Author: Daniel Bosley

Housing Ministry instructs MCC to vacate its offices at Huravee

Male’ City Council (MCC) has said it has today received a letter from the Housing Ministry requiring the body to vacate its offices based in the Huravee building by 3:00pm tomorrow.

Minister for Housing and Environment Dr Mohamed Muiz told the Haveeru newspaper that the council had been asked to vacate the offices in order to accommodate two new government ministries. He said that the work done by the MCC in these offices would be relocated to Male’ City Hall.

Minivan News was unable to reach the Dr Muiz for comment at the time of press.  However, Councillor Mohamed Abdul Kareem confirmed that the MCC had received the letter, which informed the council that its members were to be evicted from the offices which provide health services, trade, and registration services.

“The council has decided to make a public announcement saying that public services will be disrupted,” said Kareem.  “They [the Housing Ministry] are not obeying the law. They don’t want local government,” Kareem continued. “We have not yet decided to give over the property.”

A similar dispute between the municipal council and the Housing Ministry took place yesterday concerning control of the Dharubaaruge conference centre.  “They are not disturbing the MCC, they are not disturbing the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), they are disturbing the citizens of Male’,” Councillor Kareem claimed while discussing the two disputes.

Yesterday’s dispute arose after the Housing Ministry informed the MCC that its staff at Dharubaaruge were to be transferred to the Ministry of Housing and Environment.

This news prompted the MCC to lock the centre and send staff home for the day. Dr Mohamed Muiz described this action as “unlawful”.

Later in the day, Police were seen outside of the conference centre, where they drew the ire of MDP supporters gathered at a demonstration site set up at Usfangandu, an area of land adjacent to Dharubaaruge . Police Spokesman Hassan Haneef confirmed that three arrests had been made in the unrest that followed.

Earlier this month, the Housing Ministry informed the MCC that it intended to claim jurisdiction over Usfangandu, the site of the new MDP protest area. The ministry claimed that the use of the land for political activities was in contravention of regulations, a claim the MCC denied.

The MCC itself came into existence with the passing of the decentralisation act in 2010 under the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed. The MCC consist of eleven councillors, nine of which belong to Nasheed’s MDP.

Sun Online has today reported that the MCC has filed a suit that disputes the legitimacy of the letter sent from the Housing Ministry regarding the transfer of staff at Dharubaaruge.

The Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) yesterday stated that “institutions and land belonging to central government can be changed by cabinet decision according to the rules.”

Decentralisation

Local media has since reported that the decentralisation bill itself came under scrutiny in the People’s Majlis yesterday.

Haveeru reported that MPs argued that the act needed root and branch reform rather than “piecemeal amendments” that had been presented before the parliament in order to make any changes more suitable to the country.

Sun Online reported on the same debate, covering the comments of Ahmed Siyam, who argued that the current constitutional set up of the nation would lead to financial disaster for the country.

“I think, unless we revise the laws, and especially the constitution, within the next two or three years, our economy will be completely destroyed. Our country will be left in poverty. Even if we look at this Parliament – it’s larger than any other Parliament in the world, and the government structure is top-heavy. Our economy is not able to survive on its income due to money not being used in the most optimal manner,” Shiyam is reported to have said.

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Dharubaaruge “unlawfully” closed, Housing Ministry claims

The doors to the Dharubaaruge conference centre in Male’ appeared open again this evening after its employees were  sent home earlier today and the building locked.

Minister for Housing and Environment Dr Mohamed Muiz has claimed the centre was  “unlawfully” closed by Male’ City Council amidst a dispute between the two bodies.

Minivan News this evening witnessed the doors to the centre once again open and a police presence outside.

According to the housing minister,  control of the conference centre had recently been transferred from Male’ City Council (MCC) to his ministry.

“As far as we are concerned someone locked the doors and unlawfully asked employees to leave,” said Dr Muiz.

Speaking with Minivan News this afternoon, City Councillor Mohamed Abdul Kareem confirmed that the centre had been locked up, as authorities were expected to make their way to the building.

“We hear they will be breaking the locks and entering the premises, but we don’t know what will happen,” he said.

After hearing reports that police had moved in to forcefully re-open the building, Minivan News witnessed around twenty police officers outside the centre at around 5:30pm.  As they waited outside the open doors, nearby crowds could be heared shouting ‘baaghee’.

The Dharubaaruge conference centre was originally built for the 5th SAARC summit in 1990 and is rented out for events, press conferences and private functions. President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan appeared at an event celebrating high academic achievers just last night.

Kareem said that a letter was received from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) yesterday informing the council that all 17 staff at the centre had been transferred to the Housing Ministry.

“The CSC has taken the staff and may be thinking that the whole premises belong to the Housing Ministry. But it is already handed over to the MCC. I believe our legal team has submitted the case to court,” said Kareem.

The Chairman of the CSC Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, countered this view, arguing that the local government laws allowed for the removal of state land from city councils.

“Institutions and land belonging to central government can be changed by cabinet decision according to the rules.  The cabinet has decided that Dharubaaruge is to move from the MCC to the Housing Ministry,” Fahmy informed Minivan.

He also argued that staff at the conference centre could only be ordered home by the CSC itself: “Staff should not be sent home. This has to be worked out in the courts between the MCC and the Housing Ministry.”

Both sides expressed concern that despite the dispute, the provision of services at the conference centre should not be affected.

Kareem therefore argued that the centre needed to re-opened quickly for pre-booked events. Fahmy added that the CSC always made efforts to ensure that services were not impeded in these situations.

Land tussle

In another tussle over the jurisdiction of land in the capital, the Housing Ministry last week issued a letter to the MCC stating that it intended to claim the area immediately behind Dharubaaruge, known as Usfangandu.

The reasons given by the ministry were that the presence of the new Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) demonstration area on the land violated the regulations concerning the use of public space. The MCC disputed these allegations.

The issue of MCC jurisdiction over the Tsunami monument area also arose recently after the case of the dismantling by security forces of the MDP’s ‘Justice Square’ was submitted to legal process.

A number of justifications for the camp’s removal were posited, but the case was dismissed by the Civil Court on a technicality. The court alleged that MDP interim chairperson Mooosa ‘Reeko’ Manik had exceeded his authority when submitting the case. The case has since been re-submitted by party President Dr Ibrahim Didi.

When asked about any possible connection between the Usfangandu and Dharubaaruge incidents, Dr Muiz said that he believed there was no link.

However, Councillor Kareem believed the two were linked to recent political tensions.

Last week, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) criticised the MCC’s allocation of land for political uses, arguing that the council’s policies violated decentralisation laws.

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President announces resumption of fishing subsidies

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said he intends to begin resuming the payment of subsidies to fishermen within days. The President added that he would try to provide fish at better prices by increasing the promotion of pole and line fishing in other countries.

President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza has said that the money was badly needed as the industry was in “real economic trouble,” despite the government coming under pressure to cut state expenditure.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shafeeu said that the subsidy had not been paid at all in 2011. He added that this year’s subsidies this year had not been reserved exclusively for fuel,  with funding being set aside for measures to encourage investment in ice plants – for which there was apparently a high demand.

Shafeeu also spoke of the ministry’s plans, unrelated to these particular subsidies, to improve access to loans to encourage investment in the industry.

“In terms of the economics of the sector, since 2006 we have seen a decline in fish numbers. In terms of total exports, it has gone down. There are many factors – a lot of them to do with management of the budget. Also there are risks due to the world economic crisis,” said Shafeeu.

The local industry is also thought to have been affected by the mass harvesting of fish stocks by foreign vessels in and around Maldivian waters. Traditional pole and line techniques struggle to compete with the more sophisticated technology and less environmentally considerate practices used by some competitors.

Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ali Solih explained that the proposed subsidies amounted to Rf100 million for the year, and would be disbursed once approval came from the Majlis. He added that the current members of the ministry had been working towards this goal since assuming their posts.

Methods

The use of the traditional pole and line method being encouraged in the president’s speech have been used in the Maldives for millennia and are an important feature of the industry which has long prided itself on its sustainable practices.

The previous government, however, felt it necessary to look into greater opportunities for the use of long line fishing techniques. It argued that, despite the greater risks of harming protected species, the technique offered far greater economic opportunities for a struggling industry.

A research officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture at the time argued that long line fishing vessels did not have to travel as far as pole and line ships, lowering fuel costs and so making operations more viable economically.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, speaking at the opening of the Majlis 2010 session that it was not feasible to burn fuel and engage in pole and line fishing in big vessels.  He claimed at the time that experts had advised him it would be more profitable to use those vessels for group long-line fishing.

Fisheries Minister Shafeeu said that the ministry would seek to continue this policy of providing varied opportunities to local fishermen. He said that pole and line fishing remained the most “prominent” method used in the Maldives, but said that “diversification is something [that is] required”.

A feature of this approach has been seen in the granting of long-line licenses within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) exclusively to Maldivian businesses. In April 2010, foreign licences for long lining were terminated by the government.

The long-line fishing method appears as something of a double edged sword for the industry.  While the method offers the potential for better harvests of species that subsist in deeper waters such as Yellowfin and Bigeye tuna, it is also alleged to potentially  harm the marketability of Maldivian marine produce.

Shafeeu noted that the number of skipjack tuna exports, most commonly caught using the pole and line method had dropped “significantly” although the industry had been able to sustain the numbers of Yellowfin being caught.

Many chains such as Marks and Spencer in the UK place great value on purchasing tuna caught using the traditional economically friendly pole and line method. The marine conservation group Bite Back, in 2010, expressed its belief that the use of long line methods in the Maldives could result in a UK boycott of its tuna products.

Depleted financial stocks

The Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP) last year took the Finance Ministry and the Fisheries Ministry to court over the failure to pay fuel subsidies to fishermen.

In a similar case yesterday, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced its decision to repay money withheld from government employees during the previous government’s attempts at enforcing austerity measures in 2010.

Abbas remarked that due to a Civil Court ruling on this issue, the Rf443.7 million owed to civil servants was now a “legally compulsory payment.”

This financial commitment comes at a time when the government faces a widening budget deficit, argued by Finance Minister Abdullah Jihad to stand at Rf2 billion, based on current rates of spending.

As part of its new austerity measures, the People’s Majlis has been re-examining the Aasandha health care scheme in an attempt to rein in state overspending. Thorig Ali Luthfee of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) recently told the Majlis’ Financial Committee that the scheme was likely to spend more than double its allocated budget this year, according to Sun Online.

Were the government able to tame this overspend, it could expect to save around Rf500million. Minivan News was unable to contact Finance Minister Jihad or Ahmed Nazim, head of the Majlis’ Financial Committee,  regarding further attempts to cut spending at the time of going to press.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the people’s Majlis earlier this month that a failure to reduce spending could have disastrous consequences for the Maldivian economy if it results in the depletion of its foreign currency reserves.

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CSC announces intention to reimburse deducted wages

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has announced today it is to reimburse money deducted from the earnings of government employees between January to December 2010.

The wage repayments, amounting to Rf443.7 million (US$28.8 million), will be disbursed in monthly instalments over twelve months from July 1 this year, the CSC confirmed in a press release.  This money has not been accounted for in this year’s state budget, the deficit of which has already drawn concern from the International Monetary Fund.

This reduction in civil servant pay was introduced by the previous government in an attempt to manage a financial crisis back in 2009. The initial deduction, agreed between the Finance ministry and the CSC, was only due to last for three months until the government’s income had risen above Rf7billion (US$544 million).

However, after the Finance Ministry refused to restore wages to the previous level, the CSC took the case to the courts.

After the dispute between the government and the CSC was submitted to legal adjudication, the Civil Court ruled that the Finance Ministry did not have the authority to reduce the salaries, a cut of up to 20 percent in some cases. The CSC at the time interpreted this as a decision to restore the deducted salaries, a decision upheld by the High Court in May of last year.

“Hidden political agenda”

At the height of the discord between the two departments in February 2011, the Finance Ministry claimed that certain members of the CSC were using the issue as a cover to attain “a hidden political agenda.”

“The CSC is making it difficult for the government to implement the necessary economic policies [and are therefore] indirectly trying to damage the economy,” the Ministry said in a statement at the time.

“[The CSC’s actions] will result in an increased budget deficit, make it difficult to maintain the value of the rufiyaa against the dollar and will damage the Maldivian economy, affecting each and every citizen of this country.”

The Finance Minister Abdullah Jihad recently announced that he would return the budget for this year to parliament as the current rate of expenditure would leave a deficit of Rf2 billion.  Jihad could not be contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press regarding the impacts the reimbursement might have on state expenditure.

Ahmed Nazim, head of the Parliamentary Financial Committee, was also unavailable for comment.

Concerns over the level of spending on civil servants in the Maldives are well documented. A 2010 World Bank report entitled “how did the Maldives get into this situation?” noted that “the origin of the crisis is very clear… the wage bill for public sector employees grew dramatically in a very short time.”

Increases to the salaries and allowances of government employees between 2006 and 2008 reached 66 percent, “by far the highest increase in compensation over a three year period to government employees of any country in the world,” the report noted. The report showed spending on civil servants’ salaries rising from Rf2billion to nearly Rf5billion between 2007 and 2009.

Pay cuts for civil servants were just one of the many deficit reduction measures suggested by the IMF during its meetings with the government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan earlier this month.

“The expenditure has not been under control since 2009. It has been rising, and we have been [issuing] warnings since then,” Haveeru reported the Chief of the IMF mission in the Maldives, Jonathan Dunn, as telling parliament at the time.

The governments attempts to reduce spending have seen a Finance Committee investigation into the Aasandha health care scheme which accounts for around ten percent of the government’s budget. It has been described by it’s chairman, Ahmed Nazim, as a “hole in the pocket of the government.”

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) recently released its figures for March, attributing a significant loss of funds to the goverment’s decision to change the way island lease payments are made. The system changed from a lump sum payment to an instalment method for lease renewals, costing the government around Rf350 million (US $23million) that month. The IMF noted that the current budget figures had not accounted for this loss of revenue.

The government also recently announced significant number of benefits and promotions being awarded within the secuity forces.

The IMF predicted dire consequences if the government’s budgetary imbalances were to cause it to exhaust its foreign reserves.

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President Waheed scores “first political win” with weekend’s polls, reports regional media

Regional media reports have begun to surface following the outcome of yesterday’s parliamentary by-elections in Kaashidhoo and Thimarafushi – interpreting poll results as a major victory for President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

The Hindustan Times ran with the headline “Maldives bypolls: First political win for president”.  Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based Business Recorder described the president as having “successfully faced down his first popularity test.”

However, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which continues to question the legitimacy of Dr Waheed’s administration, has hit out at suggestions that the polls reflected widespread public support for the government.

As polling commenced yesterday, President Waheed’s own Gaumee Itihad Party (GIP) did not field any candidates for the by-elections. Instead, the president threw his support behind candidates from the former opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Official provisional results provided by the Elections Commission found that the PPM’s Ahmed Shareef won in the Thimarafushi constituency with 1756 votes (56 percent of the ballot).  MDP candidate Mohamed Musthafa came second with 1327 votes – a difference of 428.

Abdullah Jabir triumphed in the Kaashidhoo by-election with 1107 votes (54 percent of the ballot).  His MDP opponent followed him with 919 votes while PPM candidate Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim came fourth with nine votes – a single vote behind another candidate who had contested independently and came in third.

Both the PPM and JP form part of Waheed’s unity government, assembled after the resignation of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Yesterday’s voting appeared to pass without significant incident, despite widespread concerns that violence could accompany the first parliamentary by-elections to be held since President Waheed came to power. However, the MDP candidate for Thimirafushi, Mohamed Mustafha, has disputed the result, citing significant irregularities surrounding polling in Thaa Atoll Guraidhoo.

Speaking to Minivan News today, MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor alleged that election observers were obstructed from conducting their duties in Guraidhoo.  He also claimed that party observers had been arrested before the polls closed, allowing the ballots to be rigged by state representatives.

Police Spokesperson Hassan Haneef said the police had received no reports of any arrests or incidents in Guraidhoo. He also reported that there had been no unrest in either constituency after results were announced.

Election Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq is reported in local media as having said that there were no concerns that would lead him to question the validity of the polls or their results.

In considering the by-election results, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza today said he believed the vote served as a ringing endorsement of the current government.  Abbas added that the ballots reflected “public confidence” in Dr Waheed’s administration,  as well providing a vital working majority in the Majlis.

Abbas also felt that Saturday’s success gave the government a clear signal that it has sufficient support to complete the full presidential term into 2013.

Alternatively, MDP spokesperson Ghafoor said that he saw the polls as “the price we have to pay for early elections – to show that the right conditions [for presidential elections] are here.”

Ghafoor argued that the by-elections were essentially a throw-back to the pre-2008 Gayoom-era, dismissing the interpretation that the result showed support for the current President.

“The intricacies of local elections have a long history of corruption. This [result] has nothing to do with Waheed, it’s Gayoom’s people,” he continued.

President Waheed last night thanked all those who voted in support of the national unity government via his official Twitter page: “Thanks to all who voted for Shareef and Jabir. We have a clear majority in Maldives parliament,” he wrote.

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MDP alleges police intimidation before Thimarafushi poll

The Election Commission has received complaints about police preparations for the Thaa Atoll Thimarafushi Constituency by-election although Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq, who describes the competition as “heavy”, remains confident the poll will be a success.

Mohamed Musthafa, the disqualified Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) member seeking re-election in the Thimarafushi by-election this Saturday, has questioned the actions of the police, alleging attempts to intimidate locals and prevent MDP supporters casting their votes following the arrest of seven people on the island.

“Lots of things are happening, they are arresting our boys. I heard they will hold them for three days so they cannot vote,” said Musthafa.

“Several people who were at the MDP jagaha went to PPM jagaha and created a disturbance and were non-compliant with the police. Seven people were arrested following the incident. One person tested positive for alcohol, while three others refused to provide urine,” said Haneef.

Haneef said police have made their preparations for the poll and have deployed the necessary officers. When asked about the precise numbers he said that it would depend on the intelligence received from the island.

Musthafa warned that the police presence on the island had intimidated locals, particularly after recent arrests, which he argued were without good cause. He alleged that one of the young men arrested on Tuesday received a head wound after a police officer pushed his head into a wall.

The MDP candidate also claimed that the police presence on the island of around 3000 people has gone from less than ten officers to well over one hundred baton-armed riot officers.

“This is the worst election we have ever seen, in 30 years. They are threatening people but they can’t buy our hearts and minds,” said Musthafa.

Muthafa was forced to step down from his constituency seat in February following a High Court ruling stating that his debts disqualified him from holding office. The debt has since been paid and he is confident of success on Saturday: “I will be there in Parliament next week.”

The case was brought by Umar Naseer, Interim Vice-President of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Musthafa’s opponent on Saturday is Ahmed Shareef of the PPM.

Visiting the island this week, Election Commissioner Fuad Thaufeeq met both candidates. He acknowledged the receipt of some complaints relating to police activities and said that the necessary steps would be taken.

Thaufeeq also met with the local head of police who assured him that the police were working only to ensure that the island was safe during the polls.

The Election Commissioner stated that the police presence had been enhanced due to problems with the 2009 parliamentary elections which eventually prompted a second poll to be taken: “We don’t want that to happen again.”

Significant polls

Election Commissioner Thaufeeq reiterated that the Election Commission was fully prepared for the poll, the first of its kind since the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.

“The Elections Commission is ready. We are sending teams out to the islands today. They are formed from local personnel and will work with selected officers. The head of the polling station will be from the Election Commission,” said Thaufeeq. “We will have a successful vote on Saturday.”

The capabilities of the Election Commission have come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the government had maintained that free and fair elections cannot be carried out in the country due to institutional weaknesses.

Both the Commonwealth and the European Union have urged the current government to hold fresh presidential elections as soon as possible. In The United States last week pledged US$500,000 dollars in technical assistance aid to begin an elections programme.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is due to meet next week to discuss the progress that has been made towards resolving the political impasse in the country.

Despite this State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and daughter of former President Maumoon Gayoom, Dunya Maumoon told the BBC recently that due to the weakness of institutions such as the judiciary, the Election Commission, and the Human Rights Commission (HRCM), the elections could not be held in the “in the foreseeable future”.

Speaking last week, Thaufeeq said, “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.”

Saturday will also see a parliamentary election for the Kaafu Atoll Kaashidhoo Constituency, as well as elections for the vacant seats in both Thaa Atoll Gaadhiffushi Island council and Haa Dhaal Atoll Kumundhoo island council.

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Six-year old girl dies of dengue shock syndrome

A six year-old girl died at Male’s ADK hospital on Tuesday shortly after being admitted with dengue fever complicated by respiratory difficulties.

Referred to as ‘Dengue Shock Syndrome’, ‘Dengue Haemorhaggic Fever’, or ‘severe dengue’, this type of complication greatly increases the risk of death in cases as blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.

“The girl was brought in at 4:00pm, gasping, blue, in a critical condition and was taken to the intensive care unit where she died,” said the hospital’s Managing Director, Ahmed Afaal.

Afaal was not yet able to confirm the girl’s home island, but confirmed that there would be a thorough investigation into the case as it involved dengue.

Her death is the first dengue-related death to have been recorded this year. A record 12 deaths last year were mostly children suffering from similar complications. Instances of the disease have been rising steadily both within the Maldives and globally.

Health Minister Dr Ahmed Jamsheed he was unable to comment on the issue, as he said he was engaged in SAARC meetings. He did, however, say that a communicable diseases paper would be discussed at the meeting.

The Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) issued its first warning of the year on March 20, blaming the large amount of construction work in the capital and pools of stagnant water, which serve as breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the specific type of insect that carries dengue, the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito, is unusual in that it bites during the daytime. Once infected, humans are the most prominent carriers of the dengue illness, passing the strain on to other mosquitoes when bitten.

The organisation estimates that between 50 and 100 million people a year are infected, with 40 percent of the world’s population at risk. It advises that dengue should be suspected whenever a high fever is accompanied by any of the two following symptoms: severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, a rash.

It can be difficult to distinguish from the milder Chikungunya disease that can last for up to five days. Even healthy adults can be left immobile by dengue for several weeks while the disease runs its course.

Prevention rather than cure

The government has attempted to raise awareness of the disease in order to prevent the spread of what remains an illness without a specific cure.

After last summer’s outbreak was labelled an epidemic by the government, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) was drafted in to assist with spraying breeding sites, although it did encounter difficulties in accessing some sites.

Such instances led to calls from the now Health Minister Ahmed Jamsheed, head of the CCHDC at the time, for the introduction of a Health Protection Bill that would provide “sufficient resources to ongoing efforts on community education, awareness and health promotion, access to premises with mosquito breeding and legal action against those who do not comply with the law or regulations.”

At the time of last month’s warning Public Health Programme Coordinator for the CCHDC, Dr Fathmath Nazla Rafeeq shared her concerns over the lack of public attention to the Centre’s alerts.

“Since December [2010] we had warned about the increase in dengue cases. But most of the people don’t even remember. They assume that mosquitoes should be controlled if there is a dengue outbreak and everything will be okay when authorities spray fog,” Nazla observed. “Therefore, on most islands, its [mosquito control] is highly neglected. Once dengue starts to spread, people panic”.

She also added that another epidemic would be inevitable if the authorities did not consistently eradicate breeding areas.

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Government and courts block MDP gatherings, as freedom of assembly bill enters the house

Hours after the dismissal of  the MDP’s civil court case challenging last month’s dismantling of its protest camp at the tsunami monument by the police and military, the Housing Ministry had informed Male’ City Council (MCC) of its intention to remove the party from its new base at Usfangandu.

After more than two weeks of hearings, the Civil Court dismissed the case of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) against the state.

The case was dismissed after court said that the party’s interim chairperson Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik did not have the authority to file the case on behalf of the MDP.

Judge Aisha Shujon argued that the court could not verify whether an interim chairperson had been elected and so did not see sufficient grounds to continue with the case.

The initial legal arguments supporting the closure of the camp ranged from charges of illegal activities to claims that the land actually belonged to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The claim that the MCC did not have the right to lease the land for political purposes has resurfaced in the new challenge against the MDPs latest camp.

After a short media blackout following the security forces entering the camp at Lonuziaaraiy Kolhu, illicit items including alcohol and condoms were displayed to the media as evidence of nefarious activities.

A member of the MDP’s legal team Hissan Hussian said that the court had gone “beyond its jurisdiction” in questioning the internal processes used within the MDP to elect an interim chairperson.

“We argued that the MDP had passed a decree that allowed a person to act as interim chairman and submitted the minutes of the meeting to show that Moosa was nominated,” said Hissan.

“The [court’s] ruling said that these minutes needed certain formalities and so would not recognise them although the court did recognise that the voting took place,” she continued.

Hissan also pointed out the a previous higher court ruling stated that a case, once started, cannot be dismissed on a procedural issue that has no substantive bearing on the case.

The next hearing, scheduled for April 10, was expected to see both sides present their concluding statement.

The case has been re-submitted to the court with the signature of the MDP’s President, Dr Ibrahim Didi.

Haruge

Shortly after the dismantling of the original camp, the MDP began assembling only a few metres away at Usfasgandu. Crowds attempting to gather in the area behind Dharubaaruge were initially dispersed by police but a permanent stage has now been erected.

Protest marches and demonstrations have once again begun to emerged from the area. Two such marches last weekend, targeting the home of the President and a business belonging to the Vice President, started and finished at Usfangandu.

The MCC has today acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the Housing Ministry informing them that they have until Thursday to remove this new demonstration area.  The letter informs the MCC that if this does not happen, the land will be confiscated by the government.

The Council intends to challenge the government’s assertions that it has breached its regulations in leasing the land to the MDP for political activities. The current lease for the area was due to expire at the end of June.

Former advisor to President Mohamed Nasheed Ibrahim ‘Ibra’ Ismail described the dismissal of the court case “highly questionable”, and the threat to remove the MDP from another demonstration site as part of a wider move to stifle all political activity within the country.

“We are concerned about government institutions not working within the law… the courts don’t seem overly concerned,” said Ibra.

Freedom of Assembly

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed last week submitted a Freedom of Assembly bill to the Parliament in an attempt to provide greater clarifications of the rights and responsibilities of both protesters and those policing them.

The most prominent instances of recent confrontations with the security forces have occurred when anti-government groups have attempted to breach the cordoned off area radiating from Republican square.

Breaches and attempted breaches of this zone have resulted in clashes with security forces, ranging from sit-down protests to the deployment of tear-gas, rubber bullets and high powered hoses.

Nasheed says the bill he is introducing is needed to replace the current regulations concerning freedom of assembly which pre-date the current constitution. These regulations are, he understands, currently the subject of a challenge via public petition in the High Court.

“Several parts [of the current regulations] can be challenged for their constitutionality. I am confident that the larger part of these rules will be null and void. They are obsolete.”

The proposed bill is based largely on the guidelines published in 2010 by the European advisory group on constitutional law, the Venice Commission (officially called the European Commission for Democracy Through Law). The guidelines argue that any restrictions to freedom of assembly must consider legality, necessity and proportionality.

The unusual nature of the country, he argued, requires that “absolute” restrictions on static protests remain around the state’s vital institutions, in particular those areas on Republican Square which affect the security forces’ ability to operationalise.  These require an area of 200ft to the front and 50ft to the side of police and military headquarters to be prohibited from static protests, such as sit-downs. Other military barracks require a protective zone of 50ft; other police facilities, 25ft.

The police protest on February 7 that led to the downfall of Nasheed’s government took place outside the MNDF’s headquarters.

Additionally, the bill suggests that a minimum distance of 25ft be kept from mosques, schools, hospitals, court buildings, the President’s Office, the President’s house, and from the Parliament. The proposed bill places no restrictions on moving protests.

The only time-based restritions are those that proscribing protests outside of an individual’s home after 10pm, and those that use loudspeakers after 8pm.

Nasheed was also keen to point out that this bill, and the timing of its submission, was unrelated to the current political situation. He stated that he had been working on the bill since 2010 and had completed a first draft last year.

He was realistic, however, about the difficulties the bill would face.

“People who are protesting will be unhappy with any restrictions… but they should respect the rights of others,” said Nasheed.

Due to the current pace of legislative activity, he said that the bill could take up to a year to be passed.

When asked about the likely success of the bill, he said: “I don’t anticipate anything. All I have done is taken the first step.”

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Finance Committee seeks to reform Aasandha without charging public

The Health Ministry has suggested to Parliament’s Financial Committee that a co-payment be introduced to the Aasandha health care programme in order to mitigate the system’s spiralling costs.

Members of the committee were keen not to impose any fee on the public, however, and insisted that the focus of efforts should be on reducing costs and introducing controls that will reduce demand over time.

They were said to be open to the idea of charging a small fee for outpatient care. Aasandha Chairman Thorig Ali Luthufee told Miadhu recently that outpatient care had made up 65 percent of the costs incurred in the first three months.

In the same article, Luthufee noted that the programme did not have the standard controls required of such a scheme.

The cost of the system, introduced in January this year, has come under increasing criticism as the projected budget looks increasingly unrealistic. Ahmed Nazim, head of the Parliamentary Financial Committee recently described the system as a “hole in the government’s pocket”.

After yesterday’s meeting Nazim told Sun Online that the current Rf720 million (US$46million) budget for the scheme would run out by August or September.

The current costs of Rf3 million a day (US$200,000) would take the yearly cost to over Rf1billion (US$2.3 million).

The sustainability of the Aasandha scheme has become a particularly prominent issue as the government looks for ways to slash spending in order to reduce the budget deficit.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the People’s Majlis last week that urgent measures should be taken to reduce expenditure, warning against further borrowing or printing of money.

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad yesterday informed local newspaper Haveeru that the budget was being sent to Parliament for revision after it became clear that the government’s income would fall Rf2billion (around $130million) short of its anticipated expenditure this year.

Jihad warned that the country must avoid resorting to selling treasury bonds due to the country’s unsustainable levels of debt.

Members of the formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have criticised the current government’s financial policies. Former President Mohamed Nasheed argued that money has been wasted on police and military bonuses whilst the former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa has argued that around $150 million has been lost after the government opted to change the way island lease extension payments were made.

Recent figures from the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) revealed that this lost revenue amounted to over Rf350million ($22million) in March alone.

Chairman of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) and State Minister of Home Affairs Thoriq Ali Luthfee had said previously in the local media that the Aasandha scheme “cannot continue to operate without interventions to control the demand.”

He alleged that the scheme was introduced “for political motives” without any proper planning.

Nazim echoed these concerns last week, telling Minivan News that the system had been “introduced in a rush” and had “gone horribly wrong.”

The Financial Committee is in the process of producing a report on Aasandha in an attempt to resolve these problems which Nazim reports as having resulted to “abuse on a massive scale”.

Regardless of opposition suspicions regarding the government’s long term intentions with the programme, however, Nazim has maintained his determination to continue the program on a more sustainable footing.

“Aashanda is here to stay”, said Nazim.

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