Category: News in Brief

Hand foot and mouth disease on the increase in Maldives

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has warned people of the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease in the Maldives, local media has reported.

HPA reported that the number of confirmed hand, foot and mouth disease cases had increased in some regions since January 2013.

The disease normally affects children aged between one and four, and is spread through direct contact with mucus, saliva or faeces of an infected person, local media reported.

According to the HPA, good hygiene is an effective way to prevent the disease. The first symptoms include fever, lack of appetite, fatigue and a sore throat.

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Media needs to introduce “peace journalism”: MP Nasheed

Former Legal Reform Minister MP Mohamed Nasheed has recommended Maldives-based journalists introduce “peace reporting” in order to stop violence against local media.

Nasheed claimed that the Maldives media is exploited by politicians to a great extent and that reporters needed to start looking at the similarities between politicians as opposed to their differences, the Sun Online news agency reported.

The Kulhudhuffushi-south MP told local media that a new kind of “peace journalism” should be introduced into the system as the level of rivalry, anger and hatred that exists in the Maldives is too much for people to endure.

“One thing journalists can do is introduce peace journalism, promote peace journalism.

“Instead of making a big deal out of the differences between two people, and spreading information about those differences in the society – they could present the similarities. We should go for peaceful journalism,” Nasheed was quoted as saying in local media.

Nasheed claimed that political leaders prepare quotations in certain ways in order to make the headlines and therefore exploit journalists.

“There is a limit even to political influence. There is a limit to how much journalists can be exploited to obtain political advantages.

“If all journalists unite and establish certain policies, politicians will have no choice but to follow those policies,” Nasheed told Sun Online.

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Court denies former President permission to travel abroad

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has had his request to leave the country denied by the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

An official from the Judiciary Media Unit told local media that the court had denied Nasheed’s request as he had not cooperated with the court on previous instances.

Nasheed, who had asked to leave the Maldives on Wednesday (February 27) until March 5, had received travel permission from the court when previously asked.

Nasheed had stated that he would be travelling abroad at the end of February, having accepting an invitation from the Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, and to Denmark under an invitation from the state.

The former President’s request to leave the Maldives follows his exit from the Indian High Commission on Saturday (February 23) after he sought “refuge” inside the embassy building for 11 days.

Nasheed moved into the Indian High Commission after police were ordered to produce him at Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court on February 13 for his scheduled trial hearing.

Nasheed has maintained that the charges against him – of detaining the Chief Criminal Court Judge during his final days in office – are a politically-motivated effort to prevent him contesting the 2013 elections.

British-based publication, Daily Mail reported that Nasheed’s exit from the Indian High Commission came after the Maldivian government “brokered” a deal with the government of India.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since denied the claim in a statement released on Sunday (February 24), stressing that there had been no deal made with “anyone” that would result in Nasheed leaving the high commission.

Speaking to press on the day he exited the Indian High Commission, Nasheed emphasised his desire for stability to be restored following eight days of continuous protests by the MDP, dozens of police arrests and a violent attack on a Maldivian journalist.

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4000 square feet of land awarded to Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI)

Maldives Association of Construction Industry (MACI) has been awarded 4000 square feet of land in Male’ for the construction of the association’s building.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on Monday night (February 25) President of MACI Mohamed Ali Janah said the 10-storey building to be constructed on the site will be used to conduct training programs for people who want to join the industry, local media reported.

“It is a difficult task for an organization like ours to construct such a building and conduct it in a sustainable manner. We have planned to use a number of financial models for the construction of the building,” Janah was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

Janah said that the building will be designed within a year and the construction work is expected to bring the building to an operational level within 30 months.

The handover agreement of Male’ plot number 392 was signed on behalf of the government by Minister of Housing Mohamed Muizz.

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Government plans to launch new scheme to empower local councils

Fifty percent of rent from atoll shops in Male’ and lease rent on uninhabited islands is to be given to atoll councils, the government has decided.

Speaking at a function marking the decentralisation of administration in the Maldives, President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik announced strategies for providing financial support to local councils, local media reported.

As of July this year, the government plans to give 50 percent of rent from atoll shops and uninhabited island lease rent to atoll councils.

The president noted that for the decentralisation system to work there would need to be equal assistance and opportunities for the people. To do this, Waheed said it would take local councils to set aside their political differences.

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MVR 3000 fine for man who hit police officer

A man who attacked a policeman during the Usfasgandu take over in 2012 has been fined MVR 3000 (US$194.81), local media reported.

The Criminal Court ruled that Hussain Faheem of Thaa Madifushi Faransaage hit the policeman in the chest whilst he was on active duty on May 29, 2012.

Faheem has been ordered to pay the fine within one month to the court.

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Maldives monthly inflation increases by 0.12 percent

Monthly inflation in the Maldives has increased by 0.12 percent according to statistics from the Department of National Planning.

Figures show that the consumer price index – a measure showing changes in the price level of consumer goods – saw an overall rise of 0.12 percent in January 2013, compared to 0.39 percent in December 2012, local media reported.

In January, inflation in the education sector rose by 4.58 percent, while an increase of 2.12 percent inflation was attributed to the health sector.

The most significant price falls recorded in January were from information processing equipment and vegetables, a reduction of 8.65 percent and 2.96 percent respectively.

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India must keep nudging Male towards free and fair elections: Indian Express

The Maldives continues to remind India that small countries often pose big problems for their large neighbours, writes the Indian Express in an editorial.

Internal squabbles in the Maldives — with a population of barely 3,30,000, but occupying large strategic real estate in the Indian Ocean — have continued to test India’s diplomatic skills since President Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected leader of the island republic, was forced to resign in February 2012. India quickly recognised the new government led by Nasheed’s deputy, Mohammed Waheed. Nasheed soon called his ouster a “coup” mounted by Waheed, the former president and strong man, Abdul Gayoom, and the security forces, and launched a protest campaign. India’s initial emphasis was on non-intervention in the internal affairs of Maldives. New Delhi urged Male to hold early elections and preserve the nascent democratic order.

The internal crisis in Maldives, however, steadily deepened and culminated in Nasheed seeking sanctuary in the Indian High Commission nearly two weeks ago, drawing India right back into the power struggle.

Sensitive about its sovereignty, Male denies there was a deal with India. Clearly, the crisis is far from over. Delhi has the responsibility to stay engaged and pre-empt the next crisis, which must be assumed to be round the corner. Through robust and sustained diplomacy, Delhi must ensure Nasheed is not kept out of the political reckoning through legal manipulation.

If the Waheed government has proved to be slippery, playing the China card against Delhi and cancelling the contract with the Indian company GMR to run the country’s only international airport in Male a few months ago, Nasheed’s confrontational style has put Maldives on the edge. Irrespective of the bromides on non-intervention, India, as the pre-eminent regional power, has no option but to keep nudging Male towards free and fair elections.

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President calls for “respect and love” for Dhivehi language

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has called for national programs to be introduced to foster “respect and love” for the Dhivehi language.

Speaking at a function organised by the Dhivehi Language Academy, the President stated that the promotion and preservation of the language was a national duty rather than the responsibility of an institution.

President Waheed warned that by neglecting work aimed at the growth of Dhivehi, it risked being buried.

During the function, 30 seconds were observed as a sign of respect for the Dhivehi language, the President’s Office said.

Waheed went on to express concern over the misuse of Dhivehi by Maldivians and youth, before appealing to all parents, guardians and teachers to protect the language.

President’s Office Spokesperson Masood Imad told Minivan News there was no risk of the language being “put to one side” in place of another.

“The concern regarding the misuse of the language was in reference to slang coming into Dhivehi. The language is certainly not dying,” he added.

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