Author: Minivan News

Maldives welcomes Burmese reforms

The Maldives has said it supports recent political reforms in Burma, which has freed hundreds of political prisoners over the past several weeks.

The Burmese government has also begun direct talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“The Maldives welcomed the release of the 200 political prisoners on 11 October. We would like to see all remaining political prisoners in Burma freed,” said President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair.

“The ongoing talks between the government and Aung San Suu Kyi have the potential to lead to meaningful democratic reforms,” he added.

According to a statement issued by the President’s Office, the international community expects the Burmese government to make significant progress on issues of democracy and human rights.

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Maiden flight lands at Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah’s newly completed airport was inaugurated today when a Dash-200 aircraft from Island Aviation landed at approximately 3.35 pm.

Witnesses of the event said those gathered to watch the landing were filled with joy and excitement, and may took photographs.

The airport, which measures some 1,200 metres in length and 30 metres in width, is expected to receive license to officially start operations within 2-3 days.

According to Mikal, a Fuvahmulah online magazine, Island Aviation’s Managing Director Ibrahim ‘Bandhu’ Saleem said scheduled flights would begin operations within the first week of next month.

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Nepal opts for SAARC 2013

Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kaji Shrestha has said that Nepal is considering a proposal to host the 18th annual summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), scheduled for February 2013.

Shrestha has said that it is “Nepal’s turn to host the 18th SAARC summit, so we will probably do it.”

The SAARC Charter stipulates that Nepal will organise the summit by November 2012.

South Asian News Agency reports that Nepal intends to ask the Maldives, which is hosting the upcoming summit in Addu atoll between November 10-12 and will subsequently be made SAARC chair, for a three-month grace period.

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India issues first installment of US$100 million loan to Maldives

The Indian government today handed a US$30 million (Rf462.6 million) loan to the Maldives Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz to settle Treasury Bills (T-Bill) sold to various parties.

The loan was presented by Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives DM Muley, in the form of a State Bank of India (SBI) cheque.

At the ceremony, Inaz noted that the loan was part of a US$100 million (Rf1.5 billion) loan that is being provided by the Indian government. The remaining US$70 million (Rf1 billion) will be provided in the near future, he said.

Altogether, the loan is expected to settle the T-Bills. Earlier this year, Parliament authorized the state to seek a maximum of Rf1.3 billion (US$8 million) from T-Bill sales.

To date, the government has allegedly acquired over Rf700 million from T-Bill sales this year. The government sold Rf750 million (US$45 million) in T-Bills today alone.

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Umar Naseer, MP Abdul Raheem elected PPM deputies

The Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) interim council elected two deputy presidents through a secret ballot at the council’s first official meeting last night.

Former Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and former People’s Alliance MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla won with 21 votes and 9 votes respectively.

The other two candidates, MPs Ahmed Nihan and Hamdhoon Hameed, each received 7 votes.

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Sri Lanka will host CHOGM 2013 in spite of war crime allegations

Commonwealth Heads of Government have decided not to reassess Sri Lanka’s suitability to host the 2013 meeting (CHOGM), in spite of current international allegations of human rights violations during its civil war.

“This decision runs contrary to the association’s fundamental values of human rights and democracy, and has pushed the Commonwealth to the lowest point in its history,” read a press release.

In 2009, the Commonwealth deferred Sri Lanka’s request to host CHOGM for two years starting in 2011.

As meeting host, Sri Lanka will automatically become chair of the association.

A press release from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative said the decision indicated “that [the Commonwealth] is no longer capable of landmark human rights stances, as demonstrated by its historic activism against Apartheid.”

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Security switches on for SAARC

Armed forces, police and other relevant authorities are on alert for the SAARC Summit, Joint Inter Agency Taskforce Commander Hassan Ziyad said. Heads of State from the South Asian region, including high-profile leaders of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, will be arriving in Addu City starting November 5.

Ziyad told local media Haveeru that the heads of states are “considered high risk even in their own countries,” and that respective domestic security threats are being taken into account by SAARC security forces.

All attending countries are providing security measures. Indian surveillance aircraft and navy vessels are patrolling the areas around Addu City and Fuvahmulah.

Ziyad has said that six teams of sniffer dogs provided by Sri Lanka are among the most trusted security measures.

During a press conference last week, National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal assured that security was tight and “there is no risk at all, we aren’t even bothered about it.”

The armed forces will be on alert commencing Tuesday for the SAARC Summit to be held from November 10-11.

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PPM completes registration process

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s newly-formed Progressive Party of Maldives was officially registered by the Elections Commission (EC) last week with 3,200 members.

Newspaper Haveeru reports EC Chair Fuad Thaufeeq as saying at the registration ceremony that the passage of legislation governing political parties was very important for the commission to carry its out responsibilities.

The bill has been in committee stage for over a year and a half.

PPM held its inaugural convention on October 15 and voted for an interim president, interim council, manifesto, party constitution, logo and colour.

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President backs Australia’s carbon tax

President Mohamed Nasheed has declared his support of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s carbon tax proposal, and recommended other countries follow her lead.

Speaking at the close of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth on Sunday, Nasheed said the summit had accepted key recommendations on combating climate change, reports online media outlet Nine MSN.

Gillard’s proposal has been called “highly controversial” and protested across Australia since 2010, losing her significant public support. Many have expressed their concerns over higher costs for families and businesses.

Nasheed, meanwhile, praised Australia’s “brave steps” towards the tax, and hoped other countries would follow the example.

CHOGM’s final communique called for concerted global action on climate change.

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