Ahmed Naish – Page 89 – Minivan News

Parliament passes local elections bill, breaks for recess

Legislation on local council elections was passed today in the last sitting of this year’s first session of parliament.

The bill was voted through with 38 votes in favour, 21 against and two abstentions. All MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in attendance either voted against the bill or abstained.

Last week, the landmark bill on decentralized administration was passed with amendments approved by the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) after MDP MPs (MDP) walked out in protest.

The model of seven provinces for decentralized administration put forward by the government was removed from the draft legislation by the opposition-dominated committee.

Presenting the local council elections bill to the floor, Mohamed Mujthaz, DRP MP for Hanimadhoo and chairman of the review committee, said amendments were made following consultations with the attorney general’s office and Elections Commission.

Further changes were made to bring the bill in line with the amended decentralization bill, he added.

A total of 13 amendments were approved on the floor today. However ammendment submitted by MDP MP Eva Abdullah to give women at least 30 percent of the seats in both atoll and island councils, thrown out by the DRP in a vote.

“By rejecting our ammendent to article 4, [the DRP] have disenfranchised a large part of the population,” she claimed.

The main point of contention in the final debate revolved around the tenure of island and atoll councilors appointed by President Mohamed Nasheed.

However, following discussions between the two main parties, an amendment was passed with bipartisan support to stipulate that, once the council elections are announced, the Civil Service Commission shall designate a civil servant to become the highest-ranking government official in the constituency for the interim period.

Other amendments proposed by MDP MPs, such as omitting a clause that would suspend civil servants who contest elections and setting a 30 per cent quota for women in the councils, were defeated.

An amendment proposed by Nilandhoo MP Abdul Muhsin to ensure job security for losing candidates from the civil service was approved with 41 votes.

Meanwhile, at last night’s MDP rally, Hassan Afeef, political advisor to the president, said the government will follow its policy of grouping atolls into provinces despite the passage of the decentralisation bill.

Although the bill gives too powers over the councils to the government, Afeef said President Nasheed’s administration will empower local councils.

At an earlier rally, “Reeko” Mossa Manik, MDP parliamentary group leader, said the party could pass amendments to the Decentralisation Act to reintroduce provinces.

Speaking to press upon his arrival in Male’ on Sunday night, President Nasheed said he will review the bill before making a decision on ratification.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Election dream still alive, says Dr Hassan Saeed

The dream of the 2008 presidential campaign is still alive and within reach of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), its newly elected leader Dr Hassan Saeed has said.

Speaking at the party’s first congress on Saturday night at Bandos Island Resort, Dr Saeed, who resigned from both the former and current governments, said it was not too late to realise the aspirations of his presidential campaign.

“Our leaders don’t have to always go begging to Europe or the Middle East,” he said. “[Our leaders] won’t have to say with pride that I begged more and secured more money than my predecessor.”

Dr Saeed said Maldivian politicians have never ruled to serve the the people: “They rule to fill their pockets.”

Hard times

Apart from difficult economic circumstances, Saeed continued, islanders were struggling to pay their electricity bills, the cost of living was rising and the government was ruthlessly dismissing elderly security guards.

Dr Saeed said his law firm, Raajje Chambers, was under pressure from banks to take prominent businessmen and resort owners to court to reclaim unpaid loans.

“As a result, it is likely that many resort owners in the country will go bankrupt in the near future,” he said. “Thousands of employees could lose their jobs.”

Meanwhile, development of over 60 resorts was stalled due to failure to secure loans.

While government expenditure increased threefold in the past five years, the quality of life for citizens has not seen any improvement.

“Political posts have increased from 500 to 1,000,” he said. “But has the service from political appointees to the people similarly increased? It has not. The number of police officers has increased by thousands. Crime has not fallen. As the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court in 2003, I earned Rf4,000 (a month). Today the person in that post receives Rf30,500. Has the justice system been strengthened? Has [the judicial process] become faster?”

Moreover, he added, the number of embassies abroad has increased threefold without a corresponding spike in foreign investment.

Looming bankruptcy

The state of affairs today was so dire that local businesses were unable to get foreign loans at an interest rate of even 12 per cent, said Saeed.

“The 65 resorts in the country have not been developed because they couldn’t get loans at even 15 per cent, let alone 12,” he said.

Moreover, he added, the government was giving away assets cheaply and handing over management of schools to foreign parties without considering the benefits to the Maldivian people.

The former special advisor to the president said the government has not given any thought to enriching Maldivian businesses or putting struggling small business back on their feet.

“Maldivians are a talented, educated, young and industrious people,” he said. “All that Maldivians need is just a little opportunity. What Maldivians want is a day when they won’t be forced to fill a form to join the ruling party whenever there is a change of government.”

He added the DQP will not falter in its “national jihad” and would work together with other parties to reach its goals.

“God willing, we will win the upcoming local council elections and the presidential elections after that,” he said.

Power

In his speech, Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, who was dismissed from his cabinet post last year, said the country was in a state of “despair and hopelessness”.

Those who had claimed not to want power was now trying to stay in power at all costs, he said.

While the former government spent Rf4.8 million a month on political appointees, he said, the figure has climbed to Rf9.1 million a month under the Nasheed administration.

Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed, one of the party’s two MPs, said the party has now matured and was ready to play its part in the political arena.

“We did not come out to topple the government. We will try to hold the government accountable…[Only] the people can change the government,” he said.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

“We inherited an economy in crisis”: President Nasheed

The Maldives faced the worst economic situation of any country undergoing democratic transition, according to World Bank statistics for the last 50 years, President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

In his address at the 16^th SAARC Summit last week, President Nasheed said the global recession hit the domestic economy hard at a time when the country was “still adjusting to the recent shift from authoritarianism to democracy”.

While the transition has been “smooth, secure and stable” in the first 18 months of democratic governance, said Nasheed, the new administration inherited “an economy in crisis”.

“In the years leading up to the 2008 presidential elections, the former administration went on a spending spree that almost bankrupted the country. Public expenditure was at a peak of 64% of GDP in 2008,” he said. “We took over a budget where 70% of government revenue was spent on public sector wages. Our administration inherited a huge national debt. Our deficit in 2009 was set to be at 33% of GDP.”

But, he added, the deficit was reduced to 28 per cent of GDP through austerity measures introduced last year, including controversial and unpopular pay cuts for civil servants.

Among other measures taken by the government to alleviate the budget deficit were cutbacks on foreign travel and a freeze on non-essential expenditure.

In addition, the new government was “bequeathed millions of dollars of unpaid bills”.

While the Maldives continue to face serious budgetary shortfalls, the government was determined to “implement structural reforms that will set the economy on a straight course”.

The president’s remarks were lampooned at the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) rally last week as “humiliating” the country in the international arena.

Moreover, opposition parties have strongly condemned the government for disregarding campaign pledges by enforcing pay cuts and hiking electricity tariffs.

Economic outlook

The Asian Development’s Banks annual flagship economic publication, the Asian Development Outlook 2010, released last month noted that reckless fiscal expansion and a recession-induced drop in tourism “have taken the economy to the brink of crisis”.

The fiscal expansion of the past few years was “excessive”, the report notes, as it included large increases both in public sector wages and subsidies.

“It pushed budget expenditure to 63% of GDP by 2008 and the overall deficit to 17% of GDP,” it reads.

Meanwhile, the deficit spending led to “a marked balance-of-payments deterioration”, which, coupled with the impact of the global recession, threatened macroeconomic stability.

Consequently, GDP tumbled in 2009 by nine percentage points due to contractions in the tourism, construction and fisheries industries.

While GDP is projected to grow by 3 per cent this yyear, the report notes that economic outlook depends on the performance of tourism and fisheries “as well as the government’s ability to push through its reform measures”.

Apart from cuts in spending, the economic reform programme initiated by the current government includes broadening the revenue base by raising airport service charges, introducing a business profit tax and transforming the tourism bed tax into a goods and services tax.

“In order to align expenditures with revenues, the government is streamlining administrative machinery by downsizing the civil service, reducing electricity subsidies, and linking power tariff adjustments to cost of inputs twice a year,” it reads. “The government also plans to privatize parts of the extensive network of state-owned enterprises.”

In December 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a US$79.3 million standby arrangement US$13.2 million under a program to deal with external shocks.

As the role of monetary policy was limited with the currency pegged to the US dollar, the report advises that fiscal policy has to “play the greater role in demand management and economic stabilization”.

Weak institutions and human resource deficiencies, including “the fragmented structure of government”, were identified as major constraints to economic growth.

Moreover, the report notes that the government’s policy of grouping atolls into seven provinces to develop regional administration and economic centres was “a tall order” as the government “aims to reduce the cost to itself at the same time”.

Globe-trotter

In his radio address on Friday, the president said he received a text message from a resident of an “isolated island”.

The person observed that the president was “always abroad” and implied that he was neglecting domestic affairs.

The president arrived in China yesterday to open the Maldives pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010.

Addressing the concerns in his radio address, the president said he would leave “no stone unturned” in his efforts to secure aid and assistance for development projects.

“I have to go to all these places. I have to talk to a lot of people. I have to do a considerable amount of work to secure financial support, projects and assistance for the country,” he said, adding that he did not enjoy travelling.

Meanwhile, in his speech at the summit, Nasheed said he was under “tremendous pressure” to prosecute members of the former regime accused of corruption and torture.

He added that it was “understandable” for people who had been wronged in the past to seek justice and reparations.

“It is particularly difficult to forgive people, when they refuse to say sorry for the hurt they have caused,” he said. “But I am loath to act against the former regime. If we took action against everyone implicated in corruption and torture, we would end up arresting most of the opposition. I do not believe that arresting the opposition, is the best way to build a healthy democracy.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

DRP celebrates “beginning of the end” for government

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) hosted a rally last night to celebrate its victory in parliament on the decentralisation bill, which was passed yesterday without the model of provinces proposed by the government.

The rally at artificial beach was attended by Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim, leader of the Republican Party, as well as MPs of the People’s Alliance.

DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said the passage of the bill with 42 votes in favour was “a very good and important signal” as 39 votes would be needed to override a possible presidential veto.

If the bill becomes law, said Thasmeen, elected island and atoll councils will have decision-making powers on resource allocation and development projects.

“The way the bill has been drafted gives no room for provinces,” he said, claiming there was no public support for the model.

The bill on decentralised administration proposed by the government early last year had been delayed due to an intractable dispute over creating seven provincial councils instead of 20 atoll councils.

Thasmeen denied claims by MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that the wholesale changes made to the bill by the opposition would hinder the development of the atolls.

The leader of the opposition called on DRP supporters to “roll their sleeves” to defeat the government’s candidates for the upcoming local councils.

The Republican Benefactor

Speaking at the rally, Gasim addressed speculation that he was disbanding the Republican Party, declaring that he was there to express gratitude for DRP MPs and celebrate “a victory for the Maldivian people”.

Gasim said he believed the support for creating seven provinces was driven by “self-interest” as it was intended to “shape things to the advantage of one party”.

He added the bill passed yesterday would pave the way for “unimaginable levels of development” for the atolls.

Grinding henna

Ali Waheed, DRP vice-president, said it takes “a lot of effort and grinding to bring out colour from henna leaves”.

Although the party “made a blunder” on the motion of no-confidence against Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed last year, said Ali Waheed, “yesterday we brought out colour from henna leaves”.

The MP for Thohdhoo went through the list of MPs who voted in favour of the bill, praising each individually.

“Today what we played was a national team match,” he said. “It wasn’t a New Radiant match today. It wasn’t a Victory match today. We have seen that if you play for the national team in the political arena, Gasim Ibrahim will be there. We have seen that today that when the national team plays, Kulhudhufushi South MP Mohamed Nasheed will be there as well.”

Ali Waheed invited the former legal reform minister to come back to the DRP and relayed a message of congratulations from Nasheed.

The real “mid-term election” would be the upcoming local council elections, said Ali Waheed, calling on all opposition parties to band together to defeat the MDP.

He concluded the speech by praising DRP’s honorary leader: “I would say our Zaeem, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, is with us here tonight. The reason is that there’s a full moon tonight and Maumoon is this party’s full moon.”

“Beginning of the end”

Thulusdhoo MP Rozaina Adam said the behaviour of the party that claimed to have ushered in democracy “whenever there’s a democratic vote” had become “a big joke”.

MDP MPs walked out of yesterday’s sitting in protest when none of the party’s amendments won bipartisan support.

Rozaina joined other DRP MPs to thank Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed “in the name of democracy” for staying behind “even if he just kept pressing red”.

If the DRP win the local council elections, said Rozaina, the government would be left with “a hollow shell”.

Umar Naseer, DRP vice-president, said the victory in parliament would mark “the beginning of the end for the government” as it was now “on life support”.

He added the law would also spell the end for “the ganja smoking councillors” and state ministers appointed by the president who have been “terrorising” the islands.

“Today we saw the MDP walk out of Majlis,” he said. “Before too late now, we will see the president walk out of the government.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Decentralisation bill passed as MDP MPs walk out

The long delayed bill on decentralised administration was passed today after MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) walked out in protest, withdrawing the party’s amendments to the draft legislation.

The party proposed over a hundred amendments to reverse the changes made to the bill by the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) dominated committee and restore the model of provinces.

But, more than an hour into the process of voting on amendments, “Reeko” Moosa Manik, MDP parliamentary group leader, announced that the party was withdrawing its proposals as it was clear that “the spirit of the Majlis was against the MDP, even if it’s an amendment we proposed to correct a grammatical error”.

He added MDP MPs did not wish to “heat up” the sitting by remaining in the chamber.

The mass exit was greeted with ironic applause and jeers from the DRP MPs.

The seminal piece of legislation was passed shortly before 6pm with 42 votes in favour and one against after the sitting was extended until the amended bill could be put for a vote.

Ahmed Rasheed, MDP MP for Hoarafushi, stayed behind to cast the sole dissenting vote.

A total of 68 amendments, the majority of which were proposed by the DRP, was passed today.

Presidential veto?

Speaking to Minivan News, Mohamed Aslam, MP for Hithadhoo North, expressed concern that the amendments proposed by the DRP would divest the councils of its powers and rule out any collaboration between atolls or constituencies.

Some of the amendments proposed by DRP would defeat the purpose of devolving decision-making powers and hinder development, he said.

In its current form, the bill would “isolate single atolls” as they were not legally empowered to participate in joint development projects with other atolls.

“For example, if Fuvahmulah wants to build an airport, it can’t lease an island from Huvadhoo Atoll to foreign investors,” he said.

Although the parliamentary group has not officially decided to recommend that the president veto the bill, Aslam said he personally did not believe the bill should be ratified.

“I don’t think any MDP MP would want this bill to be ratified,” he said.

A majority of 39 votes would be needed to override a presidential veto.

Mohamed Zuhair, president’s office press secretary, said the president would make a decision after “serious consideration” of the social and economic consequences of the law as well as potential legal problems.

“The president will seek the opinion of the attorney general and the legal office before making a decision,” he said.

“Still dictatorial”

Chairperson of the MDP, Mariya Ahmed Didi, accused the DRP of ”total disregard to the democratic state we want to develop.”

“We parliamentarians did warn the public that DRP is still a dictatorial group,” she said. ”Their behaviour in the Majlis proves the point. We are approaching the deadline in the constitution to have local government in place and to have local elections. I do not think we have time to veto and go through the whole process.”

It would be difficult to ensure development of the atolls with the bill as it is, she added.

”I hope people remember that MDP had nothing to do with the bill when in campaign the DRP starts screaming of the islands not being the developed state as envisaged by MDP. The basis of our election promise was that the Maldives would be developed as seven provinces. They have by this bill destroyed the fundamental basis on which those promises were made.”

Provinces

At yesterday’s sitting, a resolution proposed by DRP Vice-President and MP for Thohdhoo, Ali Waheed, was adopted to postpone the upcoming recess until the two bills necessary for local government elections could be passed.

The resolution was sent to the general affairs committee with the support of 62 MPs out of the 69 in attendance.

Under the new rules of procedure, parliament is due to break for recess on 30 April.

Concluding today’s sitting, Speaker Abdullah Shahid said a decision over the resolution would be made at tomorrow’s sitting.

The intractable dispute between the two main parties over the issue of provincial councils led to recurrent deadlock and protests outside parliament last year, culminating in the president withdrawing the bill at the eleventh hour.

In his weekly radio address on Friday, President Mohamed Nasheed said he would accept parliament’s decision on the bill and would not “react harshly” to the outcome.

The amendments made to the government’s bill by the committee would “create 20 small governments”.

While the MDP manifesto proposed dividing the country into seven provinces for decentralised administration, the DRP insists the existing division into 21 administrative areas should be maintained.

During the protracted debate, opposition MPs argued the creation of seven province councils instead of 21 atoll councils would result in disproportionate representation, marginalising the smaller, less populous atolls.

“I am completely prepared to do this in the way the People’s Majlis decides,” said the president. “All will be well when members of parliament think about this, find a way to facilitate development of this country and proceed accordingly. The government’s thinking of decentralisation with seven provinces is for economic purposes. There is no political purpose behind it…In my mind, there is no political rivalry in this matter. We are going ahead with this to pave the way for the country’s development, not to achieve a political purpose.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Former president denies human rights abuses in 30-year rule

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has denied that human rights abuses and torture in prisons occurred during his 30-year reign.

Taking questions from listeners yesterday on DhiFM’s “One-to-One” live call-in show, Gayoom categorically denied that he ordered anyone to be tortured.

“No Maldivian citizen was unjustly punished that I was aware of or on my orders,” he said.

He added he was not aware of torture in jails or custodial deaths and it would not have taken place on his orders.

“When I received complaints, I looked into it. I did get complaints of torture in jails or unjust punishment in other ways. Every case would have been investigated,” he said.

In some cases, commissions were formed to investigate the allegations, he continued, while other cases were sent to court.

Responding to a question on whether he could prove his 30-year rule was not autocratic, Gayoom said he always governed in full compliance with the constitution and was re-elected in free and fair elections.

“I did not come to power or remain in power by using military force,” he said.

Appearing on the same show last week, President Mohamed Nasheed, a former Amnesty International “Prisoner of Conscience”, said he recently found a letter to the former president, also minister of defence at the time, from the officer-in-charge of police.

“It says in a lot of cases many citizens were taken before court without any evidence in the way the government wanted,” he said.

At the time, said Nasheed, such things were commonplace.

Asked about the letter, Gayoom said he could not recall a particular letter as he would have received thousands during the past 30 years.

“I might remember if it happened or not if that letter is shown to me and how I acted upon it or if I didn’t,” he said, adding he could not recall it off the top of his head.

If Nasheed showed him the letter, he continued, he would explain how it happened.

Although the pair has not met since the hand-over of power last year, Gayoom said he has had telephone conversations with the president and exchanged text messages.

Fielding questions

After thanking him for “getting rid of drugs in four months”, a caller asked Gayoom about a man from Fuahmulah who was “brought to Male’ on an allegation, punished and killed in Dhoonidhoo” in 1982.

Another caller asked, “Do you know that an island called Mandhoo exists?”

Gayoom addressed a number of issues ranging from tsunami reconstruction, his future in politics and the state of the nation.

The former president said he has not made a decision on remaining as leader of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or contesting for the presidency in 2013.

“I am still thinking about it. God willing, the people will know my decision very soon,” he said.

Defending his record on island development, Gayoom said there was only one government school in the atolls when he took office in 1978, but there were schools now in all inhabited islands.

Moreover, he built island offices, atoll offices and atoll houses as well as mosques, health centres and harbours.

Infant mortality was reduced from 120 from every 1,000 births to 10, he said, while life expectancy rose from 48 to over 70 years.

International institutions and agencies have noted that of all the Asian countries affected by the tsunami, he said, Maldives made the best use of foreign aid.

Gayoom said about US$80 million pledged by the institutions and foreign nations was not delivered.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

CSC defends restoration of civil servants’ salaries

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has defended its decision to restore civil servants’ salaries and allowances in January to their former levels.

At a press conference today, Abdul Muhsin, vice-president of the commission, said the condition for restoring salaries to pre-October levels was the government’s revenue exceeding Rf7 billion (US$545 million) as it was the main indicator to determine whether the “special economic circumstances” that made the pay cuts necessary had passed.

Muhsin said a statement on the budget published on the finance ministry website stated that income for government offices alone would exceed Rf7 billion.

In the discussions with the finance ministry before the pay cuts were enforced in October, he added, it was agreed that salaries would be restored “automatically” when revenue reached Rf7 billion.

Moreover, the CSC regulations state that changes to salaries must be reviewed every three months.

The finance ministry “has been told” of the decision to restore salaries, he said.

In August, the government introduced a raft of austerity measures, including pay cuts for political employees, reduction of overtime and cutting back on travel, to alleviate the inherited budget deficit.

Last month, the parliamentary committee selected to review the budget made a recommendation to inject Rf617 million to restore civil servants’ salaries.

Muhsin said the commission received a letter from parliament informing them that salaries had to be restored if CSC believed the economic circumstances had passed.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Ahmed Assad, state minister for finance, said the commission did not consult either with the ministry or the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) before making its decision.

“Our indicators don’t show that the economic circumstances have passed,” he said.

Assad said the ministry would “respect the decision of parliament” on the issue of restoring salaries.

Muhsin said all expenditure from the budget was made under the assumption that the projected revenue would materialise. “So the commission’s thinking is why should civil servants’ salaries not be restored from the first day assuming that the income will be received.”

Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, spokesperson for the commission, said the changes were valid for a three-month period and would automatically be restored in January.

“The finance ministry has not discussed with us to maintain the reduction,” he said, adding the restoration was not a decision made by the commission so much as an automatic reversal.

Asked whether the commission believed the “special economic circumstances” had passed, Muhsin said it was beyond the CSCs “area of competence”.

But, he added, statements on the finance ministry’s website and fiscal indicators were publicly available.

The commission only looked to see whether government revenue reached Rf7 billion, he said.

Fahmy said he believed the finance ministry would respect the law and issue funds to restore salaries to their former levels.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

Former president accuses government of obstructing his social work

The secretariat of the former president has accused senior government officials of blocking funding for his office and attempting to obstruct its work.

A press release issued by the office of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom states that it was created on 11 December 2009 under legislation passed t last year by parliament to provide protection and privileges for former presidents.

“Under article eight of the law on protection and privileges for former presidents, the state has to arrange up to Rf175,000 a month for an office, employees and ‘other matters’ for former presidents ‘should they want to’ do social work of benefit to community,” reads the press statement.

It adds that the legislation leaves the formation of the office to the discretion of former presidents, and not parliament or the government.

Article 140 states, “A member of the cabinet shall be given responsibility for each authority or institute established by government or the People’s Majlis, except for independent institutions specified in this constitution or established pursuant to a law.”

However the statement adds that “it is clear” that a cabinet minister does not have to be responsible for the office and moreover, it was “regrettable” that senior government officials were claiming that the former president did not have the authority to create such an office and were “attempting to obstruct” the work of the former president.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Hassan Afeef, political advisor to President Mohamed Nasheed, denied the president’s office was obstructing the social work of the former president.

“What he has to do first is state what kind of social work he wants to do and then inform the relevant authority – that is the finance ministry,” Afeef said.

When the request was made with the finance ministry, he said, it will issue funds depending on the type of work and the number of employees needed.

Afeef argued that the office would be created by a law passed by parliament and therefore would be overseen by a ministry.

Since the law clearly states that funds should be issued for “social work” the former president must specify the kind of work he wants to undertake.

“I don’t understand why he is trying to do everything by using power instead of respecting the law,” he said.

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)

President vetoes special needs legislation

President Mohamed Nasheed has vetoed the bill on protecting the rights of and providing financial assistance to people with special needs following an appeal from NGOs and advice from the attorney general that it would conflict with UN conventions.

Article 91(a) of the constitution states the president shall either assent to a bill within 15 days or return it for reconsideration.

The bill was passed on 21 December and would have automatically become law if the president did not ratify it today.

Mohamed Zuhair, president’s office press secretary, said the legislation was returned as the president believed it could lead to “social, economical and legal problems” if it was enacted.

Zuhair said Attorney General Husnu Suood advised the president that many provisions in the bill conflicted with international standards and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which the Maldives has acceded to.

Suood told the president that the bill would create obstacles for persons with special needs making decisions on their own and participating in society.

Zuhair added the ministry of health and family informed the president that social and economic difficulties could arise if the provisions in the legislation were implemented.

Moreover, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives as well as NGOs Care Society, Handicap International and Association for Disabilities and Development had urged the president to ask parliament to ensure that the law would protect the rights of people with special needs as required by the UN convention.

Appeal

Care Society, the Maldivian Deaf Association and the Association for Disabilities and Development were joined by parents of persons with special needs at a gathering outside the president’s office this morning.

The NGOs and parents held up placards urging the president not to ratify the bill.

Speaking to Minivan News, Sidaatha Shareef from Care Society said the NGOs wanted a law to protect the rights of the special needs.

“But we had to gather today after working through a lot of different stages. When the bill was at parliament, we met parliament members and met members of the social affairs committee separately and made recommendations in writing and gave them a presentation,” she said.

The bill was passed without considering any of the recommendations, she continued, and the NGOs met with the president’s office, the HRCM and the health ministry to raise their concerns.

“But, since we have not got an adequate response, we are here today to see what decision is made,” she said, adding if the president ratified the bill it would be a “big failure”.

Among the main concerns with the bill was lack of health rehabilitation. “That is one difficulty that the parents here endure every day. It is a basic right that they should be getting,” she said.

She added the language of some provisions the “spirit of the bill” would “segregate” people with special needs or provide assistance as “charity”.

The NGOs wanted the bill to be “more inclusive, rights-based and in line with the UNCPWD”.

Shortly after Sidaatha went into the president’s office and was told to wait until the end of lunch hour, Hassan Afeef, political advisor to the president, came out and addressed the group.

Asked how the president would make his decision, Afeef said, “The president is considering doing it in line with your thinking.”

Likes

(0)Dislikes

(0)