Author: Minivan News

Police appeal against campaign obstruction

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has been receiving complaints that candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections are being prevented from disembarking on some islands for campaigning.

Police noted in a statement that the constitution guarantees the right to free expression for all citizens as well as the “freedom to enter, remain in and leave the Maldives, and to travel within the Maldives.”

Obstruction of campaigning is an offence under election laws, police stated, urging candidates and political parties to ensure that the run-up to the March 22 polls is smooth and peaceful.

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PPM, DRP fined over fraudulent membership forms

The Elections Commission (EC) has fined the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) over membership forms submitted in violation of the Political Parties Act.

The DRP was fined MVR5,000 (US$324) for submitting a number of membership forms with the fingerprint of the same person whilst the PPM was fined MVR6,000 (US$389) for submitting forms in violation of regulations.

The PPM was levied a higher fine as it was the party’s second offence, the EC noted.

In January, the ruling party was fined MVR5,000 after it emerged that a membership form was submitted on behalf of a deceased individual.

In June 2013, the Anti-Corruption Commission discovered that two membership forms submitted by former President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s now-defunct Gaumee Ihthihaad Party “were signed by persons who had passed away prior to the forms being sent to the EC.”

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Over 6,000 apply for social housing scheme

Over 6,000 application forms have been submitted by residents of the capital Male’ for the government’s social housing scheme, local media reports.

According to the Housing Ministry, 2,970 forms were submitted in category A by citizens registered in Male’, 3,267 forms were submitted in category B by citizens from other islands residing in the capital, and just one form in category C, which involves relinquishing a small plot in exchange for a flat.

Deputy Housing Minister Abdul Muttalib told the press yesterday that applicants were required to submit utility bills as well as floor plans of their current residence.

Utility bills would be reviewed to access the living condition of applicants, he said.

The deadline for submission of forms is early May.

Muttalib meanwhile explained that a special software would be used to process and grade applications.

The current administration plans to construct 1,100 flats in Hulhumale’ under its social housing programme. The scheme targets residents of the capital living in cramped and difficult conditions.

Of the 1,100 flats, 385 are to be built with a soft loan from India’s EXIM bank while 715 are to be built with a soft loan from the Chinese EXIM bank.

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HPA fines 44 establishments for violating anti-tobacco laws

Forty four establishments were fined by the the Health Protection Agency (HPA) this year for violating the anti-tobacco act, ‘Sun Online‘ has reported.

Since the regulation restricting public smoking was created and enforced under the act, a total of 54 establishments were fined, the report said.

Failure to display no smoking signs results in an initial fine of MVR500, and then MVR5000 every time after that. Anyone smoking in a designated smoking zone under the regulation is fined MVR500.

Sun quoted the Deputy Director of the agency Hassan Mohamed who said that many challenges remain in implementing the legislation.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Health has this week shut down three famous cafe’s in Male’ for failing to meet their hygiene standards. Rats, cockroaches, and their droppings were found in some of these cafe’s according to the ministry.

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Crew member injured in fire onboard STO oil tanker

A crew member of a State Trading Organisation (STO) oil tanker en route to the gulf was injured in a fire accident yesterday, local media reports.

STO Managing Director Adam Azim told newspaper Haveeru that the incident occurred onboard the ‘Aihuras’ vessel while it was near the coast of the city of Mumbai in India. There was no oil on the ship when the fire broke out, he noted.

The burnt crew member was taken to a Mumbai hospital for treatment while the ship was undergoing repairs for minor damages caused by the fire.

“It was not a very dangerous incident. We would know of the injuries sustained by the crew member in detail after seeing the doctor’s report,” Azim was quoted as saying.

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PG drops contempt charges against former AG Suood

The Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office has decided not to prosecute former Attorney General Husnu Suood on charges of contempt of court, local media has reported.

In January, the Supreme Court suspended Suood and barred the prominent lawyer from all courts pending a court-ordered police investigation of alleged contempt of court.

The former AG had represented the Elections Commission (EC) in the election annulment case before being thrown out and barred from proceedings.

The apex court contended that Suood’s alleged remarks in social media, criticising its judgment annulling the first round of last year’s presidential election constituted contempt of court.

The PG’s decision came after police forwarded the case for prosecution upon completion of its investigation.

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Shamau to represent Malé City Council on LGA board

The newly-elected Malé City Council (MCC) has chosen Maafanu West Councillor Mohamed Shamau Shareef as its representative to the Local Government Authority’s board.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) councillor was elected with the unanimous consent of all councillors present at a meeting yesterday.

The opposition party controls a majority of the capital city’s council with eight seats. The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives has three seats.

Under the landmark Decentralisation Act, the LGA is tasked with monitoring councils, ensuring standards, improving technical capacity, and coordinating with the central government.

The LGA board consists of a cabinet minister appointed by the president, a member appointed from the MCC, four atoll councillors elected from among members of atoll councils, a representative from civil society appointed by parliament, a member of the general public appointed by parliament, and a member elected from the Addu and Malé city councils.

Elections to chose representatives from city councils and atoll councils are due to place on March 18.

The former civil society representative to the LGA, Ahmed Faisal, meanwhile resigned from his post last month.

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New MVR5,000 pension disbursed today, says pensions office

The Maldives Pension Administration Office has today disbursed the revised MVR5000 pension to 16,120 elderly people.

The benefit has been raised from its previous level of MVR2,300 by the government after President Abdulla Yameen made the pledge during his election campaign.

After some confusion over the introduction of the increase this month, the pensions office today confirmed that new amount had now been successfully handed out.

The government had already allocated MVR470 million (US$ 30.5 million) in the state budget for the MVR2,300 allowance (US$149). These funds will now be invested in the retirement pension fund or in financial instruments such as T-bills in order to generate the monthly MVR5000 stipend, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb has said.

While the government maintains this to be a sustainable model of financing the increase in pensions, critics have argued that, with a MVR1.3 billion (US$84.3 million) deficit budget, the move will plunge the country further into debt.

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Teachers association to organise ‘black protest’

The Teachers Association of Maldives (TAM) is organising a ‘black protest’ to draw attention to their issues ahead of a nationwide strike.

TAM President Athif Abdul Hakeem said today that as a protest, teachers will be wearing black to work on 6 April 2014.

“This is the first step, we want to draw attention to these issues. For the sake of our students we will go to work until we exhaust all other ways,” Athif told.

A potential nationwide strike was announced last month citing pay discrepancies and failure to improve the education sector.

According to TAM, the association in January requested for a meeting with the minister of education for discussing their issues, but it has still not been arranged.

“The lack of communication between teachers and the ministry is a serious concern. We have written to the ministry but no actions have been take about these issues.”

Athif said that teachers are still working overtime without being paid for it.

“Independent institutions haven’t noticed this. If they don’t do those work it could be reflected in their appraisal, and they even fear termination. So they work. But without getting paid for the work,” he said.

Teachers’ overtime allowances have been reduced to just five percent of the basic salary, which on average amounts to less than MVR300 per month. But teachers have complained that school will not run without teachers doing overtime work.

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