Author: Eleanor Johnstone

Qatar Airways CEO “dismayed” over airport fee hike, GMR denies plans

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has warned that the airline will re-consider flying to the Maldives if airport operator GMR maintains its apparent plan to raise airport handling fees at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) by 51 percent.

Reuters reported that the airline was “‘dismayed’” over what it understood to be GMR’s plan to increase the handling fee at some future date, and suggested such a move would “threaten Quatar Airways’ continued presence in the Maldives.”

Noting that the Maldives’ economy is based on tourism, Akbar Al Baker called the planned increase “totally unreasonable.”

“If we or any other major player withdraws services because of these unwarranted and draconian measures, it will be the people of the Maldives who will lose out, affecting their livelihoods as they rely heavily on the tourism industry,” he said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“My message to the Maldives authorities is to think rationally about the future prosperity of your tourism industry. These steps may have not been thought through seriously by the airport operator and I urge them to think again.”

GMR spokesman Amir Ali said that the fee hike had already been made by the Maldives Airport Company Ltd (MACL) shortly before GMR assumed control of the airport, adding that while there were no plans for a further increase at present, prices were dependent on factors such as fuel prices.

“I believe the fee was increased because of the rise in fuel prices, but I’m not sure since the decision was made by MACL some time ago,” Ali said.

GMR had received no official communication from Qatar Airways, he added.

Since taking over INIA in 2010 GMR has made several adjustments to airport operations in an effort to match the airport’s facilities to those expected by visitors to the country’s upmarket resorts. While progress has been rapid, the local population has also voiced discontent with changes to baggage handling services and departure fees.

GMR was recently challenged in court over its recent attempt to collect an Airport Development Charge (ADC) beginning in 2012, a stipulation which was included in its concession agreement with the government. While the Maldives Civil Court ruled against the ADC in December, the government appealed the case to the High Court, declaring that it was obliged to honor its agreement with the airport developer.

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Protests to continue as police threaten zero-tolerance

Maldives Police Services has said it will adopt a zero-tolerance policy during protests if opposition demonstrators continue their current, increasingly violent trajectory which has sent four police officers to the hospital in the past two days.

Citing protesters’ recent use of fireballs, petrol bombs and bricks, police have said they will exercise full legal authority to prevent the ongoing anti-government protests from developing into acts of terrorism.

Opposition rotesters have demonstrated every night since January 16, when Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by military forces and detained at a training facility in Kaafu Atoll Girifushi. Opposition party members have drawn crowds of approximately 200 to 300 nightly to the area in front of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) near the Male’ fish market, while ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members have taken to gathering at their party camp on the other side of the island.

Police and military forces have patrolled key areas of the island on a regular basis, nightly arresting individuals for violent activities.

Speaking of last night’s demonstration, Sub-Inspector Hussain Haneef said 37 individuals were arrested “for violence and acting against police orders.” He added that nine individuals have been released.

Mohamed Haisham, a protest coordinator and member of opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), said most individuals arrested last night were women and blamed any violent agitation on MDP, “who is giving money, drugs, alcohol and knives to gangs who are causing the problems.”

Haisham said protesters are undeterred by the police warnings. “Tonight’s protest will be very strong,” he informed Minivan News, adding that protests will continue until “the biggest one”, a rally scheduled for February 24.

Last night’s unrest also led to the breaking of windows at MDP headquarters and the Finance Ministry, as well as the windshield of a city bus.

Police have also launched an investigation into a Henveiru ward fire which broke out last night in the home of musician Ibra Rasheed, destroying a majority of the musical equipment belonging to himself and his son.

Rasheed, who claims not to belong to any party, has been producing music against the former government since the 1980s; between 1988 and 2003 he was arrested, jailed and banished to an island. “They arrested me for drugs, but everybody knows I don’t use drugs. They really arrested me for my music,” he said.

Since the current government came to power in 2008 Rasheed has been able to produce and sell six albums, however he claims being hassled by supporters of the former government for his work.

In 2010 Rasheed released the song “Black 30 Years” criticising the lifestyle of Abdulla Hameed, former Atolls Minister and half-brother to former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. “After that I was walking by the postal building and saw Shaheem Hameed [his son]. He refused to shake my hand and said he would sue me for what I did to his father,” Rasheed said. Soon after he was beaten up in the street, he said.

In the past several weeks, the threats have become more frequent.

“There are guys who come around on their motorbikes and tell me they are going to beat me and kill me. With these protests now they are coming more often, I am scared anything might happen to me so I stay at home. I think they were the ones who started the fire [in my son’s room].”

Rasheed said the door to his son’s room was locked and vacant when smoke began pouring out. House residents forced open the door and put out the flame, however all of the equipment inside was destroyed. “We kept my son’s computer for mixing and the guitars and most recording stuff in there,” he explained. “Someone told me the Islamic Bank can provide financial support, but I haven’t talked to the bank yet.” Rasheed said the damages amounted to Rf80,000 (US$5,200).

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Push for mid-market tourism starts in Laamu Gan

The Maldives first resort-style tourist guest house to operate on a local inhabited island opened yesterday on Laamu Atoll Gan Island, the Maldives largest island (six kilometres squared) and three times the size of capitol Male’.

President Mohamed Nasheed attended the opening of Reveries Diving Village along with over 600 island residents, several government officials and a few representatives from neighboring resort Six Senses Laamu.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Nasheed said the guest house would benefit the island by providing jobs and boosting local industrial activity and income.

At the moment, a majority of the guest house is staff is Maldivian. “They are a very friendly group, not terribly experienced but very willing,” said Reveries Manager Boris A. Salam.

President Nasheed elaborated that industrial expansion on islands is directly proportional to government priority. To support development on all islands, the government is obliged to provide clean water, efficient sewerage systems and durable roads for its people, he said.

Reveries Diving Village was designed by a Maldivian architect and developed by BISON Maldives Pvt Ltd; it is owned by BISON Chairman Abdul Majeed. The President pointed out that Reveries is part of a larger push to expand tourism to inhabited islands and incorporate local businesses in the nation’s leading industry.

Re-inventing the Maldives’ traditional “one island one resort” theme, Reveries encourages guests to explore the local side of Gan through sight-seeing excursions, picnics, fishing trips and meals at local cafes, while maintaining a variety of standard resort services including a spa, conference facilities, PADI certified dive school and water sports facilities.

The location will also likely attract an ambitious surf community–famous surf points Yin Yang, Isdhoo Bank and Refugees Lefts are easy to access.

Offering 25 guest rooms and one villa for under US$200 per night (Rf 3000) and compliant with Shariah-based regulations, Reveries aims to serve the needs of vacationers, business folk and backpackers alike–foreign and Maldivian.

“The island life and serenity of Laamu Gan, added with the unique features such as a mythical freshwater lake that is estimated to be 60 meters deep and old Buddhist Temple ruins add distinctive value to any traveler,” reads a press release.

Manager Salam said he had received positive feedback about the guest house’s humble intent. “People said that from the outside the building doesn’t look like much, it could be anything. But when they come in they’re very nicely surprised, the design immediately makes you feel cozy,” he said, observing that the public beach area in front of the house adds a neighborhood feel.

Reveries is part of a string of recent developments on Laamu Gan, which is connected by causeways and bridges to three other islands in the atoll forming a total land area of approximately nine kilometres. The domestic airport on nearby Kadhoo island affords easy transportation to and from capital Male’, located 250 km to the North.

Harbours and a hospital developed by the French Red Cross have improved the economy and lifestyle of Laamu residents, and an international school is also expected to open this year.

The addition of Reveries appears to please Laamu residents. Reveries Manager Boris A. Salam said “people are curious, they’ve been popping in during the development stage to see what’s happening.”

According to a press release one lifetime resident, Hussein, said, “this is the happiest I have been after the opening of the airport. It will create a lot of jobs and opportunities for small business to grow. The success of Reveries will surely bring more investments to the region.”

Reveries plans to develop a second property in Laamu Gan later this year with Amin Construction Pvt. Ltd. The property will offer 20 rooms in 6 villas, along with a swimming pool and other food and beverage facilities.

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Police officer burned by flaming ball as protests persist

A police officer was hospitalised last night after being struck by a ball set on fire and hurled during night’s protest outside Male’s fish market, where opposition party members have been rallying crowds since January 16 calling for the release of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed from military detention.

According to police parts of the officer’s uniform were burnt along with some of the weapons he was carrying at the time. The officer also sustained injuries to his neck, chin and ears.

The officer was immediately taken to ADK hospital, police said. Two other police officers injured during the confrontation have been admitted to hospital as well.

Police said they are currently investigating the attack. No other arrests or injuries were reported.

During the opposition-led protest, which began at approximately 9:00pm last evening, a group of 200 active participants charged police blockades in an effort to enter the off-limits Republic Square. Between 10:30pm and 11:30pm protesters and police advanced and retreated along the jetty near the fish market several times. Various glass objects as well as empty bottles, stones, eggs, young coconuts and flares were thrown by protesters into the police zone, occasionally falling short of their marks and landing among the protesting crowd.

Police retaliated by pushing back the crowd, eventually deploying tear gas and pepper spray.

A woman who was sprayed following a near-hysterical confrontation with police was treated and calmed by a group of protesters on the side lines before rejoining the crowd.

Meanwhile, approximately 200 bystanders observed the commotion from the upper levels of nearby boats and the fish market opposite, some laughing, some shouting, and some simply watching.

Yesterday afternoon, activists and Parliament members from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) marched up the island’s central road of  Majeedhee Magu, past the tsunami memorial and down Ameenee Magu to the party camp, calling for all judges to be arrested and for Male’ city “to be calm.” At the party camp activists announced their intention to advance on the protesters that evening at 8:30pm, before dispersing for prayer and dinner.

The previous evening, protest leaders went to the house of Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to request an immediate meeting. The Vice President reportedly welcomed them inside, and at 1:00am opposition leaders emerged pledging allegiance to the Vice President and urging him to assume control of the executive.

The government maintained that it had not lost confidence in the Vice President, discounting his decision to meet with the protesters as a diplomatic courtesy and reaffirmed its faith in his allegiance. During the protest the following evening, however, protesters maintained that the Vice President was on their side.

“He wants the judge free, he has said he shares our interests,” an opposition protester told Minivan News.

Party members from both sides of the political aisle gathered at their respective locales last night. MDP activists reportedly urged an advance on the fish market, however MDP Chairman and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik instructed those assembled to wait for official party orders, according to sources.

Although the crowd vocally supported an advance, no official decision was made and members of the crowd did not initiate a mass movement.

A protest coordinator and opposition party member meanwhile told Minivan News that a number of protesters were harmed during last night’s protest at the fish market in a clash with the MDP.

“It is the [MDP] activists who are doing and throwing these things,” he claimed. “They are the ones causing all the damage.”

Other protesters acknowledged that gang members are known to be participating in the demonstrations, sometimes after taking drugs or alcohol, however they would not provide further details.

Protests are expected to continue through February 24, the opposition protest coordinator said.

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Protesters not covered under health insurance schemes: participation “high risk and voluntary”

State television journalist Moosa Naushad has had a successful operation in Colombo for injuries sustained during a protest on Male’ last week, and will return to the Maldives in a few days’ time, according to Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) Director Adam Shareef.

Naushad was attacked outside of MNBC by 15 people while covering an  opposition-led protest on January 23. The aggressors broke his hand and left him with fractures to his shoulder blades and feet, while MNBC editor Thoyyib Shaheem was tasered after trying to intervene. Both sides of the political spectrum blamed the other for the attack, with the opposition alleging that MDP activists mistook Naushad for a VTV reporter.

Since the nightly  protests began on Male’ over two weeks ago a number of journalists, activists and police officers have sought medical attention for related injuries. Although security personnel are covered by their employer, others have discovered that injuries sustained during a protest are excluded from coverage by most available insurance programs, including the government’s recently introduced Aasandha scheme for every Maldivian citizen.

“As far as I know, no insurance scheme in the Maldives would cover somebody injured during a protest,” said Allied Insurance and Aasandha Program Manager Ahmed Shabiq, pointing out that protests are considered high-risk and voluntary.

To fill the coverage gap, Naushad’s injuries have been treated with “a gift from the government, and some contributions from MNBC,” MNBC’s Shareef said. He added that the station tries to cover injuries other journalists have sustained while working, but said that there is no company insurance program.

Some hospital patients have been surprised to discover the caveat, and several have filed queries and complaints with Aasandha. Shabiq pointed out that “that policy is clearly listed in our exclusions section, printed in pamphlets and on the website. But I think people just aren’t aware of those details.”

However, “it’s not so easy to identify if someone was involved in a protest, and if they’re responsible for their injury.”

All injured individuals are treated on the assumption that they did not engage in high risk behavior until evidence to the contrary is presented. Shabiq claimed hospitals are asked to determine the individual’s level of involvement in any high-risk behavior, while another Allied official said police reports are used to clarify responsibility.

Private practitioner at Central Medical and Clinic, Dr Ahmed Razee, agrees with the policy: “Insurance should not cover intentional injuries. If you jump off the roof of a house you jump off the roof of a house!” he said.

However Dr Fathimath Nadia at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) believes the scheme’s policy leaves room for skepticism.

“I think injuries should be covered, but then again if you go to a protest I guess you have to expect that something could happen. But it’s difficult for a medical staff member to know if a person has been injured because of something they did or not.”

Dr Nadia suggested that the policy could have a preventative impact.

“At a protest you should expect that injuries could happen, so if you’re not going to be covered then maybe you won’t go, or you’ll be very careful,” she supposed.

In a separate case, Dr Nadia pointed out that some of the most important partnerships exist in the no-coverage grey zone.

“Three days ago I saw a 22 year-old boy who had had a diving accident. He needed a decompression chamber so we wanted to send him to Bandos but Bandos isn’t part of Aasandha so he wouldn’t be covered,” she explained, adding that the high cost of decompression chambers – of which only one of the Maldives’ five is not operated by a resort – effectively reserves them for the elite.

“It’s a problem, because we see a lot of dive- and sea- related injuries. The boy is now paralysed from his waist down, but what to do?”

However, Dr Nadia pointed out that Bandos had seen the boy and to her knowledge the family had kindly not been billed.

Health insurance programs around the world have their limits. The Maldivian public appears keen to find out first-hand just where those limits lie.

In a previous article Minivan News reported that hospital traffic had increased dramatically since Maldivians became eligible for up to Rf100,000 (US$6500) in free health care annually.

Public health expert and Chief Operating Officer at Male’s ADK hospital, Dr Ahmed Jamsheed, noted in a January 16 blog post that during the scheme’s first two weeks ADK had seen a 50 percent increase in specialist consultations and a 100 percent increase in demand for basic services.

In addition, 41,000 individuals sought health care at ADK – 11 percent of the country’s population – costing the scheme millions and raising serious concerns over its sustainability, Dr Jamsheed observed.

“In the absence of an ongoing epidemic, statistically and epidemiologically speaking, it is unlikely that so many people would be sick needing health care simultaneously,” he wrote, later noting that some patients are seeking multiple and even extraneous appointments.

At IGMH, Dr Nadia has also seen the appointment book fill up. She suggested that repeat appointments stem from a public belief that bi-monthly check-ups are merely proper maintenance – you can’t have too much of a good thing.

However, she noted that the validity of a person’s complaint could be hard to gauge. “It’s difficult to know if a person will receive correct medication from the pharmacy staff, and what they will do with that medication. We can’t follow them to find out,” she said.

In Dr Razee’s opinion, multiple visits to the doctor are important, even if only to put one’s worries to rest.

“Medically speaking, it’s not a waste of time or money,” he said.

“Many people are coming in with complaints that they couldn’t afford to address before. And they are seeing several doctors in succession because they want to get a second, even third, opinion, or they are looking for a doctor they feel comfortable with, or they were unable to tell everything in the short period of time they were first given with the doctor and they want to finish the story,” he said. “It’s normal human nature.”

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Protests slow at start of third week

Opposition protests in the capital city of Male’ appear to be deflating as they stretch into their third week of late-night stand-offs with riot police.

While opposition-led crowds continue to congregate outside the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) building, some bearing posters reading: “No one knows where the judge is” and “We want democracy”, the action has been pushed back towards the fish market by the sudden construction of a ferry terminal by Male’ City Council in the area used for the nightly gathering.

Minivan News understands that fishermen sleeping on the docked boats opposite the MMA had complained to the council about the nightly clashes between police and opposition demonstrators.

Protesters also appear to be voluntarily dispersing at earlier hours. Speaking last night to Minivan News, protest regulars said “a few speeches” were made near the fish market, but that they had drawn to a close well before midnight. Whereas last week opposition supporters had waited until midnight before advancing on police forces, last night the gathering had thinned out by 11:30pm with no reported confrontation with authorities.

Members of opposition parties have protested the “unlawful” detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed since he was arrested by the military on January 16, after he attempted to block his own police summons. He is currently being detained at a military training facility in Girifushi, his whereabouts and wellbeing established during a visit two weeks ago by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

In response, the government applied for international legal assistance to resolve its stand-off with the judiciary, which it claims is unsuited to its duties and dysfunctional. Among its grievances are the former Supreme Court’s 2010 decision to tenure itself, allegations of corruption within the courts, and the Civil Court’s 2011 ruling against the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) investigation of the judge.

While meetings and statements are made by day, opposition protesters have agitated by night, injuring several policemen as well as journalists. A targeted attack outside state television station Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) left one videographer with a broken hand. The Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) as well as the government have condemned the attacks, and security forces are maintaining surveillance of the station. Government homes and property have also been vandalised during the exchanges.

Violence is unusual for Male’, despite the often heated political rhetoric at such gatherings. Both opposition and ruling party activists have accused the other side of deploying paid thugs to create unrest and disrupt the other’s gatherings, while local gangs are known to be employed by various political figures, accepting payments for scare tactics.

Over the weekend Dhiyana Saeed, formerly SAARC Secretary General, called for President Mohamed Nasheed to be impeached. Last evening she was removed from Republic Square by police officials for protesting in an unauthorised area. It was the second time in four days that Saeed had attempted to protest in that area and had refused to comply with police orders.

Police officials emphasised that Saeed “was not arrested, and has been released from police charge.”

Saeed did not respond to phone calls at time of press.

Although protest activities appear moderately subdued, a habit seems to be developing. When asked if there were further plans for achieving their goal, one protester near the fish market simply said, “we will continue the protest here, every night.”

Still, as midnight approached most citizens in the area headed off on their motorbikes while others walked home.

Meanwhile, activities at the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) camp near MNBC, last week a protest target, have also calmed.

While ruling  party supporters awaited the arrival of an estimated 40 opposition members who were supposedly approaching the area, a film was screened in which four young people’s relationship was used to illustrate that MDP members could not be bought by the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), viewers explained.

When police forces established road blocks around the area at midnight, half of the crowd gathered outside the camp dispersed from the area, sensing trouble. As a group of opposition protesters appeared at one end of the blockade, onlookers cautioned Minivan News to be wary of thrown objects. However no confrontation developed and the protesters quickly moved on.

MDP members watching the film outside the party camp meanwhile peered down the road from their stationary bikes to observe any possible commotion, shrugged their shoulders when nothing occurred, joked amongst themselves and returned to watching the movie.

The protests – which have typically consisting of 200-400 people – now represent one of the longest running demonstrations over a single issue since the new government was elected in 2008.

Howver the opposition-led demonstrations are effectively an extension of last year’s anti-government protest to defend Islam, none have drawn crowds comparable to those who appeared at the December 23 rally.

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Land plots awarded under Veshi Fahi program

Fifteen land plots were awarded today to Maldivian citizens qualifying for housing under Category A of the Veshi Fahi Male’ housing program, a government initiative to decongest the capital Male’ by expanding residential and industrial infrastructure to surrounding islands.

The plots are part of a 250 land plot package currently being awarded to applicants, along with 1000 newly constructed flats with a capacity of 7,000. Although the 21,000 applications for the housing program exceed the government’s initial pledge to house 10,000 people by 2016, Veshi Fahi program officials indicate that the government steering committee is considering adding an extra 100 plots to the program.

Speaking at today’s inaugural ceremony on Hulhumale’, President Mohamed Nasheed pledged to provide housing to all applicants. “In the Maldives every citizen should be have the option of living in whichever part of the Maldives he or she wishes,” he said.

Connecting today’s event with the ongoing judicial crisis which has gripped the country since January 16, the President observed that “national development involves all parts of a system.” Veshi Fahi Program Director “Sarangu” Adam Manik elaborated that the housing project’s success leans heavily on a robust judiciary.

“What we need is a proper judiciary to interpret land and housing contracts,” he told Minivan News. “If a judge does not have the proper education, degree and qualifications to interpret such contracts as well as the law, how can the system work?”

Affordable housing is one of the five pledges which form the backbone of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) manifesto, along with pledges for a nation-wide transport system, affordable living costs, affordable quality healthcare, and the prevention of drugs and narcotics trafficking.

On January 1 2012, all Maldivian citizens became eligible for free health care. Ferry systems have gradually improved transportation and communication within atolls as well, while the southern island of Fuvahmulah opened a new airport last year.

In July 2011, the President awarded documents of guarantee to the recipients of ten flats on Hulhumale’.

Male’ is the most densely populated city in the world with approximately 50,000 people per square kilometre, eclipsing Mumbai. Approximately one-third of the national population of 350,000 live on the capital island. Manik claims the pressure is already being released.

Launched in November 2010, the Veshi Fahi program aims to combine the development of Malé, Vilingili, Guli Falhu, Thilafushi, Hulhumalé and Malé International Airport. Under the program, applicants are categorised according to need: those living in extremely overcrowded conditions, those with land in Male but an interest in living in Hulhumale’, and those interested in housing in any of the nearby islands.

Under the program Male’ residents are asked to trade their land on the capital island for land in the nearby developing suburb- allowing Male’ City Council to develop areas of Male’ for community needs such as parking, dust bins and small parks. However, given the dire conditions of some Male’ housing units 3,000 new units will be constructed on the capital.

“We are very much on track,” Manik said. “Some projects are even ahead of schedule, such as this one,” he added, gesturing to the construction site where the basic structures of 1,000 flats have already been raised by Chinese and Bangladeshi laborers.

“By 2016 there will be no problems with shelter on Male,” he claimed.

As the housing issue dissipates, rent costs are expected to drop. Rent in Male’ currently rivals rates in New York in London, however officials expect half that sum on Hulhumale’ will give a person the same facilities and even more space than a flat on the capital island.

While people are expected to begin moving into the new housing on Hulhumale’ in July of this year, land plot recipients have two years from the date they receive the land title to construct their new home and move across the water.

“Many people can’t afford the move right away, so they need time to get loans and make plans. The concern is not that land will be left untouched, but rather that people need the time to connect the dots and establish their home,” said an official from the Veshi Fahi office, who requested anonymity.

Minivan News understands that recipients of the 250 land plots on Hulhumale’ will also receive housing loans from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Meanwhile, the program’s rapid progress has encouraged more Male’ residents to apply for new housing.

“The previous government didn’t give people hope for these things,” said the official. “Now, people are seeing titles and deeds being awarded, they are seeing the flats go up- I think more are interested in applying during the second round.”

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Former SAARC Secretary General calls for President’s impeachment as husband maneuvers party swap

Former SAARC Secretary General Dhiyana Saeed has demanded that President Mohamed Nasheed be impeached after alledgedly violating the constitution by detaining Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

Saeed’s statement follows her five-minute arrest last weekend for refusing to leave Republic Square during a nearby opposition-led protest.

Saeed recently resigned from her SAARC post after criticising the government after the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) responded to a police request to arrest and detain Abdulla Mohamed on January 16, after the judge filed a case in the high court to overrule his police summons.

Saeed, the youngest and first female to hold the SAARC post, demanded that parliament oppose the President.

Speaking to Minivan News following her resignation last week, Saeed said the judge “has to be dealt with within the confines of the law,” and identified his detention as “very clearly unconstitutional.”

“If you look at the how the government has acted these last three years you can see a trend. The government thinks any means to an ends is alright,” she added.

According to the SAARC charter, interference in the internal affairs of other states is a violation of the secretary general’s role.

Saeed’s statement was aired on opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) leader and JSC member Gasim Ibrahim’s television station VTV on January 19. Yesterday, Saeed’s husband and owner of J Hotels, Abdulla Jabir,  announced his switch from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to JP, of which he is now deputy leader. Saeed herself remains a member of MDP, according to local media.

Saeed told local media that while her need to call for the President’s impeachment was regrettable, she maintained that her aim was to deliver a “strong message” disapproving of the government’s “direct attack on the state of Maldives”.

Suggesting that she speaks for a general public, Saeed told  media that even those who do not attend protests are opposed to the government’s actions, and vowed to not sit quietly on the sidelines. In response to the government’s criticism of her loyalty, she pointed out that no one was more loyal in politics “than was Chemical Ali to Saddam Hussein”.

She added that all Maldivians were obliged to defend the constitution, and maintained that her comments were “not for any political benefit.”

Saeed had not returned phone calls at time of press.

Under the constitution a president can only be impeached with a two-thirds vote from parliament. Parliament currently contains 77 members (MPs), 35 of which are aligned with MDP, 36 represent opposition parties and six are independent.

According to the President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair, Saeed’s request “is the wrong math. Even if all the opposition pulled together they wouldn’t pass the vote.” Zuhair added that the MDP has seen increasing public support in recent years.

Noting that Saeed is “not even a barrister”, Zuhair identified her call for impeachment as “just competitive political talk” which does not threaten the unity of the government. He added that her statement is a larger protective strategy currently employed by lawyers with close ties to JP leader, Gasim Ibrahim.

“You have to go to the chronological beginning,” Zuhair said, stating that Saeed, lawyer Azima Shukoor, Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizz, and opposition Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP) leader Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed held legal posts under the former regime.

“These are all legal people – birds of a feather so to speak – pulling together to protect their past from exposure,” he said.

“Their interpretation of the law has not been consistent with the government; instead they are protective of the former regime,” Zuhair continued, adding that they had all denied defendants access to lawyers during the judicial process.

Shukoor has consistently defended members of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s family and new political party, Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM). Jameel, who served as Justice Minister under the former regime, recently accused the government of conspiracy with Christians and Jews to spread “vice” within the country.

“Gasim pays a maintenance fee for his lawyers – they receive a monthly fee for staying on his side,” Zuhair said emphatically.

Meanwhile, Abdulla Jabir explained his shift of allegiance last night on Gasim’s VTV.

“The President wanted to make this place into New York overnight,” he said. “It is a good thought but we have to do things based on the resources at hand. [But the President] does not listen to financial experts.”

After stating that the MDP had gained significant public approval, Jabir accused the President of overshadowing party achievements by trying to “destroy the system for his own benefit”.

“President Nasheed cannot be a hero again. He will be a zero. Nobody will respect him,” Jabir said.

Making reference to the government’s use of the military to arrest Judge Mohamed, Jabir warned that tour operators “are dismayed with the Maldives” and listed overspending, nepotism and uninformed financial decisions as chief grievances against MDP.

Jabir’s party change has not surprised the government.

“Jabir was more interested in protecting his business interests,” Zuhair suggested, adding that financial compensation “was a likely factor” in Jabir’s party switch-over. Jabir was recently awarded a mid-market tourism project in Laamu Gan Asseyri, part of the government’s new tourism initiative.

Zuhair said he believed the MDP party’s infrastructure had been “too tedious” for Jabir as well.

“In MDP you have go through various elections, starting with small councils and going up through the national council, in order to get to the top. Other parties don’t operate like that, I believe. The same night [Jabir] joined [JP] he was appointed deputy leader,” he said.

During his VTV address Jabir announced that a candidate from the JP would contest in the 2013 elections.

Swapping political parties in the Maldives plays much like a game of cards, betting included. Recalling Saeed’s resignation, Zuhair said Jabir had requested MDP “not to tarnish his wife’s good name. The next day, the couple was pushing to start their own political party – like  mum-and-dad shops in the UK,” he explained.

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MP rejects authority of Criminal Court after judge releases armed “I was just cooking” civilian

Today’s Criminal Court hearing for a case involving ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP for Thimmarafushi Mohamed Musthafa was cancelled after the MP refused to accept the court summons on the grounds that the court’s judges were unlawfully appointed.

Musthafa added that Thimarafushi island council had advised against his attending the hearing.

Musthafa’s comment came after the Criminal Court today ordered the release of a man arrested for carrying a knife as protesters spread throughout Male’ on Friday evening.

Hassan Areef, who has prior convictions for violence, was arrested in Henveiru ward by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) before being handed over to police.

Appearing in court today, Areef claimed he had been preparing a meal using a butter knife when he went outside to see the commotion, unintentionally carrying the knife with him, according to local media.

The criminal court accepted Areef’s version and ordered his release. Police have announced their intention to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the court, Musthafa justified his refusal by citing President Mohamed Nasheed’s position that lower court judges were not appointed in accordance with Article 149 of the constitution, therefore their rulings held no legal weight.

According to Article 149, “A person appointed as a Judge in accordance with law, must possess the educational qualifications,  experience  and  recognised competence necessary to discharge the duties and responsibilities of a Judge, and must be of high moral character.”

The article further requires judges to be a Sunni Muslim of at least 25 years of age, who has not been convicted of an offence and is of sound mind.

Musthafa has been charged for bounced cheques.

The MP faces multiple charges of cheque fraud, notably over transactions made by his company Seafood International Pvt Ltd.

Citing deception by food supplier General Meat Ltd, Musthafa threatened legal action against the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) in November if it did not pay the US$500,000 that the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) owed Seafood International.

Musthafa alleged that the sum was due to be paid to his company according to a 1991 London court ruling.

Citing MMA as the “live branch of BCCI in the Maldives,” Musthafa previously stated that “the debt of a dead person has to be paid by a living legal parent. If the MMA does not pay us within seven days we will sue the MMA in court and when we sue, we will ask the court to take the amount of money for the loss we have had for the past 20 years as a cause of not having this money.’’

Meanwhile, a case filed in 2009 by opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Vice President Umar Naseer claims Musthafa must be removed from Parliament due to a decreed debt which is in violation of Article 73(c)1.

The Supreme Court was due to rule on a case against Musthafa on October 20, however proceedings were interrupted when MDP called for a nation-wide protest against the judiciary during an emergency meeting.

Speaking to Minivan News at the time, MDP MP and spokesperson for the party’s Parliamentary Group, Mohamed Shifaz, said judges had been blackmailed and that the party would protest the politicised judiciary indefinitely.

This month, the opposition took up the protest baton and demanded the release of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed from military detention. The Judge was arrested on January 16, 2012. Protestors have demonstrated against the government since that date.

Contending that the judge was lawfully arrested, the government has requested international legal assistance to resolve what has been labelled a “judicial crisis”.

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