Author: Minivan News

Coup inquiry member reappointed after “conflict of interest”

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has appointed a new member to the Committee of National Inquiry, replacing Ahmed Mujthaba.

The commission, created to investigate the events that unfolded in the Maldives during the period from 14 January to 8 February, now includes former minister of defence and national security during President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration, Ismail Shafeeu, Dr Ibrahim Yasir, and new member Dr Ali Fawaz Shareef.

Mujthaba stepped down as he was also the convener of the all-party consultative meetings, and, according to a statement from the President’s Office, “the President believes a conflict of interest could arise in fulfilling the two functions.”

Ahmed Mujthaba was Gayoom’s former minister of tourism and the first president of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

Shafeeu will head the commission, the President’s Office stated.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has challenged the questioned the impartiality of the commission, particularly given the involvement of former ministers under Gayoom.

“How can [the government] carry out an impartial investigation, when they themselves were involved in the actions during that time period?” said MDP MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor earlier this week.

“This is exactly the same type of commission that was formed during Gayoom’s regime to look into the events that unfolded in Maafushi Jail in 2003, including the custodial death of Evan Naseem,” Ghafoor said.

“Look what happened to the report they published then – people questioned it, and part of it was censored. We are calling for a third party consisting of international experts to come and into look into the matter. We absolutely do not believe that this commission will be impartial in investigating the matter.”

The Commonwealth concurred with the need for international involvement, stating that it “strongly felt that there should be international participation in any investigative mechanism, as may be mutually agreed by political parties in Maldives.”

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Maldives’ “Islamic fabric tattered”: President Waheed

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan told an audience at the Islamic Centre’s function room on Thursday night that peace and harmony in the Maldives “has disintegrated, while at the same time the country’s Islamic fabric has tattered over the years.”

Speaking at the function to mark the anniversary of the country’s adherence to Islam, Dr Waheed said that the Maldivian people should “give thanks and praise to the Almighty Allah for blessing the country with the eternal light of Islam.”

According to a statement on the President’s Office website, President Waheed noted the great contributions Islam has made to scientific and technological advancement.

Maldivian people are “peace loving, steadfast in their Islamic faith and of good moral conduct,” he said.

The recent change of government, which former President Mohamed Nasheed contends was a police and opposition-led coup d’état, “was not pre-planned by anyone”, the statement read.

It was, Dr Waheed said in the statement, “the religious and national duty of all citizens to strive to protect the peace and security of the country as well as work for the future.”

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Political advisor Hassan Saeed meets UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s political advisor, Dr Hassan Saeed, on Wednesday met UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alistair Burt.

According to a statement on the President’s Office website, Burt “recognised the work being done in the Maldives to resolve its internal issues, encouraging the government of Maldives to continue dialogues with all parties. Mr Burt also welcomed the establishment of the National Enquiry Commission, decreed by President Dr Mohamed Waheed.”

“Further, the Under Secretary of State reassured Dr Saeed of the UK government’s non-partisan approach to the current political situation in the Maldives, and stated their only interest was to establish facts regarding the recent transfer of power, and to ensure a stable Maldives.”

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Elections Commission announces Thimarafushi by-election

The Maldives Elections Commission (EC) has announced that the by-election for Thimarafushi constituency will be held on April 14, following the Supreme Court’s decision to remove the Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Musthafa from the post this week over a decreed debt.

According to the EC, interested candidates must submit their applications by the end of March 11 with 50 signatures from the constituency and other legal documentation.

Musthafa, from former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), lost his seat in the parliament after the apex court ruled that he was constitutionally ineligible to remain in the seat seat due to a decreed debt, which was not paid by him according to the court order.

Musthafa has vowed to contest in the by-elections saying  that “only former President Mohamed Nasheed can beat me”.

Meanwhile, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s PPM party has also announced that it will contest in the by-elections.

Musthafa won the seat in 2009 elections against Gayoom’s son, Gassan Maumoon.

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PIC to investigate allegations of police violence

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has launched an investigation into accusations levelled at police from February 6-8.

President of the Commission Shahinda Ismail said the period included the conduct of police during the protest on February 6 in which police sided with opposition demonstrators, the attack by police on the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) headquarters, their involvement in the demonstrations that led to Nasheed’s resignation on February 7, and the crackdown on demonstrators on February 8.

Allegations of excessive force used to make arrests in other parts of the country would also be investigation, Shahinda said..

“Every accusation against the police will be investigated. The whole committee has diverted all its attention to carrying out this investigation,” local newspaper Haveeru reported her as saying.

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‘Coup of opportunity’ derails Maldivian democracy: Reuters

It was an ordinary blue felt pen, and not a bullet, that killed Mohamed Nasheed’s term as the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, writes Bryson Hull for Reuters.

“After rising to acclaim as a champion of democracy and action against climate change, Nasheed is now back on the streets where he led a nearly two-decade campaign to bring full democracy to an archipelago ruled more like a sultanate.

A Reuters investigation, drawing on more than a dozen interviews including with witnesses who have not spoken out before, reveals a coup of opportunity that capitalised on opposition discontent, political missteps and police and troops loyal to the old order.

Nasheed says a cabal of former regime strongmen conspired with opposition leaders to force him to make a choice: resign in two hours, or face the introduction of live ammunition into a duel between loyal and rebelling security forces, then only being fought with batons and rubber bullets.

“The generals were in league with the mutinous police,” Nasheed said at a recent news conference, acknowledging that he had erred in not clearing out officers loyal to Gayoom.

“We never did a purge of the military. We have a history of murdering our former leaders and I wanted to change that.”

Even as the Commonwealth urges an investigation and new President Waheed has proposed a presidential commission to investigate his own ascendancy, military leaders have taken no chances.

They have emptied the four armories around Male and put the weapons inside the MNDF headquarters after some tense squabbles between factions inside the forces, three sources told Reuters.

This week, the criminal court threw out several graft cases against opposition figures, a sign of the old impunity provided by a pliable and poorly educated judiciary.

Nasheed’s supporters remain on the streets in peaceful protest, demanding an election be held before it is due in October 2013, which the new president has said he will do if the conditions are right.

“I think it is important that democracy be upheld there, and there is concern that the president (Waheed) might find himself heavily influenced by the previous Gayoom regime,” a diplomat from a Commonwealth country told Reuters.

“There must be no return to the pre-2008 days. The importance of the early elections it to ensure there is a clear democratic mandate.”

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President Waheed appoints Abdulla Jabir as Special Trade Representative

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed businessman and Chairman of Yacht Tours Abdulla Jabir as the Special Trade Representative of the President’s Office, at ministerial level.

Jabir, now the deputy leader of fellow businessman Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhoree Party (JP), has also been a member of both the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Jabir’s wife, Dhiyana Saeed, was the former Secretary General of SAARC prior to her resignation in protest over the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

The Tourism Ministry under Nasheed’s government sent a letter to the Finance Ministry in August 2011 requesting that “measures be taken” against Alidhoo and Kudarah Resorts, run by Jabir’s Yacht Tours company, for non-payment of outstanding rent and fines.

Then Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa also requested action against Giraavaru Island Resort (owned by Abdul Rauf, M. Sunrose), Kihaadhupparu Island Resort (Athamaa Marine International) and Zitali, Filitheyo and Medhufushi (owned by the family of MDP MP Hamza and Economic Advisor to former President Nasheed, Ali Shiyam).

Alidhoo was also the scene of a strike in July 2011 after staff alleged that allowances had not been paid for the previous three months, including service charge and overtime.

The management first told staff that the payments were delayed because the chairman of the company [Jabir] was not in the Maldives, “and when he came back, they said the banks were not giving money to the resorts – how can we believe them now?” a staff member alleged at the time.

The resort’s management dismissed 12 employees following the strike.

Yacht Tours also won a high profile civil court case in January 2010 against the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (MTDC), after a long-running dispute over Herathera Island Resort.

MTDC had claimed that Yacht Tours had been running Herathera Island Resort without paying rent and took the company to court. In May 2009 Yacht Tours was ordered to pay US$8 million in outstanding rent to MTDC.

However in 2010 MTDC agreed to pay Yacht Tours US$3.5 million to end the dispute, as at one stage 600 staff had been employed to look after 28 guests.

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New government meets US Ambassador, Rajapaksa

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan yesterday met United States Ambassador to the Maldives Patricia A Butenis.

According to a statement from the President’s Office, discussions were primarily on the current political situation in the Maldives.

“Particularly, the President briefed Ambassador Butenis on the National Unity Government and the progress of its Roadmap,” the statement read.

Vice President Designate Mohamed Waheeduddeen meanwhile met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka.

Visiting Sri Lanka as a Special Envoy of President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Waheeduddeen presented a letter to the Sri Lankan President, on his behalf.

“At the meeting, Waheeduddeen noted the close relations established between the two countries, and discussed hopes for further enhancing the ties both the countries share,” a statement read. “Further, Mr Waheeduddeen expressed his gratitude to the Sri Lankan government for the aid and support being provided to the Maldives.”

Dr Waheed’s political advisor, Dr Hassan Saeed, yesterday met with the Commonwealth in the UK, representing the new government. Former Maldives High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Farahanaz Faizal, represented former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Dr Saeed was also interviewed on the BBC.

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President of Kulhudhufushi island council summoned for questioning

The chair of the seven-member Haa Dhaal Kulhudhufushi island council, Ibrahim Rameez, was summoned by police for questioning last night, according to a community online newspaper.

The former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won all seven seats of the Kulhudhufushi island council in February 2011. The island is the major population hub north of Male’.

According to the community website, Ramiz had refused to comply with two previous summons and had been released after questioning last night. Police suspect the councillor’s involvement in disturbances during a protest outside the island’s police station on February 8.

Protests were sparked across the country following a brutal crackdown by police on a peaceful MDP walk across Male’, led by deposed President Mohamed Nasheed who had announced that he was forced to resign under duress.

The Kulhudhufushi council had issued a statement declaring it does not recognise the government of Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Meanwhile, newspaper Haveeru reported yesterday that police released three of four Addu City councillors detained on February 9 and arrested an additional councillor. The five-member Addu City Council was also won by MDP.

Three released councillors were Hussein Fahmy, Hussein Hilmy and Abdulla Thoyyib. The latter had been arrested last Thursday.

Deputy Mayor Hassan Shahid remains under house arrest. Feydhoo councillor Ahmed Mirzad was taken into custody last night.

Mid-Hithadhoo MP for MDP Mohamed Rasheed had also been arrested in the crackdown but released shortly thereafter.

However according to MDP, more of its councillors across the country continue to be taken into custody. According to Milandhoo MP Riza, three of the island’s councillors were “paraded in handcuffs”.

Ihavandhoo MP Ahmed Abdulla has meanwhile condemned police intimidation of island councillors as no violence or destruction of property was reported in the island.

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