Author: Minivan News

Arabiyya pupils’ rights case reaches Civil Court

The former Attorney General Azima Shukoor has filed a case in the country’s Civil Court over fears pupils may have been denied their rights, SunFM has reported.

According to the report, the case has been filed in court over concerns Arabiyya students may be loosing out on their rights in having to study in other schools due to structural concerns in their old building.

The report said that the case also alleges education authorities have been irresponsible over the treatment of students from Arabiyya School, reported SunFM.

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Immigration Ministry rethinks expatriate insurance amendments

Plans to begin requiring expatriate workers in the Maldives to enrol in medical insurance schemes from the beginning of the year have been delayed the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Haveeru has reported.

According to the paper, foreign workers already within the Maldives will also no longer be required to hold medical insurance by March 2011, due to a number of “requests”.

However, Immigration Controller Ilyas Hussein Ibrahim was quoted as saying that workers wishing to apply for work visas on a first time basis will be required to obtain insurance.  Ibrahim reportedly said that policies for determining whether suitable insurance policies were in place had not been decided upon.

“Because of the announcement, many people have begun insuring. It is something that must be done in the future. But right now only the new foreign workers are required to insure,” he told Haveeru.

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President and MDP condemns attack on Velizenee

President Mohamed Nasheed, his cabinet and the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have strongly condemned today’s attack on Judicial Service Commission (JSC) Presidential Member Aishath Velizenee.

Velezinee was taken to Male’s Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMM) this morning after being attacked in the streets.

Nasheed later visited Velezinee at the hospital while she was being treated for her injuries, according to the president’s office website.   The president later condemned the attack during a meeting of the cabinet and said that the government would take necessary measures to ensure such incidents did not occur in the future.

The Ruling MDP has also issued a statement today following the attack calling on political parties to resolve their disputes peacefully.

”Valizenee is a person that advocates freedom of speech, of gathering and the promotion of human rights,” said the MDP’s statement.

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Gayoom makes Male’ return amidst council elections and DRP turmoil

Former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom returned to Male’ yesterday ahead of campaigning for next month’s local council elections saying he would not be attributing blame for the current disputes over the leadership position of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) that he once held.

Haveeru reported that Gayoom was greeted to Male’ by supporters saying that he was looking for a “smooth solution” to a war of words between current DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and former Deputy Umar Naseer, who was dismissed from the party by its disciplinary committee late last year.

The animosity between the two political figures appeared to come to a head last month amidst reports of violence at a meeting held at DRP headquarters between rival supporters loyal to either Thasmeen and Naseer over gaining entry to the event.

The former president told the paper that he saw the current developments within the party as disputes rather than the formation of factions within the country’s main political opposition group, but claimed that he didn’t believe one individual was to “blame”.

“What is best is to opt for dialogue in order to find a peaceful and a smooth solution to the disputes. I am trying to unite the party,” he was quoted as saying by Haveeru.

Gayoom added that consideration on running as a candidate for the 2013 presidential election was not on his mind at present as the contest was “still too far away.”

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Development to speed up under new budget: President Nasheed

The passing of the 2011 state budget will allow for much faster development of infrastructure projects across the Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed has said, as street protests by NGOs, civil servants and private citizens took place last week over concerns about the finance plan.

Miadhu reported that the president used his radio address on Friday to claim that the country’s finances for 2011 represented “a different type of budget” following multi-party consultation. Nasheed also said that he was hopeful the “objectives” of this year’s budget could all be achieved by 2012.

Miadhu reported that the budget has been said to be designed for the first time around various government programmes mandated by the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) own manifesto.

“As the budget is implemented, it will show how much we achieve or how much we fail to achieve,” Nasheed was quoted as saying in the paper’s online edition. “The budget is based on programmes, which are government pledges. The budget’s objective is to fulfil those pledges.”

On Thursday, hundreds of protestors took to the streets around the Majlis to show their frustration at amendments included within the budget that could lead to increased salaries and other privileges for MPs.

According to the new bill, parliamentarians could receive up to an additional Rf20,000 in their salaries for attending committees, while also being allowed to import vehicles without paying any duty on them.   Parliament also approved measures to reinstate the salaries of independent commissions, while failing to address the reduced salaries of civil servants.

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Former MDP leader shaping new political party

The former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) president, Dr Mohamed Munawwar, appears set to helm a new political party within the Maldives after submitting 3258 names to the Elections Commission for registration, Miadhu has reported.

Under the name of the Maldives Reform Movement, Dr Munawwar has claimed the new party is expected to be represented by young Maldivians, adding that no “famous” political figures have yet to join with him.

Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq has said that time would be needed to process and verify the 3258 names it had been presented, Maidhu added. Under Commission regulations, a party must have 3000 available members to be considered for official registration

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Budget approved with five amendments: report

The Majlis have approved the 2011 state budget just days ahead of a constitutionally-mandated New Year deadline.

The budget was approved this afternoon with five amendments after 69 out of 76 members present within parliament voted in favour of the finance plan; four members voted against the plans, Haveeru has reported.

A total of five amendments and 18 recommendations were put forward for the budget, though Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid reportedly ruled “most” of the amendments for being “unconstitutional”.

Parliamentary members including representatives for both the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) were unavailable or unwilling to comment on the budget to Minivan News at the time of going to press, other than to confirm the budget had been passed.

Among the amendments reported to have been included were the transfer of Rf7.1 million from an infrastructure development fund to help the Islamic Ministry with mosque renovation, which was submitted by Fares-Maathoda MP Ibrahim Muthalib.  The amendment was approved by 38 votes to 35 against.

Other recommendations adopted in the budget included the prioritising of harbour developments and revetment projects based on a system of merit and those islands most in need, as well as the provision of subsidies for parties providing electricity in areas with an absence of a powerhouse or utilities companies.

A recommendation forwarded by Inguraidhoo MP Hamdoon Hameed calling on the National Planning Department to publish a quarterly report with updates on projects from both loan aid and individual funding was also approved 71 to two in favour. Hameed also had a recommendation to include individual project details within next year’s annual budget approved by a similar margin.

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Bill passed on separate administration for National University and Kulliyah

A National University bill was yesterday passed in the Majlis requiring the religious-focused Kulliyah to be run under a separate administration, providing opposition politicians a victory against the government, Miadhu has reported.

The government had argued that running the Kulliyah under a single administration within the university would allow it to reduce costs of a service that had a much smaller number of students, according to the report.

However, MPs said to be opposed to a single university administration that included the Kulliyah claimed that their victory would allow for improved standards and courses in higher education.

“Teaching the Islamic cultivation does not mean it is only teaching the Arabic language. It is to teach in set methodology. It is to cultivate from childhood itself. This is to make them responsible citizens of society,” Faresmathoda MP Ibrahim Muttalib was quoted as saying by Miadhu.

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President meets with international eye expert

President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday met with ophthalmologist Dr Roberto Pinelli to discuss challenges in battling eyesight defects and diseases in the Maldives.

Dr Pinelli, who founded the private healthcare centre the ILMO Institute, which aims to research and treat problems with the human eye, met with the president to discuss possible future collaborations within the Maldives.

Dr Pinelli is said to have pioneered treatments around the world in refractive surgery and vision.

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