Category: News in Brief

Expat worker injured in fall

A Malaysian national, working on the construction of the new parliament building in Male’, has sustained head injuries after falling three stories, , local media has reported.

“The safety near the first floor broke his fall. That’s why the injuries weren’t that serious. He suffered head injuries because it hit the metal pipe of the safety,” an official from the construction company involved told Haveeru.

The man, said to have fallen at 10am today is reported to be in a stable condition at ADK hospital.

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Chinese tourists, diplomats make a splash in the Maldives: AFP

“The travellers pouring off flight LV199 from Shanghai into the international airport of the Maldives, many dressed in designer labels, are an unmissable sign of China’s interest in the far-flung archipelago,” writes the AFP.

“Their arrival — Chinese visitors are now the biggest group of tourists to the Indian Ocean islands — has been accompanied by greater diplomatic engagement in the Maldives by Beijing, which is investing widely around South Asia.

Recently married Chen Hui and Fang Ye, 20-something business executives from near Shanghai, are returning for their second trip and heading to a resort by speed boat where over-the-water bungalows start at $500 a night.

“Most of our friends come here on their honeymoon,” Fang told AFP, who said they were looking forward to doing some fishing and posing for photos on the sun-kissed white sands that draw nearly a million visitors a year.”

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Police investigating suspected black magic coconuts in mosque wells

‘Fanditha’ (‘magic’) coconuts were found yesterday (September 23) in the wells of three different mosques on Kudahuvadhoo Island in Dhaal Atoll.

Police are investigating the suspected black magic coconuts, which had Arabic script on the husks, according to local media.

Meanwhile, a fanditha ‘kurumba’ (‘young coconut’) with two figures drawn on the husk was thrown into the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP)’s meeting hall on Kulhudhoofushi Island in Haa Dhaal Atoll, reports local media.

The coconut was thrown into the premises after the security guard had fallen asleep, senior AP activist Mohamed Moosa told local media.

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Finance Minister Jihad to oversee Maldives Hajj pilgrimages

Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad will head a government body formed to oversee Hajj pilgrimages undertaken by Maldivian nationals, according to the President’s Office.

The government announced its intention in May to establish the state-owned Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited following a recommendation by the Cabinet Economic Committee.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed opted at the time to form the company with 100 percent government shares.

The announcement of the company’s foundation follows recent legal wrangling in the Maldives’ courts over whether the Islamic Ministry should be forced to reevaluate several unsuccessful bids by local Hajj groups wishing to offer pilgrimages.

The case was filed on the back of concerns at alleged corruption within the current system.

Select Hajj groups were this year authorised by the government to provide transport and accommodation for pilgrims in Mecca, as well as offering guidance in helping them complete the religious rituals.

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HRCM condemns post-election political unrest

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has released a press statement condemning the current cases of political unrest occurring in the Maldives following the first round of the presidential elections held on September 7.

“HRCM condemns the use of inhumane rhetoric which is against national interest and provokes unrest in the community, calls to cause harm to people, the damaging of peoples’ property and campaign offices of political parties,” the statement read.

“The commission also strongly condemns the acts of physical violence, the use of inappropriate language, the damaging of state property, and other acts by members of parliament which demeans the respect and dignity of the parliament in the parliamentary session held on September 23.”

“While freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are important rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Maldives, this commission advises all persons to exercise these rights within the limits outlined in the constitution and laws. This commission also calls out on everyone to refrain from any actions which may give rise to discord or unrest,” the statement concluded.

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EC providing 473 ballot boxes for 239,868 eligible voters during presidential election runoff

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced 275 new eligible voters will be added to the registry and 4 additional ballot boxes will be needed for the presidential election’s second round runoff scheduled for Saturday (September 28), reports local media.

The addition of newly turned 18 year-old voters and the subtraction of individuals who the EC has confirmed recently died has brought the total number of registered voters nationwide to 239,868.

Additionally, three ballot boxes will be placed on resort islands in the Maldives, while a ballot box will also be stationed in Medina, near Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for Maldivian Hajj pilgrims, EC Secretary General Asim Abdul Sattar told local media. However, a ballot box will not be available on Lily Beach Resort, as it was during the first round of polling.

Thus, ballot boxes stationed in the Maldives and in various locations worldwide will total 473.

During the presidential election’s first round, held on September 7, 470 ballot boxes were needed to accommodate 239,593 eligible voters. Ultimately voter turnout totalled 88.44 percent, with 211,890 people having cast ballots.

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Attempted arson at MDP campaign meeting hall in Male’

Two petrol bombs were thrown toward the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s ‘Janbu Jagaha’ meeting hall in Male’ Saturday night (September 21), reports local media.

Two people on a motorcycle threw the bombs at the meeting hall around 11pm, but the flaming projectiles landed on the pavement, an eyewitness told CNM.

However an alternative local media report stated that articles of clothing were set on fire and hurled at the MDP meeting hall.

“Over the weekend some people apparently tried to torch the Male’ campaign coordination centre on Majeedhee Magu [Male’s main thoroughfare],” MDP MP & Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told Minivan News today.

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) told local media they are investigating the attempt to set the meeting hall on fire.

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Elections Commission grants JP access to voter list, JP seeks additional High Court order for unrestricted access

The Elections Commission (EC) has granted Jumhooree Party (JP) representatives access to the voter list today in compliance with a High Court order issued earlier this week, however the party is seeking an additional court order to gain unrestricted access to the registry.

The High Court ordered the commission to allow the JP supervised access – under guidelines set by the EC – to the voter lists in lieu of ordering the EC to release hard copies of the list to the party. The unanimous ruling also stated that the JP was unable to offer any evidence to substantiate the claims of electoral fraud.

The EC has emphatically dismissed allegations of vote rigging as “baseless and unfounded”, highlighting its transparency, extensive preparations – conducted with international support – to ensure a free and fair polling process, its ongoing complaints investigations, and the praise from a broad spectrum of election observers who noted peaceful voting and the preparedness of the EC.

The EC granted two JP representatives access from 10am to 12pm today to check the voter lists from the presidential election’s first round held September 7, however the JP has accused the commission of not fully complying with the High Court order.

JP representative Ahmed Saleem “refused to accept” guidelines established by the commission which allowed individual names given by the party to be verified, instead of granting JP unrestricted access. As a result, the JP was unable to verify all the names on their list.

“They said that they will check names and other information as requested by us,” said Saleem. “We’re not interested in checking the voters’ list in this manner. It’s not acceptable.”

Last night the JP requested the EC allow a team of 25 people have a minimum of 36 hours to review the voter list, which was denied by the commission.

“They allocated [the JP] only two hours and only two representatives [to check the lists], [which was] not possible when there are 470 ballot boxes,” JP’s Legal Advisor Mohamed Haleem told Minivan News today.

“They would not allow us to take notes or touch the list,” he lamented.

“We want to compare the published voters registry with that of the Elections Commission’s list of people who had voted,” he continued. “We should have been allocated enough time, and enough representatives.”

“The High Court ordered the Elections Commission to allow us to check the list to address all of our doubts,” he noted. “We will find a solution through the legal process and seek an order through High Court again.”

Ilyas Hussain and Ahmed Thaufeeg, members of President Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Itthihad Party (GIP), were also present at the EC when JP representatives arrived to view the voter list this morning, local media reported.

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