Author: Minivan News

Presidents use Victory Day to warn against modern-day traitors

Presidents past and present have extended greetings to the people of the Maldives in celebration of Victory Day – the occasion commemorating the failed 1988 coup.

The attempt to overthrow the government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom by Maldivian dissidents and Tamil mercenaries was repelled by a combination of the Maldives National Defense Force and Indian troops.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed paid tribute to the those who fought to defend the nation on that day, taking advantage of the occasion to stress the importance of national unity and the danger of foreign interference.

“Similarly, this is the time for us to find solutions to issues faced by us. We must resolve our issues ourselves. We must not let any foreign party to interfere and have their say in our affairs.”

“We must always remember that giving that opportunity to foreigners could negatively affect our independence and sovereignty, and we may have to face further harms,” said a President’s Office statement.

Meanwhile, local media quoted former President Gayoom as using the occasion to warn against the danger of traitors still present within the country, calling on Maldivians to be be wary of similar schemes threatening the nation today.

Police Commisioner Abdulla Riyaz yesterday revealed that documents concerning the coup could be declassified from today – 25 years after the incident – though he said a  decision was yet to be made on the way in which they would be made public.

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Three motorbikes in front of MDP campaign hub set on fire

Three motorbikes parked in front of a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) jagaha (campaign hub) in the Manchangoalhi ward of Male’ were set on fire in the early hours of Saturday morning (November 2).

According to local media reports, the fire damaged the air condition system in the jagaha as well as the wall of the adjoining house.

A resident of the house said the fire was put out before it could spread by the fire and rescue department of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) working with civilians and the police.

Police said the arson attack was under investigation.

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PPM-MDA supporters protest against Nasheed in Velidhoo

Supporters of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA) protested against former President Mohamed Nasheed when he arrived in the island of Velidhoo in Noonu atoll for a campaign trip on Friday (November 1).

According to local media reports, supporters of the pro-government parties in a pickup decked with PPM-MDA flags and campaign posters protested using a megaphone and attempted to prevent Nasheed’s team from getting on the island.

Nasheed reportedly alighted with the help of police and MDP supporters. While the presidential candidate shook hands with those gathered at the jetty to greet him at around 11:25am, MDP members made lines on either side of the former president.

While minor scuffles broke out between the rival supporters before the former president’s arrival, police were able to control the situation.

MDP-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV reported that a PPM supporter on the pickup allegedly threw a stone at the television station’s crew, damaging the lens of a camera.

In his speech in Velidhoo, Nasheed said peaceful political activity was necessary for democracy to flourish in the Maldives.

Nasheed said he did not bear any ill will or rancour towards members of rival parties. The role of an opposition party was equally as important as the party in government, he added, which was to ensure that the government delivered on its campaign pledges.

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Broadcasting Commission appeals against disrespectful use of photos of state officials

The Broadcasting Commission of Maldives has urged local television stations not to use photos of state officials “in a way that undermines their dignity.”

In a circular sent to all broadcasters, the commission noted that following complaints regarding the disrespectful use of photos it had already taken action against media outlets for violating the broadcasting code of practice formulated under article 37 of the Broadcasting Act.

“However, the commission has once again started to receive complaints of some channels broadcasting the photos of the heads of various institutions in ways that undermines their dignity,” the circular stated.

The complaints reportedly referred to government-aligned private broadcaster DhiTV and its sister network DhiFM Plus showing photos of three members of the Elections Commission – Fuwad Thowfeek, Ahmed Fayaz and Ali Mohamed Manik – upside down with a caption alleging that they committed electoral fraud in the annulled September 7 presidential election.

Following an investigation, the commission reportedly decided to advise the Broadcasting Maldives Pvt Ltd, which operates DhiTV, and the Maldives Media Company Pvt Ltd, which runs DhiFM, to make sure the photos are not broadcasted in the future.

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Dismissed Attorney General “not a team player,” says PPM MP Mahloof

Attorney General Azima Shukoor dismissed by parliament in a no-confidence vote yesterday (October 29) was “not a team player,” Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof told local media yesterday.

“Azima is not a team player, she prioritises her own interests over the interests of the team. The letter sent to the parliament regarding the procedure to be followed if a president is not elected by 11 November, was also based on her own advice. The matter was not discussed,” Mahloof told Sun Online.

The no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was passed with 41 votes in favour and five against. The MDP’s 33 MPs were joined by MPs of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party and Independent MP for Raa Dhuvafaru Mohamed Zubair.

MP Mahloof was the only PPM MP who participated in the vote while MPs of the government-aligned Jumhooree Party along with Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed voted against the motion.

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More than MVR500,000 stolen from Faafu atoll council safe

Police are investigating the theft of more than MVR500,000 from the safe at the Faafu atoll council office in Nilandhoo today.

The robbery was reported to police at 7:56am this morning, according to police media. The thieves are believed to have broken the safe after entering the atoll council office through a window.

Police are currently trying to locate a suspect while investigation and forensic teams from the Nilandhoo and Dhaal Kudahuvadhoo police stations are active in the island.

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Maradhoo magistrate court declares alive voter considered deceased by Supreme Court

The magistrate court in the Maradhoo ward of Addu City has declared living a voter considered deceased by the Supreme Court in its judgment annulling the September 7 presidential election.

According to local media reports, the magistrate court made an announcement yesterday (October 30) after Mohamed Ahmed, of Muskuraanage, filed a complaint.

The Maradhoo resident was among three names provided as examples by Elections Commission (EC) Chair Fuwad Thowfeek of voters falsely deemed dead by the apex court.

Speaking to Maldives Broadcasting Corporation’s Raajje Miadhu (Maldives Today) programme this week, Thowfeek said the commission had discovered that at least four of the eighteen people deemed to be dead in the Supreme Court verdict were in fact alive.

In addition to Ahmed Mohamed, the EC had found that Ahmed Naseem from Male’, Fathmath Didi of Addu Atoll Hithadhoo Island and Khadeeja Gasim of Laamu Atoll Fonadhoo Island were alive.

“Like this, many people who are alive and had voted have been deemed by the Supreme court as votes cast by dead people, and based on that, they have annulled the election,” Fuwad said.

The EC and the Human Rights Commission have criticised the evidence used by the Supreme Court to annul the vote.

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Suspect in Afrasheem murder case transferred to house arrest

The Criminal Court has reportedly transferred Azleef Rauf, a former Maldives National Defence Force officer suspected of involvement in the murder of MP Afrasheem Ali in October 2012, to house arrest.

In May this year, Rauf was detained on charges of terrorism, extortion, and involvement in criminal gang activities, after which the court extended his remand detention.

While a case against Rauf over alleged involvement in the murder of the moderate religious scholar was sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office in September, the case has yet to be filed at court.

Rauf is also facing separate charges of extortion, theft, and damaging public property along with former Judicial Service Commission member Mohamed ‘Reynis’ Saleem.

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Police seize 48 bottles of alcohol

Police have seized 48 bottles and four packets of alcohol from a dhoni (traditional boat) docked in the Male’ harbour and arrested three individuals last night.

According to police media, the suspects taken into custody were a Maldivian male aged 41 and two foreigners aged 33. The arrests were made following a tip-off to the police Drug Enforcement Department (DED).

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