Category: News in Brief

Adhaalath Party claims death threats sent to elections officials in order to frame scholars

The religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) has condemned threatening text messages sent to members of the country’s Election Commission (EC), alleging they have been written to try and frame religious scholars in the country.

Local media today reported party officials as claiming that by using the words ‘Allah Akbar’ in the threatening SMS, the author/s of the offending messages had intentionally tried to invoke the language of religious scholars and mislead the public.

AP spokesperson Ali Zahir told Sun Online that the party did not issue death threats or try to incite violence.

The AP also called on the authorities to find out who was sending the threatening text messages and ensure those responsible were punished.

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Civil Court orders police to reinstate Chief Superintendent Mohamed ‘MC’ Hameed

The Civil Court has ordered the police to reinstate former Chief Superintendent Mohamed ‘MC’ Hameed – one time head of police intelligence – who was dismissed by the institution’s Disciplinary Committee in August 2012.

The court ruling issued today on Hameed’s case declared that he was to be reinstated within 15 days of the order.  He is also to be given back payment of his salary within 30 days.

Hameed today told Minivan News that he understood the court order had called for his reinstatement to a rank equal to that which he held at the time of his dismissal.

The Police Disciplinary Board decided to relieve Hameed and Superintendent Ibrahim Adhnan of duty and to demote Superintendent ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik to Chief Inspector of Police, and to remove the disciplinary badge on his uniform.

Newspaper Haveeru at the time claimed that the decision was made by the Disciplinary Board on allegations that the three officers had “worked for the political benefit of a certain party” using their police roles.

Hameed, Adhnan and ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik were among only a few police senior officers who did not join the events of February 7, which saw mutinying police officers hand out riot gear to opposition demonstrators and launch an all-out assault on the main military headquarters. The state broadcaster was also stormed during the time of the contraversial transfer of power.

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Maldives on course to meet million tourist target as political uncertainty dominates global headlines

“The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said the Maldives will successfully welcome over one million tourists to the country this year, according to Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb.

The claims were made as the country’s ongoing political uncertainty comes under intense scrutiny by global media after the country’s judiciary – previously reported as being heavily politicised in a UN-sanctioned investigation – suspended polling scheduled for September 28,” reports Minivan News’ spin-off travel site, Dhonisaurus.

“Tourism Minister Adheeb, speaking after the country officially launched the international celebrations for World Tourism Day on September 27 from Kurumba Island Resort, said that current statistics – backed by the UNWTO – indicated that tourist arrivals would exceed one million visitors during 2013.

The Maldives narrowly missed out on its stated aim of bringing one million visitors to the country last year, citing the impacts of global media covering the controversial change of government, an event which followed a mutiny by sections of the police and military.

The UNWTO launch event was attended by Adheeb, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim and President Dr Mohamed Waheed, who spoke of the potential dangers the Maldives faced as a result of climate change – not least in terms of issues of water supply.

However, the celebrations, attended by senior UNWTO figures, were overshadowed by international media reports of “political chaos” in the country, and talk of potential disruption to the lucrative resort industry as a result of a 5,000 strong workers’ union pledging prolonged strike action.

The action was pledged in response to a Supreme Court decision on September 23 to indefinitely suspend the ongoing presidential election over allegations of voter irregularity, a decision that sparked global concern from international actors that had praised the voting process earlier this month.

Despite the strike pledge, tourism industry operators speaking to Dhonisaurus – including properties directly linked to presidential candidates placed second and third during voting on September 7 – said it had nonetheless been business as usual for the country’s resorts this week.

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Man arrested for molesting 17 year old girl

Police yesterday (28 September) arrested a man from the island of Manadhoo in Noonu Atoll on charges of molesting a 17 year-old girl in the island.

Police said that the man, 39 years old, said that he was arrested after an arrest warrant was obtained while the man was on the island.

According to police, Lhohi Magistrate Court in Noonu Atoll have extended the man’s detention period to 15 days for the investigation of the case.

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Police officer attacked by a group in Male

Police have said that an officer was attacked last night at about 12:15am by a group of people.

According to police, the group attacked the officer while he was on duty walking near FDI photo studio on Fareedhee Magu.

Police said the officer was injured and his phone was also damaged in the incident.

The police are now looking for suspects involved in the case.

Local media also reported an officer being struck by a motorcyclist on Lonuziyaarai Magu.

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Human Rights Commission calls for constitutional election date

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has called on the Supreme Court and state institutions to ensure that Maldivians will not be denied the right to vote guaranteed by the constitution’s Article 26 and the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights.

It also called upon these institutions to ensure there will be an election within the duration stated in the constitution.

The HRCM also called on everyone not to pave way for unrest and to hasten all work that has to be done to uphold the constitution.

The commission also called on EC to solve all the issues with the voters’ registration.

HRCM called on the authorities to take legal action against those to pose death threats and threats of violence, calling on everyone to give high priority to national interest.

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Island creation could counteract effect of sea level rise: Nature World News

“The creation of new islands could make up for the loss of land in the Maldives due to sea level rise, a study published in the journal Geology suggests,” reports Tamarra Kemsley for Nature World News.

“Regional island building consists of lagoons filling with sand taken from the surrounding coral reefs. As this happens, plant and animal life take root.

By studying the history and timing of this process throughout the area, researchers concluded that the continued accumulation of sand within the reefs found inside Maldivian atolls offer an opportunity for future island development.

Smaller reefs where the lagoons are nearly filled in, the study showed, are most likely to give way to islands — a process that could happen within 100 years if provided with enough sand.

The findings further suggested that these smaller islands could then grow into structures that could then be inhabited even as sea level rise reduces the land available on other islands.”

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President Waheed inaugurates Hanimaadhoo Island road project

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has today laid the first paving stone in the road development project for Hanimaadhoo island of South Thiladhummathi atoll.

During the opening ceremony, Waheed noted that the project – the first of its kind in the island, would be finished in four or five months and would make commuting easier for locals. He also spoke of the ongoing work into a sewerage system on the island.

Yesterday, the President’s Office reported the Waheed had visited Kulhudhuffushi Island to officially open the newly completed 1.7km Ameenee Magu.

Local media reported that the President’s Office had cited the “current situation in the country over the presidential elections” as the reason for the cancellation of his engagements at the UN General Assembly in New York.

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Suspension of elections could make end of Indian influence in Maldives: Firstpost

The Maldives Supreme Court has just postponed the presidential run-off, due for this Saturday, 28 September, thus triggering a breach of the constitution as the Supreme Court intervention means that now there will be a gap of more than three weeks between the two rounds in the presidential election in Maldives, writes Rajeev Sharma for Firstpost.

This is a severe diplomatic and strategic setback for India. The development indicates that all is not well for India in the tiny archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean where Pakistan and China are feverishly engaged in a covert game of outsmarting and outplaying India on the Maldivian chess board.

The intervention by the Maldives Supreme Court indicates that some cloak-and-dagger operations are going on in Male’ to ensure that Mohammed Nasheed , who was ousted 19 months ago in an alleged but never-proven coup, does not become the president again. Nasheed stood the brightest chance to become the president again as he was way ahead of all his rivals in the first round of voting earlier this month, but fell short of getting more than the 50 per cent votes to avoid a run-off.

India may say that it is not backing any particular candidate in the Maldivian presidential election, but it is obvious that Nasheed is New Delhi’s choice. The latest development is more of an affront for India than it is for Nasheed.

The Indian diplomatic establishment will be right in maintaining that it is not for or against any candidate in the Maldivian presidential election. Nonetheless, it needs to get its act together and act fast before time runs out.

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