Author: JJ Robinson

Condoms and black magic: police raid Usfasgandu

Additional reporting by Daniel Bosley

Police raided the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) protest camp at Usfasgandu this morning, after obtaining a search warrant from the Criminal Court and cordoning off the area from MDP demonstrators.

MDP MP Mariya Ahmed Didi was inside the cordon showing the warrant to a group of media representatives shortly after 8:00am, as dozens of police began to gather in the area.

Reasons for the search as stated on the warrant included: “suspected criminal activity”, “damage to public property”, and “suspected black magic performed in the area”.

Under evidence, the warrant alleged that people in the Usfasgandu area verbally abused police officers and damaged a police vehicle on April 20, obstructed a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) exercise of May 9, and on May 25 “MDP protesters threw a cursed rooster at MNDF officers.”

As blue-gloved officers from the Drug Enforcement Department (DED) arrived, a group of largely female protesters began to gather at the barricades set up near the STELCO building. The barricade was itself lightly manned by police, however a group of police stationed further back near the Dharubaaruge convention centre were equipped with riot shields, gas masks and rubber bullet guns.

The crowd was noisy and upset, but non-violent. An altercation erupted at the front between a group of women and several young men, whom protesters claimed had been sent by a government-affiliated party to provoke the crowd. Minivan News later observed one of these men being arrested by police after trying to break through the barricade.

Meanwhile, DED officers fanned out at the Usfasgandu site and began poking through plants and debris around the padlocked container under the main stage. A large group of police on the other side were picking through rocks along the seawall, while a police boat waited outside the harbour.

Media raced over to photograph the first discovery, retrieved from a nearby bush: cigarette butts and a brown substance wrapped in an MDP membership form. Police near the stage had meanwhile lifted up a wooden board and found a small plastic baggie containing the remnants of a dried substance.

A major find occurred after police broke open the container, searching through old paint tins and debris before reaching into a ceiling cavity, triumphantly producing a packet of condoms (‘Moods’ ultrathin).

The Usfasgandu area had been given to the MDP by the (MDP-dominated) Male’ City Council, after it was evicted by police from its previous camp just metres down the road at the tsunami monument. Police at the time claimed the area was being used as a hub for criminal activity and assorted deviancy, and a similar raid uncovered beer and condoms. The camp was immediately dismantled by the police and MNDF, and walls were painted over grey to remove all trace of the MDP from the area.

The Usfasgandu raid this morning ends a stalemate between the Home Ministry – headed by former Justice Minister during Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s rule, Dr Mohamed Jameel – and Male’ City Council.

The Housing Ministry initially sought to repossess the area from the Council, which refused to cooperate. The Home Ministry then instructed police to retake the area, who approached the Criminal Court for a warrant. The court initially denied this warrant, stating that the repossession was a civil matter and not within its jurisdiction.

Eight days later and Home Minister Jameel yesterday announced that the Ministry had received complaints of criminal activity in the area: “No complaints of any criminal activities had been raised with us at the time [of the original court order request]. But now many complaints have been received including criminal offences,” he told local media.

Police Spokesperson Sub-inspector Hassan Haneef said that following a search of the area a decision would be taken on whether to shut down the site.

“If there is reasonable evidence of crimes being committed there, we would look to close the area,” he said.

Male City Mayor Ali ‘Maizaan’ Manik was standing next to a cage full of crows – kept on the site by the MDP demonstrators to mock President Mohamed Waheed, who is caricatured as a crow on the popular Maakanaa Show.

“I’m too angry to talk right now,” he told Minivan News, as police were left to pick through the area after media scurried to protect their cameras from the sudden downpour.

Back through the police barricades, one visibly upset protester expressed frustration at what he described as “a police state”.

“We just want somewhere to peacefully protest,” he said. “They are just going to plant something, like drugs or explosives, so they can blame us. What can we do? We are helpless.”

An older man came up, put his hand on his shoulder, and led him out of the rain.

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All Party talks to continue at Bandos May 31-June1

Convenor of the All Party talks, Ahmed Mujthaba, confirmed at a press conference this morning that party representatives would attend a three-day retreat at Bandos Island Resort from Thursday, to try and reach a consensus on the six-point agenda.

The India-sponsored roadmap talks were put forward to try and break the political deadlock following the controversial ousting of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on February 7.

Despite stalling several times due to disagreements over the subject and order of the agenda, challenges from the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) over the legality of the MDP’s representation, and the higher profile of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) into the circumstances surrounding the change of power, the roadmap talks have continued.

The six items on the agenda on the agenda are, in order:

  1. Discussion on how to solve the problem of public disturbances carried out in the country;
  2. Discussion on assessing the state budget situation;
  3. Discussion on identifying reforms needed for institutions and independent posts;
  4. Discussion on assessing the laws to be amends and new laws to be enacted;
  5. Discussion on amendments to the constitution;
  6. Discussion on determining a date for a presidential election.

The next round of talks had been scheduled at Bandos – a resort owned by Vice President Waheed Deen – to allow the parties to focus on the issues without the distractions of a normal working day, Mujthaba said.

MDP representative at the talks, former Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa, said she felt the atmosphere was now conducive towards productive discussion, and said the MDP was trying to get the leaders of all the parties assembled on the final day – “there might be something to sign,” she suggested.

“I think the Commonwealth’s insistence on changing the composition of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) has driven home to the government the seriousness of of these talks,” she added.

The original objective of the talks, as put forward by President Mohamed Waheed, was to “restore peace and harmony in the country”, Dr Zulfa noted. “Disruption of peace and harmony was not something that just fell out of the sky. At least a third of the country are upset about the rights that have been taken away from them.”

Deputy Leader and Spokesperson of the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef was not responding at time of press, while Vice President of the PPM Umar Naseer was in Singapore.

UN Mediator Pierre Yves Monett, who is assisting Mujthaba with the talks, also attended the press conference this morning. Mujthaba noted that Monett had been provided with interpreters as the talks would be conducted in Dhivehi.

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Government’s statement that McKinnon endorsed independence of CNI “misleading”: Commonwealth

The Commonwealth has condemned as “misleading” a statement issued to international media by the Maldivian government, claiming that Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon had endorsed the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) as “impartial, credible and broadly acceptable”.

The offending statement was circulated on May 25 using the PR Newswire service, which PR agencies subscribe to in order to widely distribute releases to publications all over the world.

“We welcome Sir Don McKinnon’s support for the Committee of National Inquiry and are delighted that all the concerns expressed by the Commonwealth will be resolved,” the statement quoted President Mohamed Waheed Hassan as saying.

The Commonwealth Secretariat issued a statement on Saturday in response: “Sir Don has not stated that the Commission of National Inquiry as currently constituted is ‘impartial, credible and broadly acceptable’.”

Instead, the government’s efforts to implement a commitment made to the Special Envoy, to strengthen the powers of the CNI and broaden its composition with an international co-chair and nominee of former President Nasheed, “are still ongoing”.

“Indeed, [Sir Donald McKinnon’s] efforts while in Maldives, and since his departure have been focused on achieving that objective, so that a truly impartial, credible and broadly acceptable Commission of National Inquiry can be put in place within the agreed time-frame,” the Commonwealth stated.

‘Coup’ inquiry

The CNI was established by President Waheed to investigate the controversial circumstances that brought him to power on February 7, following what the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party claimed was a coup d’état orchestrated by members of the former 30 year autocracy.

Police and military officers joined opposition demonstrators in an assault on the country’s military headquarters on the morning of February 7, before storming and taking over the state broadcaster.

President Nasheed subsequently resigned on camera, but later claimed this was under duress. In an audio recording obtained by SBS Australia and aired soon after the events, Nasheed is heard pleading with members of the armed forces for the safety of his wife and children.

The day after Nasheed’s resignation, police launched a brutal crackdown on thousands of protesters, in front of Al-Jazeera and other international media.

President Waheed appointed a three member panel to inquire into the legitimacy of his presidency, including Dr Ibrahim Yasir, Dr Ali Fawaz Shareef and Chair Ismail Shafeeu, Defence Minister under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The panel was derided by the MDP as lacking independence, a view subsequently shared by the Commonwealth which gave the government a four week deadline to change the composition of the commission to include both a foreign co-chair and a “suitable” nominee to represent Nasheed.

The government agreed to a new June 1 deadline, and then immediately rejected nine of Nasheed’s nominees on the grounds of their “unsuitability”. Conditions imposed by the government included requirements that Nasheed’s appointee not have served in a political position in the past two years, not taken a public stand on the transfer of power, and must “be of good behavior and integrity”.

On Saturday the government issued a second statement – also circulated on PR Newswire – rejecting Nasheed’s latest appointee, Lt. Colonel Zubair Ahmed Manik, whom it argued “does not meet the basic requirement of having an undergraduate degree as per the agreed terms of reference.”

The government expressed “disappointment at former President Nasheed’s continued inability to nominate an appropriate candidate who meets the agreed criteria for inclusion on the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).”

“The repeated proposal of generally unacceptable candidates by the former President Nasheed suggests a lack of seriousness and willingness to cooperate. The administration has already agreed to change the original terms of reference of the CNI following advice from the Commonwealth and to agree on including a foreign judge as co chair of the CNI,” the government said.

“I suspect this is Ruder Finn at work,” said MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, commenting on the statements put up on PRNewswire. The New York-based PR agency was recently hired by the Maldivian government to counteract negative international media, in a deal thought to be worth US$150,000 a month.

Ghafoor said the MDP had initially demanded equal representation on the CNI panel, and the evening before the announcement was made, had been expecting two: “We got one, and gave up on co-chairing it,” he said.

The conditions imposed by the government were paternalistic and a stalling tactic, he suggested.

“Nobody of sane mind thinks the transfer of power wasn’t suspicious,” Ghafoor said. “This government does not have the moral high-ground to paternalistically prescribe conditions.”

While the situation might appear calm during the negotiations, Ghafoor said tensions on the street and during protests remained high, and that it would not take much for it to combust – “I’ve started seeing signs of impunity [on behalf of police],” he said.

“We are under threat – right now, the Commonwealth is the only thing stopping us from all being arrested,” Ghafoor claimed.

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President Waheed accepts invitation to attend ‘Queen’s Diamond Jubilee luncheon’: President’s Office

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has accepted an invitation from the Commonwealth to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

As the head of a Commonwealth member nation, President Waheed was invited to attend the celebration by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, the President’s Office stated.

“Prresident Dr Mohamed Waheed is pleased to accept the invitation for the President and First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain, to attend the Diamond Jubilee luncheon of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth,” the President’s Office stated.

“The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma invited the President and the First Lady, in an official letter, to attend the luncheon, where Commonwealth governments would officially celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.”

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was today distributing a letter from Secretary General Sharma to former President Mohamed Nasheed, dated December 6, 2011, inviting him to a lunch at Marlborough House on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, to be attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

“This will follow the weekend of official celebrations of the Jubilee in the UK,” the letter stated.

The Maldives is currently on the formal agenda of the Commonwealth’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), following the controversial transfer of power on February 7. CMAG has called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this transfer of power, as well elections in 2012.

The government – and President Waheed – last week complied with a demand to reconstitute the commission of national inquiry after CMAG criticised its independence, however Waheed also challenged CMAG’s mandate to place the Maldives on its agenda.

Speaking to diplomats at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi during his recent official visit to India, Dr Waheed also accused CMAG of being unduly influenced by the opposition MDP, and attempting to “intimidate” and “punish” the government.

Parties in the new ruling coalition also proposed a motion to pre-emptively withdraw from the Commonwealth. MP of the coalition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Riyaz Rasheed, attacked the Commonwealth’s commitment to democracy by slandering the Queen and claiming the UK was not a democracy.

“Look, the Queen has been in power for 50 years. Is that good? No, that’s inappropriate. If we wanted to point fingers, we can,” he said.

“After 50 years, the English Queen, she is physically challenged. But she is still Queen, and if she wants she can remove the Prime Minister. Where is democracy? Where is democracy? That is not a democracy,” he added.

In response, Chairman of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on the Maldives, MP David Amess, was reported to have said in a March meeting that the Maldives government apologise for the outburst, and suggested that President Waheed’s attendance at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations would be inappropriate.

Minivan News understands that the Secretary General has issued fresh invitations to heads of government in Commonwealth countries that have experienced a change in leadership since the originals were sent, such as Jamaica, Bahamas and Malawi.

Former High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Farahanaz Faizal, said she was not sure if the invitation was re-issued, or if Waheed had replied to Nasheed’s invite.

“In any case, unless the invitation was recalled, Waheed as head of government can attend, as the invitation was to the Head of Government,” she said. “So there is nothing untoward about Waheed attending the lunch hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General. It is an invitation for a luncheon at Marlborough House, not part of the UK government’s official [Jubilee] celebrations.”

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Chinese market shows signs of recovery as UK, Italian arrivals plunge in April

Chinese tourist arrivals have shown signs of recovery with a 3.5 percent increase in April 2012 compared to the same period last year, after a massive 34.8 percent decline was recorded in February.

“The Chinese market performed well due to resuming of charter airlines with more frequency and flights from additional cities and strong demand for Maldives. Tour operators’ forecast phenomenal growth in June and July,” observed the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

Figures released by the MMPRC show 10,523 Chinese arrivals during April, still making it the country’s largest market, but only narrowly eclipsing Germany’s 10,145 arrivals.

That 8.1 percent increase in German visitors places the country above the Maldives’ former mainstay market of the UK, which was badly affected by the 2008 economic recession. UK arrivals plunged 20 percent in April this year to 8,934 visitors, compared to 2011.

In its April report, the MMPRC speculated that the UK market would continue to shrink throughout 2012 on the back of a 14.3 percent drop in arrivals so far this year.

Italy, one of the Maldives’ first and traditionally strongest markets, recorded a huge 27 percent drop in arrivals during April compared to the same period  last year.

The MMPPC said the Italian market was not expected to perform well in 2012, due significantly to the bankruptcy of major tour operators in Italy.

“The strict fiscal policies of Italian government also discouraged long haul outbound tourism,” the MMPRC stated. “The whole of Southern Europe is not performing well due to the economic crisis. The region is going to be the most challenging region in terms of arrivals in 2012.”

The Russian market – a favourite at many resorts due to its proportionate affluence, insulation from the economic crisis in Europe and general disregard of political turmoil – grew 24.1 percent compared to April last year.

The MMPRC’s figures show declining occupancy at resorts across the country this year, as markets in the Maldives reshuffle and the country battles negative international publicity around the controversial change of power in February.

Occupancy was down 3 percent in February, 7.4 percent in March and 6.1 percent in April, compared to the corresponding months last year. Bed nights followed a similar pattern.

George Weinmann, CEO of Mega Maldives Airlines – the Maldives’ national carrier that currently flies long-haul services to major Chinese cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, said the market had recovered through April-May “and we’re now back up to where were – six flights a month to each destination, 12 to Beijing. But we were supposed to reach there two months ago – our first quarter was pitiful,” he told Minivan News.

Mega Maldives halted flights to Hong Kong in February, which were restored on April 4. Flights to Beijing and Shanghai continued non-stop, Weinmann stated.

Such was the anticipated demand that Mega Maldives had taken on a second aircraft and was looking to deploy a third before the end of the year, said Weinmann, adding that such high potential demand for the destination could see the airline conceivably expand to 10 aircraft.

“We’re aiming to add two a year,” he said, expanding the carrier’s reach to developing markets for the Maldives such as Eastern Europe, Australia, South Africa and South Korea.

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Inquiry commission conditions apply to all commission members: Commonwealth

The Commonwealth has clarified that criteria for members of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) are expected to extend to all members, under the government’s commitment signed last week.

The CNI was set up by incoming President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to investigate the controversial circumstances that brought him to power on February 7.

Dr Waheed appointed the three member panel: Dr Ibrahim Yasir, Dr Ali Fawaz Shareef and Chair Ismail Shafeeu, Defence Minister under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – and subsequently the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) – challenged the independence of the commission and set a deadline for its composition to be adjusted.

Last week, a day before CMAG’s deadline, the government agreed to allow a retired Singaporean judge to co-chair the CNI, and also permit former President Mohamed Nasheed to appoint a representative to the commission.

Following the signing of that commitment – and the departure of Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon – the government gave a press conference during which Attorney General Azima Shukoor outlined the conditions for Nasheed’s appointee: they must not have served in a political position in the past two years, must not have taken a public stand on the transfer of power, and must “be of good behavior and integrity”.

If an acceptable appointee was not nominated before the June 1 deadline, the government stated that it would appoint a lawyer to represent Nasheed on the panel.

Following the government’s rejection of nine nominees, the MDP challenged these conditions as highly subjective: “They are [essentially] saying Dr Waheed will appoint President Nasheed’s representative,” said former Youth and Human Resources Minister, Hassan Latheef.

Spokesperson for the Commonwealth Secretariat, Richard Uku, told Minivan News that the criteria for membership of the CNI, as reflected in the commitment given to the Commonwealth Special Envoy, “are intended to apply to all Commission members, including existing ones as well as the nominee of former President Nasheed.”

“The Commission is intended to consist of persons who have not taken a public stand on the events of 7 February 2012 or who may be expected to testify to the Commission. The criteria are designed with this in mind,” he said.

“The Maldives Government has made a written commitment, witnessed by the Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Don McKinnon, to keep one place vacant for a suitable nominee from former President Nasheed on the Commission of National Inquiry. It is the Special Envoy’s hope that such a nominee can be in place no later than 1 June 2012, so that the reconstituted Commission can commence its work,” Uku added.

MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said it was likely that the Commonwealth would again have to mediate: “The government have defined ‘suitable’ in a manner conducive to them – in that case it might as well be Azima Shukoor. I think in the end it will be up to CMAG or the Special Envoy to define what they mean by this. That’s the impression I am getting at the moment,” he said.

The ‘Thinvana Adu’ campaign of NGOs has issued a statement in support of changes to the CNI, saying that it would “pave the way towards addressing the current political crisis”, and that any commitment to dialogue and working with international organisations by political actors “is a positive sign.”

Thinvana Adu spokesperson Aiman Rasheed said the NGO coalition was not able to comment officially on the conditions as they had not seen the Commonwealth’s agreement with the government and the MDP – “however any conditions should be agreeable to both parties,” he suggested. “Our stand is that the MDP should be represented on the commission, and that any people on the committee are acceptable to all parties. That is not the case with the current composition.”

Meanwhile, despite agreeing to change the CNI’s composition, the government has continued to maintain that the Commonwealth is being manipulated by opposition politicians, with President Waheed alleging to diplomats in Delhi last week that the Commonwealth was “intimidating” and “punishing” the government. He also challenged CMAG’s remit in placing the Maldives on its formal agenda.

“We are aware of the Maldives Government’s concerns as to CMAG’s scrutiny of the Maldives situation and have responded to them,” Uku told Minivan News.

“CMAG is specifically mandated by Commonwealth leaders to promote adherence to Commonwealth fundamental political values and to address situations where those values are seriously called into question. Given the situation where an elected Head of Government claimed that he was forced to resign, the nine Foreign Ministers who comprise CMAG felt obliged to be seized of the situation.”

Gayoom’s political party, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), have meanwhile also demanded a representative on the CNI.

“President Nasheed has made the false allegation that our party’s interim president is behind the coup, and if a seat is reserved for Nasheed’s representative, then we must have representation on the council as well,” said PPM Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, addressing media last week.

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Maldives facing worst economic situation in recent history: MMA Governor

The Maldives is facing its worst economic crisis in recent memory, the governor of the country’s central bank said earlier this week.

“The Maldives is now in a dangerous economic situation never before seen in recent history,” local media reported Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), Dr Fazeel Najeeb, as saying during a ‘Finance Forum’ held by the Pension Administration office on Bandos Island Resort.

“Expenditure in the country has exceeded income, and as a result the budget deficit is increasing. From November 2010 inflation has also been going up,” he said.

The country last year spent 63.1 percent of its GDP on state expenses, Dr Najeeb claimed, adding that only four countries had worse percentages, including Cuba and Zimbabwe.

Parliament’s Finance Committee revealed earlier this month that expected revenue for 2012 had plunged 23 percent – a shortfall of US$168.6 million, leaving the country with a budget deficit of 27 percent. Key unaccounted losses include up to US$135 million in land lease payments due to policy reinterpretation, and around US$8 million a quarter in airport concession fees due to a Civil Court ruling blocking the levying of an airport development charge.

Government spending for the year has meanwhile increased by almost 24 percent, to a total of US$1.13 billion. Spending unaccounted for in the 2012 budget following the controversial change of government of February 7 has included the promotion of a third of the police force, lump sum payments to military personnel, US$6.5 million in fishing subsidies, reimbursement of US$28.8 in civil servant salaries following cuts by the previous administration, the creation of two new ministries, and the hiring of international PR firms to counter negative publicity.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan meanwhile reported this week that India had granted the Maldives a US$25 million increase in credit facility, on top of a US$100 million facility extended in November 2011.

Figures from the MMA’s monthly economic review in April show projected GDP growth of 5.5 percent this year, down from 7.5 percent last year, but are drawn from the 2012 budget and do not account for the increase in expenditure highlighted by the Finance Committee.

However, “key indicators of the tourism sector showed declines as tourist arrivals fell in both monthly and annual terms during the month of March 2012. The decrease in arrivals mainly came from China although arrivals from Europe were also slightly lower,” the MMA noted, observing that tourist bed nights also declined.

The government said earlier this month it would hold industry consultations with the tourism sector as to how the additional revenue might be raised, and present recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which included doubling the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (TGST) to 12 percent, according to Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb.

Minivan News spoke to several resort managers, who reacted poorly to the proposal.

“If we were to increase now, we’d – again – have to absorb all of it until new contracts with tour operators set in, some time in March 2013,” one manager told Minivan News.

“An increase on sales prices on the resort by way of adding on the GST – as any other increase – will be felt a lot more by resorts such as ours with a more price sensitive clientele, than by many of the upper market properties. How this will affect the country as a whole – rising prices, inflation, etc – and its effect also on tourism, is anybody’s guess,” the manager added.

The situation had led to a “feeling of insecurity” among many stakeholders in the industry, the manager said.

“Taxes, charges, rent-fees – nobody will dare a prediction for in two months from now let alone for next year,” he said. “This is not limited to possible financial burdens but is also true for other areas: infrastructure, industry projections, etc.”

Another resort manager said that any increase to the TGST, particularly if it was sudden, would have “serious ramifications on many of the markets.”

“Some operators will not accept the increase mid-contract and hence resorts will have to absorb this from revenue,” the manager explained. ”The additional costs will need to be balanced somewhere in the operation.”

The manager expressed frustration that resorts were being asked to shoulder the country’s financial burdens without any commitment from the government to reduce expenditure.

“We have seen an increase in some public services salaries and a reduction of working hours in many government departments who are meant to serve the resorts. Many of these government departments already make it difficult for the resorts to do their jobs, with bureaucracy and rules to keep extra people in a job rather than making it easier to support the resorts in order to do their job: build more business, increase revenue and hence increase GST [revenue] in a positive manner. An increase in GST right now is the wrong solution.”

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MDP challenges conditions for commission nominee, as Commonwealth Special Envoy departs

The government of the Maldives has agreed to strengthen the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) “to make it more impartial, credible and broadly acceptable,” Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon has noted in his concluding statement.

“The Commonwealth wants to support an independent and impartial Inquiry Commission that helps the people of Maldives address the events of 7 February 2012 in a manner that moves the country forward in its democratic journey,” McKinnon said.

“Our efforts today have paved the way for such an effort. I look forward to former President Nasheed confirming a suitable candidate to join this Commission by the time it begins its work on 1 June 2012.”

McKinnon departed Male’ on May 15, after the government agreed to accept a nominee from the ousted President Nasheed’s side on the commission, and a retired Judge from Singapore to serve as co-chair.

Agreement between the government and Nasheed’s party lasted as long as it took for both sides to hold press conferences yesterday evening.

The government has set conditions for Nasheed’s appointee: they must not have served in a political position in the past two years, must not have taken a public stand on the transfer of power, and must “be of good behavior and integrity”.

Following the rejection of nine candidates put forward by Nasheed, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) contended that the conditions were “highly subjective” and “nonsensical”.

If the government required a candidate who had not yet taken a public stand, “then they are saying Dr Waheed will appoint President Nasheed’s representative,” said former Youth and Human Resources Minister, Hassan Latheef. The government has said it will appoint a lawyer to represent Nasheed if agreement is not reached by June 1.

Minivan News is awaiting a response from the Commonwealth as to whether the government’s conditions for the nominee were endorsed during McKinnon’s discussions with the parties.

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza meanwhile today dismissed speculation that convenor of the stalled roadmap discussions, Ahmed Mujthaba, would be appointed co-chair of the commission, stating instead that the co-chair should be “someone like Mujthaba, respected, experienced, and acceptable to all parties.”

Ismail Shafeeu, former President Gayoom’s Defence Minister currently chairing the commission, would remain, Riza said.

Gayoom’s party, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), has also requested Dr Waheed give them a seat on the commission.

Speaking to press today, PPM Deputy Leader Umar Naseer said: “President Nasheed has made the false allegation that our party’s interim president is behind the coup, and if a seat is reserved for Nasheed’s representative, then we must have representation on the council as well.”

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Revised inquiry commission will include two Nasheed representatives, Commonwealth judge, claims MDP

The Commonwealth has proposed a revised composition for the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) into the circumstances surrounding February’s controversial transfer of power, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has claimed.

The MDP claimed the revised composition would include a further two representatives chosen by ousted President Mohamed Nasheed, and a experienced foreign judge provided by the Commonwealth, in addition to the existing three members appointed by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told media gathered on the steps of the Velanaage office building that following talks with Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon, the MDP expected the solution to be agreeable to all parties concerned.

“The people we are accusing of overthrowing the government in a coup d’état can’t be the same as the people investigating it,” Ghafoor said.

In its last statement in mid-April, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) challenged the independence of the commission as constituted by Dr Waheed, and gave the government a four week deadline to change it or face “further and stronger measures”.

Ghafoor noted that a delegation of three CMAG ministers who arrived shortly after February 7 described their investigation as inconclusive, and called for early elections.

“The government has said it will only hold early elections if it was proven to be a coup,” Ghafoor said. “We agreed, because we were ones who were desposed, so we were sure it was a coup.”

The announcement would “severely impact” the all party talks, Ghafoor noted, which the MDP has maintained are a “farce” after government-aligned parties challenged the legitimacy of the MDP’s appointed representatives.

“The [governing] coalition party representatives are not very united. They agree on their own legitimacy, but not on policy. They don’t have consistent positions,” he observed.

Ghafoor said under the proposed reconstitution of the commission, the deadline for the findings would be the end of June.

The proposed solution was “in the spirit of the CMAG [statements],” Ghafoor said. “I think today is a good day. If the investigation goes ahead as per the Commonwealth’s requirements, then we don’t see a problem. I’m confident we will soon be arresting Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz.”

The Commonwealth has not yet issued a formal statement on the proposal, however CMAG is expect to release one this week.

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that government representatives in the talks would make a statement after they had concluded, as there was no final agreement yet to disclose to the media.

“The position of the government is that we have always been open to Commonwealth assistance,” he said.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) meanwhile reported President Mohamed Waheed as saying he was “terribly disappointed” with the Commonwealth, but was not in favour of leaving it.

“I don’t support the position that some people in Maldives have which is to withdraw from the Commonwealth. I don’t think that is the way to go. I think we need to be engaged,” Waheed told PTI.

Accusing the Commonwealth of “influencing” the national inquiry commission, Waheed suggested he was willing to accept the body’s terms.

“We have nothing to hide, I have nothing to hide. Therefore, we have agreed that we will agree on what is acceptable to Commonwealth and possibly an additional member on the panel,” PTI reported Waheed as saying.

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