Author: Minivan News

Government, opposition congratulate India’s BJP on election win

President Abdulla Yameen and former President Mohamed Nasheed have congratulated India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on winning India’s general elections.

In a message to Prime Minister elect Narendra Modi, President Yameen said he is “elated and has no doubt that India has chosen the most proficient leadership to enter a new era under BJP’s leadership.”

Yameen said the Maldives attaches the highest importance to its relations with India and said he hopes “cooperation between the Maldives and India will further develop under your leadership and guidance in a constructive manner.”

The BJP’s 272 seat win secures it a simple majority in the Lok Sabha. No party has controlled a majority in the parliament since the Congress Party’s 415 seat win in 1984.

Meanwhile, Nasheed in a tweet to Modi congratulated BJP on its success and said he looked forward to “working together for a strong South Asia.”

In reply, Modi said “We value our relation with Maldives & will work towards strengthening our ties further.”

Modi has been accused of doing little to stop communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 in which at least 1,000 people died, most of them Muslims. Modi, who was chief minister of Gujarat at the time, has always denied the allegations and was never charged.

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NGO Junior Chamber International train youth leaders

The Maldives branch of the NGO Junior Chamber International (JCI) has held a training programme in leadership for young people.

The training sessions took place between May 14 -16 at the Society for Health Education (SHE) building, and were aimed at empowering young people to create positive change in their local communities.

The event was organised by the JCI head trainer for Asia region Yogesh Chandak, and was attended by 29 JCI members.
JCI Maldives president Ali Shakir stated, “Such courses will result in increasing Maldivian youth’s capability to stand firm on any global platform,” reported Haveeru.

“The youth has a very good opportunity to go into the world via JCI. This organisation offers to promote those who wish to take on leadership skills and go forward.”

The level of inclusion of youth leaders in the formulation of the current government’s youth policy has been questioned this week by leaders across the political divide.

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Police seize over 3kg of illicit narcotics

An operation carried out by Police Drug Intelligence and the Drug Enforcement Department has resulted in the seizure of over 3kg of what is suspected of being illicit narcotics that were being trafficked into the Maldives.

A Thai woman and an African woman were taken into police custody in relation to the case.

The police have also searched an inn regarding this case as part of an ongoing investigation.

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Housing Ministry to renovate, then replace Dharubaaruge

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muizzu has revealed plans to replace the Dharubaaruge convention center with a new facility.

Speaking with local news outlet Haveeru, Dr Muizzu explained that the ministry’s development plan will consist of two phases – the first involving renovation to the current premises while bidding is opened for a new facility.

This phase is to be followed by the eventual construction of a new convention center on the same site, explained the minister.

“Since there isn’t another place like Dharubaaruge in Malé city, we are trying to renovate the place without closing it down, by dividing the work into two phases. That would make this easier,” he told Haveeru.

The announcement follows the takeover of the facility by the central government earlier this month after repeated wrangling over ownership of the premises over the past two years.

Police moved in to enforce the central government’s reclamation of the premises from Malé City Council after a cabinet decision in late March.

Council members were reportedly told that the government was taking charge of the center as it was not being adequately maintained, though the council – reliant on central government funding – claimed it had not received the requested maintenance budget.

The Dharubaaruge takeover is the latest in an ongoing dispute between the ministry and opposition-dominated council regarding ownership of land in the capital city.

Originally built for the 5th SAARC summit in 1990 — Dharubaaruge is rented out for events, press conferences and private functions.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed handed the center over to the city council with the establishment of a local government system in 2011.

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Women’s day award recognises chef and baker

A chef and a baker have won the government’s international women’s day Rehendhi Award for exceptional service to society.

Owner of local restaurant Juwey’s Café and chef Juweyria Wajdhee won recognition for publishing 67 cook books and training 12,000 individuals, while owner of Nashee cakes and baker Aminath Nasheedha won recognition for her 27 years of service in the industry.

Meanwhile, local media has reported Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela as announcing plans to increase the number of women in politically influential posts to 33 percent.

The Ministry of Health and Gender said the Rehendhi Award award aims to encourage women’s role in national development.

The winners were selected from a pool of seven applicants. The Health Ministry said all those who gained more than 75 percent would win the award.

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Charges against home minister unconstitutional, says lawyer

At today’s hearing of the criminal trial of Home Minister Umar Naseer for ‘disobedience to orders’, his lawyers requested the article under which he is charged be invalidated as being in conflict with the constitution.

The article under which Nazeer is being charged is Article 88 (a) of the 1966 Penal Code which criminalises disobedience to legal orders, in reference to Article 8- (1) of a 1968 law titled ‘Some General Laws’ which limits freedom of expression if it could “disrupt the peace”.

According to Sun Online, Umar’s lawyer Adam Asif said that limitation of freedom of expression is not included in the constitutional limitation given in Article 27 of the constitution.

The only exception to freedom of expression under Article 27 is contravening a tenet of Islam.

Upon request, the judge has  provided the State an opportunity to respond to this procedural point.

Naseer is accused of calling for 2,000 volunteers on January 23, 2012 to storm the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) headquarters with 50 ladders during the two weeks of protests sparked by the military’s controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed. He has pleaded ‘not guilty’ for this charge.

On the night in question, Umar told anti-government demonstrators in front of the Maldives Monetary Authority building that they should use tactics to tire out the soldiers on duty before climbing into the military barracks, at which point “the people inside will be with us.”

“From today onward, we will turn this protest into one that achieves results,” Naseer had said.

“We know how people overthrow governments. Everything needed to topple the government of this country is now complete.”

After he was questioned by the police in September 2012, Naseer told the press that “there will be no evidence” to prove he committed a criminal offence.

If convicted, Naseer faces banishment, imprisonment, or house arrest not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding MVR150 (US$10) under Article 88(a) of the current Penal Code.

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National Security Council holds first meeting

President Abdulla Yameen’s National Security Council held its first meeting on Wednesday.

The council is set up under the Military Act to advise the President on matters relating to national security.

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim told local media discussions were held on developing facilities for the military and on compiling policies on national security. He declined to provide further details.

The Home Minister, Foreign Minister, Attorney General and Chief of Defense Forces also sits on the council.

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Speaker thanks media for parliament coverage

Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdulla Shahid has thanked all media personnel involved in parliamentary new coverage during the seventeenth People’s Majlis.

He made this remark at a meeting with some of the members of the Maldives Broadcasting Commision (MBC) and Maldives Media Council (MMC) at the Majlis yesterday.

Shahid assured that with the eighteenth People’s Majis a dedicated media gallery will established to allow journalists to work from the parliament bulding.

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Defence minister denies Indian offer to build Thilafalhu dockyard

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim has told local media that no official offer from India to build a dock yard in the Maldives has been received.

Following reports in the Indian media last week that India’s Army Chief General Bikram Singh has offered to build a dockyard worth MVR 7.7 billion (US$ 500 million) in the Maldives during his official visit, Nazim told Haveeru that the job would not be awarded to a foreign military.

Nazim did say that many offers had been received for the Uthuru Thilafalhu lagoon project, in the archipelago’s north, but that no decision had yet been made.

Reclamation work is already underway in the area. Once completed, it will serve as the Maldivian Coastguard’s primary operations base and will provide a much-needed berthing space to naval ships and ocean liners.

India’s Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, during a visit to the Maldives in February, visited the Uthuru Thilafalhu project site.

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