Author: Mariyath Mohamed

MPL CEO terminated amidst corruption allegations, appointed Deputy Minister of Transport

Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) Chief Executive Officer Mahdi Imad has been removed from his post by the government, before being appointed as Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications a few hours later.

Imad told local media that although the President’s Office had sent him a letter informing him of his dismissal, no official reasons had been given.

Local media reported earlier this week that the MPL Board of Directors had approved remuneration of MVR 120,000 (US$7800) and MVR 130,000 (US$8400) for the two posts of Managing Director and CEO that Imad filled at MPL.

In addition to this, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) sent a case against Imad to the Prosecutor General (PG) in 2012, on allegations of an act of corruption committed by abusing his powers as Managing Director of MPL.

The ACC alleged that Imad used his influence as Managing Director at MPL to secure a law degree scholarship in Malaysia for an employee who had not completed the required one year term required to qualify.

The ACC stated that Mahdi had secured this scholarship in 2009 despite funding for the course not being included in the year’s allocated budget. The commission also stated that as MD, Mahdi had not presented the opportunity to apply for the course to other employees working in the company at the time.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan last week also liquidated the eight member MPL board, of which Imad was a sitting member.

The board consisted of CEO Mahdi Imad, Mohamed Shiyam, Abdul Matheen Ahmed, Ibrahim Zaki, Riyaz, Ahmed Nasir, Hussain Areef and Mohamed Hashim.

Waheed liquidated the board after the ACC advised him to remove board member Mohamed Shiyam, due to his refusal to provide documents required by the ACC to conduct an investigation into additional corruption allegations concerning MPL.

President’s Office Spokesperson Masood Imad said that the government had not heard officially of any corruption allegations against Mahdi Imad.

“We completely liquidated the board, and the rest of the members have not been given any new appointments. When it comes to Mahdi though, we have no problem with him. So we simply transferred him to another post,” Masood Imad said.

Masood confirmed that Mahdi Imad had been removed from both CEO and MD of MPL.

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Transport Authority to revoke licences of taxis refusing to serve police officers

The Transport Authority of the Maldives (TAM) has said it has received complaints from police officers who have been refused service from some taxis following the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012.

Transport Authority Registrar Ibrahim Nazim told local media that the authority had even recently received a complaint from an officer who had been refused service from a taxi “because he was in uniform.”

TAM confirmed to local media that it was currently working with the police to find the offending vehicle and its driver. Nazim further said the authority had  received complaints about incidents where political ideologies had contributed to creating problems in service provision. He said taxi drivers cannot refuse to serve police or MNDF officers, regardless of their personal sentiments.

“Some taxi drivers have demanded police officers get out of their taxis. They say the car belongs to them. Although the taxi car might be their property, the licence to work as a taxi is granted by the state after all. We will revoke the licence of the taxi we are currently looking for, and we will take against him the strictest measures possible under the law,” Nazim said.

Drivers divided

The issue has divided opinion among taxi centres and drivers. While some said it was the right of the state to revoke licences based on incidents of discrimination, others held it was the drivers’ right to serve whom they will.

“It’s not just police officers who we may at times refuse to be hired by. Sometimes we say no to passengers depending on the destination they might want to go to. We even refuse passengers who are carrying too many food items, as we’d be the ones left to clean out the smell when they leave and it’s just not worth the trouble for MVR 20 a trip,” said Ali Naseer, who has been in the profession for over 12 years.

“I think it’s unreasonable for our licences to be revoked just based on an incidence where one of these passengers we refused turns out to be a policeman. The police and government are just being paranoid because of the little support they enjoy lately.”

Another taxi driver, on condition of anonymity, said: “If we are not comfortable to be closed in a car with a certain person, we won’t let them into our cabs. We see what police are doing to citizens on the streets. Why would we want to be in a closed space with them? Would you feel safe locked up with one of those officers? It is very unfair for the government to cancel our licences just because some of us don’t want to serve officers.”

Meanwhile, others say that as taxiing is a service, they will serve any customer regardless of party affiliation or personality.

“I personally will serve anyone who requests for service, as long as they pay me as is due. This is how we make a living, it’s wrong for the state to even consider cancelling licences just like this,” said Ibrahim Rasheed, a taxi driver who has been in the field for three years.

Another driver said: “Who knows how evil or corrupt some of my customers may be. But that is not my problem. I will just serve all alike, as this is the work I do to earn enough to take care of my family.”

Some drivers feel that the authority is justified to revoke licenses based on incidences where taxis refuse service to certain customers.

“I have seen some of my fellow drivers sometimes refusing to allow even foreigners into their taxis. That is nothing but discrimination. The same can be said when drivers refuse to carry passengers who work for MNDF or police. It is our obligation to serve all people, foreign or local, who live on our soil. I believe the Transport Authority is taking necessary action by cancelling licences of drivers who behave in such unprofessional manner,” said a driver in his 30s, who works for one of the longest-serving taxi centres in the capital.

Many taxi centres confirmed they had so far not received any official communication regarding the matter from a relevant authority.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned on February 7 following a police mutiny, in an alleged coup d’etat. Although a Commonwealth-backed commission of inquiry established under presidential decree by current President Mohamed Waheed declared the transfer of power ‘constitutional’, the Maldives has since been in political turmoil, with the population divided by dissenting political views and ensuing political demonstrations.

Many of the demonstrations have been against police brutality, following a police crackdown on February 8, 2012. Police and army officials are often targeted in these protests as orchestrators of the coup d’etat and are referred to as “baaghee” [traitor] by demonstrators.

Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim, who is also overseeing the Ministry of Transport and Communications currently, was unable to speak to Minivan News at the time of press.

Police Media Official Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef was also not responding to calls.

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President’s Human Rights Ambassador calls on Elections Commission to dissolve “terrorist” MDP

Human Rights Ambassador of the President’s Office Ahmed Ibrahim “Sandhaanu” Didi has called on Elections Commission (EC) President Fuad Thaufeeq to dissolve the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), calling it an “unlawful organisation which commits terrorist activities and attempts to undermine the powers of the state.”

“Fuad Thaufeeq must pronounce the MDP an illegal party and remove it from the political party registry immediately. They shouldn’t be allowed to exist,” he told a press conference on Monday afternoon.

“Article 27 and 32 of the constitution allows freedom of expression and assembly without any limits. However, we must bear in mind that we cannot exercise these rights in a manner which infringes upon the rights of others,” Ibrahim Didi said.

“The roads of Male’ have been in chaos for the past year. One of the groups is calling for early elections, which itself is against our constitution,” he continued.

“I see no reason for there to be dissenting political views. Former President Mohamed Nasheed handed in his resignation on live TV. There should be no questions around this.”

Ibrahim Didi stated that all concerned parties had initially accepted the findings released by the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI), a Commonwealth-backed inquiry commission set in place through presidential decree by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

“If some of these people later decided to go against that stand, we are not obliged to listen to them. If we are to go on like this, the world will come to believe we are fools,” Ibrahim Didi said.

He added the charges against former President and current MDP presidential candidate Nasheed will not become political “just because he and his supporters say so.”

“Even Almighty God loves all of his subjects. But if any of us sins, He will punish as is due. The same law of nature applies to the case at hand,” said the human rights ambassador.

Ibrahim Didi stated that the current MDP protests were unlawful as they are calling on the Prosecutor General (PG) to withdraw charges against Nasheed, which he said was unlawful under the Maldivian constitution.

“If in their protests, the MDP are calling for the charges against Nasheed to be withdrawn, their demands are unlawful as per the constitution. These charges are being pressed by an independent institution. They are calling to undermine the powers of this institution. So I must ask for this party, these people, to be arrested and detained. I am saying this because this party is trying to undermine the powers of the republic and the constitution.”

Ibrahim Didi alleged that MDP supporters had set to the streets “with one objective alone: to undermine the powers of our constitution.”

Ibrahim Didi further spoke about the importance of all political parties having the same views and objectives.

“I cannot believe, in fact, I do not at all want to believe, that there can be anyone with views opposing that of the government. There should be no opposition parties. Everyone should have the same views. There can, however, be parties created to hold the government accountable.”

Ibrahim Didi alleged that “more than political activities, [MDP] is creating havoc on the streets, setting places on fire and creating chaos.”

“Even when their presidential candidate is a criminal, they keep saying no, no, no, we still want him,” Ibrahim Didi said of Nasheed’s supporters.

Ibrahim Didi responded that he “personally held no doubts that Nasheed is a criminal”, when a journalist asked how he could refer to Nasheed as a criminal before the courts ruled on the case.

Elections Commission “disappointed”

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq stated that he was “deeply saddened that a person like Ahmed Ibrahim Didi would call for such an undemocratic act as terminating a political party.”

“The MDP is the largest political party with over 46,000 members. If we add together the membership numbers of the second and third largest parties, DRP and PPM, the total number is approximately equal to the membership of MDP as a single party. Is he asking us to take away the rights of this many citizens?” Thaufeeq said.

“Protesting is a constitutional right granted to all people. That is not a reason to terminate any party. The EC, to date, has not seen any reason to terminate any political party. We are also observing the activities of the parties,” Thaufeeq continued.

“I am appalled that Ahmed Ibrahim Didi would call on us to do such a thing. Since freedom of expression is a constitutional right, anyone can say what they please as long as it aligns with the constitution and Islamic values,” he said.

“Hence, Ibrahim Didi has a right to call for MDP to be terminated, and MDP has a right to call for Nasheed’s trial to be postponed. There is no valid reason here for a party to be terminated.”

No police brutality: HR Ambassador

Ibrahim Didi further stated that he did not believe that the police had committed any acts of brutality in the past year.

“I am very concerned that the Human Rights Commission released a statement saying police have used excessive force. If someone comes at police with a wooden club with excessive force, then police too will respond and go at them with excessive force. One can’t judge these actions unless they are there on the spot,” he stated.

“I saw on DhiTV today that Fuad Thaufeeq has said we can have a free and fair election if we can resolve issues between MDP and the police. This is a highly irresponsible statement,” he said.

“Anyone who speaks against the police are traitors to the nation. People who have problems with the police are all criminals. People from political parties will never have problems with the police,” Ibrahim Didi said.

Vice President of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives Ahmed Tholal said the commission had always called on people to demonstrate peacefully as allowed in the constitution, and the police to exercise restraint.

“Even in an instance where a demonstration becomes violent, I do not believe the state should respond in kind. None of our laws allow any form of violence. Should protesters get violent, then the state should only take proper legal action against the perpetrators. The state cannot at all respond with similar forms of violence as the perpetrators,” Tholal said.

Roles of the Human Rights Ambassador

Ibrahim Didi said that one could compare protests under past administrations to the current protests being held by MDP.

Asked by journalists if, as Human Rights Ambassador, Ibrahim Didi believed the December 2011 protests by the current government aligned parties could be termed “peaceful”, in which protesters uprooted trees and a policeman was attacked with fire, Ibrahim Didi stated that “we are not here to hold a hearing on this” and “we will need to review past protests before commenting on that.”

“Any persons who challenge the constitution, who challenge the judicial system, cannot be termed as a political party. They must be termed an unlawful organisation and must be removed from the political party registry,” Ibrahim Didi responded, when asked if the parties that participated in the December 2011 protests which had called to “topple” the then government should also be terminated for undermining the constitution.

Local media also asked Ibrahim Didi what he, as current Ambassador and previously a strong critic of Gayoom, had done to ensure that justice was delivered for victims of human rights abuses during Gayoom’s 30 year regime.

“I stand by everything I have said about Gayoom’s actions. Even though I am here as an Ambassador for Human Rights, I think it is better if those questions are asked of the commission Nasheed made during his administration to look into those very allegations.”

Ibrahim Didi concluded the press event by stating that he did not accept the judiciary was functioning, saying “these arsonists would not be walking around on our streets freely if the judiciary could perform right.”

“Sheer madness”: MDP

MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy said it was not at Ibrahim Didi’s discretion to terminate a political party, adding that such things were done under certain norms and procedures.

“The MDP is the party that stood up for Ibrahim Didi himself, when he was sentenced to life imprisonment for exercising freedom of expression during Gayoom’s brutal regime. And today has he no shame calling for this party to be terminated?” Fahmy asked.

“It is sheer madness to call for the termination of the country’s largest and first democratic political party. Terminating a political party in this manner is simply not possible in a democratic environment, it is like calling a square a circle. I cannot understand what kind of policies the man is following. It is sheer madness to make remarks like he has made today,” Fahmy said.

“He doesn’t understand the simple concept of the presumption of innocence, and has proceeded to call Nasheed a criminal. In fact, he has today called almost half the population criminals by saying anyone who has issues against the police are criminals,” Fahmy said.

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Police used disproportionate force against MDP protesters: HRCM

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has accused police of using disproportionate force when dispersing Friday night’s demonstrations by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“HRCM is concerned that police have used disproportionate force when dispersing protesters, which caused different levels of injury and damage,” HRCM said in a statement.

The commission noted that male officers had been deployed to arrest female protesters, and had used undue force in making those arrests.

HRCM also stated that police officers had at times “used inappropriate language” during the demonstrations.

Police Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef, while welcoming the remarks of the HRCM, said “We hope HRCM will submit a detailed report, pointing out where and when these things happened, all the details, and then carry out discussions with us on it. We will then look into the issues we feel are necessary.

“However, we believe that we have used proportionate force in all instances during that protest,” Haneef stated.

“Male officers arresting female officers is not prohibited in the Police Act. I do understand that may not be the desired route of action. However, according to the situation at hand, it’s not always logically possible to send officers of the same gender to the scene,” he added.

Children in protests

HRCM also expressed concern that under-age participants were seen at Friday’s protests.

Haneef previously confirmed one minor had been arrested on Friday along with 54 other protesters.

HRCM also alleged some demonstrators acted in a manner which would “create conflicts and harm the peaceful nature of the protest.”

“This commission has also noticed that when broadcasting updates of the protests, some TV channels show news and footage in a manner that distorts the reality of the events that occur,” HRCM said, without naming specific TV channels.

HRCM Vice President Ahmed Tholal was not responding to calls at the time of press.

“Lots of statements, no action”

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has recently complained that the government takes no action even when cases of police brutality and misconduct are forwarded to the Home Ministry.

One officer the PIC accused of misconduct and recommended be suspended following its investigation of the events of February 8, 2012, was instead promoted twice.

“We have already seen a lot of these statements and reports. Some have pointed out many acts of police brutality and the use of excessive force. Why is it that no actions are taken against any of these people?” MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy said, in response to the statement by the HRCM.

“It must be because all these institutions have failed. We can say that the brutality is encouraged by the failure of the institutions. The police are acting with total impunity. The inaction of the institutions is an endorsement of these vile acts,” Fahmy said.

Fahmy also responded to HRCM’s concerns that underage participants had been observed at the protest.

“When the nation has fallen to the state it is in now, everyone, be they young toddlers or the elderly, must come out and take a stand. An innocent action carries warrant. Everyone must come out now,” Fahmy said.

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) meanwhile condemned the protests, with PPM MP Ahmed Mahlouf telling local media they were intended to “create chaos”.

“A number of protests were held during last year. We did not seen the police obstructing protesters during peaceful protests,” Mahlouf said.

Former President and MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed has been taking refuge in the Indian High Commission since February 13 after police sought to arrest him and present him to the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

Nasheed’s supporters and MDP members have since taken to the streets in a series of protests, calling on the state to facilitate an “inclusive free and fair election” where all candidates are allowed to participate.

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“Nations say it will be difficult to accept elections if I cannot contest”: former President Nasheed

Former President and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that India does not wish for the Maldives to have a presidential elections in which any party’s candidate is barred from contesting.

The former President, who returned today from an official visit to the country, said India was concerned that this may lead to unrest in the island nation.

“India wishes for peace in the Maldives. And they see that the way to achieve this is through holding elections after establishing an interim administration,” he claimed.

“Nations are telling me in very clear terms that it will be difficult for them to accept election results if I am barred from contesting,” Nasheed said, speaking to local media upon his arrival from India on Monday afternoon.

Responding to questions as to why he had failed to attend his hearing in the Hulhumale’ Court  scheduled for Sunday, he responded that he “did not believe the trial can be carried on.”

Nasheed was due to attend the second court hearing at the Hulhumale Magistrate Court regarding his controversial arrest of the Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Nasheed insisted that his trial can be put off until after the elections, citing the case of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s trial being postponed until after the country’s elections.

“Those are judicial procedures. That is the norm. That is how the world sees it. If elections in the Maldives are held in any other way, very few in the international sphere will accept the result,” Nasheed said.

Nasheed said that weakened relations between India and Maldives could be strengthened by renewing the agreement for airport development with Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

The developer was given a seven day eviction notice in late November 2012, after the government declared its contract void.

“As I see it, the GMR contract will be renewed before this year’s elections,” Nasheed stated.

Nasheed said that despite the government’s repeated assertions that the Maldives’ relationship with India remained unaffected, ties were becoming increasingly weakened. He said Maldivian citizens were facing more and more difficulties as bilateral ties with India continued to slump.

Although Nasheed did not name any Indian officials, he claimed to have met with relevant authorities in India and held discussions on restrengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

“If we are unable to improve ties, it’s not just visa issues we will be faced with. We might need to deal with difficulties in obtaining much of the construction material or food items we import from India,” said Nasheed.

Nasheed also stated that he would be travelling abroad at the end of February, having accepting an invitation from the Commonwealth Secretary General, and to Denmark under an invitation from the state.

Hundreds of MDP supporters gathered near the jetty and at the airport to greet Nasheed on his arrival.

Minivan News observed that police had cordoned off many of the main roads leading to the jetty area.

An MDP representative claimed a number of MDP members were arrested at the site of the gathering.

Police Media Official Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at the time of press.

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February 7 a failure of all state institutions, DRP: Umar Naseer

Prospective presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Umar Naseer, has said the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012 happened as a result of the failure of all state institutions and the then largest opposition party, Dhivehi Rayiithunge Party (DRP).

“The HRCM (Human Rights Commission of the Maldives) had become an entity which was only good for releasing vague reports. We saw that only the PG was effective in that he did some work and made some strong, solid statements,” Umar said, speaking at a rally titled “In celebration of reclaiming the people’s government”, held by the PPM in celebration of the first anniversary of the change of power.

“The police and the MNDF had their hands tied by [former President Mohamed Nasheed], and could only do as he instructed them to. I’d describe the judges as having been kept kneeling on the ground. Even DRP’s leadership had failed at the time. This is why we had to leave them and form another party. But what I am saying is that at the time, even the opposition had failed,” Umar continued.

“As a result of the failure of all these institutions, the people came out, struggled through tear gas and rubber bullets, and finally succeeded in bringing Nasheed’s government to an end.”

DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom told Minivan News that the party “did not wish to comment on baseless, empty rhetoric.”

Umar told the approximately 600 people gathered at the rally that February 7 had been a result of “the hard work done by PPM members for the three years since November 11, 2008.”

“After having scored the golden goal and winning the match on February 7, our people bore many injuries when they went back home,” Umar said.

“Our people made their way through rubber bullets. Our people were hit by rubber bullets. Our people were admitted to hospital. Some of our people broke arms and legs. Many of them were arrested,” Umar stated.

“Many said to our people: ‘You won’t be able to do this’, but our people ignored these pessimistic remarks, ignored the pain they were in, and went forward to succeed.”

Citizens, police, MNDF changed government: Umar Naseer

Naseer alleged that had Nasheed’s administration not been toppled on February 7, Nasheed would have set in place “plans he had made to completely destroy the judiciary on February 8.”

Naseer alleged that Nasheed had planned to sideline the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) and instead replace it with a self-appointed Judicial Reform Commission.

“The President’s Office has a copy of a circular that Nasheed had signed and prepared for release. This circular shows that he had made up a Judicial Reform Commission to which he had appointed Mariya [Ahmed Didi, former Chairperson and MP of MDP] as head, and other party officials who would do his bidding. He planned to have judges take oath in front of this commission instead of the JSC, and to declare that any judge who did not would no longer be allowed in our courts.”

Naseer compared the events of February 7 to other historical events in the Maldives.

“The day was similar to when the Portuguese tried to force alcohol down the throats of Maldivians. Bodu Thakurufaanu and his allies had come to Male’ and saved the country then. February 8 was about to become a day like this, but the people saved the country by toppling Nasheed on February 7,” Umar suggested.

“Even the Chief Justice was scared and apprehensive, not knowing just when Nasheed would send security forces to arrest him,” he alleged.

“The most ordinary people of this country came out and changed the government a year ago. They included police, MNDF soldiers and general citizens,” Naseer stated.

“February 7 didn’t happen due to any greatness of ours. It was a victory granted by the Almighty Allah. Of course, Allah only grants victory when some humans put in an effort, which is what we did.”

Legal action against Nasheed must be hurried: Naseer

Naseer further said that the state institutions were “once again leaning back on their hind legs” and failing to take legal action against Nasheed.

“The arson attacks on February 8 were the largest of their kind in the country’s history. It must be called the ‘big flame’. That day wouldn’t have come if this government had taken strong action against Nasheed. We would have been able to save so much then,” Naseer said, criticised the current government of which PPM is also part.

“But then, our government was very new at the time. It had suddenly ascended to power and had a lot of matters to settle. Maybe that’s why they failed to take necessary action.”

Naseer then said that the institutions were once again failing to function as mandated, citing their “failure to take action against the MDP who are orchestrating street protests and yelling near houses.”

“Mohamed Nasheed still comes out onto the streets. He does as he pleases. He says what he pleases. He goes to foreign countries. He is even destroying our tourism. He is calling out for various action to be taken against us. He is able to do all this, in my view, because our institutions continue to fail us. Please don’t let this happen,” Naseer said.

“Remember that this victory is only temporary. We will only have fully succeeded when we win the 2013 elections. PPM will do all possible to ensure this,” Umar said.

“But as our party does this work, I call on all state institutions, the Attorney General, Prosecutor General, judges in all the courts, to keep in mind the ‘big flame’ incident of February 8 and take necessary action against its perpetrators,” Naseer said.

“Most importantly, I call on them to very quickly look into Nasheed’s arrest of Abdulla Ghazee [Abdulla Mohamed, Chief Judge of the Criminal Court] and to take whatever possible legal action against him soon,” Naseer said, concluding his speech.

President’s Office Spokesperson Ahmed Thaufeeq was not responding to calls at the time of press. HRCM Vice President Ahmed Tholal and Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz were also not responding to calls, as was MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor and MP Mariya Ahmed Didi.

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MDP holds ‘Black March’ against police brutality

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held a march attended by nearly 10,000 supporters in the capital city on Friday to mark the anniversary of February 8, 2012, when police were accused of committing many acts of brutality against its supporters.

The march is one of a series of rallies being held weekly on Friday afternoons, but stood out due to the huge number of participants and the theme of black worn by most marchers to mark a year since the controversial transfer of power.

Many of the party’s senior officials marched on the front lines. MDP MPs Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Ali Waheed,  Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, Mohamed Nazim, Mohamed Rasheed and Ahmed Sameer were among the leaders who participated.

Former Deputy President of the party Alhan Fahmy also participated in Friday’s march. Fahmy last year signed with Jumhooree Party (JP) and has been vocal against the MDP and its leadership. Minivan News observed some of the participants shouting ‘baaghee’ (traitor) upon Fahmy’s entrance to the rally grounds.

“The MDP is an open, liberal party. Incidents like this test our liberal attitude. We are able to be diplomatic and liberal, anyone can join these rallies. But then of course, people will have reservations about these things,” Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said.

MP Alhan Fahmy was not responding to calls at the time of press.

The marchers, under the banner “I condemn the coup d’etat'”, marched against police brutality and impunity. Starting near the MDP rally site – currently locked down by the police under a High Court order – the march proceeded on the same route as it took a year ago.

The demonstrators came up against a police blockade halfway into the march, near the local market area, and forced their way through two separate police lines to approach the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) area.

Demonstrators came to a halt about 10 feet from the final police cordon, which blocked entry into the Republican Square. The march then took a detour through side streets and reconvened on Fareedhee Magu.

Minivan News did not observe any physical confrontations between demonstrators and security forces, who maintained a high presence in the area.  However, Minivan News journalists were initially refused entry behind the police lines despite other media personnel active in the area.

The demonstrators continued to shout slogans against police, and many held placards with messages against the “coup government” and police brutality.

The march concluded back near the MDP’s protest site at Usfasgandu. Some senior MDP officials spoke to the gathered crowds before the rally ended.

Speaking at the rally, MP Ali Waheed said the MDP would henceforth come out to protest with the attitude of “an eye for an eye”, and that the current “coup government has 30 days to do what they will. The MDP will start our most intense actions within this time.”

“The numbers we saw today are far more than what we saw even on February 8 last year. I believe people now have a higher resolve to bring an end to this coup,” said MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor.

“I believe protests will become more aggressive in future. People are fed up of  the blatant impunity with which the police operate,” Hamid said, but added that any resistance would “happen within the framework of rule of law.”

Some acted against the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act: police

Police have said that four police officers were injured due to demonstrators throwing objects at them and had to seek medical attention.They further said that the police were analysing video footage taken during the march to identify the perpetrators of these acts, and that legal action would be taken against them.

“Some of the protesters had their faces covered, while some also damaged the chains on the MNDF monument near the National Monument. These are acts which go against the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act,” Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz stated at a press briefing held Friday night.

Nawaz noted that parliament members had also participated in the march, adding “MPs should know that such events should be conducted within the legal framework. They should also demonstrate this to other people.”

Police have called on the public to demonstrate within the rights and freedoms granted by Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act and the Constitution of the Maldives.

The Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Act is a bill redefining restrictions on assembly which was recently ratified by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Meanwhile, MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor stated that the party had noticed that police had exercised more restraint during today’s march in comparison with recent other demonstrations of the same calibre.

“We noticed that police were in a more rational mood,” Ghafoor said, “They were not confrontational despite protesters getting rather aggressive.”

“People’s attitudes are one notch higher when it comes to standing up against police impunity. People are getting more impatient. There is an overall lack of respect for the police institution,” Ghafoor said.

“I think this is people’s way of showing that we’ve had enough. Groups of police would muscle into crowds and drag away people they hand-picked. I think people have crossed the threshold into no longer accepting such acts, and not accepting police brutality and police impunity any more.”

Similar demonstrations took place at the same time on Friday on other islands across the Maldives, including the islands of Kudafaree and Velidhoo.

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Optimistic about democratic future, “despite a few hiccups”: President Waheed

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has stated that he is considering contesting in the upcoming presidential elections “in view of the current achievements and the general reading [he] gets from the public,” adding, however, that “much work has still to be done during the next few months.”

Although the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has previously stated that Waheed could contest as the party’s candidate if he became a member, local media has recently reported that Waheed is considering running through his own 3217-member strong Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP).

GIP has recently announced that it is seeking to form coalitions with other political parties.

“Democracy is in its infancy [in the Maldives]. Despite a few hiccups, I am very optimistic about our democratic future,” Waheed stated in an interview with AFP, one year following the contentious transfer of power on February 7, 2012.

Waheed, who was Vice President during the previous administration, was sworn in as President after former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned following street protests and a police mutiny.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has maintained that the transfer of power was brought about through a coup d’etat. However, the Commission of National Inquiry(CNI), a Commonwealth-backed inquiry established by Waheed, concluded that the transfer of power was legal.

The credibility of the CNI report is now being challenged by parliament’s Executive Oversight Committee, after six of the country’s most senior police and military intelligence figures testified that none of their evidence was included in the final report. All six have since been suspended or dismissed.

Nasheed, again the presidential candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has an ongoing trial against him for the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed. The MDP contend that the charges are a politically motivated attempt to prevent him from contesting the election.

According to AFP, Waheed said his full year in office was “marked by ‘inclusiveness’, while rejecting opposition claims that he was stifling individual freedoms and had become a hostage of Islamic extremists.”

During the past year, Waheed has ratified the “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly” bill, which redefines limitations on assembly and political gatherings.

MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor previously alleged that the ratification of the said bill was “a direct response to the MDP’s proposed revolution.”

“We are not happy with this bill, and on principle alone we are against it. The current government feels the need to restrict freedom of expression and unwind the democratic gains of this country,” Ghafoor alleged.

“As our honeymoon with democracy nears its end, I am convinced that a new model for true democracy will glow from these islands,” Waheed said.

In response to Waheed’s remarks, Ghafoor said that Waheed seemed to be in “a state of total denial.”

“Waheed became president through a coup d’etat, completely wrecked our economy, made a pact with the Islamists, caused foreign investors to lose confidence, and inflation is rocketing. He has done everything a liberal democratic leader would never do,” Ghafoor alleged.

Correction: An earlier version on this article mistakenly reported that GIP has 2099 members. The party has 3217 members.

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Islamic Minister calls on state to withdraw all cases against religious scholars

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali has called on the state to withdraw all court cases filed against Islamic scholars during past administrations.

“The cases filed against scholars during past administrations often involve charges for preaching religious advice without permits,” Shaheem told local media SunOnline.

“There are some charges previously filed against certain scholars, for example Sheikh [Ibrahim] Fareed. The charges against him are for preaching without a permit. I have spoken with Sheikh Fareed about this matter. In my capacity as Islamic minister, I call on the relevant authorities of the government to withdraw cases like this. These are very hurtful charges. Such charges should not be allowed to be levied against university educated, capable scholars, especially not under the current constitution,” Shaheem said.

Shaheem said that in a time where freedom to preach religion is exercised so freely, it is the duty of scholars to “invite people to religion to the extent of their capabilities” and that they should be granted that freedom as long as they do not make any statement which goes against Islam.

“Now, if they start giving out ‘fatwa’s, giving out judgements on what is ‘haram’ or ‘halal’ and speaking against the principles of Sharia, then action against them can be taken under the Religious Unity Act. I, however, cannot agree that there must be charges against someone for simple religious preaching, like asking people to go pray or pay alms,” Shaheem stated.

Speaking about scholars who held different views on religious matters, Shaheem said that such differences should be sorted through peaceful dialogue, and not through jail sentences and torture.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has previously held meetings to resolve dissenting opinions on religious matters, under the name of ‘Scholar’s Dialogue’.

Shaheem was travelling and unable to speak at the time of press.

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