Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Elections Commission removes Umar Naseer from DRP’s membership

Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq has confirmed that Umar Naseer, former Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), has now been removed from the opposition party’s membership list, calling his dismissal an “internal dispute”.

”The DRP office requested the commission to remove his name from the party’s membership saying that they have dismissed him,” said Thaufeeq. ”So we removed his name accordingly in respect to the party’s wishes.”

Thaufeeq said that both DRP and Naseer have been informed of the commission’s decision.

”We also considered the letter sent to us by Naseer and we have responded to it,” he said. ”The issue with Umar and the DRP is really an internal issue, it is not the part of the commission to get in to such matters.”

Thaufeeq said that according to the DRP’s charter, anyone declining the decision of a disciplinary committee should turn to the party’s appeal committee.   “We informed Mr Naseer that this is the way to resolve his issue,” he added.

Umar Naseer was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

The DRP last week asked the Elections Commission to remove Naseer’s name from its membership list after the party’s disciplinary committee voted to dismiss him the previous month, leading to a growing war of words between the former deputy and current leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

The former deputy leader alleged that Thasmeen was purposely attempting to dismiss him after the DRP council voted narrowly to move ahead with a disciplinary hearing.

Tensions have risen within the party between supporters loyal to both Thasmeen and Naseer, leading to some MPs, including the dismissed deputy, flying out to Malaysia to meet with former president and DRP honorary leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Gayoom returned to the Maldives last week in order to try and “reinstate unity” in the DRP along with assisting its local council elections campaign.

Gayoom described the ongoing war of words within the DRP as ‘disputes’ rather than the formation of faction.

Umar Naseer was formerly the leader of Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), which he later abolished after the presidential elections, despite opposition from the party’s deputy leader and some supporters.  Afterwards Umar joined DRP and got elected as a deputy leader during the last DRP congress.

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DRP requests EC to remove Umar Naseer from party membership list

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has requested that the Elections Commission remove the name of Umar Naseer, its former Deputy Leader, from the party’s membership list.

The calls follow an escalating war of words between Naseer and the party’s current leader, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, over the former deputy’s dismissal from the DRP late last year that more recently led to violent clashes at a meeting held at DRP headquarters.

Acknowledging the DRP’s request, Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq said that Naseer has also sent a letter to the commission in an attempt to counter the calls to remove him.

“The commission is now considering the matter and will go for a conclusion today or sometime tomorrow,” said Thaufeeq.  “Most of the time, these matters end up in the party’s favour.”

However, as the case has not yet reached a conclusion, Thaufeeq said the commission could not say anything on the case.

Umar Naseer was dismissed from his post by the party’s disciplinary committee back in December after he attempted to conduct a protest that was allegedly unauthorized by DRP leadership.

Naseer said in September that Thasmeen did not want him in the DRP. The former deputy leader alleged that Thasmeen was therefore attempting to dismiss him after the DRP council voted narrowly to move ahead with a disciplinary hearing.

Tensions have risen within the party between supporters loyal to both Thasmeen and Naseer, leading to some MPs including the dismissed deputy to fly out to Malaysia to meet with former president and DRP “honorary leader” Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Gayoom returned to the Maldives last week in order to try and reinstate unity in the DRP along with assisting its local council elections campaign.

Gayoom described the disputes in the DRP as ‘disputes’ rather than the formation of faction.

So far, Naseer has not accepted the decision of the disciplinary committee, claiming that the decision was against the party’s charter.

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Adhaalath Party joins political condemnation of Velezinee attack

The Adhaalath Party has today joined a growing number of political voices in condemning the attack on Presidential Member of Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Aishath Velezinee.

Velezinee was attacked yesterday morning in Chandhanee Magu, while she was walking down the street, leading to strong criticism from President Mohamed Nasheed and his cabinet.

Haveeru had reported that attackers travelling on two motorbikes came at Velezinee while she was walking down the street, stabbing her at three separate points in the back.

Police have said that no suspects have yet been charged in connection with the attacks, which they claim serve to highlight growing concerns over gang violence in the capital.

The religious Adhaalath party released a statement strongly critical of the perpetrators of the crime.

”The attack on Aishath Velezinee is a very degraded and an uncivilized action,” said the Adhaalath Party. ” The Adhaalath Party condemns this action in strongest possible terms.”

Adhaalath Party called on Maldivians to stop committing what it called inhumane activities.

”We also call on the concerned authorities to identify the attacker and to present them before justice.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that so far no persons had been arrested in connection with the attack and there were no updates on the case yet.

The police issued a statement today expressing concern over the rise in gang violence and called on everyone to co-operate with the police to curb the rise in gang violence in Male’.

”It is very concerning that the gang violence in Male’ is progressing and becoming more serious during a time  police is working to curb the violence under a three year strategic plan,” said police. ”These sort of crimes could be prevented with the co-operation of all institutes, independent commissions, politicians and citizens.”

The Maldives Police Service said that it would take any actions necessary against those committing such serious crimes and would not hesitate to bring them to justice.

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Dhiraagu attacks highlight Maldives’ cyber crime challenge

Dhiraagu has become the latest high profile victim of Maldivian cyber crime after continued attacks on the company’s servers during the last few days led to disrupted internet services for its customer; a development that police say serves to highlight concerns over attempts to disrupt the internet services and web sites of state institutions in recent months.

Dhiraagu’s Communications Manager Mohamed Mirshan Hassan said that the company had come under continual denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks since Thursday that had impacted its web services in recent days. Although Mirushan claimed that Dhiraagu had been able to mitigate the impact of the attacks and maintain some web service, he said that the company could not guarantee the situation would not happen again after having experienced a number of similar problems with DDoS since 2009.

The Maldives Police Service today said that it has arrested four individuals suspected of involvement with the attacks after conducting special operations last night at addresses both in Male’ and Addu Atoll.

Three of the suspects were confirmed to be under 18 years of age.
According to police, the country has undergone a number of attacks on government and its own websites in recent months, which has led to specially trained officers focusing on trying to prevent criminal activity online.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that it had managed to apprehended a number of suspects through its own cyber crime team in relation to such attacks, which it said were suspected to be the work of local individuals rather than foreign bodies or groups.

“In previous cases [of cyber crime] we have found it is young people and teenagers that have been involved,” he said. “They often do not demand any reward or payment for the crime, but commit them out of their own interest and amusement. The police are working closely with government on this issue and we take it very seriously.”

In terms of prevention, Shiyam claimed that the police were able to track individuals suspected of conducting cyber crimes relatively easily, but suggested that prosecution remained problematic in certain situations.

“It is challenging, because we are treating cyber crime very seriously,” he said. “We are hoping that new regulations will be passed to help prosecute in the future.”

According to Dhiraagu, a DDoS attack commonly refers to overloading a system or server with information preventing it from functioning properly, recently seen with the difficulties in loading certain web sites. Mirashan said these attacks were equivalent to thousands of cars trying to travel all at once down the two way lane of Majeedhee Magu.

“Dhiraagu has been receiving these type of attacks before since August 2009, but this is one of the largest we have experienced, it is very organised” said Mirushan. “We have been working with our counterparts both in the country and overseas around the clock in order to try and minimise the impacts of the attack on our services.”

Mirushan claimed that similar notable DDoS attacks of late had included targets such as credit groups like Master Card and Visa along with other prominent organisations that had been shut down for prolonged periods of time in certain cases, highlighting the magnitude of disruption that can be caused.

“These are quite common attacks on big global networks. However, DDoS is not directly related to issues of online security,” he said. “They relate to huge amounts of data packages being sent to flood a network.”

According to a recent report by the BBC, online attack mechanisms such as DDoS have been adopted by politically motivated hackers or “hacktivists” to pursue vendettas against companies and groups such as those claimed to have opposed the controversial “whistle-blowing” website Wikileaks.

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UNDP hands over pearl culture project to Thulhaidhoo community

A joint venture to develop pearl culture in Thulhaidhoo, Baa Atoll, established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has been handed over to the island’s co-operative society.

The pearl culture project was first launched in 2008 after Thulhaidhoo’s islanders began expressing interest in the developments and the possible commercial opportunities available through such a scheme.

Dr Aiminath Jameel, acting Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, joined senior officials of the UNDP in a special ceremony to hand over the project to local islanders.

During the ceremony, certificates were awarded to islanders who had completed training workshops concerning pearl culture management.

”We are surrounded by water, so we can benefit and improve our lives if we learn more about the sea,” said Dr Aiminath. ”I’m very glad that islanders of Thulhaidhoo have took the initiative and co-operated in the pearl culture project.”

Dr Aiminath noted that Thulhaidhoo was an island that has always been famous for handicraft.

”My advice to those who achieved the certificates is to make good use of what they learnt instead of keeping it filed,” she said, while praising the Marine Research Centre of the Fisheries Ministry and the UNDP for their work on the project.

Chairperson of Thulhaidhoo co-operative society, Mohamed Ali Manik, said the group would aim to deliver the knowledge of pearl culture to the next generation and urged all the islanders to take part in the project.

”This co-operative society is aimed to all the islanders,” Manik said. ”I urge everyone, especially young people to take part in the pearl culture society.”

After the ceremony, jewelry such as necklaces and rings made of pearl sourced from around Thulhaadhoo were viewed as a demonstration of the potential opportunities available from the project.

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DRP Deputy Leader not informed of Gayoom’s council elections plan

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef has said that the party’s “honorary leader”, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has not disclosed how he aims to campaign for them ahead of next month’s local council elections upon returning to the country last week.

Shareef said that following the return of the former president to the Maldives on Friday night the party had not discussed the role Gayoom might play for them during the upcoming contest.

“He [Gayoom] is our honorary leader and enormously popular right now,” said Shareef. “While we will appreciate his help during campaigning, we have not been informed of his plans right now.”

Thousands of supporters holding posters of the former president and banners gathered near the presidential jetty to welcome Gayoom on Friday after it was announced last month that he would return to campaigning for the party during the local council elections.

At Male’ International Airport’s VIP lounge, the former president gave a brief interview to the media on his return along with his views on the latest political issues like the war of words between current DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and former Deputy Umar Naseer. Naseer was dismissed from the party by its disciplinary committee late last year.

The animosity between the two political figures appeared to come to a head last month amidst reports of violence at a meeting held at DRP headquarters between rival supporters loyal to either Thasmeen and Naseer over gaining entry to the event.

Gayoom told the media that there were no fractions forming within the DRP and added that he would describe the developments more as disputes. He also denied completely retiring from political life.

”I am still in the position of honorary leader of DRP, and it is also the highest position in the party, therefore, it is the responsibility of the head of the party to work for the unity of the party and for the progress of the party,” he said.

Gayoom was also questioned about allegations that the party’s deputy leader and leader – Abdulla Shahid and Ahmed Thasmeen Ali respectively – had travelled to India to meet senior officials of infrastructure giant GMR in relation to their opposition of a privatisation agreement with the government to manage Male’ International Airport.

Gayoom said that he received the information that Shahid was in India and when he enquired about the Deputy Leader’s location, Shahid replied to him via text message that he was in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The DRP is itself involved in a coalition of opposition parties like the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Jumhooree Party (JP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) against the privatisation agreement with GMR on the grounds of nationalistic interests.

Gayoom arrived in the Maldives whilst the DRP was holding the official launch ceremony of its Local Council Campaign, a function that the former president said he was unaware of.

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Civil servants opt to strike

The Maldives Civil Servants Association (MCSA) has said that a large numbers of its members have requested to take strike action over reduced public sector salaries.

The government had pledged to reduce the salaries of civil servants along with the amount it pays independent commissions as part of attempts to slash costs during an era economic uncertainty.

By last year, civil servants demanded to have their salaries restored by 2011 and also demanded to add the restored salaries to this year’s budget.

President Mohamed Nasheed had said that the civil cuts were possibly to have been revoked by the end of last year.

However, it is the salaries of independent commissions that have been restored, alongside proposed hikes in the wages and privileges afforded to MPs, leading to protests across Male’ during the last few days from various groups.

”The majority of the civil servants want to be on strike, they are unhappy about the reduced salaries,” said Abdulla Mohamed, Spokesperson of the MCSA. ”They wish to stop work for five days.”

Mohamed said that the association had informed the Civil Service Commission (CSC) about the strike last Thursday, but added that it had yet to responded to the association on the matter.

”We do not have much hope that the salaries will be restored,” Mohamed said. ”Nobody seems to realise the importance of civil servants, so when they stop their work, people will understand the services they deliver.”

The MCSA has said that it hopes the strike action will bring the issue of civil service cuts to the attention of the government and the wider international community.

”We know the strike will not restore salaries for the sector and we also understand it is no solution,” the MCSA spokesperson added. “But we just want to bring it to the attention of the international community and the government.”

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Education Ministry denies informing Arabiyya School board to mix genders

Deputy Education Minister Dr Abdulla Nazeer has denied his department ordered the management of Arabiyya School to mix classes of male and female students in grade eight in an attempt to solve capacity issues at the site.

Daily newspaper Haveeru has reported that the Principal of Arabiyya School, Sheikh Mohamed Rasheed ibrahim Rasheed, had claimed that management at the site had been informed by the Education Ministry to mix females and males in grades eight and nine to try and solve the capacity issue.

”After the capacity issue of Arabiyya School came to light, outrage was sparked among parents, who then came out to protest,” said Dr Abdull Nazeer. ”Therefore, the ministry looked in to the matter and examined the registry of the school. We found out that there were classes conducted with only 14, 13 or 12 students.”

Dr Nazeer said that the ministry then advised the school management that if these classes were merged, the issue would be solved ”as the standard capacity for a classroom is 32 students.”

”If the school management wishes, they could still continue the classes with fewer students,” Dr Nazeer said. ”We never forced or ordered the school management to do so.” He added that most of the classes in Arabiyya School already had female and male pupils studying together.

However, Haveeru quoted Arabiyya’s principal as saying that he was not comfortable with allowing female and male students to receive mixed education in grade eight and nine due to religious and social concerns.

Sheikh Rasheed added that his concerns were shared by parents of the school’s students.

According to Haveeru, the decision to merge classes would allow 64 students to enrol in grade one of Arabiyya School. Sheikh Rasheed was not available for comment at the time of going to press when contacted by Minivan News.

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Anti-Majlis protests hit the capital’s streets

Hundreds of protesters have today gathered near parliament to call on the abolition of the Majlis, citing anger over the passing of a bill to extend MP privileges within the state budget.

Activists, which sources have claimed support a number of political parties, joined civil servants, NGOs and other workers near the parliament building to protest against the actions of the Majlis, leading police to restrict access to some streets around the area.

The outrage was said to have been sparked yesterday when parliament passed allowances for parliamentarians that the protesters believe is ‘’way too much’’.

According to the new bill, parliamentarians will receive an additional Rf20,000 to their salary for attending committees, while also being allowed to import vehicles without paying any duty on them. The parliament also approved measures to reinstate the salaries of independent commissions, while failing to address the reduced salaries of civil servants.

This decision has led protesters to claim that MPs were working for their self-interest in the name of working for the nation and citizens in their work.

By this afternoon, a group of protesters brought a box written “Majlis Fund” that was passed beyond the police barrier, before they joined others in heavily criticizing the country’s MPs.

As a result, local media reported that tempers also flared within parliament, as rival MPs clashed with each other forcing speaker Abdulla Shahid to cancel today’s sitting. Haveeru said that some MPs had argued to withdraw the bill for amendment, with Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Maloof one of the names said to support a repeal of the privileges bill on claims that it was against the “pulse of the people”.

Today’s street protests follow on from similar action undertaken last night by the ‘Tortured Victims Association’, which was disrupted after some people present clashed with the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentarian group leader Moosa ‘Reeco’ Manik, verbally assaulting him over the issue of budget.

The protest, which involved around 20 to 30 people over practices of torture allegedly committed under the rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, ended up as a protest against all the parliamentarians. A few protesters then marched towards the house of Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid later in the evening.

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