Author: Daniel Bosley

Former MDP Councillor wins Maafaru Island Council by-election on PPM ticket

The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has had further success at the polls after it was reported that former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) member Anwar Abdul Ghany had won the Maafaru Island Council on a Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) ticket, according to local media.

Anwar had previously held the seat for the MDP but vacated it after a public dispute with the party. An amendment to the decentralisation act stipulates that any councillor leaving their party also vacates the seat. This feature of the bill was added on the insistence of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) whose splintering resulted in the formation of the PPM.

Anwar defeated the MDP candidate Mohamed Abdul Ghanee 323 votes to 283, in a constituency of 700, according to Sun Online.

Director General of the Elections Commission Mohamed Tholal said that official confirmation of the result would be made at 3:30pm tomorrow.

He added that the elections had, again, gone smoothly. Suggestions were made by government members that weak institutions such as the Elections Commission made early elections impossible, despite repeated calls from the opposition and the international community to hold new polls to legitimise the new administration.

This result means that, in six polls conducted since the controversial transfer of power in February, the PPM has won two council seats and one parliamentary seat, the MDP has won two council seats, and Jumhoree Party (JP) has won one parliamentary seat.

There have been no significant issues reported in any of the elections, all passing peacefully and without incident. Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq was confident that any complaints that had been received have been investigated properly.

Looking back over the past six polls, Thaufiq was happy that the commission had performed adequately.

Speaking prior to the Parliamentary elections on April 14, following criticism of the commission from state minister Dunya Maumoon, Thaufeeq expressed confidence that the commission was able to “organise any election mandated by law – whether it is a presidential election, referendum, or by-election.”

The electoral victory is the second success this month for the party of former President Maumoon Gayoom. The party gained its first official seat in the People’s Majlis on April 14th when Ahmed Shareef beat his MDP opposition in the Thimirafushi parliamentary by-election.

This prompted the government to claim that the success of its supporting parties ought to be interpreted as a mandate for the completion of the current presidential term into 2013.

The MDP, which has now lost four of the six seats it has contested in local elections since March, interpreted these polls differently, seeing them as proof that the country is ready for national presidential elections.

Previously, the party’s supporters in the Majlis were officially classed as independents with the party only having been formed in October 2011. The PPM also won a seat on the Thaa Gaadhifushi council in a poll taken on the same day as the parliamentary votes.

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Maldives rowing represented at Olympic regatta in South Korea

A renaissance of rowing in the Maldives continued this week as two students from Addu Atoll travelled to Chungju, South Korea, to compete in the Asian 2012 Olympic Qualification Regatta.

The pair, Ibrahim Sharu-u from Feydhoo School and Fathimath Hasna Hassan from Addu High School, are competing in the men’s and women’s singles sculls events which began on Thursday.

The team’s coach Natasha Howard, former Olympic rower for Great Britain and World Championship bronze medallist, hopes the event will enhance the competitor’s knowledge of their own sport as well as raising international recognition of the Maldives’ potential as a rowing nation.

“Both athletes are really enjoying themselves and getting the most out of being surrounded by professional sportsmen and women, asking lots of questions and building their knowledge of the sport,” said Natasha.

“I hope our invitation to participate in the 2012 Asian Olympic Qualification Regatta will raise awareness not only within Addu but also within National bodies such as the National Olympic Committee (NOC), that the Maldives has the potential to compete on an international level through rowing,” she continued.

The successful teams at the South Korean event will go on to compete in this summer’s London Olympics. Competition has been hard with Hasna and Sharu-u competing against teams able to train full-time using professional equipment.

Additionally, many of the athletes are 20-40 kilograms heavier than their Maldivian opponents as well as often being a few inches taller – a great advantage in the sport.

Natasha believes the event’s real importance lies in terms of the sport’s growth in the Maldives and the personal development of the athletes involved: “Experience and knowledge gathering is what this regatta is about for us so that we can begin to build a truly competitive Maldives team over the next four years.”

“The great thing about being here is that every country has started in a similar fashion to the Maldives – coming to take part in their first ever international event when facilities and knowledge were still in their infancy so they can remember what it was like and are incredibly supportive of our team,” said Natasha.

“We will get to race four times over the next four days which is a fantastic opportunity for both athletes to build on each race. Our aim is for them to come off the water and able to say that they had nothing left to give and that was their best race to date.”

Long term development

The re-birth of rowing in the Maldives was given initial impetus after the British Olympic silver medallist rower Guin Batten became the first person to cross the Maldives’ Equatorial Zero Degree Channel in March 2010.

Batten became the first person to cross the 60 kilometre channel between Huvadhoo Atoll and the island of Fuahmulah. She holds the record for the fastest crossing, completing the feat in 7 hours 16 minutes.

The world-first attempt at crossing was supported by British Airways, Coco Palm Resorts (Maldives) and Crew Room.

Batten subsequently arranged for two four-person ‘quad’ rowboats and several coaches to be brought to Thinadhoo and Ghadadhoo in 2010 with the support of BA, British Rowing and Westminster School. The Maldives High Commission in London also held a fundraising event to raise funds for the purchase and shipment of the equipment.

The first local rowing association had been set up in Thinadhoo after the then Province Minister for the Upper South Province, Umar Jamaal, visited the World Coastal Championships in Plymouth in October in 2009.

The following year, after Batten’s record-setting, the Maldives was welcomed as the 131st member of the International Rowing Federation (FISA).

“My ambition is to see [rowing] take off again in the Maldives, and come back in 5-6 years and see islands having boat races with each other,” Batten said at the time.

Rowing was once the primary form of transportation between islands in the Maldives before the widespread introduction of diesel engines to the country during the 1980s.  Most Maldivians with practical rowing experience are now in their sixties.

In November 2011, the Maldives first ever inter-school rowing tournament was held in Hithadhoo, Addu Atoll, to coincide with the SAARC summit celebrations. Five local coaches were trained in order to facilitate the event which included all 12 schools in the atoll. Another inter-school competition is scheduled for this July.

The subsequent interest in the sport prompted the start of swimming classes for those wishing to begin rowing but who were unable to swim. Classes for around 100 people began in the months following the SAARC summit.

Swimming courses have also been held in Hulhumale’ in preparation for the sport’s introduction in North Male’ Atoll. Three boats arrived in 2011 and a boat house has been constructed. There are plans for a new coach to come out in 2012, according to the Maldives NOC.

In the long-term, it is hoped that local coaches will be able to continue to develop the sport. The International Rowing Federation (FISA) assists in such courses as part of its Olympic Solidarity programme which aids the global development of sport. It is hoped that courses to train 20 to 25 new coaches will take place in June or July of this year.

All expenses for the athletes competing in South Korea are being covered by the FISA and the South Korean government.

Secretary of the Maldives NOC Marzook said that Olympic Solidarity will provide $10,000 for the training. Marzook explained that rowing was a very expensive sport for a country like the Maldives: “Normally US$6000 is allocated for training in other sports.”

“Olympic Solidarity know we really need the money. They really want to develop rowing in the Maldives,” said Marzook.

Funding and equipment remain scarce while the sport continues to find its sea-legs in the Maldives. Natasha works on a volunteer basis and has her expenses are paid by Addu City Council. All the equipment used has been donated from clubs in the UK or bought with the proceeds from fund-raising events.

“We have four doubles (two man boats), one single and one quad (four man boat). We have no rowing machines. All the rowers are very aware of the need to treat what equipment we do have very well so that it lasts as long as possible. The quad we currently have we cannot use because it is too heavy to lift and requires a trolley to move it,” Natasha said.

The team are said to be taking full advantage of the equipment available in South Korea as well as learning from other athletes about how they train for competitive rowing.

Fortunately for the sport’s future, there has been no scarcity of enthusiasm for rowing in Addu. Training sessions are constantly oversubscribed with Natasha having to facilitate nearly 200 students with only nine operational seats.

The NOC’s rowing report described the plans to expand the sport from the student community to include greater sections of society.

“The future long-term sustainable success of rowing in the Maldives lies with having well trained enthusiastic coaches and involving all sections of the community within the sport,” said the report.

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All-party talks resume with agreement on priority issues

The Indian-sponsored all-party roadmap talks that stalled last month appear to be gathering momentum again after parties agreed on a new set of priority issues.

After asking the parties involved to list the five issues that concerned them most, the convener, Ahmed Mujuthaba, compiled a list of three issues which would be focused on in future talks.

The primary concerns of all the parties combined were: firstly, the country’s economic troubles; secondly, the constitution and laws of the country; and, thirdly, the judiciary and crime.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) were represented at the talks by Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, who said the meeting was “very successful.”

Jumhoree Party (JP) representative at the talks Abbas Adil Riza – also President Mohamed Waheed’s spokesperson – informed Minivan News that there had been an agreement that only the convener would comment to the media on the content of the talks.

Despite repeated attempts, Minivan News was unable to contact Mujuthaba.

“I think there is momentum,” said Ghafoor. “We should have done this from the start.”

This is in stark contrast to the reaction of the previous MDP representative in the last round of talks, former Home Minister Hassan Afeef, who branded the talks “ridiculous”, describing them as “a farce”.

The talks appeared to have stalemated at the conclusion of the last meeting on April 7 after the MDP continued to question the make-up of the talks. The party argued at that meeting that all registered parties in the country ought to be included in the discussions, criticising the decision to include certain government-aligned parties without an apparent democratic mandate.

Ghafoor explained that the main concern of the MDP was that the party would have been outnumbered eight to one, making voting on any decisions senseless, despite it representing the largest number of MPs and political membership. However, Ghafoor explained that the convener had yesterday made it clear the process of agreement would now be based on consensus rather than votes, meaning that this previous objection was “no longer relevant”.

Whilst the talks do not immediately address the calls for early elections, Ghafoor argued that other parties could not avoid the issue forever.

“We agreed to start talks with issues they are comfortable with,” he said, but argued that the discussion of early elections remained a key part of the talks envisioned in President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s road map.

“As long as the roadmap exists, the issue of early elections exists,” commented Ghafoor.

Observing progress

The talks are being observed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mediation expert Pierre-Yves Monette. After speaking with parties following the last round of talks, Monette was reported by Sun Online as stating that he had seen no serious obstructions to a successful resolution of political differences.

“The worst thing would be not to want to listen to others, to be incapable of listening to other points of view. I have experienced this in my job in many other countries – but I don’t find that here. There is clearly willingness to listen, and to talk. They know they disagree on major issues. They are ready to listen to the arguments of others and to enter a dialogue: this is the beginning of a possible solution,” Monette was reported as saying.

Ghafoor said he felt that Monette had played a “significant part” in making this round of talks a success. He did, however, note a tension amongst the smaller parties represented at the talks towards the observer, notably those with little or no formal representation in the Majlis or local government, including the Gaumee Ittihad (GI), Jumhoree Party (JP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

He argued that even the presence of Monette at the talks prompted a xenophobic response from these groups. Of the list of concerns listed by the parties and collated by the convener, Ghafoor claimed that foreign interference was a point raised by many of those present.

The all party roadmap talks resumed yesterday following the return to the country of the convener of the talks Ahmed Mujuthaba.

A coalition of Maldivian NGOs working under the banner ‘Thinvana Adu’ (Third Way) called earlier this week for a renewal of efforts to enhance dialogue between political parties. “It is our belief that a crucial step towards resolving the political crisis in the country…is for all political parties to resume dialogue and commit to a politics of compromise.”

In a press release, the group gave a thinly veiled criticism of Mujthaba’s schedule, which has seen him absent from the country for long periods of time, further slowing the progress of the talks.

“The Party Talks convener must be able to devote adequate time to the matter,” read the statement.

The next meeting is scheduled on May 5, between 2:00pm and 6:00pm. Ghafoor claimed that the convener had wished to devote longer to the talks. He said that Mujuthaba’s desire for an intensive three-day session was blocked by the smaller parties.

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Vice-Presidential nominee Waheed Deen approved by Majlis

The People’s Majlis today approved the appointment of Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen as well as 14 cabinet ministers nominated by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

The Maldivian Democractic Party (MDP) chose to boycott the session en masse, although one of the group’s MPs, Shifag Mufeed, was in attendance and voted to approve the appointments.

Waheed was later sworn in as the Vice President at a ceremony held at the President’s office. Following the ceremony, Waheed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik met with the press.

The new Vice President observed that the Maldives is today witnessing the “politically most upsetting days” the country has ever seen and that he was honoured to have been selected to serve in the national reconciliation process.

“I have accepted the post because I want serve the nation and people. While I serve the people, there will be no discrimination between colors [political parties],” Waheed noted.

Speaking before today’s approval process, MDP spokesman Hamed Abdul Ghafoor said that the voting would determine those who were legitimising the coup and those who were not.

The appointees, requiring only a majority for parliamentary approval, received universal support from the quorum of 45 MPs. The MDP currently holds 32 out of the chamber’s 77 seats.

MDP parliamentary group (PG) leader Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Mohamed Solih told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday: “We continue to believe the transfer of power occurred through a coup d’état. We do not believe any cabinet Dr Waheed appoints to be lawful. Therefore we believe the sitting scheduled to approve such a cabinet is also an unlawful sitting.”

The MDP released a statement today, before the vote was held, calling on the speaker of the house Abdulla Shahid not to table the endorsements before changes were made to the Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) in line with recent calls from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

No Confidence

The MDP last week submitted a motion of no-confidence in the Speaker Shahid, arguing that he had been making decisions without adequately consulting all relevant parties and had been acting beyond his remit.

Speaking after an MDP protest march over the weekend that stopped for a time outside the speakers house to call for his resignation, former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa explained the MDPs dissatisfaction with Shahid’s failure to take a leading role in calling for fresh elections.

“We have been very patient [with Shahid]. Now, instead of asking him for his leadership, we are asking him to resign,” said Zulfa.

Zulfa cited the example of the Speaker of Parliament in Mali who is currently in the process of organising fresh elections in the African nation.

The MDP has repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of Waheed’s presidency since he assumed office following the resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

In the absence of an approved Vice President, the speaker of the house is constitutionaly mandated to act as next in line. This would then have automatically triggered a presidential elections within 60 days. After today’s approval, the Vice President becomes next in the line of succession, claimed Dr Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza.

President Waheed has stated that he would resign should an independent inquiry find February’s transfer of power to have been illegitimate.

Waheed’s CNI was established to do just that but has since come under fire from the MDP, the Commonwealth, and Maldivian civil society groups for its apparent lack of impartiality. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) last week issued a strongly worded statement warning of serious repercussions should the government not reform the CNI by the middle of next month.

Crossing the party line

Shifag, the solo MDP representative in Majlis today, has already spoken out against the official party line this week according to local media, criticising the party’s calls for early elections in yesterday’s session.

He is reported to have said that an amendment to article 125 (c) of the constitution was needed. The article states that “Where fresh presidential elections have to be held for any reason during the currency of an ongoing presidential term, persons elected to the office of the President or the Vice President shall only continue in office for the remainder of the ongoing presidential term.”

Shifag was also reported to have criticised the failure of political parties to cooperate in order to resolve the current political crisis, including the MDP.

“Because the party Interim Chairperson Moosa Manik could not clarify the events of the day to us as told by President Nasheed from the first day, the public is in a state of confusion. Investigations have to be conducted into how the government changed… For example, Alhan Fahmy submitting a case to the Parliament Committee – this is one way to do it. But we turned our backs on that proposition. Our intentions are therefore questionable,” Sun Online reports Shifag as having told the Majlis.

MDP spokesman Hamed Abdul Ghafoor said today the Shifag “has not been towing the party line recently.”

Regarding Shifag’s votes in favour of the president’s appointees today, Ghafoor said: “There will be ramifications, you can’t break a three-line whip. The party will have to know why.”

Again, at today’s session, Shifag was reported by local media to have criticised his party. This time he questioned the failure of the MDP to conduct its own investigation into the events of February 7.

A coalition of Maldivian civil society groups working under the banner ‘Thinvana Adu’, meaning ‘Third Voice’, similary urged political groups in the country to continue dialogue “without preconditions”. The group also focussed on the need to make steps to legitimise the CNI.

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Mega Maldives, resorts, tourism officials complete whistle-stop tour of Chinese markets

Deputy Minister of Tourism Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal had claimed the Maldives tourism industry expects “phenomenal growth” in the Chinese market, following the conclusion of a travel roadshow representing the Maldives on a whistle-stop tour of five Chinese cities in one week.

The main aims of the tour, according to Maleeh, were to build confidence in the Maldives as a destination as well as portray the country as an investment opportunity. The roadshow was also intended to update the Chinese industry on new tourism developments in the Maldives.

The tour was a joint enterprise with the Mega Maldives airline and took in all of its current Chinese flight destinations: Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The group also included travel agents, tour operators , and resort companies from the Maldives.

China has become the market leader in terms of visitors to the country. Last year, the number of visitors from China surpassed those from Britain, reaching 198,000. The tour also aimed to publicise the industry’s aims to attract a record 1 million visitors this year.

Recently released figures from the Ministry of Tourism show that total tourist numbers for the first quarter of 2012 were over a quarter of a million.

Overall arrivals for the first quarter of 2012 were up 3.3 percent compared with the figures for the same period in 2011. However, the same figures for the corresponding period in 2011 shown a 12.8 percent from 2010, suggesting a substantial slowdown in growth.

After the political disruptions of this year, there were fears that the now vital Chinese market may have been unsettled. A combination of a quiet period in the Hong Kong tourism market, with the addition of the Maldives being placed by Hong Kong authorities on the country’s travel alerts, saw Mega Maldives cancel its chartered flights from this location on February 18.

Ali Faiz, Marketing Director at Mega Maldives, said that the company had been working hard to educate the Chinese about the Maldives to assuage concerns.

Services from Hong Kong resumed on April 4 and are said by Faiz to be doing well. The amber travel alert, warning tourists to “monitor the situation” and “advising caution”, was introduced on February 8 and remains in place.

“The Chinese market is still a fairly new to Maldives tourism. Most of them don’t understand the geographic nature of the Maldives. This is the difference between the developed markets (Europe) and developing market (China),” said Faiz.

The tourism ministry’s figures reflected this worry with monthly Chinese tourist figures down 34.8 percent for March and 28.4 percent for February, compared with 2011’s numbers.

Despite this, Maleeh said that the Chinese market would continue to grow: “Everyone expects phenomenal arrivals in June and July.”

Describing the tour, he said, “We also wanted to hear from our Chinese counterparts about what the trends are and what Chinese tourists are expecting so we can share this with our industry.”

“This is particularly important as we develop our fourth tourism master-plan. It will help us understand if we are targeting the right market in China,” he continued.

Maleeh also mentioned that attention was given to the recent social and digital media campaign launched shortly before the team left for China. Discussions were held regarding the best way in which joint promotion schemes might be utilised for the Chinese market using social media sites such as Weibo.

The success of the road trip has prompted thoughts of similar events in Japan, South Korea, and possibly Europe, Maleeh told Minivan News.

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company (MMPRC) recently advertised for a PR company to provide “strategic counsel”, “stakeholder engagement”, “proactive” media relations and “key message and storybook development” after the controversial change of power in February.

Boosting tourism confidence was one of the objectives required of the company that successfully bids for the three month contract.

Maleeh commented on this approach at the time of the story: “The main focus right now is increasing investor confidence. We have to include all fronts include economic angles,” he said. “There has been a barrage of international media coverage and we need to try to convert this interest into positive coverage.”

Chinese travel agents contacted by Minivan News during the political crisis expressed concern about cancellations. Shanghai travel agent Sun Yi said she was faced with many cancellations just two days after February 7: ”It has seriously affected our business. Many guests cancelled the Maldivian holiday package which used to be very popular,” she explained.

Social media suggested that the average Chinese traveler was not well informed of the situation in the days following the resignation.

Before most Chinese media outlets had reported news of the Maldives’ change of government, travelers-to-be noticed a post in WEIBO (Chinese version of Twitter) by Maldives resort-based Chinese diving instructor Jai He. After posting the news on WEIBO he was immediately contacted by Chinese media outlets.

Within days, however, a WEIBO search for “Maldives” yielded only a few incomplete statements of the actual events. Most posts voiced only poetic concerns of a tainted dream holiday or honeymoon, or an exaggerated description of the current situation.

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Maldivian NGOs call for “immediate changes” to inquiry commission

Four NGOs working under the banner ‘Thinvana Adu’ (Third Voice) have urged President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to “bring immediate changes to the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) so that it gains public trust and confidence and is able to achieve its objectives.”

Transparency Maldives, Maldivian Democracy Network, Democracy House, and the Maldives NGO Federation, itself representing 59 organisations, joined forces to declare that they are “deeply concerned by the recent political polarisations in the society.”

The CNI came under fire last week from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which released a statement giving the government four weeks to reform the body established to investigate the February 7 change of power lest CMAG consider “further and stronger measures”.

“The group was of the view that the Commission of National Inquiry, established to assess the events leading to the transfer of power on 7 February 2012, is not independent or impartial, and has failed to gain sufficient support in Maldives,” read the CMAG statement.

“What we see in the Maldives today is confrontation instead of political dialogue. Because of this political turmoil is increasing in the country,” said Aiman Rasheed, representing Transparency Maldives.

“Thinava Adu believes the citizens must know what happened. Citizens must know the truth. Maldives will find it difficult to take steps forward unless we know the answers. If the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) remains the same as it is today, we believe the inquiry cannot proceed in a way that citizens can trust or accept,” he continued.

Thinvada Adu said that they had previously written to the President on February 29 regarding the CNI as well as meeting with him on March 7. In both instances, the concerns of the group were expressed to the President. These concerns were said to have been “well received” without anything being “translated into action.”

In a press conference this morning, Ahmed Nizam of the Maldivian NGO Federation said, “Political opinion has become divided into two main thoughts since the change of power on February 7 and consequent events. Hence, we believe a third voice is very important in coming to a resolution.”

Reaction to CMAG criticism

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, leader of the coalition government’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), responded to the CMAG report by saying that the group had based their report on incomplete information.

President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza last week said that the government did not understand CMAG’s criticisms and was requesting clarification over the required changes.

In response, the NGOs amended their CNI recommendations to include the following:

  • Members of the CNI must be persons of integrity and should be nominated from groups such as the Human Rights Commissions (MHRC), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Police Integrity Commission (PIC), the Election Commission (EC), under the guidance of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
  • The mandate and scope of the CNI must be decided by agreement across the political divide.
  • The CNI must pool technical assistance for the international community to both expedite and give credence to the process.
  • There must be opportunity for observation of the process by international actors.
  • The CNI’s finding must be shared with the Parliament and independent state institutions as well as to the public.
  • The state and its institutions must cooperate and make sufficient resources available to the CNI.

All-Party talks

Thinvana Adu also focused on the importance of continued dialogue between political parties “without preconditions”. It was argued that, in order to resolve the current crisis, all parties must be permitted to join the discussions which must be attended by key decision makers.

The India-brokered all party talks have failed to build up momentum due to squabbles over the group’s composition and agenda. The MDP boycotted the first meeting on February 20, complaining that some of the parties represented had no democratic mandate, referring to representatives of former President Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) who at the time of the first meeting had no official representation in the Majlis.

Any MP having switched allegiance to the PPM after its formation in October 2011 was technically classed as an ‘independent’ according to parliamentary regulations. The PPM has since won its first official seat in the Majlis with Ahmed Shareef, formerly Secretary General of the Elections Commission, winning the Thimarafushi by-election on April 14.

The MDP was present at the second round of talks, at which a tentative agenda was defined without specific prioritisation, before the PPM and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) walked away from the meetings following the MDPs refusal to allow the Majlis’s opening session to commence on March 1.

After the eventual opening of the Majlis on March 19, the talks did resume but the latest round, again, made no progress, this time the MDP calling for the inclusion of all registered parties. Today’s Thinvada Adu statement appears to be taking a similar line.

The group of NGOs also criticised the availability of the talk’s convener Ahmed Mujthaba whose absence from the country has delayed the talks on more than one occasion. Explaining his absence after the last session, Mujthaba told local paper Haveeru, “I did not plan my life with the knowledge of the events of February 7”.

Mujthaba had not responded at time of press.

The group also stated that decisions on early elections should be decided through “participatory, transparent, political processes, via discussions amongst political parties.” Aiman Rasheed of Transparency Maldives added that this entailed any decision between parties that did not contravene the existing legal or constitutional framework.

Regarding the long term recommendations of the group, it urged legislation to enable independent commissions of inquiry to function effectively. It urged state institutions to show greater leadership and commitment to responding to the current crisis.

The group also repeated calls for the support of the international actors in the “process of democratic consolidation”.

“It is a concern that in the absence of such guidance it will be a challenge to the national institutions to nurture the infant democracy of the Maldives,” the group said.

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MDP supporters march through Male’, condemn Speaker’s inaction

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Friday marched through the streets of Male’ in support of this week’s Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) statement.

Former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa said the march was intended to show that the people of the Commonwealth are ‘standing shoulder to shoulder’ in support of CMAG. The march was intended to demonstrate that the government’s claims the CMAG did not truly represent the people of the Commonwealth was incorrect.

CMAG met last Monday, calling again for early elections and threatening stronger measures should the government fail to improve the impartiality Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) the body assigned to investigate February’s transfer of power.

Zulfa reported that a group of around 10,000 people left the Usfangandu area at around 4:30pm yesterday, picking up more supporters as it progressed. The marchers were said to have returned to the Usfangandu area at around 6:45pm. Zulfa also reported simultaneous protests across the country.

At the start of the march, the group is reported to have headed towards the residence of the Speaker of the House Abdullah Shahid, where there was a brief pause while the protesters called for Shahid’s resignation. The group then continued past the Majlis, also stopping outside the residence of the Minister of Defence, Mohamed Nazim.

The MDP representation in the Majlis submitted a no-confidence motion against the speaker this week, arguing that Shahid had failed to follow parliamentary regulations consistently, and also that he had made decisions without adequately consulting all of the parties in the Majlis.

Zulfa explained the MDP’s belief that the speaker should have taken a leading role in pushing for fresh elections, citing the recent example of the coup in Mali, after which the speaker of the country’s legislature Dioncounda Traore assumed power and promised new polls.

“We have been very patient [with Shahid]. Now, instead of asking him for his leadership, we are asking him to resign,” said Zulfa. Responding to the president’s claim this week that early elections could be held in July 2013, Zulfa said: “We don’t call that early at all.”

“From the examples of other coup governments, we know that this is a stalling tactic,” said Zulfa.

July represents the earliest point that the president can move the elections forward under the current rules of the constitution.

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Eviction will obstruct public services: Male’ City Council

Malé City Council (MCC) has said that attempts by the Housing Ministry to evict it from offices in the Huravee Building would affect public services.

Speaking at a press conference today, MCC Mayor Ali Manik said: “We are running a small government here. We oversee the pre-schools, look after the primary health care in all districts of Male’. We provide registrations to local businesses.  These services will be obstructed because of the Housing Ministry’s actions”.

The eviction notice has come amidst an escalating dispute between the MCC and the Ministry of Housing and Environment this week.

The Housing Ministry yesterday informed the MCC that the council had until 3:00pm on Thursday to vacate its offices. This led to police today attempting to prevent council members from entering their offices in the Huravee building.

Councillor Mohamed Abdul Kareem claimed that it took two hours for MCC employees to be allowed access to the building this morning due to the police’s “interfering”. He also complained that the MCC was not being allowed to take anything in or out of the building.

Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that police were checking to ensure the building remained secure after receiving a complaint from the Housing Ministry that property was being removed from the building.

Minister for Housing and Environment Dr Mohamed Muiz had previously told local newspaper Haveeru that the council had been asked to vacate the offices in order to accommodate two new government ministries.

A similar dispute between the municipal council and the Housing Ministry took place this week concerning control of the Dharubaaruge conference centre and the Usfasgandu area. The MCC has leased the Usfasgandu area to the MDP for use in serial protests calling for early elections.

“If we play this around politically, only the people will suffer,” Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) council member Ibrahim Shujau said, agreeing with the Mayor.

The damage that the political dispute could have on the people of the capital was made clear by Councillor Mohamed Abdul Kareem : “They are not disturbing the MCC, they are not disturbing the Maldivian Democratic Party, they are disturbing the citizens of Malé.”

Local media this week reported Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz as claiming that the MCC would be able to move their Huravee operation to Male’ City Hall.

However, Kareem told Minivan News that the move “is not possible. The place is congested here [at the City Hall] already.”

“If we vacate [Huravee], services will be stopped,” he said.  

Kareem added that the council therefore wished to cooperate with the government in finding a solution. He claimed the MCC had not yet received any invitation for a discussion.

Shujau added that the Housing Ministry’s actions suggested they were “not willing to negotiate”. The DRP councillor claimed that the Housing Ministry wished to “overrule the Decentralisation Act” by preventing the council from providing services stipulated in the act.

Earlier in the week, the Housing Ministry informed the MCC that staff working at the Dharubaaruge conference centre were to be transferred to its department. The MCC subsequently locked the facility and sent staff members home.

Housing Minister Dr Muiz declared the act “unlawful”. Consequently, police arrived on the scene to re-open the building. Today a solitary policeman kept watch at the front of the building.

A member of the office staff on duty at Dharubaaruge today, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she was an MCC employee who had been drafted in to ensure services were maintained. She declined to comment further on the site’s staff situation.

The MCC has also announced its intention to challenge the legality of the Ministry’s letter giving notice of the staff changes.

When asked whether the dispute was expected to have any negative impacts on the provision of public services by the council, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Hassan Fahmy said that both the Ministry of Housing and the MCC had sufficient human resources to maintain services.

Fahmy added that the CSC had tried to talk with both parties to find an “amicable” solution to the Dharubaaruge dispute. However, the body’s chairman said that neither the Ministry of Human Resources or the MCC were willing to give ground. “I think this will have to be settled in the courts,” he added.

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Financial Committee considers action over Election Commission expenses

Elections Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq has expressed concern today that current Elections Commission (EC) staff could be held responsible for the potential misdeeds of employees no longer working for the body.

The claims were made after the Financial Committee yesterday discussed taking action against the EC after Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim raised concern over an apparent failure to document Rf15 million of spending by the body.

Niyaz said that the Financial Committee debate concerned an audit report from 2010.  However, he claimed that particular concerns were raised during the discussions over a portion of Rf54 million that was spent over a three year period.

When asked about the precise period of time under scrutiny, Niyaz stated that more time was needed to acquire these exact details.

It was revealed late last year that the 2010 Auditor General’s report had uncovered “irresponsible” spending by the Elections Commission.  This spending was said to include the illegal withdrawal of allowances, the purchasing of an excessive number of expensive phones and computers, and overtime pay for unconfirmed work.

However, Thaufeeq stressed he was confident over the conduct of the current commission.

“None of the members in the present commission have done anything against the financial regulations or the constitution,” he claimed.  “We are very much ready to prove we are innocent. The present committee doesn’t have to be responsible before November 24, 2009.”

Despite his assertions that the expenses concerned pre-date the current incarnation of the EC, Thaufeeq had the impression that the government were going after current members.

He added that the expenses being referred to by the Financial Committee in their discussions related to the period before the current commission body was assembled on November 24, 2009.  The Auditor General concurred with Thaufeeq that the period in question did pre-date the current Election Commissioner’s tenure.

Niyaz also noted that  some MPs had been keen to see the case referred to the police –  a decision he claimed to be against.

“I associate the case with mismanagement rather than criminal fraud,” Niyaz added.

EC under pressure

The ability of the EC to fulfil its mandate has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the body was cited as one of the obstacles to free and fair elections by government representatives.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon told the BBC that there could be no early elections in the country as institutions such as the judiciary, the human rights commission, and the elections commission needed strengthening.

The United States pledged $500,000 in technical support the same week as these statements were made.

However, State Minister Dunya Maumoon reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which has called for early elections in the country.

CMAG reconvened on Monday, criticising what it saw as a lack of political progress being made to facilitate early elections in the Maldives.

The Commonwealth human rights body suggested that stronger measures would be taken against the government should President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) not address CMAG’s concerns about its independence and impartiality.  The CNI is charged with conducting an independent investigation into the transfer of power in February.

Meanwhile, Thaufeeq assured Minivan News before last weekend’s by-elections that the EC was capable of carrying out its duties.

“We are confident we can organise any election mandated by law – whether it is a presidential election, referendum, or by-election. We will serve our duty,” he said at the time.

The two council elections and two parliamentary by-elections held last weekend were the second test of the EC’s capabilities since the controversial change of government earlier this year. The polls passed without significant incident and Thaufeeq told the media that he had received no complaints that would bring the results into disrepute.

However, concerns are said to have been raised in some diplomatic circles over the potential for politically motivated attempts to discredit Commissioner Thaufeeq.

A source present at a meeting of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Maldives on March 21 reported to Minivan News that Dr Ahmed Shaheed, former Foreign Minister and United Nations Special Rapporteur to Iran, specifically raised concerns over the position of the Election Commissioner.

He was reported to have told the panel of UK politicians of his concerns that Commissioner Thaufeeq may be targeted by the regime due to his independent political stance.

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