Author: Minivan News

Government seeking 11 employees for vice president’s residence

A job announcement has been published in the government gazette seeking 11 employees for the vice president’s residence.

The 11 employees sought for Hilaaleege – which are considered political rather than civil service posts – include two assistant chefs, three waiters, three maids, and three receptionists.

The assistant chefs will receive a monthly income of more than MVR8,000 whilst the waiters and maids will receive over MVR7,000.

Immediately after being sworn in on November 17, President Yameen announced that he and his vice president – Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed –  would be fulfilling his campaign promise of only taking half of the MVR100,000 (US$6500) salary afforded to the head of state.

“The reason behind this is that Dr Jameel and I both live a simple life. No matter what has been said about us we are not wealthy. We want to be an example to others and lead by example,” Yameen said.

President Yameen also opted not to move into the president’s official residence of Muleeage, opting instead to remain in his personal residence.

The number of political appointees under the current administration has not been made public.

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Islamic minister visits Saudi Arabia for international conference

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has today left for Saudi Arabia on an official trip.

According to the Islamic Ministry, Minister Shaheem will be attending the International Conference on Unity of the Islamic Ummah, which is to be held in Mecca on March 2 and 3.

The conference will be attended by several Islamic organisations and the islamic ministers of numerous islamic states. The guest of honour of the event is to be Saudi Arabian King Abdulla Bin Abdul Azeez Al Saud.

The ministry further revealed that Shaheem will be seeking aid and assistance for Islam-related projects planned for the Maldives.

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Rising interest in South Asian regional grouping: Eurasia Review

“The South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is not a shining model of regional cooperation,” writes Shastri Ramachandran for the Eurasia Review.

“It is seen as a talking shop – of a region that accounts for the largest population of the poor – with lofty goals, high-sounding resolutions, ringing declarations and little by way of achievement.

Hence, the increased international interest in SAARC – with more countries wanting to become observers, and observers aspiring to full membership – is surprising and flattering. Perhaps, this is because of South Asia’s rising geopolitical importance.

The eight-member body (comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), whose foreign ministers met in Maldives in February, has nine observers: China, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Australia, Iran, Mauritius, the European Union and the United States. There are others, such as Turkey, asking to be made observers. More observers might lead to a situation where they overwhelm the primary members; and influence the agenda.

One country, raring to become a full member, is China. And, predictably, a powerful section of ‘official’ India is opposed to it. It is in this context that External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s call, in Male on February 21, for ‘institutional reform within SAARC’ needs to be viewed.”

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Shihab elected mayor, Shifa deputy mayor

Former Home Minister Mohamed Shihab has been elected mayor of the capital by fellow councillors on the newly-elected Malé City Council.

Former Education Minister Shifa Mohamed was elected deputy mayor. Both were elected with unanimous consent of the 11-member council following its swearing-in ceremony last night.

In the January 18 local council elections, eight candidates from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and three candidates from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives were elected to the council.

Abdulla Sodig was meanwhile elected mayor by the six-member Addu City Council while Abdulla Thoyyib was elected deputy mayor. All six councillors were elected on opposition MDP tickets.

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Haveeru journalist released without charges

A journalist from newspaper Haveeru based in Addu City who was arrested yesterday has been released without charges.

According to the local daily, Ahmed Adshan was released after five hours in police custody. He was told that there was “nothing to investigate” while keeping him in custody.

Adshan was detained allegedly for taking photographs of police officers in plainclothes who were frisking people at the Feydhoo harbour.

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Haveeru journalist arrested in Addu City

A journalist from newspaper Haveeru has been taken into custody in Addu City today allegedly for taking photographs of police officers in plainclothes who were frisking people at the Feydhoo harbour.

The local daily quoted a Feydhoo resident as saying that that the officers approached Ahmed Adshan – who is based in Addu City – and insisted that the reporter could not take pictures.

“They did not have police tags or names. So Adshan asked them to show their police cards. They asked Adshan to show his card. [But] because they didn’t show their cards, Adshan didn’t show his,” the Feydhoo resident said.

Police have meanwhile insisted that Adshan was arrested for both driving without a license and obstructing police duty.

However, a source from the island told the newspaper that he was unable to meet Adshan at the police station and was told that the journalist was not in custody for a traffic violation.

A friend of Adshan who was with him at the time of the arrest said that Adshan attempted to take photos after parking his motorcycle and that he had a valid driving license.

In September 2012, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the growing number of arbitrary arrests of journalists by the Maldives Police Service.

The press freedom NGO said in a statement that it “deplores the repeated obstruction of media personnel in the course of their work and urges the government to put a stop to arrests designed to intimidate journalists and encourage self-censorship.”

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Jabir moved to Malé jail, appeal documents granted

Recently imprisoned MP Abdulla Jabir has been moved from Maafushi to Malé jail following reported complaints lodged by his family members.

Jabir’s legal team has confirmed that the Maldivian Democratic Party MP has been relocated. Vnews has quoted Jabir’s wife Dhiyana Saeed as saying that her husband had been kept alone in a poorly lit cell, contrary to international conventions.

The Kaashidhoo representative’s legal team suggested earlier this week that their client was denied a fair trial, and that his constitutional rights were denied by the Criminal Court.

Jabir was last week sentenced to twelve months‘ imprisonment after being found guilty of failing to provide a urine sample when arrested as a suspect in a drug related case on November 16, 2012.

After complaining that the court has failed to produce documents vital to Jabir’s appeal, a member of his legal team was today able to confirm that the necessary documents had since been forthcoming.

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Feydhoo primary annulment case accepted by Civil Court

The Civil Court has reportedly accepted the case of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy, who has requested the annulment of the the Feydhoo constituency primary election.

After losing the contest for next month’s Majis elections, Fahmy claimed the contest was fraudulent and that any candidate who won the MDP ticket through fraud cannot be a valid one.

After Mohamed Nihad won the primary, Fahmy alleged that the list used on polling day were different from the [eligible] voter lists.

Alhan called for a fresh vote in the constituency, claiming the voter list used at polling stations was outdated and did not afford 67 party members the right to vote.

The election committee confirmed that 67 members were indeed missing from the list at the ballot box, but decided against holding a re-vote, arguing the primary outcome would not change even if these members were allowed to vote.

After attempting to file the case with the High Court, the MP’s legal representatives were told that the court did not have the jurisdiction to look into internal party matters.

Alhan was stabbed in public on February 1 and is currently recovering in Sri Lanka. He has announced he will contest March’s People’s Majlis election as an independent.

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Health Protection Agency warns of cold and conjunctivitis outbreak

The Health Protection Agency has warned of a potential cold and conjunctivitis epidemic in the country, local media has reported.

Vnews reported that agency as urging anyone displaying flu-like symptoms to contact a doctor as well as staying away from public areas.

The capital city Malé is one of the world’s most densely populated islands at around 18,000 people per square kilometer.

The agency warned those with symptoms not to touch their eyes, as this causes the infection to spread more easily.

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