opposition party could not exercise proper oversight over public finances without control of the public accounts committee.

The PPM was however unwilling to concede seats on the key oversight committees, he said.

PPM parliamentary group leader, Ahmed Nihan, had told local media last week that the coalition wanted majorities on the oversight committee to ensure that opposition MPs are unable to obstruct the government.

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