Author: Ahmed Nazeer

Adhaalath Party threatens protests if Israeli flights allowed to operate in the Maldives

The Adhaalath Party has issued a statement threatening protests if the government does not terminate all agreements made between Israel and the Maldives, in particular if it allows Israel flights were to operating in the country.

‘’It is very concerning that the government is strengthening relations with such a cruel state,’’ the Adhaalath Party said in the statement. ‘’The government intends to allow Israel national carrier [El Al] to commence operating in the Maldives by December this year.’’

Adhaalath claimed that “more than 12,000 innocent Muslims are held hostage in Israel.”

In April this year the Adhaalath Party said the party had decided to terminate the coalition agreement with the ruling Maldiivan Democratic Parrty (MDP) should the government permit an Israeli airline to operate in the Maldives.

However, today Transport and Communications Minister Adil Saleem confirmed to local media that Israel flights would commence operating in the Maldives on December 13.

Adil told the media that 433 Israeli tourists visited the Maldives in 2004, 758 in 2005, 569 in 2006, 838 in 2007, 1307 in 2008, 1588 in 2009 and 1380 in 2010.

He also said that more than 500 Maldivians had so far visited Israel this year, noting that many Maldivian had visited the country to see Masjid-Al-Aqsa.

Currently Maldivians visiting Israel had to spend a lot of money on air tickets, he said.

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MJA concerned over recent attacks on journalists

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has expressed concern over recent attack on two journalists, and has alleged that such attacks are increasing.

The association said it had reports that a journalist from newspaper ‘Dhiislam’ was attacked when he attended a show held at Thajudheen School.

‘’He was physically attacked and he was forced to delete the photos he took,’’ the MJA said in a press release. ‘’It is unacceptable and we condemn it.’’

MJA said Youth TV’s assistant manager Ibrahim Muaz was dismissed from his job, which it said was due to “a political issue.”

It also called everyone to provide opportunity for the conduct of independent journalism in the Maldives.

Muaz was dismissed after he allegedly leaked a picture of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group’s leader and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik sitting inside the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC)’s library going through the archives of videos of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The picture was leaked to local news outlet ‘Sun online’ and a source told the paper that Moosa visits the MNBC library very often and takes speeches and video clips of Gayoom and senior officials of the former government to the president’s office.

Sun online that time reported that in the picture Moosa was viewing the interview given by former president following the death of Evan Naseem in 2003, who died inside Maafushi Jail.

However, MNBC told the media that the dismissal of Muaz was not related to the leaked pictures of Moosa.

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Sun apologises for brothel articles, while police summon editor for questioning

Local radio station and online newspaper ”Sun” today apologised to the public, after the Maldives Media Council (MMC)’s head Mohamed Nazeef yesterday sent a letter addressed to Sun Editors Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir and Shinan Ali requesting they do so.

The apology followed the publication of a series of stories in which journalists wrote detailed and lurid accounts of their visit to an illegal massage parlour, and solicited sex from the women.

‘Sun’ issued a press release today stating that it believed the articles were “not written professionally” and that the news organisation assured that it would maintain professionalism in its future writings.

Ali told Minivan News he was “really proud” of the journalists involved and what they had reported.

“As the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has said, this kind of reporting is new to the community and we need to get used to it,” Ali said.

In its press release, Sun said that the objective of the investigation into illegal prostitution conducted in the Maldives was to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and the public over the issue.

Sun also expressed concern that if no measures were taken, prostitution would become widespread as with the drugs that circulated in the Maldives in 1970s.

The MMC has forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General, and Zahir was today summoned to police headquarters for questioning.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said  Hiriga was questioned about the articles Sun published regarding illegal prostitution conducted inside some salons and massage centers in Male’.

”Others concerned persons were also summoned,” Shiyam said, declining to disclose further information.

The MMC has claimed that the context and phrasing of the articles published on Sun Online contained phrasing suggesting that the journalists may have engaged in ‘sinful’ activities, and were written in such a way as to encourage these activities.

The MMC claimed the articles violated its media code of ethics, including Article 1 which states that no media should publish anything against the constitution or Islam, and article 9 which stipulates that media should not publish pornography, sex stories, stories that encourage sex or anything that describes such activities.

The articles are now ranked ‘most read’ on Sun Online’s website.

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Parliament to debate dismissal of JSC member Dr Afrasheem Ali

Parliament has accepted a request from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to discuss the removal of opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Afrasheem Ali from the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).

The MDP sent a letter to the parliament in March requesting the removal of Afrasheem, claiming he had disregarded JSC procedure, and showed insincerity towards the responsibilities of the commission.

In the letter signed by MDP’s Parliamentary Group Leader and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, the party alleged that Dr Afrasheem had violated articles 10/2008 Section 20[a] and [b] of the JSC’s Act, which states that a meeting of the JSC can be held only if more than half the total number of members were present, and which requires a majority vote of present JSC members to make any decision.

Moosa referred to the incident where Dr Afrasheem allegedly phoned JSC member Fahmy Hassan – also head of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) – to ask whether he was fine with Dr Afrasheem speaking in the Supreme Court on behalf of the JSC. The matter concerned a trial conducted after a Criminal Court Judge filed a case against the JSC’s appointment of judges to the High Court.

”Records of the JSC show that Dr Afrasheem Ali made that decision against the JSC’s policies,” Moosa said in the letter.

The JSC had sent a letter to the Supreme Court, with the same date, saying that “a majority decision had been taken by members who participated in the meeting on February 6” to appoint MP Afraasheem as JSC’s representative to the higher courts. This was despite taped phone conversations indicating that he had called members separately.

Furthermore, Moosa said, “although Article 164 of the constitution very clearly states that persons appointed to the JSC who are nots member of  parliament shall receive allowances and salary as decided by the parliament, records of the JSC shows that Dr Afrasheem Ali has been paid such allowances.”

Dr Afrasheem had played a role in the unlawful and unconstitutional activities the JSC had conducted, and he has been insincere in carrying out the responsibilities of the JSC, Moosa claimed.

”Therefore, [we] find Dr Afrasheem is not an appropriate person to represent the parliament in the JSC, and [we] hereby present this complaint according to article 165 of the constitution and request his dismissal,” Moosa said in the letter.

Dr Afrasheem did not respond to calls at time of press.

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Parliament rejects Mahlouf’s proposed amendments to Gang Violence Act

Parliament yesterday rejected amendments presented by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf narrowing some of the rights guaranteed in the constitution, as well as extending the Gang Violence Act to encompass all persons charged with criminal offences.

Out of the 52 MPs present only 15 MPs voted in favor of the amendment, while 34 of them voted to dismiss the amendment proposed to Gang Violence Act.

Under the amendment, persons charged with criminal offences stated in the Gang Violence Act do not have the right to remain silent and the right not to be detained during investigation.

The amendment assumes that any person charged with offences mentioned in the Act should be considered a person who will attempt to influence witnesses and is therefore a danger to the public.

Mahlouf said that the objective of the amendment was to prevent criminals from being left at large during the time their verdicts should be implemented, and said it would pave way for the judges to easily convict persons charged with offences related to gang violence.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group Leader and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, speaking in the parliament session during the preliminary debate, said he supported the amendment.

Moosa said that judges attended parliament’s 241 (national security) committee to discuss gang violence and were told that judges did not have an adequate level of security because each did not have a car and house in Male’.

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed, former legal reform minister, noted that the whole amendment was based on withdrawing the right to remain silent, an article of the contentious ‘Sunset Bill’ that would greatly boost police powers for a limited period and remains before parliament.

Parliament also rejected an amendment presented by Mahlouf to the Child Act , which would lower the legal age to 15 years.

Meanwhile, parliament has added to tomorrow’s agenda a request by the MDP to dismiss Judicial Service Commission (JSC) member Dr Afrasheem Ali.

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Media Council calls on Sun editors to publicly apologise for brothel journalism

The Maldives Media Council (MMC) has called on the editors of Sun Online and Sun magazine to issue a public apology following the publication of a series of stories in which journalists wrote detailed and lurid accounts of their visit to an illegal brothel.

The articles, which now rank as ‘most viewed’ on the Sun Online website, followed three reporters on an ‘undercover’ operation in which they solicited sex from women in massage parlours.

‘’The context of the articles published on Sun Online investigating illegal prostitution in the Maldives contained phrasing suggesting that the journalists may have engaged in ‘sinful’ activities, and were written in such a way as to encourage these activities,” said the MMC.

The MMC claimed the articles violated its media code of ethics, including Article 1 which states that no media should publish anything against the constitution or Islam, and article 9 which stipulates that media should not publish pornography, sex stories, stories that encourage sex or anything that describes such activities.

‘’While it is the responsibility of journalists to research and report on unacceptable things that occur, the media should obtain information and report it accordingly to the religion of Islam, public order and in a way that does not undermine the dignity or professionalism of the Maldivian media,’’ the MMC said.

The Sun’s investigation of illegal prostitution in the Maldives revealed that ‘massage’ and medical treatment centers were being used a front for Male’s sex industry.

The Sun journalists who patronised the salons had ‘massages’ and reported that illegal prostitution was conducted widely and freely inside such places.

Some salons offered them group sex, while most  provided a list of available girls with ‘special features’ for different prices.

Executive Editor of Sun Online Ahmed ‘Hiriga’ Zahir said the company was unwilling to comment pending the police investigation, after the MMC forward the case to the Prosecutor General yesterday.

However Sun magazine editor Shinan Ali said the company was prepared to issue a public apology “as the MMC is the media’s governing authority.”

“We will look into the context and the way we reported the issue,” he said, but noted that he was not surprised at the response to the article.

“As the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has said, this kind of reporting is new to the community and we need to get used to it.”

Ali said he was “really proud” of the journalists involved and what they had reported. The articles did not explicitly state that they had engaged in illegal activity, he noted.

“We are a 100 percent Muslim society and our journalists are Muslim, and they should not be exposed to this kind of illegal activity – this is the reason why they did not state this directly.”

The focus on the journalists was “sidelining the real issue,” Ali said, observing that explicit material was already readily available in the form of songs and TV shows.

“But these illegal things are happening every hour in our own society, and we need to talk about them. Readers need to get used to this kind of reporting,” he said.

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Sacked Conrad Rangali staff protest outside President’s Office

Staff dismissed from Conrad Rangali Island resort today gathered outside the President’s Office, demanding to meet President Mohamed Nasheed.

One of the 29 staff members protesting outside the President’s Office said he was “shocked” to have been dismissed after working for the resort for eight years.

”There were times when the situation of the resort was very poor, but I worked there because I loved working in the island,” he said. ”The management did not even consider all that when they dismissed me all of a sudden,” he added.

He said everyone dismissed had families and people to look after.

”I got the message that I was terminated from my job after playing football in the evening,” another staff member said. ”When I came back there were 15 missed calls and a text message from the management asking me to be present at the Human Resources Department.”

He said he went there and was told that he had been dismissed.

”They said they had to dismiss us due to low occupancy, but I work in a department that operates even if there were no guests at all,” he said. ”So I asked the management why they didn’t dismiss persons from the departments that have no work during the low season.”

He claimed the dismissal was due to a strike they held at the resort on March 23.

”We went on a strike over some issues regarding the service charge, but a whole force of police  arrived in full riot gear, with pepper spray and tear gas, and ended our strike,” he said .”But we strike because it is a right. We were terminated for demanding our rights, and now we have to beg on the streets.”

He called on the parliament to “pave the way” for the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the constitution.

”All the MPs do is go to parliament, shout at each other, climb up their desks and go home,” he said. ”Little children in our house have seen them do that and have started behaving like them.”

He noted that the resort’s management had paid the dismissed staff all the allowances as required in their employment agreement.

Conrad Rangali meanwhile confirmed that the management had decided to make 29 positions in the island redundant.

”Conrad Maldives Rangali Island confirms that due to the partial closure of its guest rooms for renovation and lower occupancies during the traditional low season in the Maldives, it has made 29 positions redundant,” the resort said in a statement.

”The redundancies affect only a small number of staff and the resort has offered generous redundancy payments to provide affected team members with financial support while they search for alternative employment.”

The resort also said it ”will not affect service levels at the resort in any way and the ratio of staff-to-guests will remain at a minimum of two members of staff to each guest room.”

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MDP’s ”surprise” postponed due to bad weather

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said the party’s ”surprise” for the public was postponed due to bad weather and because some “important person”s were currently not present in the Maldives.

The MDP last week declared that it would “surprise” the public with further high profile defections to the party.

The party said its Activities Committee would decide when the special rally was to be held.

Last Thursday MDP’s former Spokesperson Ahmed Haleem told Minivan News that some well-known politicians were to join the party during the rally.  Rumours circulated in local media included that Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid would be joining the party. Shahid is reportedly currently in Malaysia.

Former Legal Reform Minister Mohamed Nasheed, currently an independent MP, was also reported to have been considering joining the MDP, however Nasheed dismissed the speculation.

MDP supporters have meanwhile suggested that Jumhoory Party (JP) Leader ‘Buruma’ Gasim Ibrahim was also to join MDP because he was intent on becoming the Speaker of the Parliament once again, which he could achieve by joining MDP if the party wins a majority in parliament.

Gasim was present at a press conference given by President Mohamed Nasheed last Thursday at the President’s Office.

The opposition has heavily criticised the MDP for postponing the rally saying that it rally was cancelled because the person supposedly joining the party had changed their mind.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan and MP Ahmed Mahlouf did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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MDP to “surprise” public again on Saturday

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that a “very special rally” will be held on Saturday night at the Artificial Beach, where the party will give everyone ‘’a big surprise again.’’

The party did not give much detail about the ‘’surprise’’, but suggested that it would be similar to events such as the recent signing of opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader and MP Ali Waheed and DRP MP Abdu-Raheem.

Former MDP Spokesperson Ahmed Haleem said Saturday night would be “historic”.

‘’The whole Maldives will change this night,’’ Haleem said. ‘’I can’t tell you the details of this event.’’

Queried whether a high profile politician might join the party that night he confirmed that some ‘’political figures’’ are to join.

Haleem said on Saturday people “will know which political party has the most support.”

Recently DRP MP Waheed, DRP MP Abdulla Abdu-Raheem and DRP Sports Wing head Haasan Shuaju, and well known football player Ahmed Assad ‘Adubarey’ joined MDP.

President’s Spokesperson Mohamed Zuhair and MDP Parliamentary Group’s Media Coordinator Mohamed Shifaz did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid today announced that parliament’s majority leader was now ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, leader of the MDP Parliamentary group.

Currently MDP has a total oof 35 MPs, however, DRP’s former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer has predicted that “very soon MDP will lose two MPs.”

Umar claimed that MDP MP Mohamed Muthafa and MDP MP Hassan Adil would lose their seats. Both MPs have cases pending in court, the former regarding corruption, the later charges of child molestation.

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