Author: Daniel Bosley

‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam reported to be forming political party

Independent MP for Meedhoo constituency and chairman of the Sun Travel Group Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam Mohamed is reported to be establishing his own political party under the title of the ‘Maldives Development Alliance’.

Local newspaper Haveeru has reported that more than one hundred people attended a meeting held at the Nalahiya Hotel in Male’ last night during which the formation of the party was discussed.

Shiyam was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

The President of the Elections Commission (EC) Fuad Thaufeeq said that he had not yet received any information on the new party. Haveeru said that the registration process was set to begin within a week.

A member of the EC stated that, in order to register a political party, a written request must be submitted containing the names of 50 people who support the party’s formation. After this initial registration, the party is given one year to gain a minimum of 3000 members.

The largest political party in the Maldives, by membership, is the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with around 48000 members, followed by the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) with around 27000, and then the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) with around 16000.

There are currently 15 political parties registered in the Maldives, although only six of these have maintained more than the minimum 3000 members.

In a leaked audio clip released earlier this year, Shiyam was heard criticising the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the head of the Majlis’s minority leading party, the PPM.

In the clip, Shiyam discussed the diminishing trust in the former president with Gayoom’s half brother Abdulla Yameen. Yameen is currently the parliamentary group leader for the PPM.

Both men were heard denigrating Gayoom’s political support and warning against his running again for the presidency. Rumours that Gayoom would contest the next presidential election on behalf of the PPM have persisted.

Shiyam expressed disappointment with Gayoom’s refusal to issue him a diplomatic passport and give him land for a boat yard in industrial Thilafushi Island. “These are the only two favours I ever asked of Maumoon,” Shiyam said.

Shiyam was formerly a deputy leader of the DRP, the party formed by Gayoom in 2005 to contest the country’s first multi-party elections. The DRP splintered in 2011, resulting in the formation of the PPM.

In 2010, Shiyam was reported to have had the worst attendance record of any MP in the Majlis.

Rising political tensions in the country have resulted in a number of MPs switching parties, with the PPM and the Jumhooree Party (JP) benefitting from recent defections.

Tensions within the government’s ruling coalition yesterday saw members of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) declare their alliance with the DRP to be over after members of the latter party supported a motion from the sole opposition party, the MDP, to debate police brutality in the Majlis.

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President Waheed creates centralised utilities corporation, ‘Fenaka’

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has today established the Fenaka Corporation Ltd by presidential decree.

The corporation will take over from the seven utility corporations established during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed, under its policy of decentralisation.

The objectives of the company, which has 100 percent government-owned shares, were detailed in a press release from Waheed’s office.

“The key objective of this company would be to ensure sustainable primary services to the populace in the regions of the country other than Male’; supply of clean water, sewerage and electricity, and to establish an environment friendly waste management system,” read the statement.

President’s Office Spokesman Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News that the previous utility companies, each with its own board, had become totally dependent on government finances, weighing heavily on the state budget.

“The separate utility companies were not well governed. There has to be continuity, accountability, and manageability,” said Abbas.

“Fenaka will take over the the utility corporations – there will be no more boards – it is more transparent,” he continued.

Abbas had previously explained to Minivan News that the government’s policy was largely intended to eliminate these “political boards” which he argued were impeding service provision.

Abbas also explained that there would be an option for islanders to acquire shares in the corporation.

The decree comes the day after President Waheed stressed the importance of population centralisation as he spoke to the media before leaving for the Rio +20 summit.

“One solution to the challenges we face is to centralise communities to more densely population islands and shape our development goals in order to secure a better future for us all,” local newspaper Haveeru quoted Waheed as saying.

Abbas explained that the President wished to reaffirm the government’s commitment to developing urban centres with greater market potential, just as previous government’s have worked to do.

Centralisation and efficiency

The issue of service and welfare provision and population dispersal has long been an issue faced by Maldives governments.

Population consolidation plans originated in the 1980′s under the banner of ‘Selected Islands Development Project’.

Concerned by the inefficiency of the distribution of social services and basic infrastructure in islands with small populations, and to counter migration towards the capital Male’, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration embarked on a revised resettlement program called the ‘National Population Consolidation Strategy and Programme’, published in 2001.

In the foreword to the most recent National Development Plan, in 2006, Gayoom outlined some of the reasons for voluntary population movements.

“This policy aims to mitigate the risks posed by future tsunamis and rising sea levels, help realise economies of scale in the provision of public and private services in the atolls, strengthen service quality in the atolls and improve welfare of the people,” wrote Gayoom.

This document, the seventh such development plan, covered the years between 2006 and 2010. This document described, in depth, the issues concerning population dispersal and service provision.

“One of the most pressing challenges to the nation’s development [is] the wide dispersal of small communities,” read the report.

“Smaller communities are in an extremely vulnerable situation, as the unit cost of providing social infrastructure and facilities are high, and thus these islands do not have adequate facilities.”

Mohamed Waheed Deen used his first speech after being confirmed as Vice President in April to expound on the virtues of greater population consolidation.

“Without population consolidation we cannot achieve sustainable economic development…where is the economy of scale? If government continues to spend on small island populations, the expenditure will turn out to be a waste,” he said.

“I envision that people of Maldives will live in 25 to 30 islands. Each island will be of twice that of Hulhumale’. Around 60,000 to 70,000 will live on each island. This is a dream I see. I will try to make this dream come true,” said the Vice President.

The Nasheed government, led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), chose to focus on greater transportation and connectivity between island populations.

After the announcement in April of the government’s plans to centralise both utilities and health provision throughout the country, Policy Undersecretary for the former government Aminath Shauna, made the case for a decentralised policy of service provision.

“Maldives’ geographical fragmentation means one central board or company will find it impossible to effectively monitor and deliver services in an equitable manner,” Shauna said, before questioning the centralising tendencies of the current government.

“They want to re-establish a relationship of dependency between the islands and Malé. Their intent in this is to consolidate power. Islanders will once again have to come to Malé and beg for services,” she said.

Shauna explained that the policies of the Nasheed government had been intended to create reliable market-orientated policies, arguing that previous centrally run services were slow and corrupt.

Shauna acknowledged that the companies had not all been financially independent but argued that they were merely bolstered with state funds whilst they were “finding their feet”.

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Majlis discusses cuts to MPs salaries and allowances

Proposals have been made in the Majlis’s Finance Committee to reduce the salary of MPs as well as to remove allowances received for committee work.

The proposal comes the day after the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) announced its intention to investigate the decision to pay the committee an allowance of Rf20,000 (US$1,298) for the month of March – a month in which no committees convened, other than the Finance Committee itself.

Mohamed ‘Colonel’ Nasheed is reported by local media to have been both among the committee members who supported the decision to pay March’s allowance, as well as the progenitor of today’s proposal to reduce salaries and allowances.

Parliamentary activity was curtailed for the month of March after anti-government protesters and MPs blocked the official opening of the Majlis on March 1. The Majlis was officially opened amidst further protests on March 19 before reconvening on April 2.

Kulhudufushi MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa voted against this decision.

“The administration sent a letter to the committee to make a decision on the payments. The public are not happy about this,” said Moosa.

“Some members of the committee argued that they were prepared to come into the meetings,” he continued.

Moosa said the ultimate decision on MPs pay and allowances would have to be made on the full floor of the house.

The ACC President Hassan Luthfee said that he had received a complaint about the committee allowances decision and was now investigating the matter, adding: “MPs should be more careful. They know about the financial problems in the country. They should be role models.”

Last month, Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad announced his intention to convene a pay review board in order to “harmonise” the pay of government employees in an attempt to reduce the state’s budget deficit.

He also announced his intention to reduce non-wage spending by 15 percent. Haveeru has today announced that the Majlis is cutting it’s budget by Rf25million (US$1.6million) , 11.2 percent of its total spending.

The Finance Committee predicted in May that the year’s deficit was likely to reach Rf9.1 billion (US$590 million), amounting to 27 percent of the country’s GDP.

Today’s proposals suggested reducing the pay of MPs to that of the highest paid civil servants.

The basic rate of pay for MPs is Rf42,500 (US$2,759) per month whilst the highest ranking civil servant receives Rf20500, according to local media reports. This is around the same amount MPs involved in committee work can expect to receive each month on top of their basic salary.

Transparency Maldives’ Aiman Rasheed explained that his organisation had been looking into the issue of MPs expenses since 2010.

Rasheed said that MPs already received a Rf20,000 (US$1,298) per month allowance in phone, travel, and living expenses, even for those MPs who live in the capital Male’.

“However, all MPs are paid the additional 20,000 regardless of actual expenses,” added Rasheed, “We strongly recommend that allowances to MPs must be released based on actual expenditure.”

“The 20k committee allowance is in addition to the basic salary and the living/phone/travel allowance. The justification by the Majlis for 20k is to incentivise MPs to attend committee meetings and to help their constituents,” said Rasheed.

“Some MPs made public statements that they would distribute the money among their constituents and that the money will go towards constituents’ medical bills etc. We at TM think that is plain corruption, abuse of authority and amounts to using state funds for campaigning.”

Regarding the decision to award the allowances for March, Rasheed noted that the Majlis’s regulations stipulate that MPs must attend 75 percent of their committee’s meeting to be eligible for the allowance.

Luthfee echoed these concerns, arguing that changes ought to be made to the way all allowances are distributed.

“In other countries such as the United Kingdom, the MPs travel and then submit expenses after spending,” said Luthfee.

Following a 2011 decision to reject a resolution to cut the controversial committee allowance bill, MP Ahmed Easa told Minivan News that, despite not supporting the allowance, he empathised with the needs many MPs had for additional finance.

”It’s true what they say – MPs have so much to do with their salary each month. People can’t even imagine how many calls a MP receives each day asking for help,” Easa explained.

“Anyone in trouble from any area will run to their MP first. MPs have to lend money to people in need of medication, even for reasons such as people coming to get money to pay the school fees of their children,” he continued.

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CNI’s new co-chair revealed to be retired Singaporean judge G.P. Selvam

The President’s Office has revealed the name of the retired Singaporean judge who will join the reformed Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), which has today been reconstituted by presidential decree.

The name of the judge who will co-chair the commission with Ismail Shafeeu was revealed to be Govinda Pannir Selvam.

GP Selvam is a former Supreme Court Judge who served in the Singapore Supreme Court between 1994 and 2001.

According to the Singapore Court of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), where Selvam has served as a panel member, the judge graduated from the University of Singapore in 1968 and will celebrate his 76th birthday in July. Selvam arrived in Male’ this morning.

Local media today revealed that the judge had arrived, without mentioning his name, whilst the President’s Office did not reveal the judge’s identity until this afternoon, saying that there was to be an official ceremony this evening.

The name of the judge was finally revealed on the President’s Office website at around 6:30pm.

President’s Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the commission was now “definitely” ready to begin work on Thursday and would comprise the previous members of the commission – Ismail Shafeeu, Dr Ibrahim Yasir, and Dr Ali Fawaz Shareef – as well as the Nasheed nominee Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed and, finally, G.P. Selvam.

Abbas also stated that there were to be two resource persons added to the commission to support its activities, including a retired Indian judge. Abbas said that anybody who wished could come and observe the commission’s work, just as with the previous manifestation of the CNI.

The President’s Office also stated that representatives from the United Nations and the Commonwealth will advise the CNI’s work.

Former President Nasheed yesterday alleged that the government was intentionally delaying the revision of the CNI and deceiving the international community.

The initial deadline for the reform was mid-May. After agreements were reached with the Commonwealth, a deadline of June 1 was given to approve former President Mohamed Nasheed’s nomination to the commission.

The MDP and the government, however, were unable to agree on  suitable candidate until June 4 after the MDP’s first 11 suggestions.

Abbas was today reported in local media as saying that Nasheed’s comments were merely intended to deflect criticism from the MDP’s internal elections, which Abbas claimed had “no spirit of democracy” after Nasheed won the MDP’s presidential nomination unopposed.

MDP spokesman Imthiyaz Fahmy today also questioned the reasons for the delay in signing the resolution agreed with the Commonwealth.

“The government is deliberately delaying the process of forming the new inquiry commission as much as they can,” he said.

The reforms have been instigated largely at the behest of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which is scheduled to hold a teleconference this Wednesday.

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MDP elects Nasheed as presidential nominee

The Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) members have elected former President Mohamed Nasheed as the party’s candidate for the next presidential elections.

Nasheed stood unopposed for the presidential nomination, although MDP regulations state that sole candidates must receive the votes of at least 10 percent of the party’s membership.

The MDP’s current membership stands at 48,181 according the Election Commission (EC)’s figures, giving it the largest membership of any party in the country. Therefore Nasheed had to gain just over 4,800 votes to secure the nomination.

Following the final count of the 258 ballot boxes, Nasheed recorded 31,798 votes in favour to 269 against his being the party’s presidential candidate, after over two-thirds of the party’s membership turned out to vote. Chairperson candidate Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik had 29,044 votes in favour to 2160 against, while Deputy Chairperson candidate Ali Shiyam had 563 in favour to 7 against.

The MDP has called for fresh elections on a regular basis since Nasheed’s resignation from the presidency on February 7 – a resignation he later claimed was made under duress. The party has held regular demonstrations since that time calling for early elections.

The current President, Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, has stated repeatedly that the earliest date elections can be held is July 2013 according to the constitution. He recently also told UK media that he refused to resign and hand power to the speaker, a decision which would also trigger an early election. Speaking to the BBC last week, Waheed also said that holding elections before key institutions can be strengthened would be hazardous to the stability of the country.

Despite the questioned  legitimacy of the current President , MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said the party had never wanted to return Nasheed to the Presidency without fresh polls.

“The remedy is election, not reinstatement,” he said.

Ghafoor also stated his belief that, with the reformed CNI due to begin its investigations soon, there was no reason for the MDP not to begin its election preparations.

Today’s internal elections decided upon a number of other key posts within the party including chairperson and deputy chairperson, as well as atoll constituency presidents and secretaries.

Polling took place around the country as well as in three locations around the capital Male’, including Male’ City Hall.

MP for the Hulhu-Henveiru constitutency in Male’ Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik was standing uncontested for the role of party chairperson, having served in this position on an interim basis previously. The position of deputy chairperson was being vied for by Nasheed’s former economic advisor Ali Shiyam.

Both men also appeared to have achieved the 10 percent minimum vote at the time of press.

In-fighting

The elections come after a period of internal dissent within the party, culminating in a vote to oust the party president and vice president from their positions.

The MDP’s National Council met on April 30 to vote on the no-confidence motions against the President Dr Ibrahim Didi, and Vice President Alhan Fahmy.

Hamed Abdul Ghafoor said at the time that the motions had come after both men had been making statements considered to be against the official party line regarding the events surrounding Nasheed’s resignation, alleging they were trying to bring about a coup within the party.

A party resolution on February 8 had declared that the previous day’s events had amounted to a coup d’etat and that Nasheed and his cabinet should continue to sit in the party’s National Council as senior members of government.

The motions were approves by 95 percent of those present and both Didi and Fahmy have since left the MDP, joining the Jumhooree Party earlier this month.

Didi and Fahmy have criticised the internal democracy of the party, alleging that Nasheed’s authority within the party has become too great, blaming him for personally instigating their ejection.

“No one person or a group can hijack a party like that,” said Fahmy at a rally held to ‘free the MDP’ from Nasheed’s allegedly nefarious influence.

Didi and Fahmy have also been quoted in local media as describing Nasheed as a ‘spiritual leader’ who removes anybody that speaks out against him.

Last month, the pair also alleged that the recent removal of MDP General Secretary Hassan Shah, who subsequently moved to the JP, was intended to manipulate today’s elections

Fahmy is reported to have grouped Nasheed with former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, charging both men with “hijacking” Maldivian politics.

“These two people had hijacked the whole country’s political beliefs during the political turmoil in the country. This is not an idea anymore. Former President Gayoom and former President Nasheed are here now. The people need to understand that democracy is not something we get by following a certain person’s belief,” Haveeru reported Fahmy as saying in late May.

‘Reeko’ Moosa has since been called on any prospective candidates to replace the two deposed members to halt their campaigns whilst the party considers whether the posts of party President and Vice President are still needed.

Voting for these posts was scheduled for August 31.

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Government’s revision of import duties “doesn’t make sense”, say former economic ministers

Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad yesterday announced the government’s intention to revise the changes made to import duties and to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST), after arguing that these policies had failed to improve the state’s finances.

The measures, introduced under the previous government, followed consultations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over how to strengthen and stabilise the economy.

These policies included introducing a general Goods and Services Tax (GST); raising import duties on pork, tobacco, alcohol and plastic products; raising the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST) to 6 percent; and reducing import duties on certain products.

The shortfall from reduced import duties was expected to be more than compensated for by Rf 2 billion (US$129.8million) in Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST), effective since February 2011, and Rf1 billion ($US64.9 million) as general Goods and Services Tax (GST), introduced in August 2011.

Jihad yesterday explained that it was the failure of these taxes to cover lost import duties that prompted a revision of these policies.

“There hasn’t been an increase in State revenue by increasing GST after reducing duties. The GST had been increased from this year to cover the cut down on duty rates. But GST revenue does not even come close to covering it,” Jihad told Haveeru.

Amendments to the Export-Import Act were passed in the Majlis in November last year. The amendments eliminated import duties for items such as construction material, foodstuffs, agricultural equipment, medical devices, passenger vessels and goods used for tourism services.

Duties were raises for tobacco, whilst the motion to increase pork and alcohol duties – items considered haraam under Islam and therefore consumed only on the resort islands – was defeated.

T-GST, as well as GST, was raised to 6 percent in January this year. The IMF has more recently urged that T-GST be raised to 12 percent in order to expedite the government’s deficit reduction efforts.

Jihad is reported as having told Haveeru that the government will also look to increase T-GST as it works to reduce a budget deficit that is anticipated to reach 27 percent of GDP this year – Rf9.1billion (US$590million).

Last month Jihad told Minivan News that the government was seeking to reduce all non-wage expenditure by 15 percent. He also explained that a pay review board was to be convened in order to “harmonise” the pay of all government employees, although he was keen to add that wage cuts would only be considered as a last resort.

“It doesn’t make sense”

Haveeru yesterday reported that around Rf1 billion (US$64.9 million) had been lost after the reduction in import duties.

Former Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz, who presided over the previous government’s economic reforms, said that this figure was inaccurate. He argued that the import duties lost amounted to a figure closer to Rf500million (US$32.5million).

Inaz also pointed out that Jihad’s proposed policy revision went against the Maldives’ previous commitments to free trade.

“We are founding members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and members of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). We should be increasing trade – tariffs are not the best way to do this,” said Inaz.

“GST is a more transparent system [than import duties] which also enhances opportunities for the business sector,” he added.

GST benefits companies with less initial capital as products are taxed at the point of sale rather than up front upon entry to the country.

Jihad’s assertions that the previous government’s economic reforms are failing appear not to be borne out by the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) figures, the most recent of which show that the state has received Rf 418 million (US$27.1million)  and Rf 789 million (US$51.2million) in GST and TGST respectively, over the first five months of this year.

Should this revenue stream continue on a similar path, the government can be expected to receive around Rf 2.9 billion (US$188.3million) from GST and TGST. The government income from import duties over the past five years has been just over Rf 2 billion (US$129.8million).

Jihad was not responding at time of press.

Former Minister for Economic Development Mahmood Razee believed that the government was “trying to confuse the issue”.

“They are trying to create the illusion that this is the case but the calculations were confirmed and passed through the Majlis,” he said.

Failing a large reduction in the amount of goods coming into the country, Razee continued, these calculations should  still be valid. He added that he had been unable to get specific details on such figures from customs.

Both Razee and Inaz were confused as to the merit of the seemingly contradictory measures of increasing import duties whilst reducing GST.

Speaking to Minivan News separately, both said: “It doesn’t make sense.”

Inaz last night Tweeted: “Rationalising state expenditure and increasing revenue from tax is the only way forward”.

“We need political agreement to reduce expenditure in order to achieve maintainable economic stability,” he told Minivan News today.

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LGA warns MCC against allowing use of council facilities for political activities

The body assigned to monitor the work and activities of the councils created under the 2010 decentralisation act has urged Male’ City Council (MCC) not to allow its facilities or equipment to be used for political purposes.

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has reported several complaints about the use of council offices for political purposes and has released a statement on its website warning the council that such activities could undermine public confidence in the MCC.

“[The LGA] believes that this could disrupt the system by which these services are provided to the people. Hence, we advise all councils and council offices to refrain from leasing council property and equipment for political gatherings,” read the statement.

Under the terms of the 2010 Decentralisation Act* the LGA was created to “monitor the work and activities and coordinate the work of the councils.”

The act also commits the LGA to “ensure the work and activities of councils created is functioning in accordance with the constitution, this act, and the other laws.”

The LGA statement did not elaborate on its position concerning the legality of the use of MCC facilities for political purposes. Minivan News was informed by an LGA staff member that there was to be no further comment given today.

The legality of the use of council land has become the focal point in the dispute between the MCC and the central government.

The most recent development in the long-running dispute came on June 7 when the government filed a request with the Civil Court, requesting an order for the MCC to hand the Usfasgandu area over to the Housing Ministry.

The ministry first announced its intentions to reclaim the site on April 9 should the MCC fail to dismantle the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) protest camp.

The government argued that the leasing of the land to the MDP for political purposes was in contravention of the decentralisation act. After the MCC refused to accept this interpretation of the law, the cabinet informed the MCC on May 9 that it was entrusting the Housing Minister to reclaim the area.

The situation escalated once more on May 29 after the government obtained a warrant from the Criminal Court to search the area after the Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed had alleged complaints of illegal activity in the area. Among the purported misdemeanours listed on the warrant was “suspected black magic performed in the area”.

The security forces began to dismantle the camp before the MDP obtained an order from the Civil Court to halt the process.

The MDP, which enjoys a majority of seats in the MCC, has also been using Male’ City Hall, the council’s main office, for party press conferences in recent weeks.

Under the Decentralisation Act, the LGA is empowered to file suit with the High Court to dissolve the council. One of the situations detailed as warranting such action is the misuse of council’s faciltities.

Article 140 of the constitution states that a member of the cabinet must be assigned responsibility for each of the non-independent government authorities. The Home Minister currently fulfils this role.

*These details have been taken from an unofficial translation of the act.

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Government-majority committee rejects cabinet appointees

The Majlis’s Government Accountability Committee yesterday approved only one of four proposed cabinet members after half of the government coalition’s committee members failed to vote for them.

The governing coalition holds a majority of seats on the committee, with eight members compared to the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) three.

At yesterday’s committee meeting, only the proposed appointee for the Ministry of Gender, Dhiyana Saeed of the Jumhooree Party (JP), was approved by those present.

After the MDP members voted against Dhiyana’s appointment, the Chair of the committee and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Mohamed Mujuthaz cast the deciding vote in her favour.
The other  nominees – Dr Mohamed Muiz as Mohamed as Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Mariyam Shakeela as Minister of Environment and Energy, and Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Minister of Health – failed to get the required votes.

Three of the pro-government members of the committee failed to attend yesterday’s vote whilst another voted against the appointments, resulting in the failure to gain the votes required to approve three of the government’s candidates.

Following the government’s re-structuring of cabinet, two new members required parliamentary approval, whilst two others required the Majlis’s confirmation after changes to their ministerial portfolios.

MP for Feydhoo constituency Alhan Fahmy is reported by Haveeru to have voted alongside the three MDP members against the unsuccessful government nominees.

Fahmy now represents the Jumhoree Party (JP) in the Majlis after his recent defection from the MDP.

The Jumhoree Party held a council meeting yesterday evening during which it elected Dr Ibrahim Didi, another recent arrival from the MDP, at the party’s President following his uncontested candidacy.

Dr Didi, who was President of the MDP until its National Council voted him out on April 30, told Haveeru yesterday the appointment was “the happiest day of my political career.”

The JP has also announced that its council had backed Dr Didi to be the Health Minister – a position currently held by Dr Ahmed Jamsheed, whose appointment was one of those voted on earlier in the day.

Fahmy, who was unavailable for comment at the time of press, is said to have abstained from the vote concerning his fellow JP colleague Dhiyana, leaving only seven members to vote on her appointment.

Haveeru reported that the JP party leader Ibrahim Gasim will now talk to President Waheed about this proposed change to the cabinet.

The decision on these appointees will now move to the floor of the Majlis where President’s Office Spokesman Abbas Adil Riza is confident that they will still be approved.

Asked by Minivan News if the problems with the ministers’ approvals was indicative of greater problems within the governing coalition, Abbas responded, “no, it’s nothing like that”.

The cabinet changes entailed the division of the ‘Ministry of Health and Family’ into the ‘Ministry of Health’ and the ‘Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights’.

The ‘Ministry of Housing and Environment’ has now become the ‘Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure’ and the ‘Ministry of Environment and Energy’.

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DRP deputy leader interprets CNI timeline as evidence of “evil and dangerous plan”

Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Ibrahim Shareef yesterday accused former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed of planning to murder members of the December 23 coalition during the unrest that led to Nasheed’s resignation in February.

“President Nasheed’s evil and dangerous plan has now been revealed to the people,” Shareef has been reported as saying.

MDP International Spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor called the claims “outrageous” and “irresponsible politics”.

Speaking at a coalition press conference at the Nalahiya hotel, Shareef said it was the presence of the police during the night of February 6 that thwarted the aims of those hired by Nasheed to kill members of the coalition.

The group, named after the December 23 protests, purportedly held to defend Islam against the policies of the Nasheed government, consists of former opposition parties and religious NGOs.

Shareef’s accusations appear to refer to the period during the night of February 6 when December 23 coalition and MDP supporters faced off at the artificial beach area with only a police line to separate them.

Shareef was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

A timeline chronicling the events that led to Nasheed’s eventual resignation on February 7 was released by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) last week. The timeline was translated by Azra Naseem.

The CNI has recently been reformed following widespread concern over its impartiality and independence.

President Waheed announced that the reforms, which include the introduction of a Singaporean judge to act as co-chair and the inclusion of a Nasheed nominee, Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed, would be completed by June 15.

Despite the impending resumption of the CNI’s work, the commission’s original members decided to release a report based on their investigations so far.

This report claims that both the Home Minister at the time, Hassan Afeef, and then Nasheed himself ordered the Police Commissioner to remove the police from the area (sections 29 and 32 of the report).

The timeline went on to say that officers on the ground told both Afeef, who then told Nasheed that the “atmosphere was not good” (section 30).

Nasheed is then said to have repeated his request to remove police from the artificial beach area on the night of February 6 (points 34 and 40). This request was refused by officers in the area who insisted that they be replaced by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) (point 38).

The replacement MNDF forces were then asked to step down, according to the report, before violence erupted between the opposing protesters (points46 and 48).

Shareef suggested that these points prove Nasheed’s intentions.

“I’ve said this because Nasheed did plan to murder the members of the December 23 coalition. He hired people to carry out the murder and then ordered the Police to fall back,” Shareef is said to have told the press.

Shareef also alleged that Nasheed had planned to create conflict between the police and the MNDF in order to instigate bloodshed that would result in foreign interference in the Maldives’ internal affairs.

The CNI report provided little detail regarding this accusation, stating only that the leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Dr Hassan Saeed, had received reports that the Indian Military were preparing to intervene.

“Deputy leader of the Qaumee Party announced to the public at the Republic Square that Dr Hassan Saeed had received assurances from the Indian High Commission that Indian military will not be coming to the Maldives,” read the report.

Ghafoor said that Shareef’s claims were completely without evidence.

“He should have been more careful and directed his accusations to a serious and credible report,” he said.

“We must remember that Shareef likes to get attention – nobody takes him seriously,” added Ghafoor.

The MDP released the report of its own investigations into the events on Saturday. Prior to its reformation, the MDP had refused to work with the CNI.

The MDP’s version of events had claimed that opposition figures were had plotted the overthrow of the government with the help of a police and army officer protest from as early as September last year.

The report claimed that coup conspirators then engaged in concerted efforts to cultivate an atmosphere of unrest and to conscript willing agitators from within the security forces.

The report names numerous figures within the security forces, including current Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz.

Government Spokesman Abbas Adil Riza described the release of the report as “terrorism” whilst the MNDF today threatened legal action against “those who make false claims about the Maldivian military, issue reports, and act in ways that causes loss of public confidence in this institution.”

Meanwhile the MDP have interpreted the CNI timeline as indicating that there had been a coup and that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan should therefore resign.

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