Author: Ahmed Rilwan

Maldives to hold Free Palestine rally

The Maldives has condemned Israel’s continuing offensive on Gaza and called for an immediate cease-fire as Malé prepares for a Free Palestine Rally today.

“Israel must stop the invasion of Gaza, it should stop the killing, the airstrikes, and declare a cease-fire, and start dialogue with Palestine,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, over 12,000 Maldivians have pledged to attend a Free Palestine Rally in Malé tonight. The event has received support from across the political spectrum.

Youth leaders of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), pro-government Jumhooree Party and Adhaalath Party and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held a joint press conference on Monday and called on supporters to attend the rally.

Event organizer, Hamna Waheed said the rally aims to show solidarity with the people of Palestine and opposition to the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

“There won’t be any speeches. We are gathering to express solidarity with Palestinian people, to stand against Israeli attacks on Gaza. We are standing just like many others around the world,” she said.

The march is to begin at 9:30 pm in front of the Social Center in Malé and will end at the Cricket Stadium with a prayer for the people of Gaza.

Organizers have requested supporters to wear black and white.

A rally is to be held in the country’s second most populous atoll Addu at 4:00 pm today.

Solidarity

While welcoming the UN Security Council’s call for a ceasefire, Dunya also said the council “needs to make stronger decisions as provided for by the UN Charter to stop Israeli aggression in Palestine.”

She also called on Israel to “heed the international community’s calls and respect international humanitarian law” and demanded the international community intensify efforts to cease the violence in Gaza.

Urging the international community to find a stable and lasting solution to the crisis, Dunya reiterated Maldives’ support for a two state solution through dialogue.

Opposition MP and former Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid has urged the government to use Maldives’ position in the UN Human Rights Council to act against the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

President Abdulla Yameen phoned Palestinian President Dr Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday and condemned “Israel’s inhuman actions in killing many innocent citizens of Palestine.”

Yameen pledged to do all necessary in the international arena to aid Palestinians.

Abbas thanked Yameen for the call and thanked the people of Maldives for their solidarity with Palestine, the President’s Office said.

Opposition rally

The government’s reaction came after opposition criticism over inaction.

On July 10, opposition leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed called on all human rights defenders to raise their voice against “indiscriminate killings in Gaza” and requested all Maldivian to speak out against Israel’s “inhumane acts in Gaza.”

MDP’s national council held a rally on July 12 in Malé protesting the attacks on Gaza and condemning the government’s silence on the matter.

Subsequently, Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer has requested the Commissioner of Police to investigate and prosecute protesters who gathered near Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed’s residence during the rally.

The Freedom of Assembly Act, enacted following the controversial power transfer of 2011, prohibits protests against individuals at their private residences, the Home Ministry said.

Twitter exchange

Opposition leaders and supporters have also criticised the religious Adhaalath Party for failing to mention the conflict during the sermon in Friday prayers on July 11.

Shaheem responded in a tweet on the same day stating the sermon included a general prayer for victory over enemies of Muslims and on July 13 said a special prayer for Palestine will be included in the sermon on July 18.

The Adhaalath Party – of which the Islamic minister Shaheem is a member – also announced the establishment of a Gaza Relief Fund on July 12.

Nasheed in a tweet on the same day said it is “unwise” to donate for a fund established by Adhaalath Party without receiving the expenditure details of the “Mosque Fund” set up by the Islamic Ministry.

A heated exchange ensued on Twitter, with Shaheem claiming the fund’s expenditures were shared with the People’s Malis and media, and implied Nasheed had left the country to avoid the MDP’s rally that night.

“Nasheed cannot tolerate any action against the Jews in Maldives,” he said.

Nasheed accused Shaheem of lying and said he had left the country on an emergency medical trip on July 7, three days before the call for protest.

According to figures publicised by Shaheem, the Mosque Fund received MVR 21.5 million in donations and spent MVR 14.9 million as of July 2013.

Nasheed on Monday said the MDP is ready to go defend Gaza, and said he believed there is no reason that Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) should not go to Gaza in Palestinian’s defence.

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Maldives acted under its own laws in Seleznyov expulsion, says US Embassy

The Maldives acted under its own laws in the expulsion of Russian national Roman Valerevich Seleznyov, the US Embassy in Colombo has said.

Seleznyov, 30 years, was reportedly about to board a flight to Moscow after holidaying in the Maldives when he was arrested from the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

He was then transported to Guam Island with the help of the US Secret Service. Seleznyov is the son of Russian parliamentarian Valery Seleznyov.

Russia has earlier called Seleznyov’s arrest a “kidnapping” by the US Secret Service and described the actions of Maldivian authorities in the incident as “outraging.”

A spokesperson with the US Embassy in Colombo said Seleznyov was detained by the Maldivian authorities “following the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice” in relation to indictments relating to bank and computer fraud that affected thousands of American citizens.

“This was a law enforcement action, and was based solely on law enforcement considerations. The indictment in this case was returned on March 2011, and thus long predates any current issues involving Russia and the United States. It has nothing to do with any of those issues. Nor was this a ‘kidnapping’ or in any way illegal,” the US Embassy said.

Seleznyov “was arrested following his expulsion from another country, acting under its own laws. He was advised of his rights and given consular notification. These actions also were in no way inconsistent with any treaty arrangements with Russia.”

The Maldives Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also claimed Seleznyov’s “expulsion” was in response to a Interpol red notice and said the government followed due process.

President Abdulla Yameen has also dismissed claims of a US Secret Service operation on Maldivian soil as baseless.

During a press conference at Muleeage on Wednesday night, he said the arrest was not prompted by a request from the US.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has accused the government of flouting due process in Seleznyov’s arrest.

In a statement on Wednesday, the party said that personnel of Maldivian security services must make arrests within Maldivian territory and a warrant from a Maldivian Court must be obtained for such seize-and-arrest operations.

Further, the suspect should also be produced at the relevant court in Maldives prior to repatriation, the party said.

The MDP has also expressed concern the incident may have adverse effects on trade and tourism.

Russia is currently the fifth in terms of the number of tourist arrivals to Maldives, with more than thirty three thousand tourist arrivals within the first five months of 2014.

Yameen said he hoped the Seleznyov incident would not affect bilateral relations with Russia and said the government is already working on relieving tensions between the two countries.

A high level delegation from the Maldives, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Fathimath Inaya, met with officials from the Russian Embassy to Sri Lanka and Maldives in Colombo today to explain details of the incident.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Inaya told Russian officials that the Maldives is certain this incident would not severe bilateral relations with Russia.

The Russian officials have said the country is prepared to work with Maldives in preventing any future incidents, the ministry said.

Other members in the delegation include s the High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka Zahiya Zareer, Deputy Attorney General Ahmed Usham and the Chief Superintendent of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) Mohamed Riyaz.

In its statement today, the US also denied Russia’s allegation that the arrest was a violation of a bilateral treaty on mutual legal assistance between the two countries.

The move was “in no way inconsistent with any treaty arrangements with Russia,” the embassy said.

Further, Seleznyov was advised of his rights and given consular notification, the US added.

The US has thanked the Maldives government for their commitment to other Interpol member states, and thanked them for the support “in pursuing justice for the victims of these crimes.”

President Yameen has pledged to introduce legislation on extradition within the coming week.

The Maldives has signed a number of extradition treaties with other nations, but they are not being enforced due to the lack of necessary legislations, Yameen said.

The Maldives does not have an extradition treaty with the United States at present.

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Seleznyov ‘expelled’ on Interpol red notice, says Home Ministry

With additional reporting by Zaheena Rasheed.

Russian national Roman Valerevich Seleznyov was expelled from the Maldives in response to an Interpol red notice, the Ministry of Home Affairs has said.

Seleznyov, 30-years-old, was on holiday in the Maldives and was arrested from the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) on July 5 minutes before he boarded a flight to Moscow. Seleznyov is the son of Russian parliamentarian Valery Seleznyov.

The Maldives Police Service followed due process in expelling Seleznyov, the Home Ministry said.

“As Interpol is the biggest international police institution and the Maldives has been a member of the Interpol since 1984, the government of Maldives considers Interpol red notices issued to be of high priority and takes serious action [regarding such notices].”

The ministry also said the Maldives respects international treaties it is party to and strives to sustain relations with friendly nations.

The Interpol official website describes the red notice as one that “seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action.”

However, statements from both the United States and the Russian governments indicates the arrest was made by the US Secret Service. Maldives does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Seleznyov is accused of bank fraud, identity theft, and other cyber crimes.

Russia has called Seleznyov’s arrest a “kidnapping” and described the actions of Maldivian authorities in the incident as “outraging”.

Minivan News was unable to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of Immigration and Emigration today said the institution was unaware of the incident.

Due process

Meanwhile, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has urged the government to accord due process and credible judicial mechanisms in repatriating suspects.

It also appealed to the Russian government to exercise restraint.

The government violated the constitution in Seleznyov’s arrest, claimed the party, noting that the suspect was immediately transported by officials of the third country out of Maldives jurisdiction, despite the law requiring arrests within Maldivian territory to be made by local security personnel.

“The Maldivian Democratic Party notes that the Maldivian Constitution stipulates for arrests within Maldivian territory to be made by personnel of Maldivian security services. It is also a judicial requirement for security services including the Police to procure a warrant from a Maldivian Court for such seize-and-arrest operations and that the suspect is produced at the relevant Court in Maldives prior to repatriation,” the statement read.

“The Maldivian Democratic Party deplores the fact that the government had unnecessarily projected the state as powerless and the view that the government had undermined the Maldives Constitution with blatant disregard to concerns of individual rights of tourists who visit Maldives.”

The government’s “negligent and high handed tactics” may have adverse effects on trade and tourism, the MDP said.

The opposition party has reiterated its calls for urgent judicial reform and called on local and foreign institutions to prevail over the Maldives government to “foster overdue judicial reforms and establish judicial mechanisms for Police and government officials to cease and desist from deliberate denials of due process.”

Russia’s reaction

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said they were not informed of the arrest and called on the Maldives to provide necessary explanations.

“The stance of Maldives’ authorities cannot be but outraging, since despite the existing international legislation norms they allowed another country’s special service to kidnap a Russian citizen and take him out of the country,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“It is not the first time that the US side resorts to the de-facto abduction of a Russian national ignoring the bilateral 1999 treaty on mutual legal assistance” the Russian ministry was quoted as saying in international media.

Russia has also compared the incident with two earlier extradition cases, one of arms dealer Viktor Bout and attempted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko, stating that they too were “forcibly taken to the U.S. from third countries and convicted on dubious charges.”

Speaking to Russian media, Roman Seleznyov’s father has warned Russians against visiting Maldives.

“You see how unsafe is there. One may be kidnapped in front of his wife and child,” he was quoted as saying. He said he is unable to contact his son, and claimed the US authorities are denying his rights.

“They took him to Guam because American law is not fully applicable there” he was quoted as saying.

In September 2013 Russia issued a travel advisory cautioning its citizens to avoid countries where US law enforcement can arrest and extradite it’s citizens.

Arrest and Charges

According to the Unites States, Seleznyov was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service and was transported to Guam Island – a US territory in the western Pacific – where he was presented at court. He is under detention until a second hearing on July 22.

US Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Jenny A. Durkan, in a statement thanked the US Secret Service for apprehending Selenyov.

“Cyber crooks should take heed: you cannot hide behind distant keyboards. We will bring you to face justice,” said Durkin, who also heads the Justice Department’s Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Enforcement Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.

According to the statement Seleznyov was indicted in March 2011 in the Western District of Washington for hacking into point of sale systems at retailers throughout the United States between October 2009 and February 2011.

He is said to be involved in the criminal underground for carding (verifying validity of stolen credit card data), where he is known as “Track2”.

Seleznev is accused of engaging in a bank fraud scheme, hacking into retail POS systems and installing malicious software on them to steal credit card numbers. He is also accused of creating and operated infrastructure – among the servers that hosting carding forum websites selling stolen credit card numbers.

“The arrest of Roman Seleznev is yet another example of how the Secret Service continues to successfully combat data theft and financial crimes,” said Robert Kierstead, Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service Seattle Field Office.

“The Secret Service utilized state-of-the-art investigative techniques to dismantle this criminal network.  Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of the extraordinary work of our investigators and our close work with our network of law enforcement partners.”

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Government lacks vision or policy for fisheries, says MDP

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned President Abdulla Yameen’s fishery policies, claiming fish catch has been decreasing since the party was ousted from power in February 2012.

The government “lacks any policy or vision” regarding the fisheries sector, the MDP said in a statement on Monday.

Fishing is the Maldives’ third largest industry after tourism and construction.

“The MDP expresses concern over declining profits for fishermen and condemns the government’s neglect of the fisheries sector,” the MDP said.

In its statement, the MDP compared statistics from when the party was in power to past two years and claimed there has been a significant decline in fish exports.

Mariculture exports increased from 340 tons to 919 tons in 2012, but declined to 773 tons in 2013, the MDP said.

Packaged and canned fish exports stood at 6000 tons per year between 2008 and 2011 but declined to 2204 tons in 2012 and 1907 tons in 2013.

Yameen’s decision to reinstate import duty on diesel has caused “great loss” to fishermen, the MDP said. The duty was discontinued during MDP’s term.

The MDP has also accused the government of opening up the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for “trawling in the name of long-line fishing.”

The party also expressed concern over declining fish prices since Yameen took power and condemned the government’s failure to fulfill a pledge to hand out MVR 10,000 (US$ 648) to every fisherman regardless of fish catch.

On November 28, local fish exporters announced they would be reducing fish prices paid to local fishermen following a drop in global fish prices.

The government reneged on the pledge to provide cash handouts and offered an insurance scheme instead. Fishermen must pay a premium to the government during months where fishing is good in order to be eligible for an allowance during lean months.

The party claimed the government has discontinued the monthly fisheries report, which details of the daily catch from the Islands, to hide the truth

Neither the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Mohamed Shainee nor media officials were responding to calls at the time of press.

However, a Fisheries Ministry media official told local news agency Vnews that the report is available online.

Despite this claim the monthly report was unavailable on the ministry and only website had annual ‘Basic Fisheries Statistics‘, the last of which was published for the year 2012.

According to the Maldives Monetary Authority, fish purchases declined by 18 percent between January and May as compared to the same period in 2013.

However, the volume and earnings from fish exports increased in April 2014 when compared to April 2013, mainly due to increase in export of fresh and chilled yellowfin tuna.

While tourism is the Maldives’ largest economic sector, indirectly responsible for up to 70 percent of GDP and up to 90 percent of foreign exchange, fisheries is the country’s largest employer at over 40 percent.

The total fish catch has been declining each year since 2006 reaching 83.1 thousand metric tonnes in 2011, leading to fears about the impact of climate change and overfishing by better equipped fishing fleets on the borders of the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The European Union in November 2013 declined to extend the duty-free status of imported fish from the Maldives, following the country’s failure to comply with international conventions concerning freedom of religion.

The Maldives exports 40 percent of its US$100 million fishing industry to the EU, its single largest export partner by value.

Before January 2014 those exports are duty-free under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program, a non-reciprocal trade agreement extended to developing countries.

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Finance Committee approves reallocating southern flats to Hulhumalé

Parliament’s finance committee has approved President Abdulla Yameen’s proposal to relocate 704 out of 1,500 housing units, planned for the southern four atolls, to Hulhumalé.

The 1,500 housing units were originally planned to be constructed in Gaaf Alif, Gaaf Dhaal, Fuvahmulah, and Addu City with a MVR2.5 billion (US$162 million) loan secured from the Chinese EXIM bank under President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration.

The request to move 704 units to Hulhumalé was first made by President Dr Mohamed Waheed in December 2012, but denied by parliament at the time.

President Yameen, who has pledged to develop a ‘youth city’ in Hulhumalé with a population of 50,000, recently requested the same change, stating there is “no need at present” to build more than 796 housing units in the southern atolls under the project.

Yameen’s request, which was approved on Monday by the finance committee, has now been sent to the Majlis floor for approval.

At Monday’s committee meeting, the proposition to approve the request was made by ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Riyaz Rasheed who said it was not feasible to develop all the units in the southern atolls.

He proposed to accept the president’s request and to pass a report compiled by the previous Majlis’ finance committee, in response to President Waheed’s request in 2012.

The report states that the committee approves the decision to relocate housing units from four southern atolls to Malé because the Ministry of Housing has said in a letter that this decision was made after a ‘housing needs assessment’ in those atolls.

The 13 member committee has six members from the ruling PPM, two from the Jumhooree Party (JP) and one member from the ruling coalition party the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).

However, the decision was met with fierce opposition from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who have four MPs in the committee.

Addu city’s Maradhoo MP Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef from the MDP proposed to seek further information on the issue by summoning Minister of Housing and Minister of Housing to the committee, but the motion received just three votes in favor.

Shareef accused the government of trying to isolate islands other than Malé and described the decision to relocate housing units as a betrayal of Addu people.

He said the initial plan to develop all 1,500 units in the southern atolls was also based on a feasibility study and a proposal by the MDP administration and was focused on relieving congestion in Male’ area.

Responding to Shareef’s comments, PPM’s Addu Feydhoo MP Ibrahim Didi said the government is not acting against Addu people and he has no objection to the government decision as Feydhoo does not have space for the construction of those housing units.

MDP parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Solih said the party has no issue with the government changing projects to fit their policies, but the concern is over not knowing the details of the justification for such a change.

The issue of regional disparities in development were highlighted in the UNDP’s Human Development Index report which argued that regional inequalities remained a “major challenge” towards human development.

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Crimes reported in first half of 2014 drop by six percent

The number of crimes reported to the Maldives Police Services in first half of 2014 has dropped by nearly six percent compared to the previous year, police statistics have revealed.

The total number of crimes reported within the first six months of 2013 was 7746, while this year it has come down to 7292 cases.

While there were reductions in all major categories of crimes reported, the most significant drops were seen in counterfeit and forgery case, and domestic violence.

Counterfeit and forgery cases – the least reported category of crime – dropped by nearly 38 percent, from 69 cases in 2013 to 43 in 2014.

The number of domestic violence cases lodged with police fell from 120 in 2013 to just 94 cases in 2014 – a fall of nearly 22 percent.

The number of domestic violence cases lodged at the police annually had been increasing gradually since 2010.

Local women’s NGO Hope For Women last year said the anti-domestic violence legislation enacted in 2012 did very little to improve the situation for victims of such crimes.

The organisation said that while the police were prepared for its implementation, but lack of mechanisms still left the force handicapped.

According to the police statistics, reported sexual offenses cases also dropped from 341 to 316 within the first six months of this year.

Theft – the most reported crime in both years – saw the second greatest reduction, with 3113 cases in 2013 to 2893 cases. Meanwhile, robbery cases increased by more than nine percent.

Drugs, the second most reported crime, dropped by approximately two percent – from 1974 in 2013 to 1929 this year. Assault cases were came down from 659 to 602 cases, while road traffic cases dropped from 1188 to 1156.

Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed has said that reduced number of cases in the first six months was the result of the force’s special efforts to reduce crime with targeted objectives included in the MPS strategic plan and the annual business plan.

A survey published by ‘Transparency Maldives‘ earlier this year revealed a lack of public confidence in state institutions – including the police.

In the survey conducted among 1000 randomly selected individuals, 32 percent stated they had “no confidence at all” in the police, while the same number of individuals said they had a ‘great deal of confidence’ in them.

A UNDP sponsored human rights survey published by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives in 2013 also revealed dissatisfaction with police services.

Approximately 32 percent of respondents were not satisfied with the police services. When asked what it was they were dissatisfied with, they mentioned the failure to deal with crimes, inability to contact in times of need, bias, torture and corruption.

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Kurendhoo and Fulidhoo erosion threatens communities

Both Vaavu Fulidhoo and Lhaviyani Kurendhoo are suffering the impacts of increased coastal erosion and Udha waves as the south-west monsoon season continues.

Vaavu atoll Fulidhoo Council has said it is about to lose the island’s football stadium, while the local graveyard on Kurendhoo is now just 15 feet from the encroaching waves.

Fulidhoo has already lost its cultural center and a 50 foot tower – erected as a navigation guide for vessels traveling within the atoll – to erosion, says the council.

It estimates that approximately 350-400 feet of soil has been eroded so far, with the erosion speeding up following the 2004 tsunami and accelerating every south-west monsoon since then.

Council President Moosa Faiz says the sea is now around just six feet away from the Dhiraagu telecommunications tower, with the power cable already in the water. At the current rate of erosion, he expects it to fall before this monsoon ends.

“Now the only option we have is to move the cable into the football stadium, but the youth and general public do not want this. Some are asking how long before we move the tower into the stadium?”

The council has instead opted to keep the cable as it is – in the sea – and to the electricity to the tower for safety.

With no sufficient funds at their disposal to protect the beach, the council traveled to the capital Malé city last month, meeting with nine different government ministries and Dhiraagu without a gaining a positive response, Faiz continued.

The council has now started requesting assistance from nearby tourist resorts.

Meanwhile the island is being approached by Udha waves from the northern side of the island which last month encroached 100 feet into the island, rather than the usual 10 0r 20.

“People were afraid this time,” explained the council president.

Kurendhoo

Approximately 114 miles north of Fulidhoo, the island of Kurendhoo in Lhaviyani atoll is also facing increasing land erosion.

The northern side of the island is eroding at a fast pace, leaving the only graveyard on the island within 15 feet of being taken by the ocean.

The erosion has accelerated in the past three years, with 15-20 feet of sand already washed away by the sea on Kurendhoo.

A Kurendhoo council official said that part of the beach was reclaimed earlier during the harbor construction approximately ten years ago, but all this had all now been washed into the sea.

The previous council had tried unsuccessfully to control the erosion by placing concrete blocks and stones at the area.

The council’s only hope at the moment is the now- stalled harbor project of the island, which includes a 309 meter rock revetment, the construction of a 207 meter concrete quay-wall, and a 582 meter Rock Armour Breakwater.

The MVR40 million project was handed over to Maldives Transport and Construction Company in March 2013 and was expected to be completed with a year.

Kurendhoo also faced Udha waves from the southern side of the island in this season, affecting approximately four houses and flooding the streets.

Possible causes

The Kurendhoo council president believes that beach erosion on his island could be related to the construction of the harbor at the thundi side of the island where sand naturally comes and goes from the beach.

These moving sands, which some locals call the ‘dancing thundi’ are an important part of the natural system which forms and sustains the islands, may have been interrupted by human interference.

The Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) Senior Environment Analyst Rifath Naeem said that this is very likely to be an underlying reason for the increasing number of islands with chronic beach erosion.

“Sometimes construction of harbors or other development activity could throw off the balance in this system. When the complex dynamics and equilibrium of sand movement are affected by such activity, it could increase accretion or erosion of beaches. What’s happening to the beach of one island could affect that of another island in that same reef.” He said.

Since the establishment of the agency, all development projects are carried out with an Environment Impact Assessment, but Rifath said this information may not be enough considering how complex these systems are.

While this assessment minimizes the negative environmental impact, he said, to fully grasp the complex systems at work and minimize impact further would require a lot more time and work.

“Chronic erosion has been going on for a while now, both on inhabited and uninhabited islands. But lately the number of reports we receive have increased significantly along with reports of other environmental issues such as salt water intrusion and changes in rainfall,” he said.

At the moment there is not enough data to say clearly that it is in fact an increase in erosion or just an increase in reporting, he explained, if it is caused by human intervention or if it is a direct impact of climate change.

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EC reinstates dissolved political parties as per SC order

The Elections Commission (EC) has reinstated eight small political parties on the Supreme Court’s advice.

The commission had dissolved the eight parties in February as they did not have a membership of 3,000 as required by a Supreme Court modification of the Political Party Act.

However, the Supreme Court subsequently sacked Elections Commission President Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz for disobedience to order and contempt of court.

The EC sought the apex court’s advice and following a letter on June 12, the EC has now decided to reinstate the Islamic Democratic Party, Maldivian Social Democratic Party, Social Liberal Party, People’s Party, Maldivian National Congress, People’s Alliance, Maldivian Labor Party and Dhivehi Qaumee Party.

The number of registered political parties in Maldives now stands at fourteen.

Political Parties Act

The People’s Majlis passed the Political Parties Act in December 2012. Article 11 of the act required a minimum of 10,000 members requests for party registration, while Article 8 (b) gave parties with less than 10,000 members a three month period to increase membership or face dissolution.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan – whose own Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP) was facing dissolution – refused to ratify the bill. But on March 5 2013, with unanimous support from both parliament’s minority leader and majority leader, the Majlis overruled the presidential veto and forced the the bill  into law.

In the same month the Elections commission dissolved eleven registered political parties under the Act.

Within days Attorney General Azima Shakoor asked the Supreme Court to declare existing smaller political parties could not be dissolved. The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) also intervened in the case.

In September 2013, the SC voided articles 11 and 8 (b) of the Political Parties Act, declaring them to be in violation of Article 16 of the constitution which states that the People’s Majlis can only limit constitutional rights through legislation to an extent “demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society”.

The SC claimed the Political Party Act narrowed the constitutional right to establish political parties and participate in political party activity.

The verdict, supported by the entire Supreme Court bench, also declared 3,000 members to be the minimum requirement for political party registration as per the political party regulation of 2005, until the parliament amended the Political Party Act in accordance with guidelines provided in the ruling.

In December 2013 Gaumee Ithihadh Party of former president Dr. Mohame Waheed and Maldives Reform Movement founded by former Attorney General and President of MDP Dr Mohamed Munavvar was voluntarily dissolved, leaving the number of parties in transition at nine.

February dissolution

On February 6, the Elections Commission dissolved eight political parties for not having a minimum of 3000 registered members and gave them a three month period to increase membership. The MDA with approximately eight thousand members survived the dissolution.

In the same month, the SC initiated a contempt of court charge against the EC under new suo moto regulations which allow the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings, prosecute and pass judgement. The five member bench accused the EC of disobeying orders in dissolving the eight parties.

SC reached a verdict in March 2014, stripping Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz Hassan of their membership in the commission and sentencing the former to a suspended prison term of six months.

In the controversial verdict, SC stated dissolving parties on the basis that a political party’s registry should include 3,000 members is be a violation of the constitution and the court’s previous verdict.

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Government launches guest house island project

With additional reporting by Daniel Bosley

Details of the government’s first guest house island on Thumburi, in Laamu atoll, were revealed last night.

“Once again today we are looking to diversify tourism, to shape it in a different way. It does not mean moving away from the existing concept of having one resort on one island,” said President Abdulla Yameen during the launch.

Part of the Progressive Party of Maldives’ election manifesto, the guest house island concept aims to diversify the tourism industries to include small and medium enterprises, without encroaching on inhabited islands.

While guest house tourism on populated islands has grown rapidly in recent years, some in the industry have expressed concern that it may damage the high-end resort image of the Maldives.

The project – which will involve the development of a 2,100 bed resort run by multiple local businesses – was described as  “communal tourism development” or “vertical tourism” by the president.

“So in this newly introduced concept, we are inviting various small and medium businesses who are interested in this industry to chip-in money – [it is a] type of tourism based on amounts which could be easily borrowed from banks as well,” he continued.

The president also revealed that further guest house island projects would be carried out within the special economic zones to be established under proposed legislation.

Speaking at yesterday’s event, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb explained that the decision had come in response to medium sized businesses who wished to gain a foothold in the resort industry.

Only Maldivians will be permitted to invest in such projects, with priority given to those not yet involved in the industry, explained Adeeb.

The Thumburi project will  make land available on the 17 hectare uninhabited island – as well as the linked Hulhiyandhoo island – for investors to develop hotels, a diving school, water sports centres, restaurants and shopping centres, while government owned companies will invest in the island’s basic infrastructure – electricity and sewage.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) will lead the project and engage with investors who will then market their own products.

MMPRC is currently fielding expressions of interest and expects to begin development by the end of the year.

“In our mind, the ultimate objective of this [project] would be increasing job opportunities and providing the opportunity to go forward benefiting the economy for many young Maldivians, and to double our per capita GDP income when our five-year term is completed,” President Yameen said at yesterday’s event.

Despite the tripling of guest house bed capacity in the past six years, the industry continues to be dominated by the one island/one resort model.

Growing from just 22 registered businesses in 2009, to 171 currently listed, the guest house tourism project – initiated during the presidency of Mohamed Nasheed – was introduced as an attempt to allow local communities to benefit from the billion dollar industry.

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