Author: JJ Robinson

MDP could win an election “blindfolded”, gloats Nasheed

The ruling party’s election success in population hubs across the country gave “a clear indication of the current political situation”, President Mohamed Nasheed said during a party rally at the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Haruge.

“The government received huge support in some of the small populations. We need to consider the results of the election in several ways. This election is not about the amount of seats,” Haveeru reported Nasheed as saying.

“If we are able to do it [win elections] blindfolded I don’t see any reason why I can’t contest in 2013. It’s fortunate that the constitution limits the presidential terms to two,” he added in an apparent attempt to bait the opposition, today troubled by factional infighting.

According to Haveeru a jubilant Nasheed also criticised the campaigns of the opposition parties, as well as coalition party Adhaalath, saying he was “surprised that I couldn’t see anyone voting for Adhaalath Party except from Kinolhas (Raa Atoll). I did not see any party carrying out a good campaign except the MDP.”

The DRP has claimed victory in the local council elections citing a seat majority of 502 across island and atoll councils, to the MDP’s 375. The MDP has claimed victory because it won almost all the population hubs in the country, which could swing the popular vote in its favour.

The Elections Commission said this morning that it was still calculating the popular vote, which will give a percentage figure of support for each party.

This will provide a clearer indication of the election result than seat count or raw ballots, both because of the divide in DRP votes due to an ongoing factional split, and the ‘multiple’ votes made for island and atoll councils.

One senior figure in the MDP said the party’s preliminary calculations had pegged the result somewhere between 45-50% for the MDP and low 40s for the opposition – which would be a significant jump in support for the ruling party following the parliamentary election. However the source said the figure would be difficult to calculate with any accuracy until the Elections Commission provided voter turnout data.

Leader of the Labour Party Ahmed ‘Redwave’ Saleem, an MDP coalition partner, has meanwhile been quoted from a press statement as calling for Nasheed to resign from office and “hand over the presidency to a more qualified and responsible person.”

Saleem contends that the government misused state assets to conduct its campaign in the lead-up to the Local Council Elections, which saw President Nasheed visiting over 100 islands and giving 130 speeches.

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair told Haveeru yesterday that the President had worn through three pairs of shoes during the campaign, and was now on a four-day break.

Opposition leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali meanwhile told Minivan News yesterday that the priority was to ensure that successful candidates from all sides were aware of their new responsbilities.

“It is a fact that candidates from many parties including ours may not be clear on their responsibilities and mandates,” Thasmeen said.

“We don’t have any details on when the local councils will begin their work, and there are many issues that need to be finalised. For example, how will these councils interact with the government?”

Parties across the political spectrum would be required to provide “support structures” such as technical training to try prepare individual council members for decentralised governance, he added.

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DRP wins seat majority, MDP cities in first local council election

The first local council election to be held in the Maldives has concluded with a clear seat majority for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) across islands and atolls, however the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) took the majority of seats for almost every major population centre.

Preliminary results show that MDP holds all but two council seats in Male’ and every seat in Addu, where an election was cleared to proceed after a last-minute Supreme Court decision the day before. Together these areas account for around 40 percent of the voting population of the Maldives.

As a result, both parties celebrated election victories in Male’ yesterday evening, with former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom headlining a “Welcome to Blue Maldives” rally at the artificial beach, while jubilant MDP supporters crowded into pickup trucks bedecked with yellow balloons, and drove around Male’ cheering before attending a rally at the MDP Haruge.

The Elections Commission (EC) is currently collating the results and should have final counts by 6pm this evening, which will allow an analysis of party preferences on a per-voter basis – a key indicator for the 2013 Presidential election. This is misleading to do with the raw ballot count, as those outside Male’ and Addu effectively voted twice – once for island council, once for atoll council.

Vice President of the Elections Commission, Ahmed Hassan Fayaz, said preliminary figures showed a 70 percent voter turnout across the country. Minivan News attended several polling stations across Male’ and noted the atmosphere to be orderly, cheerful and professional.

The EC has declared the elections free and fair, although it has acknowledged the validity of many complaints.

“There were some complaints of election observers campaigning [at the ballot box], and there were also complaints that even some election officials were showing an inclination towards a particular party,” Fayaz said.

Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq acknowledged to newspaper Haveeru that while the commission had searched for impartial elections officials, “we were not able to find the required amount of officials who do not belong to a political party.”

He also confirmed that the commission was investigating reports that officials had been threatened at some polling stations by elections observers, in an effort to influence the election.

Such incidents were sporadic, Fayaz said, however across the country the commission grappled with disgruntled ‘assistant’ voters, mostly friends and family members seeking to accompany elderly voters to the ballot box.

“We decided that only those who legally required assistance would be permitted to vote in this way, and that became a big issue,” Fayaz said.

“The problem is that the law says [votes can be assisted] only when a person has an illness or physical disability that leaves unable to use their hands. The culture and the practice has been for elderly voters to be assisted by friends and family, but this time we said no. It caused complaints because in the past people have been able to vote like this.”

Major disruption occurred on Kelaa in Haa Alif Atoll, an island of approximately 2200 people, when clashes between islanders, police and election officials forced authorities to evacuate the ballot box to Hanimadhoo.

“Officials were a little slow with the voting and as result of several small hiccups, we heard that there were too many people still waiting to vote (by the 4pm deadline),” Fayaz said.

“We said we did not mind if they stayed open until 8pm or even 10pm so that everybody could vote, but [the situation escalated]. I think one of the reasons was that the officials were not experienced in dealing with such situations,” he said.

Reports in Haveeru suggested that over 600 people may have been unable to vote after the polls closed on the island. Fayaz said the EC had counted the Kelaa votes and recorded interim results.

“So far we have not decided to hold a re-election, but we are ready to do so if a court rules this is required,” he said.

Election observers from the Commonwealth Secretariat are preparing a report on the election.

Political Affairs Officer Alison Pearman said she was unable to comment on the election as it was outside the mandate of the small team of observers, but said the report for the Secretary General would likely be passed to the Elections Commission.

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Complex election and “appallingly low” voter education could mean many invalid ballots

Local NGO Transparency Maldives (TM) has expressed “deep concern” at low levels of voter education and “backtracking of transparency standards” set by the Elections Commission after previous elections.

“Appallingly low levels of voter education combined with persistent media bias/propaganda, use of state resources by the ruling party, and backtracking of transparency and accessibility standards previously set by the interim Elections Commission in the presidential and parliamentary elections are issues of concern,” the NGO said.

TM is coordinating the national domestic observation of the local council elections, covering Male’, Hulhumale’, Villingili and 38 other islands across 14 atolls. Together with 20 partner NGOs, the observers will cover two-thirds of the country’s ballot boxes.

The TM team will also be scrutinising three main TV stations, four radio stations and three print media “for bias, objectivity and quality of reporting during the election.”

In a pre-election statement, the NGO commented that “an environment of mistrust between the election administration, the government, political parties, candidates and the media has contributed to a decline of trust in electoral systems.”

“Given the complexity of the election and the low level of voter education, Transparency Maldives anticipates a high percentage of invalid ballots. Transparency Maldives also believes that this will contribute to raising tensions as the margin for winning and losing will be low due to the small number of eligible voters spread over a high number of candidates.”

™ however commended the EC for “spearheading a meaningful, although a limited and delayed, voter education program in Male’ and the atolls.”

“Transparency Maldives also appreciates the readiness of the Elections Commission in preparing for the Election Day.”

A small team of international observers from the Commonwealth are also present in the Maldives, but are not formally monitoring the election.

“We don’t normally observe local council elections, but the Elections Commission asked us. We’re not formally monitoring the election – we won’t be doing press releases or making public announcements, but we will produce a report for the Commonwealth Secretary General and this will like by passed to the Elections Commission,” explained Alison Pearman, Policy Officer with the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Besides Pearman, the Commonwealth team includes Commissioner Florence Kebbie (National Election Commission of Sierra Leone), Zenaida Moya-Flowers (Chairperson of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and Mayor, Belize City Council), Anuya Kuwar (Project Officer – Asia region, Commonwealth Local Government Forum).

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Blue VS yellow: election fever comes to a head

Streets of blue and yellow flags and posters of politicians carpeting every available surface leave little doubt that election fever has hit Male’, ahead of the country’s first local council elections.

Maldivians will go to the polls on Saturday to elect local councilors in the third major election since the introduction of multi-party democracy.

Candidates will compete for nearly 1100 positions across island, atoll and Male’ city councils.

According to data from the Elections Commission, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will be fielding approximately 930 candidates, and the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) around 880. Of these, the MDP is fielding almost 60 women, the DRP 80. The religiously conservative Adhaalath Party is fielding 53 candidates, including two women, while the Jumhoree Party has 46 candidates and the People’s Alliance (PA) eight candidates, the same number as the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP). The Vice President’s Gaumy Iththihaad Party (GIP) has 10 candidates.

Several key themes have emerged during the election campaigns, as both major parties convince voters of their respective merits.

President Mohamed Nasheed has spearheaded the MDP’s campaign, touring the country and highlighting government projects on each island, the number of people receiving welfare, completion dates for harbours and other such metrics of government assistance.

The DRP campaign has followed a divergent path after a factional split between leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, who was dismissed by the party’s disciplinary committee just prior the party’s election campaign but contends his dismissal was against the party’s regulations.

The relationship between the two remains frosty after a party rally in mid-December descended into a factional brawl, after supporters of the dismissed Naseer gatecrashed the venue.

However, the split has given the party two fronts in the campaign – “It has worked in their favour since they have been able to cover more fronts than the MDP,” observed the President’s Press Secretary, Mohamed Zuhair.

Opinion poll

Significantly, the local council election triggered the return to politics of former president and DRP ‘Honorary Leader’ Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, apparently backing Umar Naseer’s faction, despite anointing Thasmeen as his successor following his retirement from politics in February 2010.

Gayoom remains an enigmatic figure in Maldivian politics. The extent of his popularity since the DRP’s win in the parliamentary elections over two years ago is unclear, given the absence of independent and impartial political polling in the country and passionate partisan politics.

By his own account, recorded in a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron late last year, “I continue to enjoy the strong support, love and affection of the people, and have been voted by the public as ‘Personality of the Year’ in both years since stepping down from the presidency.”

Certainly his return shook the MDP – Zuhair observed that Gayoom’s presence will “certainly get [the DRP] more votes. After 30 years of tenure many people still believe he is their benefactor.”

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf has previously suggested that the MDP was afraid of Gayoom and the loyalty he inspired in the party faithful.

“Gayoom is the only person with popular support, and that was clearly seen in the parliamentary election. [The MDP] are scared he will run in 2013,” Mahlouf said, on Gayoom’s return last month.

The MDP contends that its infrastructure and development projects have won over many islanders – hence the focus of the election campaign. However many Maldivians – especially Thasmeen – still live in the shadow of their ‘Honorary Leader’ of 30 years and blame the MDP for the many teething problems and political upsets of the fledgling democracy.

Gayoom’s return has raised the stakes, for both major parties. The results of the local council elections will serve as the first national opinion poll in two years, revealing both the extent of Gayoom’s continuing influence and whether the MDP has been able to successfully convince people that its politics are progressive.

The Addu factor

The cancellation of the City Council elections in Addu Atoll, has, in the words of a senior source in the President’s Office, “effectively disempowered 30,000 Adduans for the sake of vested political interests”.

It has also cost Rf220,000 (US$17,100) in wasted public money, according to the Elections Commission (EC), which was today defending itself from the MDP’s political wrath over this speed-bump in the party’s ambitions to decentralise the country.

A referendum held in October 2010 over the administrative consolidation of small islands, while suffering voter turnout of less than 30 percent, was overwhelmingly against the proposal – except in Addu Atoll, where the islands of Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo and Hulhudhoo endorsed it, while only the islanders of Feydhoo and Meedhoo did not.

“In my view, the results of the referendum showed very clearly that citizens of the atoll want to develop as a city. So we will designate Addu Atoll as one city island,” President Nasheed announced.

The plan was derailed by the opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), when Deputy Leader Imad Solih succeeded in January of getting the Civil Court to rule that Nasheed did not have the authority to declare Addu a city as the criteria to do so had not been established.

That led to the burning of an effigy of Solih and protests outside the home of the party’s leader, former Attorney General Hassan Saeed, by both angry Adduans and MDP activists. One of the latter observed that the DQP’s case was something of an “own-goal” given that Saeed is himself Adduan.

Nasheed quickly corrected the technicality by installing Home Minister Hassan Afeef in the contentious Local Government Authority (LGA), which published the requirements for a city that afternoon in the government’s gazette.

Then, days before the election, the Civil Court ruled in a second case that the city criteria was invalid as it required “a majority”. Unable to wait for legal wrangling, the Elections Commission formally cancelled the local council elections for Addu, removing them from the contest and next to guaranteeing upheaval on Saturday.

“[The DQP] are arguing that the government is acting against the constitution, which is not correct,” Zuhair stated. “There is no rule stipulating the number of members required on the LGA. We will appoint the LGA and reissue exactly the same criteria, but because of this, Addu will have no representation on the Authority.”

Independence remains a sensitive subject for the southern atolls, particularly Addu, which in 1959 led the formation of a short-lived break-away nation called the United Suvadive Republic, together with Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah.

This was crushed in 1962 when Thinadhoo was destroyed on the orders of then-President Ibrahim Nasir, and the island of 4800 depopulated.

In one of history’s odd parallels, the Adduan under whose name the second Civil Court was filed was also a Nasir.

“He’s a cook on board a safari boat. He’s registered with the Vice President’s party [GIP], but our information suggests the DQP is behind this,” said Zuhair.

DQP-aligned news website, Maldives Today, waxed lyrical about the “proud son of Addu” who had succeeded in cancelling the atoll’s elections.

“He might be a crew of a wooden ship that carries rice, flour, and other consumables from Male’ to Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo. But nobody thought that this crewman might challenge the highest authority in Maldives. He challenged the president of Maldives in the civil court regarding how the criteria was set to make his home land Addu a city,” wrote the website.

“Some rogue elements within Addu blindly says that he is a villain,” it added.

The government has said it intends to appeal the decision, but that is unlikely to happen before Saturday, when the entire country will vote apart from Adduans. Protesters have already barricaded two courts, television news crews have been sent to the atoll, and there have been dark mutterings about the atoll’s potential for secession.

Zuhair contended that the intention of the opposition’s disruption was “simply to portray the government as ineffective – to make a political point.”

“The opposition [to decentralisation] in Male’ is there because traditionally the atoll and island chiefs have looked to influential office bearers in Male’ for what they need. This election will make them the masters of their own development,” he claimed.

“For example: in Male’ the planning department will design a 200 by 300 foot harbour for 20 islands, none of which are the same size. Many harbours are built this way, without local involvement.”

Expensive proposition

The new layer of government introduced by the elections will cost the Maldives over US$12 million a year in salaries and allowances, or US$220,000 per month. The President of every island council will receive a salary and allowance of Rf 15,000 (US$1160), council members Rf 11,000 (US$850). The mayor of Male’ will receive Rf 45,000 (US$3500).

In addition to salaries, explained acting Finance Minister Mahmoud Razee, parliament has allocated a further Rf200 million (US$15.5 million) to office expenses – at a time when the country has a double-figure deficit, a crippling foreign exchange shortage and complete reliance on a single industry.

“At this point in time we have to increase revenue and decrease waste – that’s the only way we can afford this,” Razee said, adding that the government was continuing to work with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to “right-size” the bloated civil service.

“Nothing is easy in politics, but we have a moral obligation to do so. Insofar as the government and the CSC are concerned, our objectives are not far apart.”

Foreign consultants were, he said, presently working with the civil service to determine “if positions are required, and that the grade they are paid matches the work they are doing.”

Their report, he said, could be ready as soon as March-April. However international funders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were last year expressing a growing frustration with the Maldives’ tendency to put politics above economics, and the bill for the local council elections had not escaped their notice.

One senior MDP figure, questioned as to whether the Maldives was in a position to afford local government – or, for that matter, anything – responded with a cavalier “we’ll figure it out after the elections”.

UN Resident Coordinator Andrew Cox summarised the problem.

“This is going to be a very interesting experience, perhaps in some ways a difficult experience for the Maldives,” he said.

“We all know the challenges of development in the Maldives; the geography makes transport very expensive, very difficult, and some of the islands which are inhabited are very small. It can be very hard sometimes for some of these islands to have their voice heard at a national level.

“The opportunity that is offered by these elections is that people can take greater responsibility for the government which affects them on a day to day basis, and it’s very interesting in theory. But in practice, how is that going to work?”

Local Council Election Guide (English)

Credit: Analysis spreadsheet prepared by Aishath Aniya. Data sourced from Elections Commission.

Correction: A calculation error in an earlier version of the election spreadsheet mistakenly listed the number of independent candidates as 2500. The actual number is 765. This has been corrected.

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Maldivian President joins calls for Mubarak to step down

President Mohamed Nasheed has joined the first wave of world leaders calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down and “heed the will of the Egyptian people,” after hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets and demanded the end of autocratic rule.

“Egypt is a mature country. It contains many reasonable people who are capable of ruling reasonably,” President Nasheed said, during an interview with the BBC yesterday.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has warned Mubarak that his actions now would determine his legacy.

“Mr Hosni Mubarak: I want to make a very sincere recommendation, a very candid warning… All of us will die and will be questioned over what we left behind,” Erdogan said, in a party speech broadcast in Arabic and reported by Reuters Africa.

“As Muslims, where we all go is a two cubic metre hole,” he said. “Listen to the shouting of the people, the extremely humane demands. Without hesitation, satisfy the people’s desire for change.”

Mubarak has meanwhile offered to step down at the next election, during an appearance on Egypt’s state-run television network.

“In the few months remaining in my current term I will work towards ensuring a peaceful transition of power,” Mubarak said. “I have exhausted my life in serving Egypt and my people. I will die on the soil of Egypt and be judged by history.”

However, demonstrators have called for Mubarak’s immediate departure, given the extraordinary expression of public anger taking place in the country.

Egypt’s opposition leader, Nobel peace laureate Mohamed El Baradei, yesterday noted that demonstrators were increasingly calling for the President to not just resign but be put on trial, and urged him to leave at once “if he wants to save his skin”.

In another development, after initial prevarication US President Barack Obama appears to have withdrawn support for the Egyptian leader, praising the protesters and calling for an immediate transition of power following a 30 minute conversation with Mubarak.

The US has been a key ally of the embattled Egyptian President, pumping US2$billion of aid in the country annually since 1979. Much of this – US$1.3 billion in 2010 – is military aid, mostly Pentagon castoffs, making Egypt the second largest such recipient of US military assistance after Israel. This has seen a good deal of public anger aimed at the US within Egypt.

Mubarak’s other public allies – Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – have been noticeably silent since the protests began.

Remarkably, the Egyptian military appears to have turned on Mubarak, stating publicly on state media that it would not obey orders to use force against the protesters.

“The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper has published a leaked confidential cable between Washington and the US Ambassador to Cairo, Margaret Scobey, sent on December 30, 2008, outlining conversations with an unnamed “activist” concerning “regime change” in Egypt prior to the elections in September 2011.

“According to [the source], the opposition is interested in receiving support from the army and the police for a transitional government prior to the 2011 elections. [The source] asserted that this plan is so sensitive it cannot be written down,” the communication revealed.

“[The source] asserted that Mubarak derives his legitimacy from US support, and therefore charged the US with ‘being responsible’ for Mubarak’s ‘crimes’,” wrote Scobey.

“He accused NGOs working on political and economic reform of living in a ‘fantasy world’, and not recognising that Mubarak – ‘the head of the snake’ – must step aside to enable democracy to take root.”

Scobey, however, did not appear optimistic about the source’s chances of success, describing its goal of replacing the current regime with a parliamentary democracy prior to the 2011 presidential elections as “highly unrealistic”.

“Most opposition parties and independent NGOs work toward achieving tangible, incremental reform within the current political context, even if they may be pessimistic about their chances of success. [The source’s] wholesale rejection of such an approach places him outside this mainstream of opposition politicians and activists,” Scobey wrote.

In his interview with the BBC, President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed called on Western powers “not to fear a democratic Egypt”, because this, he claimed, “is the best guarantor of fundamental liberties and human rights.”

“Suppressing people with extremist views through repressive means only makes them stronger,” he said.

“Fundamental rights and freedoms are human aspirations… things that all of us want. These forces are playing out on the streets of the Middle East today.”

The Maldivian government has asked Maldivians in Egypt to leave the country as protests escalate. Haveeru reported that 107 Maldivian nationals were leaving the country today on an Indian flight va Mumbai, arranged by the government.

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Addu election canceled after Civil Court rules Addu city criteria invalid

The Civil Court has ruled that the government’s criteria to declare Addu a city are invalid, days before the local council elections are due to take place.

Yesterday evening the decision led the Election Commission to cancel the elections in Addu.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that Civil Court Judges Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Hathif Hilmy and Ali Naseer had examined the case, before ruling that the criteria established by the Local Government Authority – consisting solely of Home Minister Hassan Afeef – were invalid. According to court documents cited by Haveeru, this ruling came from a case filed by Hassan Nasir of Annaaru Villa/Addu Atoll Hulhudhoo.

Establishing the criteria required majority of the board, the Court said, as “if a law requires a certain decision to be taken by a particular council or a committee, the decision should be taken by the majority of the council or the committee unless interpreted otherwise.”

Afeef said he was unable to comment as he had not yet seen the Civil Court’s ruling.

The Civil Court first overturned the President’s declaration of Addu as city last month, citing the technicality that the criteria to establish the definition of a city had not been established as required by the Local Government Authority.

That case was filed by the minority opposition party Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), and strong feelings on the subject among Addu citizens in Male’ and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters led to protests outside the house of DQP Leader Hassan Saeed – himself a prominent Adduan.

In response, President Nasheed appointed Afeef to then-empty Local Government Authority – leaving other positions empty – who hastily published city criteria in the government gazette.

The criteria stated that a region would be considered a city if it had a minimum population of 25,000 people and a GDP of no less than Rf 1 billion. The GDP of Addu in 2010 was more than Rf 2 billion, while the population is almost 30,000, according to the Department of National Planning.

The President then declared Addu a city for the second time, even as the Elections Commission (EC) warned that it could be obligated to repeat the voter registration process in Addu, potentially delaying the local council elections in Addu by two weeks. The EC subsequently decided to continue with the election on February 5, on correction of the procedure.

Minivan News sought response from the Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, but had not received any at time of press.

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Egyptian military to protect protesters ahead of million-strong gathering

The Egyptian army has signaled that it is willing to support the population’s right to protest and announced that it would not use force to put down legitimate demands for democratic reform.

Journalists present in Egypt have noted that the army has popular support from many protesters, unlike the police who have been accused of launching a violent crackdown on the demonstrators – Reuters has reported the deaths of at 138 people.

Hundreds and thousands of demonstrators have meanwhile packed the centre square of Cario and demanded an end to the 30 year regime of President Hosni Mubarak, a figure who’s autocratic excesses have been widely tolerated by Western powers in the interests of regional stability.

In a statement aired on state media, the Mena news agency, the military claimed that “The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people.”

The government has meanwhile cut access to the internet and mobile phone services in a bid to reduce the size of the demonstration, while yesterday authorities revoked the license of news agency Al-Jazeera, shutting its office in Cairo and withdrawing the accreditation of its staff.

“In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people,” the network said, promising that it would continue its coverage.

Egypt’s opposition leader, Nobel peace laureate Mohamed El Baradei, is emerging as a key personality as civil discontent skyrockets. Calling on Mubarak to leave the country “if he wants to save his skin”, El Baradei has observed that demonstrators were increasingly calling for the President to not just resign, but be put on trial for his handing of the demonstrations.

President Mohamed Nasheed spoke to the former UN weapons inspector on Sunday, emphasising that “Maldivians will always support those who are peacefully advocating for political freedom in Egypt.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian economy has ground to a halt as tourism fades and businesses across the country close because of the threat of looters. At the Egyptian National Museum, home to some of humanity’s oldest archaeological artifacts, looters damaged a number of objects including several ancient mummies, before hundreds of Egyptian citizens formed a chain around the museum to protect it.

The military has since secured the museum, placing snipers on the roof and detaining 50 men following subsequent attempts to loot and destroy the artifacts.

Egypt’s most iconic site, the Pyramids of Giza, have been closed to visitors.

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JSC dodged meeting with European Commission, contends Velezinee

Judicial Services Commission (JSC) member Aishath Velezinee has expressed concern that the JSC failed to meet with the European Commission Identification Mission today, despite a request to do so from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a letter to Acting Secretary General of the JSC Moomina Umar, Velezinee said she wished to note “my critical concern that the Judicial Service Commission is refusing to meet with European Commission Identification team, as they have earlier refused to respond to requests from the US Embassy and Commonwealth teams, in order to hide trickery and treason practiced by JSC and their crimes against the State refusing to uphold the Constitutional mandate of the JSC.”

“As you are fully aware, JSC has been a closed body and remains one, and no one not even members are quite aware of what goes on in the Commission,” Velezinee said in the letter, adding that she had received no response from the JSC despite her efforts to ensure the meeting took place.

Chair of the JSC, Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed, declined to comment on Velezinee’s allegations. Vice Chair of the JSC, Dr Afrasheem Ali, referred Minivan News to the JSC itself. Moomina Umar was not responding at time of press.

Minivan News is currently seeking comment from the European Commission Identification Mission.

Velezinee is an outspoken whistleblower against the judicial watchdog, and has claimed that in her position of privilege within the JSC she has witnessed “it committing acts that stand to bring down the Constitutional Democracy that we as a people agreed to with the ratification of the Constitution on 7 August 2008.”

The JSC has meanwhile accused Velezinee of spreading misinformation to the international community, and set up a special committee comprising Vice Chair Afraasheem Ali, Member Abdullahi Didi, and Deputy Legal Representative Abdul Faththah to discuss how best to apply the new secrecy regulations against her.

It is the first time in the history of the new democratic government that a member of an independent Commission, set up by the 2008 Constitution, is being subjected to an internal investigation.

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Dhivehi and science subjects spearhead boost in O-level results, says Education Ministry

O-level results for 2010 continued a general trend of improvement, with particular gains in science subjects says Deputy Minister Education Dr Abdulla Nazeer.

Of the approximately 6700 students who sat the international standardised high school exams last year, 35 percent passed five subjects, up on 32 percent in 2009 and 27 percent in 2008.

“Out of 216 schools, 100 performed better last year at O’levels,” Dr Nazeer said. “Also, the number of schools achieving over 60 percent in five subjects rose from 9 to 15.”

In addition 197 students received perfect marks of 100, Dr Nazeer said, and were awarded A* – a new grade introduced this year. 330 students were in line to receive top achievers awards, he said.

“Another significant result was a drop in U-grades [ungraded], which is one of the biggest issues facing schools,” Dr Nazeer said. “It’s been dropping since 2009, from 22 percent in 2008 to 19 percent in 2009 and 16 percent in 2010.”

Most major subjects showed a positive trend in results except for arts, geography and history, Dr Nazeer said, “subjects which are only taken by few students.”

Dr Nazeer noted “a huge increase” in science results, including chemistry, physics and maths, across the country.”

Dhivehi results improved 14 percent this year, “but unfortunately Islam didn’t do as well as expected, with a 1.5 percent decline, continuing a seven year trend.”

He suggested a further emphasis on Islam and Dhivehi at O-level. Regarding the Ministry steering committee’s controversial suggestion that both these subjects be made optional at A-level, Dr Nazeer said “we have got the technical advice to finalise the curriculum framework, but the political decision has not been made yet. We are sending Cabinet a paper towards the end of next month.”

While education was not a government manifesto pledge, Dr Nazeer noted, “I don’t think it will be difficult to achieve the goal of 60 percent pass in five subjects by 2013.”

Further focus in 2011 would be the development of “holistic education”, he said, explaining that this represented the promotion of physical education and extracurricular clubs, as well as leadership activities and ensuring students had the “opportunity to use technology in the classroom.”

The Ministry was also submitting a paper to Cabinet outlining a proposal to encourage students failing five subjects to remain in the schooling system for a further two years, with the opportunity to gain certificates and foundation diplomas.

The Education Ministry has also revealed an Rf 38 million (US$3 million) design for a replacement for Arabiyya school, after the school was closed following the collapse of a wall last year.

Funds for the new seven-storey building, to be built opposite Ameeniyya School, will be included in next years budget, Director at the Education Ministry Mohamed Yousuf told newspaper Haveeru.

The proposed structure includes 28 classrooms, computer lab, library, prayer room and a hall for 400-500 students, Haveeru noted, adding that the building would be completed by the end of the year and students transferred in time for the next academic year.

Bids for the project will be opened on February 17 after a pre-bid meeting on February 7, the Finance Ministry has stated.

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