Author: Minivan News

Dirty Politics in Pristine Maldives: The Diplomat

“Three powerful public figures in the Maldives say they are victims of a murky political witch-hunt by President Abdulla Yameen, who, ironically, wouldn’t have been in office without their support in the controversial ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed three years ago,” writes Vishal Arora for The Diplomat.

“Gasim Ibrahim, resort tycoon and leader of the Jumhooree Party, alleges that he has received death threats and that his business interests are being hurt. Earlier this month, his party severed ties with the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

Mohamed Nazim, meanwhile, was until last month the defence minister, but he was sacked on charges of “treason” after police raided his home. Authorities claimed he was in possession of a 9mm pistol, bullets, and improvised explosive device. Nazim’s lawyers say he was framed, implying that the firearms were planted by police.

Earlier, in December, Ahmed Faiz Hussain was removed as chief justice of the Supreme Court on the grounds of ‘incompetence,’ although that allegation was never substantiated. ‘Today will be written down as a black day in the constitutional history of the Maldives. I state this is a black day for the constitution,’ he said after his removal.”

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Ibthihaal’s mother remanded for a further 15 days

The Criminal Court has extended the remand period of Afiya Mohamed who stands accused of having caused the death of her 3-year-old son Mohamed Ibthihaal on January 28.

Afiya was taken into police custody two day’s after authorities discovered the body of the toddler in Afiya’s home on the island of Rakeedhoo in Vaavu Atoll.

Police yesterday extended the detention period by a futher 15 days, reported Vnews.

The case has sparked a surge in reports of child abuse as reports that officials had been aware of Ibthihaal’s abuse prior to his death prompted national outrage.

Multiple investigations into the case have begun, though MPs involved in the Majlis inquiry have expressed concern that no the work of the government oversight committee is progressing slowly.

Source: Vnews

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PG asks Home Minister to block pornographic websites

Prosecutor General (PG) Muhthaz Muhsin has asked the Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer to block websites displaying pornographic content.

Speaking to Minivan News, PG Office Spokesman Adam Arif stated that the PG had written to the home minister yesterday (February 11), noting that pornographic material encourages criminal activity and that possessing and producing pornography is prohibited in Maldivian law.

He also explained that the letter referred to the legal and constitutional duties of the state to prevent criminal activity and to uphold the tenants of Islam along with maintenance of the social fabric.

“The letter also requests the home minister to take action and inform the PG’s Office in a timely manner,” Arif said.

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Nasheed asks for India’s protection if jailed

Former President and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Mohamed Nasheed has expressed fears of being arrested and asked the Indian government for protection.

In an interview Nasheed with India Today, he said that he had spent half of his adult life in jail and that he did not wish to spend any more time in incarceration.

He also asked the Indian people and government to “please come and get me and take me to India,” if he gets jailed, expressing a desire to live in Bangalore.

In the interview published today (February 12), Nasheed claimed that President Abdulla Yameen is on a “witch hunt” to purge his political contenders and pointed to the example of the detention and charges against former defence minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim.

In the interview, he reiterated claims that the government is losing its legitimacy due to the exit of the Jumhooree Party (JP) from the ruling coalition, stating that the government is undermining the Constitution in an effort to consolidate power.

“..[T]hey are going back to a form of governance that they are more familiar with. They are changing all independent institutions and now the JP has decided not to back this autocratic rule and we have been able to come with it in defence of the constitution,” Nasheed told India Today.

Source: India Today

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Judicature amendments to appeal process come into force February 15

The High Court has announced that lower court and tribunal decisions can only be appealed under the new process established by the Supreme Court from Sunday (February 15)

The instructions referred to by the High Court – published on January 27 – state that the request for appeal must be submitted by filing the necessary forms to the  lower court or tribunal that deliberated on the case, within 10 days of its conclusion.

The lower court or tribunal must then send the forms to the upper court within 7 days of the appeal request, before the upper court is then obliged to complete all administrative processes necessary within 7 days of receiving the appeal documentation.

High Court Spokesman Amin Faisal was unable to give further details, confirming only that the appeal process will be in accordance with the Supreme Court circular from Sunday onwards.

The amendments to the Judicature Act also mandate the formation of two additional branches of the High Court in the northern and southern regions of the Maldives. The two new branches can only adjudicate the rulings of the magistrate courts.

The nine-member High Court is to be divided among the three branches, with three judges in each branch.

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Half of workers in Maldives are foreigners: Economic Development Minister

Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed has said that there are over 116,000 expatriates working in the Maldives, amounting 50 percent of the working population.

Speaking at an event held to celebrate the inauguration of a programme to train 2000 salespeople, Saeed said that 81,000 Maldivians are currently registered as employed at the pensions office – equal to 23 percent of the population.

The preliminary results of last year’s census officially recorded the number of foreign workers at 58,000, though the government has previously admitted the figure to be much higher, even after the removal of 8000 undocumented workers last year.

Saeed noted that while 81,000 expatriates in the Maldives worked with proper visa and documentation, approximately 35,000 were working illegally, reported Haveeru, costing the Maldivian economy MVR1.28 billion (US$83 million) annually.

The government’s drive to build the economy on ‘Maldivian work for Maldivians’ has seen a restriction on foreign photographers working in the country, while it will be illegal to hire expatriates as cashiers from April onwards.

Saeed is reported to have told those in attendance yesterday that Maldivians must be willing to work in all types of job.

“Maldivians need to make jobs a high priority. One can’t be a resort owner in one day,” he said.

“A road sweeper could become a manager of a big office tomorrow. You need courage to be successful,” said the waiter turned cabinet minister, sharing his personal story of success.

He stated that the economic growth for this year “stands at 10.4 percent”. Figures from the Maldives Monetary Authority estimate last year’s growth as 8.5 percent.

Youth employment has been a major focus of the Yameen administration, which has pledged to create 94,000 new jobs during its five year term.

Local youth-led NGO Democracy House states unemployment among the youth (aged 15-24) may be as high as 43 percent, with the group having highlighted a “disconnect” between the current school curriculum and life skills.

While the government has established a youth unemployment register with 13,000 individuals, youth minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal has reported complaints from businesses about individuals failing to attend interviews and quitting jobs within a few weeks.

Former Maldives Airports Company Ltd head Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem – dismissed last month – told a Majlis committee in December that difficulties with local staff had resulted in a dependence on foreign employees, to keep the international airport running.

Also speaking at yesterday’s ceremony, Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad suggested that the government’s Special Economics Zone (SEZ) Act would also create large numbers of jobs.

“36 percent of the Maldivian population is the youth,” Haveeru reported Jihad as saying. “The SEZs is an example of how much the government prioritises the youth’s welfare”.

The controversial legislation, which promises to deregulate as-yet unspecified areas of the country in order to attract foreign investors was passed in August last year.

Despite a lack of investments having resulted as yet, governing coalition leader Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam claimed last weekend that the government would bring investments, the likes of which the country had not seen before.


Related to this story

Foreigners barred from cashier jobs as President promises work for Maldivians

Almost 8,000 undocumented workers deported, says defence minister

Economic Ministry stops issuing work permits to foreign photographers

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Troubled island – Maldives descends into political turmoil, again: India Today

“A broken coalition, arrest of its own Defence Minister, sacking of the CJ, removal of the auditor general, an attempt to bar former President from contesting and repeated overtures to Beijing are bringing things in Malé to a flashpoint that can have serious repercussions for India,” reports India Today.

“Unlike the idyllic white sand beaches, turquoise reefs and reclusive resorts that define Maldives, its capital city of Male is a densely packed island, just over a kilometer wide and crisscrossed with a maze of streets, expanding vertically as its one lakh inhabitants struggle for space. No tourist really steps afoot on Malé, landing instead at the adjoining Hulhulé island airport – to be expanded shortly thanks to a generous Chinese grant – before being whisked away in luxury boats to distant resorts.

The politics on Malé Island – soon to be connected to Hulhule under an ambitious Chinese bridging project – are however on a shaky wicket soon after what many thought was a decisive election in late 2013 ending a period of uncertainty after the controversial ouster of President Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.

Just after a year in power, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) led by President Abdulla Yameen is staring at a crisis. A broken coalition, the arrest of its own Defence Minister on charges of treason, the controversial sacking of the Chief Justice, a questionable removal of the Auditor General and an alleged attempt to bar former President Nasheed from contesting future elections are bringing things in Malé to a flashpoint that can have serious repercussions for India, where concern is already rising over recent overtures to Beijing by the island nation.”

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Home Minister Umar Naseer elected as LGA President

Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer has been elected as the Local Government Authority (LGA) president.

Media reports say that Naseer – who is the cabinet representative in the authority – was elected to the post unanimously by the seven members present at today’s LGA board meeting.

The post was previously filled by the former Defense Minister Colonel (retired) Mohamed Nazim, who has now been dismissed from his posts and is now under arrest, with the police accusing him of plotting a coup and trying to harm senior government officials.

Today’s meeting was the third LGA meeting so far this year.

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MNDF expresses interest in buying Bangladeshi patrol boats

The Maldivian military has expressed interest in purchasing sea patrol boats from the Bangladeshi coastguard.

According to reports by the Bangladeshi media, Chief of Defence Force Major General Ahmed Shiyam expressed interest in the purchase of the boats during a courtesy call to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday evening (February 10).

The boats referred to by Shiyam were built at the Khulna Shipyard, which he visited recently, according to the prime minister’s press secretary.

The Maldives defence force chief also thanked Bangladesh for sending drinking water and water treatment plants in December when his country faced acute water crisis in December.

Source: bdnews24

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