Category: News in Brief

MDP snubs meeting with police on election security

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) boycotted a meeting arranged by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) yesterday (June 17) with political parties to discuss security issues for the upcoming presidential election.

According to police, representatives from President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP), the Jumhooree Party (JP) and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) attended the meeting.

Police provided information regarding security arrangements for the election at the meeting that took place at the police Iskandharu Koshi compound.

The MDP has expressed concern with preparations by police for the presidential election. The party maintains that its presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed resigned on February 7, 2012 in a coup d’etat instigated by mutinying police officers of the Special Operations (SO) command.

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Maldives Gas controls sales following late shipment

The Maldives Gas Company has restricted the sale of gas cylinders due to a delay in the latest shipment caused by adverse weather.

Internet news outlet CNM reported a company official as saying that the shipment was due to arrive on June 21. The official added that the company would control sales until the new shipment arrived.

Gas is also provided locally by the Villa Gas company owned by business magnate and presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim.

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Bank of Maldives sues MP Ali Azim over unpaid loan

The Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML) has sued MP Ali Azim and his father over MVR 3.8 million (US$246,433) unpaid from a loan taken by the pair in 2007 for the construction of the New Queen residence in Henveiru.

According to newspaper Haveeru, Azim and his father claimed at court that the bank raised the interest rate on the loan without prior notice.

Although the pair claimed that they were informed of the interest rate hike a year later, the bank denied the claim.

BML lawyers claimed that Azim and his father was duly informed of the rate hike, which the bank imposed due to nonpayment of loans by Fonnadoo Tuna Products and Mahandhoo Investment.

The MP for mid-Henveiru owns a stake in both companies and had signed the loan agreement as a guarantor.

The Civil Court concluded hearings into Azim’s loan case yesterday (June 17) and informed the parties that a verdict would be delivered at the final hearing.

Following nonpayment of five loans guaranteed by MPs Azim and Ahmed Nashiz, BML is currently in the process of selling mortgaged assets.

Moreover, a case is pending at the Supreme Court concerning the legal status of the MPs as the constitution states that a member of parliament with a decreed debt that was not being paid in accordance with a court judgment shall lose their seats.

MP Ali Azim recently switched from the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

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Health Protection Agency warns of viral fever in Male’

In light of what it claims is a rapid spread of viral fever in Male’, the Maldives Health Protection Agency (HPA) issued a warning Sunday (June 16) urging the public to take precautionary measures.

Local media quoted HPA Epidemiologist Dr Aishath Aroona as saying that those who contract fever were advised to avoid crowded places, cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing, and consult a doctor if the fever persists for more than three days.

“Increasing viral fever is a sign of spread of dengue. Hence the best way to counteract dengue is to guard against breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” Aroona told Haveeru.

Amidst concerns about recent growth in the number of cases of viral fever and increase in patients at both ADK and Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), the HPA has refused to label the current situation as an epidemic, according to local media.

“Such spread of fever is always common in June and July. Now only we’re starting to see it. So everyone must take precautionary measures,” said Aroona.

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Maldives achieves 5 of 8 Millennium Development Goals

The Maldives has achieved all but three of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), local media has reported.

However, the country must do more to promote gender equality and empowering women, ensuring environmental sustainability, and creating global partnerships for development, according to Haveeru.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) made the announcement Monday (June 18), adding that the Maldives’ country report on the MDGs will be released this year.

The last report on the Maldives’ progress in trying to achieve the eight MDGs was published in 2010.

Thus far, the Maldives has achieved the MDGs of universal primary education, reducing child mortality rates, improving maternal health, as well as combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

However, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recently announced that the Maldives has also met part of the goal to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by halving the percentage of hungry people in the country.

The MDGs are a blueprint agreed upon by all the world’s countries and leading development institutions to galvanize efforts to meet needs of the world’s poorest, with the achievement target date of 2015.

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Three Burmese nationals rescued after jumping overboard

Three Burmese expats who jumped off a boat to get to Male’ have been rescued, report police.

In a statement today, police said the three men jumped off the boat in an attempt to leave the country and return to Myanmar, after their employer failed to pay their wages for three months.

Police said the men were found in the sea by a small dingy that was out fishing this morning at 5:30am.

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Parliament announces five MPs’ change of parties

Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid announced at today’s sitting of the People’s Majlis that five MPs have officially informed the secretariat of their recent change of political parties.

The movement of MPs included Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim from the People’s Alliance (PA) to the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), MPs Ahmed Shareef Adam and Ahmed Moosa from PPM to President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaad Party (GIP), and MP Ali Azim from the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

DRP MP Ali Saleem meanwhile left the party to become an Independent MP.

Following the changes, the majority party MDP currently has 33 seats, minority party PPM has 20 seats, the DRP has 11 seats, the Jumhooree Party (JP) has three seats, and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has one seat.

There are currently nine independent MPs of the 77 elected to parliament in May 2009. The two MPs who recently joined President Waheed’s GIP along with MP Ibrahim Muttalib of the Adhaalath Party as well as two MPs of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) are considered independents under the parliamentary rules as no candidate has been elected to parliament on either an Adhaalath, MDA or GIP ticket.

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Parliament overrides presidential veto on sole traders bill

Parliament today passed a bill on sole traders, which was previously vetoed by President Dr Mohamed Waheed, with the unanimous consent of all 53 MPs participating in the vote.

Under article 91(b) of the constitution, a bill returned for reconsideration and passed by a majority of total membership of parliament has to be “assented by the President and published in the government gazette.”

MPs also voted unanimously to pass a bill on arbitration at today’s sitting of the People’s Majlis.

Both pieces of legislation were submitted in late 2011 under the economic reform package of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government. The arbitration bill proposes the introduction of alternative dispute resolution in the Maldives.

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MTCC to resume harbour projects after obtaining construction materials

The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has announced the purchase of 18,000 tonnes of breakwater rocks required to complete the construction of five island harbours previously stalled due to a lack of the material, according to local media.

Sun Online has reported that the company had acquired the materials from a shipment previously imported to the country by Indian infrastructure group GMR for construction of a new terminal at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA). The airport development deal, signed during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed, was declared void last November by the government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed.

A MTCC spokesperson told local media that the acquisition of breakwater rocks would allow the company to resume construction work on harbour projects for five islands.

These islands include Manadhoo in Noonu Atoll, Ungoofaaru in Raa Atoll, Komandoo in Shaviyani, Feeali in Faafu Atoll, while a harbour is also being constructed in Meemu Atoll

The 18,000 tonnes of special rocks are now being transported to the islands, with authorities estimating that there would be enough building material to begin work on four harbours, with a further acquisition of  breakwater rocks expected soon, according to Sun Online.

MTCC announced last month that it was suspending harbour construction on four of the islands as the remaining work required further supplies of reinforcement rock boulders or conglomerate.

On February 15 this year, the Indian government revoked a special quota afforded to the Maldives for the import of aggregate and river sand. The move led to a shortage in the supply of construction material and subsequent rising costs for construction companies.

The Indian government’s decision followed a diplomatic row with the Maldives following the current administration’s termination of the concession agreement with GMR to upgrade and develop INIA.

The government’s sudden eviction of the Indian investor did not however appear on a list of 11 grievances handed to all senior Maldivian reporters by the Indian High Commission in January.  The list instead included concerns such as discrimination against Indian expatriates and the confiscation of passports by Maldivian employers.

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