Category: Politics

Comment: Social fabric on verge of being ripped apart

Extract from a 22-page dossier published by the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), entitled “Abuse of Power and Assault on Democracy: A Dossier on the First 500 Days of the Nasheed Administration”

At the onset, the DRP wishes to welcome all the distinguished delegates attending this year’s donor conference. We are pleased to note that the concept of hosting a donor conference in the Maldives annually was developed during the previous administration, and that the Nasheed administration has decided to adhere to this policy.

This donor conference takes place at a time when the Maldivian public feels deceived and let down by the government. Lawlessness has become the norm, people have lost hope, government controls the state media, stabbing and beating of private reporters and journalists has become commonplace, brute force including teargas is used to suppress peaceful dissent, and members of parliament and key opposition leaders are facing arrest and detention.

Democracy in the Maldives, in short, is in peril, and the country’s social fabric is on the verge of being ripped apart.

We need every help we can get to implement meaningful development, restore normalcy, hope, security and the rule of law, and to protect democracy. However such assistance needs to be tied to measurable targets in promoting democracy.

The DRP acknowledges the so called ‘five key pledges’ of the MDP government, and the many additionally promises made by President Nasheed during the 2008 election campaign. We call on President Nasheed to honour the large number of pledges!

We are, nevertheless, deeply concerned by his callous disregard for the sensitivities and wellbeing of the public. We are also concerned by the flawed policies used to implement the ‘five key pledges’.

Civil servants

The government’s rush to downsize the civil service within the year by over 9000 civil servants, who account for almost one tenth of the country’s labour force and breadwinners, is a very serious concern.

The fear of redundancy has created psychological anguish among the whole civil service and their families who account for about one third of the country’s population. The policy is bound to be counterproductive especially in the Maldives, where low and declining labour force participation rate has been identified as one of the most serious problems encouraging drug abuse and other social evils. It is outrageous that the government is going ahead with this flawed policy even after the majority in Parliament has given a clear message that the policy is unacceptable.

Reducing the public sector wage bill is important, but it has to be done gradually to ensure social stability. Government’s proposed saving of US$ 24.8 million a year compared to 2008, through forced redundancy of one tenth of the county’s breadwinners, sounds absurd in a democracy.

The government’s justification for the redundancies has no merit at all when we consider that the proposed saving of US$24.8 million is accompanied by a government’s proposal to increase other allowances to employees by over US$71.9 million a year compared to 2008. Most of these allowances will inevitably end up lining the pockets of political appointees.

Furthermore, the continuing appointment of political appointees, with average salaries eight times higher than civil servants, clearly shows that the government’s intention is not the reduction of the wage bill but a reallocation of it from civil servants to MDP supporters and activists.

At the moment the average salary of a civil servant is approximately Rf2,800 while the average salary of a political appointee is Rf24,793 according to information given to Parliament by the Finance Minister. Nasheed’s government which came to power promising a leaner public service has today more political appointees than the previous government and most democracies like UK, Norway and Denmark.

Foreign assistance needs to be conditional on a freeze on appointment of political appointees until parliament can set a ceiling for political appointees. DRP strongly feels that any reduction in civil servants needs to be accompanied by an equivalent reduction in political appointees based on salary if the process is to have acceptance of the public.

Lack of conviction

The donor community must also exert due pressure on the government to implement an immediate freeze on the release of drug dealers and serious offenders from jail before they complete their sentence. The current practice is leading to rising crime and violence, and it surely does not send out the right signals to the donor community.

I call on President Nasheed to stop the lying and to make good on all the pledges including the pledge for a mid-term election. There is a serious need for his administration to regain public confidence. I note that present popularity ratings of the MDP government are at a pitiful 15%.

President Nasheed needs to implement urgent measures to free the state media and to protect journalists in the country. Also, the stranglehold on the civilian police force, through his Home Minister, must be loosened with immediate effect. I call on all participating delegates to urge the government to stop its current practice of arbitrarily arresting opposition activists and leaders. In two nights this week alone, no less than 40 such arrests were made.

I believe it is time for the international community to closely scrutinise the Nasheed administration’s democracy and human rights record, as, far from his cosmetic image of being a staunch supporter of human rights, he has become the biggest perpetrator in living memory.

As the largest political party in the country, the DRP is committed to ensuring that the rights of the Maldivian people are upheld and that the government is held to account for its failure to deliver on its pledges.

President Nasheed resorting to desperate, unconstitutional and heavy-handed tactics to cling on to power and crush the rising opposition movement is likely to lead to violence, unrest and even civil war in the country!

President Nasheed’s failure to deliver on his promises of upholding democratic principles and the widening gulf between his actions domestically and words overseas has resulted in an overall loss in public faith in the democratic reform agenda.

Also, the opposition, now a majority in numbers in the country, have very little avenue to voice their concerns, as the MDP government continues to keep a tight grip on the media, with full control of the state media.

The opposition DRP is currently dispatching envoys to meet with key diplomatic stakeholders to seek assistance in exerting pressure on President Nasheed to put an end to these Soviet-style ‘show trials’. We believe that the international community, who worked hand-in-hand with us in implementing the democratic reform agenda, has a moral obligation to ensure that the opposition movement can continue to fulfil its parliamentary and institutional duties to the people, without intimidation, harassment and bullying.

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Released MPs continue protests while Vice President claims situation “is embarrassing”

The government has claimed it had “absolutely no role” in the decision made by police on Thursday evening to take senior opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leaders into custody.

DRP Vice presidents Ali Waheed and Umar Naseer, and MPs Ahmed Ilham and Ahmed Mahlouf were among those taken to the nearby prison island, Dhoonidhoo, after being escorted from DRP headquarters at 10:30pm on Thursday night by riot police. They were released at 3am early the next morning.

An MDP gathering taking place at the artificial beach was disrupted when DRP supporters in the party’s nearby headquarters began playing loud music, with tension between the supporters of both sides turning violent when some began to throw chairs, rocks and water bottles.

“Police tried to control the area using teargas but some people would still not obey police orders, and we were forced to take 19 people into police custody,” said Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam with the Maldives Police Service.

“The intention was to remove them from Male’ until the city was brought under control, then release them,” he said. “Anybody who was there would understand how difficult the situation was to control. Police felt [detaining the leaders] was the easiest way to control the situation.”

Shiyam called on those organising the demonstrations to “show some responsibility” and ensure they were able to control the gathering and obey police rules and regulations.

However running protests by the various parties continued to erupt sporadically across Male’ yesterday afternoon, with supporters for various parties clashing outside the homes of Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid, DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, Home Minister Mohamed Shihab, and Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Last night crowds gathered again at the artificial beach during a DRP meeting, which turned violent after a group of people crashed into the party’s gathering and took the microphone away from somebody who was speaking.

MDP and DRP supporters threw stones at one another, which led to the arrival of team of police who requested the crowd disperse as it was disturbing the peace. DRP Vice President Umar Naseer continued using the loud speaker in the party’s office to announce that the demonstrations would not stop until President Mohamed Nasheed resigned.

Police then announced they would be using tear gas, and deployed two grenades into the crowd before arresting 31 people. At 12:30am Naseer called on the remaining demonstrators to gather again at 9pm tonight.

Shiyam said there had been reports of many civilian injuries during the two nights of violent clashes, although nothing serious. Six police officers had also sustained injuries, he said.

Vice president response

Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan said in a press conference this morning that the political demonstrations were regrettable while more than 90 diplomats and senior government officials from some 40 countries were visiting for the donor conference.

Waheed also said he regretted last week’s brawl in parliament, over a no-confidence motion against the Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem.

”As the vice president of the country I regret these things and as a Maldivian I am embarrassed,” he said, calling on Maldivians “not to take part in such activities” for the benefit of the country.

“Countries do not provide aid for a certain party or for a certain government, but the country as a whole,” he said.

Waheed said almost all the countries which provided aid to the country would attend the conference, which starts tomorrow at Bandos Island Resort, and appealed to the major political parties not to hold meetings and rallies in a manner that might affect the conference.

“Political issues are not solved on the streets, they should be solved through discussions,” he said.

DRP response

DRP Spokesperson and Vice President Ibrahim Shareef told Minivan News the party had no intention of disrupting the donor conference and harming the country’s national interest, and said he did not blame police “who are doing a very professional job under the circumstances.”

Instead, he accused the MDP of using “criminals and hired thugs” to attack DRP supporters, saying that the crowd that attacked DRP’s headquarters last night were armed with batons and iron bars.

“We saw some very well known MDP activists in the crowd,” he said. “Some people were very badly injured and taken to hospital with broken arms.”

“We are a very peaceful party and the leaders are very moderate, and DRP has many people experienced in political leadership,” he said. “But when people are injured and attacked they will react, and if mobs are forming it is only out of self-defence.”

He said he “did not know” why the MDP would be provoking DRP supporters ahead of the donor conference.

“The government pays lip-service to democracy while being totally dependent on hand outs,” Shareef said. “the international community has a role to play because the government must listen to it.”

He warned that unless the government “does its job properly” and ensured political stability, “the consequences will be beyond anyone’s control. The government must stop using thugs to attack our supporters,” Shareef said.

“Two of my shops have been attacked, this is very unhealthy,” he noted. “Now I hear some people are coming to Male’ from the islands. If the violence spreads to the islands it will be become uncontrollable. We are trying to calm and control things.”

He explained that it was sometimes necessary for DRP leaders to work with the sentiment of the crowd to cool the situation and stay in control.

Government’s call for calm

Spokesperson for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair accused the DRP of “just trying to oppose for the sake of opposition”, and said that if Umar Naseer’s calls for continued protests eventuated, “that will be a very undesirable message for international donors, who expect stability.”

The government was aiming for US$40 million in short-term funding to alleviate the current budget crisis, and seeking US$150 million per year over the next three years in longer term funding, he said.

Protests had “progressed from one thing to another” Zuhair claimed, beginning with efforts to oust the Auditor General, harass MDP functions and now disrupt the donor conference.

“The DRP accuses Naeem for using his corporate credit card to buy a tie and $400 on personal transportation. The DRP obviously think that if they are able to oust the AG, all his reports about the corruption of the last 30 years can be dismissed as not credible,” Zuhair said.

Police had an intelligience group monitoring the conference and were ready to make an appearance if necessary, he said.

Zuhair also noted that as an elected political representative, “there is no need for Mr Umar Naseer to jump over the president’s gate.”

“There is proper protocol and he need not go to that length if he wants to see inside Muleeage. He is welcome to see that there is no bar inside, as he has previously suggested.”

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Senior DRP leaders taken into police custody

Police used tear gas grenades to disperse a large crowd, after political demonstrators from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) clashed during an MDP rally at the artificial beach last night.

Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam reported that both protesters and police were injured in the skirmishes, although none seriously.

At around 10:30pm a large crowd of DRP supporters were still gathered outside the party’s headquarters opposite and were not responding to police instructions to disperse.

Police dressed in riot gear then entered the premises and escorted a number of the DRP’s senior leadership to a waiting pick-up truck, including Vice President Umar Naseer, Vice President Ali Waheed, and DRP spokesperson Ali Solih.

Shiyam confirmed that police had taken the DRP leaders into custody, but said police were not yet revealing the number of people arrested or the location to which they were being taken. At 11:00pm he said the situation was under control and police would be releasing further details over the weekend.

In a live interview with SunFM last night, Naseer and Waheed claimed they were on a police launch being taken to Dhoonidhoo prison.

Roads in Male’ around parliament and the president’s palace have been closed by police in an apparent effort to avoid demonstrations such as the one that took place outside Muleaage and the MNDF headquarters in late January, which could interfere with the donor conference on 28-29 March.

Speaking to Minivan News earlier today, DRP member Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Hussain Shareef observed that “while [President] Nasheed has good PR outside the country, this time the audience is in town. He is not going to be able to fool a foreign audience – half the donor community is in town.”

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Inside Male’s growing gang culture

Following the arrest of 26 people in a special operation to try and curb rising gang violence in Malé, Minivan News today spoke to three gang members, on condition of anonymity, to try and learn if both the operation was proving effective, and what was contributing to rising gang violence in the first place.

The first gang member identified himself as ‘Matey’, from a gang in Henveiru. The second gang member, ‘Don’, wished to keep his gang anonymous, likewise the third, a senior gang member.

The gang members spoke candidly about their reasons for being involved in gangs, finding jobs, crime, the police and politicians.

Joining the gang

All three gang members joined for different reasons and under circumstances, but they all speak about their gangs as “a second family”, with particular emphasis on a sense of community within the gang.

Matey said he loves being in the gang “because my family does not care about me, but the gang members always help me in every way.”

He said his parents “hated” him because he had a close relationship with his brother, also a gangster.

”I did not use to go and hang out with the gangs with him,” Matey said. ”I just hung out with him sometimes because he is my brother. But then my Mum and Dad thought I was becoming like him, and started ignoring me.”

Matey said he likes being with the gang because they help him “in everything he does” and he can “refresh his mind” with marijuana and alcohol.

He said first smoked marijuana because his parents always accused of him being drunk while he wasn’t, ”so one day I just tried it to see what happened.”

Don told Minivan News that he joined the gang after the police took him one day to police custody and kept him there as a suspect.

”As you know, that place is full of gangsters and I had to be in [police custody] with them,” he said.

”When I came out a few days later, I saw them on the streets and started hanging out with them.”

He said after completing his O’ levels he met the leader of the gang, who was “a friend of a friend.”

”I just joined with them to start a business,” he said.

Don said he also likes being in the gang because they “love me as much as my parents.”

The senior gang member told Minivan News he likes being in a gang because the other members “help me with everything and always back me up.”

Jobs

The gang members said they wanted jobs, but felt unable to get them because of the stigma attached to their police records.

Matey said he now prefers selling drugs instead of looking for a job “because it pays more”, but Don said he was compelled to stay in the gang until his police record was cleared in five years.

”In five years when my police records are cleared I will get a job,” he said.

The senior gang member said his family forced him to earn money but he was unable to get a job, also because of his police record.

”I would like to be like other people, going to work and earning money,” he said.

He added that the government “must provide more job opportunities for the people.”

Police

The police did not know how to handle gangs, Matey said: ”They arrest anyone with long hair and earrings.”

Because the police sometimes arrested innocent people, he explained, it had became a way for innocent people to get into gangs through association with gangsters.

”When [innocent people] are taken into police custody they meet lots of gangsters and become friends with them,” he said.

Don added ”the new government is trying to make Maldives a carbon neutral country, but don’t they know police vans, jeeps and motorbikes patrolling 24 hours harms the environment a lot?”

Protection

Many people are continuing to join gangs for protection, the gang members explained.

Matey said the need for protection was driving people who did not have any family problems to become involved in crimes with gangs, because they wanted support and protection from other gangs.

Don said this was particularly common for the younger gang members, who were seeking protection and support from the gang.

While the gangs were not particularly interested in the country’s politics, Don explained that “some political figures support the gangs by paying them to do crimes, sometimes to attack someone or for their protection.”

The senior gang member said his gang received support from political figures, usually for ‘protecting’ their business.

”In return they provide funds for our needs,” he said.

Curbing crime

Matey said he did not think rising crime in Malé could be prevented, while Don said the way to make Malé peaceful was “for police to leave the gangs alone.”

However the senior member suggested that to make Malé peaceful “police should arrest everyone connected to crimes.”

“The gangs don’t just commit crimes,” he said. ”We conducted a diving course this year, and once I was offered [the opportunity] to go abroad for studies.”

He said the leaders of the gangs did not want to create violence in Malé, but warned “we will attack if we are attacked.”

Crime and income

Matey agreed with the senior gang member that robbery was proving the most lucrative crime in Malé, although the latter said drug dealing also was also a main source of income for the gangs.

He said the public “respect anybody who has lots of money”, and did not appear to worry too much about how it was earned. Regarding robberies, he said, “we normally get information for our missions from expats who work with [the places we are robbing],” he said. ”In return, we give them a share of what we get.”

The senior gang member said that ”the most important thing is to avoid corruption in the country, because today we can buy anything for money; the police, Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation (DPRS), jail officers and judges, too,” he said. ”There are gang members inside the police.”

Response

A police spokesperson confirmed that criminal records were kept for five years, but that they were only applied if the person was convicted by a court.

He reiterated that police would only arrest someone if they had enough evidence, as the court would not accept a case otherwise.

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Gayoom and former ministers seeking legal advice over AG’s demands

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and many of his cabinet ministers are seeking legal advice after Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem sent their names to the Prosecutor General’s office for failing to declare their assets.

Naeem claimed that former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and many of his ministers, as well as several members of the current government, had refused to provide a statement of their assets as required by Article 138 of the new Constitution.

The article requires every member of the Cabinet to “annually submit to the Auditor General a statement of all property and monies owned by him, business interests and all assets and liabilities.”

DRP member and spokesman for the former president, Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Hussain Shareef, said the Auditor General’s request had “no legal weight under the new constitution”, and that Gayoom would be issuing a formal statement on the matter.

The Auditor General needs to update himself on the facts. He has obviously been discussing this from a comfy chair in Nasheed’s living room,” Mundhu said. “With his [alleged by the ACC] embezzelment of state funds, I think he has realised he is on borrowed time. He is clearly not fit to be in a position of responsibility and should go back to Singapore.”

Mundhu said the issue had “hijacked” parliament, and that the growing antagonism was becoming a political liability for President Mohamed Nasheed.

“Nasheed has good PR outside the country, but this time the audience is in town. He is not going to be able to fool a foreign audience – half the donor community is in town.”

“He can put up police barriers and turn Male’ into a police state, but will not get support from the people in return,” Mundhu said.

Independent MP and former Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed, also on the Auditor General’s list, said he believed there were numerous legal faults with the AG’s demands as new provisions in the Constitution did not apply to the interim ministers.

“There have been no rules or regulations regarding how assets should be declared, or cut off dates,” Nasheed said. “Article 138 of the constitution simply says that certain information relating to cabinet members must be disclosed, [a provision] that was formed under the new Constitution ratified on 7 August 2008.”

“There was no cut-off line mentioned. The former ministers were in government for three months and three days after the new constitution came into effect, and [the AG] requested submission of financial declaration in August 2009, nine months after we left office.”

Nasheed also said he had “no reason to believe” the Auditor General could demand such details from former ministers, as they had not been appointed or elected after the new consitution came into effect.

“He refers to section 20 of the audit law, which states he cannot be obstruct in the discharge of his function, but filing our financial declarations is not his function under the Constitution,” Nasheed said. “There is nothing saying he can demand compliance.”

The former ministers had also been sent forms by the AG “asking for more information required by Article 138,” Nasheed noted.

“I think he is a little unstable, and is firing any cannon at his disposal. He has crossed the line and become a politician himself.”

Nasheed said he was waiting for a decision by the Prosecutor General, but said that even if the PG decided to prosecute, he doubted the former ministers would be forthcoming with their cooperation: “No I don’t think they would. I certainly wouldn’t,” he said.

“I have been practicing as a lawyer for 15 years and I have never seen any demand so ridiculous.”

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Letter on Hill & Knowlton staff

Dear Editor,

I would like to refer to the article titled “Former Hill & Knowlton employee now working for government” by Laura Restrepo Ortega dated 23 March 2010.

One of the objectives of the MDP manifesto on Foreign Policy is to “Replace foreign nationals appointed to diplomatic posts in all Maldivian missions abroad by local carrier Foreign Service Officials.”

It is very ironic and inconsistent that when the foreign policy is clearly stated in black and white in the MDP manifesto, just recently their contracts have been renewed to two ex-H&K persons based in Geneva and Brussels.

Well, none should be surprised by this move by Dr Shaheed, as first of all they have been appointed by Dr Shaheed as Foreign Minister in Gayoom’s regime. Now their contracts have been renewed by Dr Shaeed as Foreign Minister in MDP’s government.

One could say only Dr Shaheed’s colour may have changed, but not his policies and his cronies.

When Dr Shaheed says that these ex-H&K persons were being paid “competitive rates, comparable to that of an ambassador”, one could question the capacity and the roles of Maldivian Ambassadors based in Geneva and Brussels paid with competitive and comparable rates as ex-H&K officials.

Moreover, employing these foreign ex-H&K persons in the Maldivian missions’ abroad one could question the sovereignty of the state, and state secrecy.

Best regards,

Ibrahim

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MDP call for no confidence-motion against speaker

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will put forward a no-confidence motion against the speaker, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Shahid, spokesperson for MDP’s parliamentry group Mohamed Shifaz said today.

Parliament was cancelled again today because of chaos in the chamber. Police blockaded streets around the parliament and presidential palace in the wake of running protests, while a political gathering at the artificial beach this evening erupted into violence and was dispersed by police using tear gas.

”We do not believe that a man under such pressure can do anything correctly,” Shifaz said, accusing Shahid of siding with the opposition coalition ”most of the time”.

”He adds things to the agenda against the procedures of parliament,” Shifaz said. ”If there is a bill that makes things difficult for the government, that is the first thing he wants to discuss.”

Shifaz said the MDP MPs were “still unsure” about their security and safety inside the parliament chamber after yesterday’s brawl, and had sought reassurance from the speaker.

In a letter posted on parliament’s website, Shahid said he had requested that police investigate the incident, and adding that “what happened inside the chamber was not acceptable behaviour for a parliamentary debate”.

In addition, he said he had ”no pressure on me from any political party. I call on all the political parties to cooperate with each other.”

Shahid insisted he “had control of the parliament”, and said he did not wish to comment on the no-confidence motion reportedly being drafted against him. Instead, he called on MPs to cooperate and continue work.

DRP MP Ali Waheed, Ahmed Ilham, and Vice president Umar Naseer did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Auditor General requests PG prosecute Gayoom and former ministers

The Auditor General’s office has sent a list of current and former government ministers to the Prosecutor General, requesting they be prosecuted for failure to declare their assets.

Article 138 of the Constitution requires every member of the Cabinet to “annually submit to the Auditor General a statement of all property and monies owned by him, business interests and all assets and liabilities.”

A letter to the Prosecutor General’s office, signed by Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem, claimed that former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and many of his ministers, as well as several members of the current government, had refused to declare their assets despite being requested by his office to do so.

The Attorney General’s office advised the Auditor General that those concerned had indeed committed an offence under section 20 of the Audit laws, and were thus subject to state prosecution.

“Therefore, as advised by the Attorney General’s office, we request that you prosecute Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, of Ma. Kibigasdhosuge, as he has committed an offence under section 20 of the audit law and violated the constitution,” the Auditor General wrote.

Along with Gayoom, the list includes many Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and People’s Alliance (PA) MPs, and several members of the current government including Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, and Economic Development Minister Mohamed Rasheed.

“I submitted [the asset statement] today,” Sawad told Minivan News. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

The deadline set by the Auditor General was Thursday, Sawad noted. Gayoom’s submission, he suggested, “would be interesting.”

Others on the list include PA president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed, and former Anti-Corruption Commission member Ali Rasheed.

The ACC recently forwarded corruption allegations against Naeem to the Prosecutor General’s office. A motion in parliament for the Auditor General’s dismissal, based on the case yet to be heard by the court, has also stalled the Majlis twice and caused an all-out brawl between the major parties yesterday.

Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem said the ACC had delivered a large box file of documents regarding the Auditor General’s case “which we’re going through now”. The PG had yet to decide whether to prosecute, he said.

Regarding the Auditor General’s list, Shameem noted that “according to audit law, any person who obstructed the law as vested in the Auditor General is guilty of a crime, and I believe that is what he may be invoking.”

The PG’s office was “treating it as a normal case” he said, and had “technical issues” to consider before deciding whether to proceed with prosecution.

“We understand we’re in the limelight right now,” Shameem acknowledged. “We’re trying to keep a low profile.”

Spokesperson for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair suggested that “the number of DRP and PA MPs on the Auditor General’s list I believe gives insight into the troubles he is currently having in parliament.”

The Auditor General, he noted, “was actually appointed by Gayoom and a DRP-majority Majlis.”

“He’s a top-class accountant. I think that they believed he would foot their line, and did not expect that after he was appointed he would revert to type.”

No MDP member in senior government, Zuhair noted, had failed to declare their assets.

He called on the parliament to suspend the contentious debate over the fate of the Auditor General “until the court has ruled one way or another, otherwise they will be prejudicing the case.”

List of senior officials, past and current, yet to declare personal assets to the Auditor General as required by the Constitution:

Ali Rasheed – Former ACC member
Mohamed Ibrahim -Former EC member
Mujthaz Fahmy – JSC member
Abdul Gany Mohamed – JSC member

Ahmed Zahir -former JSC members
Abbas Shareef – former JSC member
Aishah Bisham – former JSC members
Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim – former JSC member

Ahmed Rasheed – Minister of Economic Development
Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad – Minister of Tourism

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – Former President
Mohamed Mauroof Jameel – Former Minister of Construction and Public Infrastructure
Ilyas Ibrahim – Former Minister of Health
Abdulla Shahid – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mohamed Nasheed – Former Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts
Dr Ali Haidar – Former Minister of Housing and Urban Development
Abdulla Kamaludeen – Former Minister of Home Affairs
Zahiya Zareer – Former Minister of Education
Ismail Shafyu – Former Minister of Defense and National Security
Mohamed Saeed – Former Minister of Transport and Communication
Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – Former Minister of Atolls development
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom – Former Minister of tourism and civil aviation
Hamdhoon Hameed – Former Minister of planning and national development
Aishath Mohamed Didi – Former Minister of Gender and Family
Dr Aishath Shiham – Former Minister of Youth and aports
Aishath Azima Shukoor – Former Attorney General
Dr Abdulla Mausoom – Former Minister of Environment Energy and water
Gasim Ibrahim – Former Home Minister

Source: http://www.audit.gov.mv/dv/assetsdeclist.php

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Parliament cancelled when only 18 members show up

Parliament was cancelled today because only 18 MPs were present inside the parliament chamber.

MDP MPs had sent a letter to the speaker of the parliament asking him to ensure them that the chamber “was safe for MDP MPs”, after a brawl broke out yesterday between the two major parties.

According to the parliament’s regulations at least 20 MPs must be present inside the chamber to hold a meeting.

MDP MP Rugiyya Mohamed said 89 per cent of MDP MPs attended the parliament ”but did not enter inside the chamber due to what happened yesterday.”

Ruhiyya said that the MDP parliamentry group had sent a letter to the speaker of the parliament to ensure that the chamber would be safe for the MDP MPs, but had not responded.

”I believe that Abdulla Shahid is influenced by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP),” she claimed. ”He cannot even control the parliament.”

DRP Vice president Umar Naseer said MDP MPs were attempting to prevent a vote regarding the corruption allegations against the Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem, as they “are afraid of democracy.”

”Shahid must stand on our side,” Naseer said. ” He was elected to the parliament by our ticket with the vote of our members.”

DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said he had no idea why the MDP MPs refused to enter the chamber.

”It was a waste of one day for me.” he said. ”I went to parliament with the hope of discussing a national issue.”

He said that it was fine “even if two [MPs] came.”

MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz said the MDP MPs “are not sure that the chamber is safe for them any more.”

Spokesperson for the President Mohamed Zuhair said it was up to the speaker to hold consultations with party leaders and get the MPs back into the chamber.

“The government believes politicans should only defeat their opponents through speech,” he noted.

During a meeting yesterday, DRP MP Ali Waheed said if the vote was not taken tomorrow, the party “will make sure no more votes are taken in this country.”

“It will be the biggest political mistake President Mohamed Nasheed makes,” he warned.

In response, Zuhair accused DRP MP Ali Waheed of pretending to injure himself in video footage of yesterday’s brawl.

“He was at the back of the chamber and clearly takes a dive. But then he is a former footballer so he would know all about that,” Zuhair said.

Waheed did not to respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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