Category: Society & Culture

Islamic Foundation alleges black magic performed in Haa Alifu Atoll to foretell election results

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has alleged that people on the island of Baarah in Haa Alifu Atoll practiced “black magic” to foretell the results of Local Council Elections held last week.

”A group of clairvoyants or soothsayers are said to have summoned the jinn to predict local council election results in their constituency,” said the IFM in a press statement.

”The black arts practitioners did so by constantly beating a possessed person with a traditional eakle broom while reciting a magic spell, and questioning the evil spirit believed to be speaking through the haunted person.”

The religious NGO referred to sources in the island and said the incident took place two days prior to the Local Council Elections.

”The local superstition states that jinns have the power to foretell the future, and the clairvoyants wanted it to tell the names of the candidates who would win the council vote,” the foundation said.

The Islamic Foundation said another such group of people in the island believed that the ”the party to which the first vote falls into the ballet box will win the election. So, they started queueing up for the vote just after sunset, with the hope of becoming the first person to vote in the next morning.”

The IFM said it had looked into the matter “from a religious perspective” and said the belief that demons or jinns have the power to foresee future, visiting fortunetellers, astrologers and palmists, wearing amulets or charms to ward off evil are forms of Shirk.

“The ignorant among the masses believe that Prophets possessed the power to foretell future and bring good or bad luck. However the Final Revelation, clearly states the Prophets do not have any such power. It is mentioned in the Quran that Allah instructed Prophet Mohamed to say he does not have any such power,” the Foundation said.

“Say! None in the heavens nor the earth knows the unseen except Allah..” (Surah an-Nahl 27:65)” the Islamic Foundation said on its website citing the Quran. ‘

The IFM said that Islam allows exorcism provided the practice does not involve any form of sorcery, Shirk or invocation of false deities. It is mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawud that Allah’s Messenger said, “The Last Hour will not come until some groups of my nation worship idols.”

Belief in black magic remains very common on many islands of the Maldives, despite being strictly forbidden under Islam.

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Local Council Elections 2011: Preliminary results by island and party

The DRP has won 502 seats, 91 island councils and 10 atoll councils, according to preliminary results of the local council elections.

MDP won 375 seats, 61 island councils, four atoll councils and 88 percent of the city council seats.

Independents took 160 seats, 15 island councils and one atoll council (Dhaalu).

The Elections Commission of the Maldives has said that the commission will announce the official result of the Local Council Elections within two weeks.

In the meantime, preliminary results are subject to change and media is accountable for its own reporting of seats won and lost by specific candidates, the EC stated.

”Any media that circulates information that a seat was won by a specific candidate according to an unverified result, shall do so of its own responsibility,” said the commission.

The commission said will be updating its results website as soon as sheets are received at the main office in Male’.

The following breakdown of results by island is sourced from the Elections Commission’s website. Full breakdown and names of candidates are available on the commission’s website (Dhivehi).

HAA ALIFU ATOLL COUNCILS

HOARAFUSHI – 2 MDP

IHAVANDHU – 2 MDP

BAARAH – 2 DRP

DHIDHU – 1 MDP and 1 DRP

KELA – 2 DRP

HAA ALIFU ATOLL ISLAND COUNCILS

THURAAKUNU – 2 MDP 1 IND

ULIGAMU -5 IND

MOLHADHU – 5 MDP

HOARAFUSHI – 6 MDP and 1 IND

IHAVANDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

KELA – 4 DRP 1 MDP

VASHAFARU – 5 DRP

DHIDHU – 5 MDP 2 DRP

FILADHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

MAARANDHU – 5 IND

THAKANDHU – 5 MDP

UTHEEMU – 5 DRP

MURAIDHU – 4 MDP 1 ADH

BAARAH – 3 DRP 2 MDP

HAA DHAALU ATOLL COUNCIL

HANIMAADHOO – 1 MDP 1DRP

NOLHIVARAM – 2 DRP

VAIKARADHU – 1 MDP 1 IND

KULHUDHUFUSHI NORTH – 2 MDP

KULHUDHUFUSHI SOUTH – 2 MDP

HAA DHAALU ATOLL ISLAND COUNCILS

HANIMADHU – 3 MDP 2 DRP

FINEY – 4 DRP 1 MDP

NAVAIDHU – 5 DRP

NOLHIVARANFARU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

NELLAIDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

NOLHIVARAM – 3 MDP 1 ADH 1 IND

KURIMBI – 4 RP 1 MDP

NEYKURENDHU – 3 MDP 2 DRP

VAIKARADHU – 5 MDP

MAKUNUDHU – 2 ADH 3 MDP

SHAVIYANI ATOLL AREA

KANDITHEEMU – 2 DRP

MILANDHU – 2 MDP

KOMANDU – 2 DRP

FUNADHU – 2 DRP

SHAVIYANI ATOLL ISLAND COUNCIL

KANDITHEEMU – 5 DRP

NOOMARA – 5 MDP

GOIDHU – 5 DRP

FEYDHU – 2 MDP 3 DRP

FEEVAK – 4 DRP 1 IND

BILEIFAHI – 3 DRP 2 ADH

FOAKAIDHU – 5 DRP

NARUDHU – 3 DRP 1 MDP 1 IND

MAROSHI – 3 DRP 1 MDP 1 ADH

LHAIMAGU – 5 MDP

KOMANDU – 5 MDP

MAAUNGUDHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

FUNADHU – 5 DRP

MILANDHU – 5 MDP

NOONU ATOLL AREA

KENDHIKULHUDHU – 1 DRP 1 MDP

MANADHU – 1 DRP 1 MDP

VELIDHU – 2 DRP

NOONU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

HENBADHU – 4 IND 1 DRP

KENDHIKULHUDHU – 3 DMP 2 DRP

MAALHENDHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

KUDAFAREE – 5 MDP

LANDHU – 3 IND 1 ADH 1 MDP

MAAFARU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

LHOHI – 5 DRP

MILADHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

MAGUDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

MANADHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

HOLHUDHU – 5 DRP

FODHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

VELIDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

RAA ATOLL AREA

ALIFUSHI – 2 DRP

UNGUFAARU – 1 MDP 1 DRP

DHUVAFARU – 1 DRP 1 ADH

INGURAIDHU – 1 DRP 1 MDP

MADUVVARI – 2 DRP

RAA ATOLL ISLAND COUNCILS

ALIFUSHI – 3 DRP 2 MDP

VAADHU – 5 DRP

RAGETHEEMU – 3 DRP 1 ADH 1 MDP

ANGOLHITHEEMU – 2 MDP 2 DRP 1 IND

HULHUDHUFFAARU – 5 MDP

UNGUFAARU – 5 DRP

DHUVAAFARU – 4 DRP 2 IND 1 MDP

MAAKURATHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

RASMADHU – 3 DRP 1 MDP 1 IND

INNAMADHU – 3 MDP 2 IND

MADUVVARI – 3 MDP 1 IND 1 DRP

INGURAIDHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

MEEDHU – 4 DRP 1 IND

FAINU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

KINOLHAHU – 4 ADH 1 IND

BAA ATOLL AREA

THULHAIDHU – 1 DRP 1 MDP

EYDHAFUSHI – 2 DRP

KENDHU – 1 MDP 1 DRP

KUDARIKILU – 3 DRP 2 IND

KAMADHU – 5 MDP

KENDHU – 2 MDP 2 IND 1 DRP

KIHAADHU – 3 IND 2 MDP

DHONFANU – 3 DRP 2 IND

DHARAVANDHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

MAALHOS – 3 MDP 1 DRP 1 IND

EYDHAFUSHI – 5 DRP

THULHAIDHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

HITHAADHU – 4 IND 1 MDP

FULHADHU – 5 DRP

FEHENDHU – 5 DRP

GOIDHU – 5 MDP

LHAVIYANI ATOLL AREA

HINNAVARU – 1 JUMHOORY PARTY 1 MDP

NAIFARU – 2 DRP

KURENDHU – 2 MDP

HINNAVARU – 5 MDP 2 DRP

NAIFARU – 7 DRP

KURENDHU – 5 MDP

OLHUVELIFUSHI – 2 ADH 1 MDP 2 IND

FELIVARU – TO BE ANNOUNCED

KAAFU ATOLL AREA COUNCILS

KAASHIDHU – 1 MDP 1 DRP

THULUSDHU – 2 DRP

GURAIDHU – 1 DRP 1 MDP

KAAFU ATOLL ISLAND COUNCILS

KAASHIDHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

GAAFARU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

DHIFFUSHI – 4 MDP 1 DRP

THULUSDHOO – 4 DRP

HURAA – 5 DRP

HINMAFUSHI – 5 DRP

GULHI – 5 DRP

MAAFUSHI – 5 MDP

GURAIDHU – 5 DRP

ARI ATOLL UTHURUBURI COUNCIL [NORTH ARI ATOLL]

MATHIVERI AREA – 2 MDP

THODDU AREA – 2 MDP

ARI ATOLL UTHURUBURI ISLANDS COUNCIL [NORTH ARI ATOLL]

THODDU – 5 DRP 1 MDP

RASDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

UKULHAS – 5 MDP

MATHIVERI – 2 MDP 3 DRP

FERIDHU – 5 DRP

MAALHOS – 5 MDP

HIMANDHU – 3 DRP 2 IND

ALIF DHAALU ATOLL COUNCILS [SOUTH ARI ATOLL]

MAAMIGILI – 2 JP

MAHIBADHU – 1 DRP 1 JP

A.DH ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL [SOUTH ARI ATOLL]

HANYAMEEDHU – 4 IND 1 JP

OMADHU – 5 IND

KUMBURUDHU – 4 IND 1 MDP

MAHIBADHU – 4 DRP 1 IND

MANDHU – 5 DRP

DHANGETHI – 2 JP 2 DRP 1 IND

DHIGURAH – 5 DRP

DHIDHU – 4 IND 1 JP

FENFUSHI – 3 JP 2 MDP

MAAMIGILI – 5 JP

VAAVU ATOLL COUNCIL

FELIDHU – 2 DRP

KEYODHU – 2 DRP

VAAVU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

FULIDHU – 5 MDP

THINADHU – 4 MDP 1 IND

FELIDHU – 5 DRP

KEYODHU – 5 DRP

RAKEEDHU – 5 MDP

MEEMU ATOLL COUNCILS

DHIGGARU – 2 DRP

MULAKU – 1 DRP

MEEMU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

RAIMANDHU – 5 DRP

VEYVASHU – 4 IND 1 MDP

MULAKU – 5 DRP

MULEE – 5 DRP

NAALAAFUSHI – 5 DRP

KOLHUFUSHI – 4 DRP 1 IND

DHIGGARU – 4 IND 1 MDP

MADUVVARU – 3 DRP 1 MDP 1 IND

FAAFU ATOLL COUNCIL

BILEIDHU – 1 MDP 1 IND

NILNADHU – 1 DRP 1 IND

FAAFU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

FEEALI – 5 IND

BILEIDHU – 4 IND 1 MDP

MAGUDHU – 4 MDP 1 IND

DHARANBUDHU – 2 DRP 2 MDP 1 IND

NILNADHU – 3 DRP 1 IND 1 MDP

DHAALU ATOLL COUNCIL

MEEDHU 1 MDP 1 IND

KUDAHUVADHU – 2 IND

DHAALU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

MEEDHU – 3 IND 2 MDP

BANDIDHU – 5 IND

RINBUDHU – 3 MDP 2 IND

HULHUDHELI – 5 DRP

VAANEE – 5 IND

MAAENBUDHU – 3 IND 2 MDP

KUDAHUVADHU – 4 IND 1 MDP

THAA ATOLL COUNCIL

VILUFUSHI – 1 MDP 1 IND

THIMARAFUSHI – 2 DRP

KINBIDHU – 2 DRP

THAA ATOLL ISLAND COUNCIL

BURUNI – 3 MDP 2 IND

VILUFUSHI – 5 MDP

MADIFUSHI – 3 DRP 2 MDP

DHIYAMIGILI – 3 MDP 2 IND

GURAIDHU – 5 DRP

KANDUDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

VANDHU – 3 DRP 2 IND

HIRILANDHU – 3 DRP 1 MDP 1 IND

GAADHIFUSHI – 4 MDP 1 IND

THIMARAFUSHI – 4 MDP 1 DRP

VEYMANDU – 2 DRP 2 IND 1 ADH

KINBIDHU – 4 MDP 1 IND

OMADHU – 5 IND

LAAMU ATOLL COUNCIL

ISDHOO – 2 DRP

GAN – 2 DRP

FONADHU – 2 DRP

MAAVAH – 1 DRP 1 MDP

LAAMU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCIL

ISDHOO – 4 MDP 1 DRP

DHANBIDHU – 5 DRP

MAABAIDHU – 3 DRP 2 IND

MUNDU – 4 DRP 1 IND

GAN – 5 DRP 2 MDP

MAAVAH – 5 DRP

FONADHU – 5 DRP

GAADHU – 4 DRP 1 IND

MAAMENDHU – 5 DRP

HITHADHU – 4 DRP 1 MDP

KUNAHANDHU – 3 IND 2 MDP

GAAFU ALIFU ATOLL COUNCIL

VILLINGILI – 1 DRP 1 MDP

DHAANDHU – 2 DRP

GEMANAFUSHI – 2 DRP

GAAFU ALIFU ATOLL ISLANDS COUNCILS

KOLAMAAFUSHI – 4 MDP 1 DRP

VILLINGILI – 6 DRP 1 MDP

MAAMENDHU – 5 DRP

NILNADHU – 5 DRP

DHAANDHU – 4 MDP 1 DRP

DHEVVADHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

KONDEY – 5 IND

GEMANAFUSHI – 5 DRP

KANDUHULHUDHU – 5 DRP

GAAFU DHAALU ATOLL COUNCIL

THINADHU – 2 MDP

MADAVELI – 2 DRP

FARESMATHODA – 2 DRP

GADHU – 2 DRP

GAAFU DHAALU ATOLL ISLAND COUNCILS

THINADHU – 7 MDP

MADAVELI – 5 DRP

HOADEDHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

NADELLA – 4 DRP 1 IND

GADHU – 3 DRP 2 MDP

RATHAFANDHU – 2 MDP 2 DRP 1IND

VAADHU – 4 MDP 1 IND

FIYORI – 3 DRP 1 IND 1 MDP

FARESMATHODA – 5 DRP

GNAVIYANI ATOLL COUNCIL

FUVAMULAK NORTH AREA – 1 MDP 1 DRP

FUVAMULAK MID AREA – 1 DRP 1 MDP

FUVAMULAK SOUTH AREA – 2 DRP

FUVAMULAK ISLAND COUNCILS

DHANDIMAGU – 3 DRP

DHIGUWAADU – 3 MDP

HOADHADU – 3 MDP

MAADHADU – 3 MDP

MISKIMAGU – 3 DRP 1 MDP

FUNAADU – 2 MDP 1 DRP

MALEGAN – 2 DRP 1 MDP

DHOONDIGAN – 3 DRP

ADDU ATOLL COUNCILS

HULHUMEEDHOO AREA – MDP

FEYDHOO AREA – MDP

MARADHU AREA – MDP

HITHADHU NORTH – MDP

HITHADHU MID – MDP

HITHADHU SOUTH – MDP

MALE’

ALL THE AREAS OF MALE’ EXCEPT FOR GALOLHU SOUTH AND VILIMAAFANNU WAS WON BY MDP.

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Comment: Don’t walk like a Maldivian – what Egyptians can learn from us

Egypt has us all riveted. The images of its revolution are particularly poignant for Maldivians: some of us are reliving moments when a dream came true; others are having nightmares about when their ambitions for perpetual rule ended. We see reflected in Egyptian faces the same passion with which we wanted change, we identify with them. The shared political trajectory of Gayoom and Mubarak, the Egyptians and us, has been the talk of the town for the last few days.

Let us hope though, for the sake of the Egyptian people, that once they manage to remove Mubarak and replace his regime with democratic rule, we part ways – the Egyptians and the Maldivians. If not, what we see when we look at us now, is what they will see happening to them in the next few years. Seen in the hindsight we can offer as foresight to our Egyptian counterparts, their future bears very little resemblance to the ideals motivating their present:

The dictator will be gone from office, but his old regime will retain power by occupying a majority of both the legislature and the judiciary, as well as other positions of influence within society. Having negotiated immunity as a condition of departure from office, the dictator, his assets, and that of his family and cronies, will remain untouchable by law. Not satisfied, he will keep trying to return to office, his fists feeling the absence of power like an amputee feels the missing limb.

It is not he, however, who will ultimately succeed in diverting the winds of change. That will be accomplished by the remaining elite of his regime – the businessmen, politicians, family members, and civil servants in the gigantic public sector he built – who benefitted [and benefits still] from the structures he left in his wake. They will deliberately and systematically murder the hopes that lived and breathed in those clamouring for democracy.

They will turn the parliament into a stock market, buying and selling votes, legislation, and people’s rights. They will increase their own salaries, and pass legislation giving themselves immunity from prosecution, freedom from past convictions and privileges beyond the common man’s most uncommon dream. They will come to regard the parliament as their own property to such an extent that building high walls and barbed wire fences around its premises will seem natural, justified and right.

In the judiciary, loyalty to the old regime will be the main criteria for deciding an individual’s fitness for the bench. Rules of the dictator’s handbook will be what count as jurisprudence. Many called to the bar would have been groomed for a particular purpose: to manipulate the letter of the law – to knot every i and twist every t – until whatever project the new regime has planned can be interpreted as void. The spirit of the law will be long dead. Reform will not just be a dirty word, it will lack legitimacy and can be lawfully thwarted.

Meanwhile, the executive, headed by the new president who is the human symbol of the change that people agitated for, will become a prisoner of his own success. The manipulations of the other two branches of power will put him in the position of a lame duck president so often, it will seem natural to dive into water to sign some of his most radical agendas into policy.

He will still remain passionate about democracy, he will believe in it, and he will want to put it into practice. He will come to realise, however, that the autocue does not have the power of a megaphone; government announcements do not read like dissident pamphlets; and words, when spun by political machinery, does not have the same power to move as when spoken from the heart. He will be forced to accept, like many other leaders before him: it is often easier to instigate democratic reforms from within the bars of a prison cell than from within the confines of executive office.

To complicate matters further, religion – entirely outside of human reason on which liberalism rests – will be added to the mix. With the support of the old regime that only concerned itself with faith in so far as its ability to transform worshippers into voters, politico-religious players will come to the forefront of the battle over change. What the dictator had wanted was total control, what the self-appointed ambassadors of God will want is total submission. They will re-cast every act of reform as a secular sin until the new regime is forced into shelving yet another reformation project for a later date, perhaps until such a time as the hypothesis of evolution is proven beyond all unreasonable doubt.

In the aftermath of the violent American project for Enduring Freedom, Egypt, and the rest of the Arabic countries in revolt, have taught the world a valuable lesson: democracy cannot be forced on people with superior military might, political coercion or harsh punishment. Democracy can only come, and comes only, when people want it.

What the Egyptians can learn from us is that democracy, once won, can only be sustained if people continue to want it badly enough.

For Egypt and the Maldives to continue sharing the same page in political history, one of two things has to happen: Egyptians will have to allow their revolution to be hijacked by the old regime; or Maldivians will have to rekindle the fires of their own revolution and reclaim the democracy we fought for.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Election atmosphere “so far peaceful”, say police

The Maldives Police Service has said that it has so far received no reports of major violence during the country’s first local council elections taking place today, despite fears about potential clashes between rival supporters from authorities and several NGOs.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that despite “little misunderstandings” at some island-based polling stations, there had been no major clashes reported during the last few days.

“There have not been much [elections] violence so far today, yesterday or the day before that,” he said. “We are trying to work with the Elections Commission (EC) in regards to any problems, though there hasn’t been much confrontation.”

The claims were made as one local NGO, the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN), reported that it has received “a concerning number” of reports of election-related violence in the three weeks running up to today’s local council elections, as it aims to compile a report on the role violence has played during campaigning.

During polling time itself, Shiyam said that certain “misunderstandings” had been reported to have occurred at some ballot boxes, where confusion had arose over whether one constituent was able to correctly see how he would be casting his vote.

“As someone was casing their vote, allegations were made that the constituent in question was blind, while others denied there was a problem,” he said.

As part of a UN Development Programme (UNDP) funded initiative aimed to try and systematically record instances of violence relating around the elections – both before and during polling –the MDN has said that it hopes to put forward measures to mitigate major violence and disturbances in future elections.

MDN Executive Director Ahmed Irfan told Minivan News that it would not be revealing specific instances of violence recorded by the report concerning the involvement of specific parties or individuals until after the local council elections had taken place.

Irfan claimed that the report would use accounts from both witnesses and the authorities to try and produce an in-depth account of violence surrounding the council elections.

“We’re doing a number of things such as sending people around the islands to get second hand accounts of the violence, while also consulting with police and the Elections Commission,” he said.

Irfan added that he believed that political groups had so far been “entirely open” in discussing the role of violence during the current campaign.

“We feel the [report] process has been entirely open and have already met with some parties for feedback,” he said.

Irfan claimed that the group will be going back to parties to see if there are any additional cases of election-time violence once voting has concluded.

“It is MDN’s most fervent hope that the elections on February 5, 2011 will be held in a peaceful, free and fair manner in which everyone can exercise their constitutional right to vote, free from fear and intimidation,” the MDN stated. “This can only be achieved with the sincere support and cooperation of all those involved.”

Reiterating similar concerns about election violence, the police last week called on the country’s politicians to curb rhetoric that could stir up violence, after allegations that a group with allegiances to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has attacked Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs on the island of Kaandehdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

The MDP denied that any of its members were involved in the confrontations.

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NGO aid overdependence may hamper effective national development, says UN coordinator

The high number of NGOs operating in the Maldives dependent on foreign aid may be setting back effective development in areas such as health and human rights, according to UN Resident Coordinator Andrew Cox.

At the launch of a new wave of UN joint funding, Cox told Minivan News that he believed current numbers of Maldivian NGOs “could not be sustained” with about 700 such organisations registered within the country.

Cox claimed that the funding unveiled today was being supplied in an attempt to steer future aid projects into specific areas of interest in the community where NGOs could effectively support and maintain themselves to benefit local people in the long-term.

A total of nine grants, which are jointly funded by the UN (UNDP) Development Project and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), were today unveiled as part of the first of three batches of funding to support projects by NGOs and civil society organisation (CSOs).

The projects, which range in budget and duration from four to eight months, are aimed at encompassing issues such as human rights, governance, rights-based developments and gender equality, according to the UNDP.

Although not related directly to this weekend’s council elections in terms of timing, Cox said that the focus of the local elections to transfer a strong amount of governing responsibility to islands and atolls away from Male’ tied into the grants’ intended purpose of steering country-wide developments.

“The point of today is we can see that civil society organisations and NGOs can play a major role in bringing meaning to this transfer of power from the centre to the local level. Obviously that is not going to happen on every island or even every atoll,” he said.

“But community organisations; working with some of the most disadvantaged and trying to give them poise is a key part of what local democracy is about. What I really want to see coming out of these grants and the ones which come along in the future is more of the same kind of thing.”

Grant beneficiaries

The list of beneficiaries of these grants includes:

• Take Care Addu; received US$20,514.98 to try empowering NGOs to protect and promote human rights on Seenu Atoll and Fuahmulah for seven months

• Maldivian Democracy Network; received 18,815 to monitor political violence for the first local council elections over four months

• Maldives Deaf Association – in collaboration with Care Society; 24,928 over eight months to help create awareness of the United Nation’s convention on rights of people with disabilities

• Raajje Foundation Maldives; US$20,980 on a six month project looking at civil society and democracy to be implemented in two atolls

• Maldives Civil Servants Association (MCA); provided US$21,151 for funding five month projects in Male’ and other atolls

• CHOCO; US$18,400 for six months development of a “masterplan” for Huvadhoo Atoll

• Lhohee Zuvaanunge Club; received US$15,347 for the raising of public awareness of local governance and empowering women in Noonu Atoll

• Billedhoo School Isdharivarunge Jammiyya; provided US$15,634 for protection of women’s rights and their role in political and social spheres for a four month project

• HIRIYA; US$14,340 for a four month project aiming to strengthen the role of women youth leaders

According to Cox, the projects, which were selected by the UNDP’s own Grants Gommittee were geographically focused to try and benefit as wide a group of people as possible.

In terms of monitoring the aid, Cox said that the grants committee had focused on trying to find key long-term areas that future funding could efficiently support in the country without depending on continued foreign aid.

“The applying organisations had to show that this is a way of not just blowing off some cash, but that this might strengthen things in the area they are focusing on,” he said. “We’ll have to see how it goes, but if we see some useful trends coming out of this we will try and steer the remainder of resources towards this.”

When asked whether potential suspicion from some people or groups over the motives of international bodies such as the UN and AusAID in supplying financial aid was a problem, Cox claimed that he had not heard of any such criticisms of the Society Development Project funding.

In addressing prominent concerns in supplying the funding, the UN Resident Coordinator said that ensuring long-term benefits from the aid packages was particularly important due to the high number of NGOs currently operating in the country, which he claimed could not be sustained on current national levels of financial resources.

“In the long run, especially in a country like the Maldives, you can’t have NGOs that are dependent on international funding because it won’t continue forever,” he said. “So the idea of projects like this, at least in theory, is that you can provide funding for very particular activities and you hope that the resources that provides allows for professionalization to help develop stronger management structures.”

One possible solution to concerns over an over dependency on foreign aid according to Cox could be the emergence of a number of “champion” or strong NGOs focusing on a number of “key issues” like reproductive health, drugs and human rights.

“One of the things we try and push NGOs to do – which can be a difficult sell – is to look to their own communities and the people who support them to find the reasons they exist and find ways that resources can be mobilised nationally and locally,” he said. “On a secondary level, you need a number of organisations to hold the government accountable, it happens in the UK, it happens in Sri Lanka and slowly it is happening here.”

In practice though, Cox said that such changes were beginning to be seen in the Maldives, but added that they would still take some time to develop.

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Police seize Rf184,000 drug haul during two day crackdown

The Maldives Police Service has announced the seizure of illegal drugs with a suspected value of Rf184,000 (US$14,431) during a two day period late last month.

The drugs were found during three separate cases recorded by authorities between 30 January and 31 January.

Among these cases, police said they arrested a person at GMR Male’ International Airport’s domestic terminal on 31 January who was said to be carrying 20 bullet sized packets containing illegal narcotics as well as four small packets of cannabis.

According to the police, the airport officers on duty at the time said they has discovered the drugs during a search of the suspect.

The Police claimed that the street value of the illegal drugs found on the individual would fetch up to Rf100,000 (US$7,843).

The second case was related to a report received by police intelligence that led to a search of Mahchangolhi Kulhafilaage for drugs and the discovery of eight bullet-sized packets of suspected illegal drugs.

The Police Service said that upon searching garments in the house, 53 packets of suspected illegal drugs were discovered stored inside the pocket of two shirts as well as another two bullet sized packs.

Inside short pockets in the house, police said they additionally found packets containing suspected illegal drugs.

Police officers who searched the house also reported finding two 500ml life water bottles filled with alcohol and seven other packets containing illegal drugs on an individual.

The Police Service said that two men were arrested in connection to the case, which resulted in drugs with a value of Rf50,000 (US$3,921) being found.

In another case reported over the two day period, police intelligence said they had acted over reports that a person aboard a boat travelling to Velidhoo in Noonu Atoll was carrying drugs and conducted a special operation in collaboration with the Velidhoo police station.

Police said the suspect had thrown away a bag when he saw the police, but it was later retrieved and checked in his presence.

Seven plastic packets of narcotics, a can of cannabis and other materials linked to drug use were found inside it.

Police said the street value of the drugs found in the third case would be approximately Rf34,000 (US$2,666)

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Maldivian passport stamped ‘security concern’ in India, says Adhaalath Party

The Adhaalath Party has claimed that Maldivians traveling to India have begun face difficulties while in transit, following an article in ‘The Week’ magazine alleging the involvement of Maldivians in the Mumbai bombings.

Adhaalath contends that the article, which interviewed government officials and labelled Sheikh Illyas and Sheikh Fareed as “hate preachers”, will create “many obstacles” for travelling Maldivians and those living in India.

Today the party produced an image of a Maldivian passport stamped with a warning by Indian immigration that due to security concerns the bearer could only visit to India after two months.

Adhaalath Party noted that it has recently warned that such things would happen because of the interview senior government officials gave to ‘The Week’ magazine.

In the article, Ahmed Muneer, Deputy Commissioner of the Maldives Police, acknowledges that “our radical preachers are enjoying street credibility and radicalisation is visible at the street level. It’s a problem for us, but things would aggravate if the radicals get integrated into Maldivian politics.”

The Adhaalath party claimed that during the interview, “Dr Shaheed said that scholars were delivering lectures with the intention of earning money, and that only a few people attended religious protests because they wanted to go to heaven.”

”As a result of this [article], religious scholars in the Maldives will face many obstacles locally, and it will also affect Maldivian families living in India,” said the Adhaalath Party.

”Due to irresponsible comments by senior officials of the government, tourism in the country will also be affected,” warned the party earlier, accusing the President of “fabricating” statements concerning scholarly freedom in the Maldives.

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has also previously raised concerns about the impact of ‘The Week’ article.

“Apart from the threat of being arrested and interrogated by authorities abroad and being kept under surveillance by foreign governments, the government’s action may create obstacles and insecurity for the Muslim religious scholars and the people of Maldives in travelling abroad,” the Foundation said in a recent statement.

“We also call the government to stop stereotyping the people of this country with the hope of getting financial benefits from the enemies of Islam. We also urge the individuals involved in such acts to get repent and return to the Path of Allah,” it added.

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PA condemns influencing and threatening of judiciary

The People’s Alliance Party (PA) led by Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has today issued a statement condemning attempts to ”influence and threaten the judiciary”, following protests in Male’ and Addu Atoll over the Civil Court’s decision to stop Addu from becoming a city.

The party said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that there were political links in the attempts to block entrance to court, based on reports in the media of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy’s comment Alhan stating that Adduans ”would not let courts in Addu open.”

The PA, which is in coalition with the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), accused the MDP of “trying to influence the judiciary and judges.”

The party added that it had sent a letter to the police and Prosecutor General’s Office ”requesting they investigate the attempts to influence the judiciary the attempts to threaten judges.”

”In the recent days, senior officials of the ruling party along with their supporters have committed similar crimes, but it a concern that it never comes to the attention of the concerned authorities,” said the party. ”We believe that it is definitely an attempt to influence the judiciary and threaten the judges.”

Protesters temporarily barred entry to the Justice Building of the Maldives last night, in response to the Civil Court’s ruling that the Addu city criteria were invalid, forcing the Elections Commission (EC) to cancel the local council election in Addu this Saturday.

Today the Department of Judicial Administration said that the court of Hulhudhoo in Addu Atoll was also locked this morning, and had to be opened with the assistance of police.

Local radio station SunFM reported Alhan Fahmy, a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in Addu Atoll, as saying that he ”would not let courts in Addu to be opened.”

Fahmy was present at protests in Addu, SunFM reported, as Adduans expressed fury over the Civil Court ruling.

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JSC dodged meeting with European Commission, contends Velezinee

Judicial Services Commission (JSC) member Aishath Velezinee has expressed concern that the JSC failed to meet with the European Commission Identification Mission today, despite a request to do so from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a letter to Acting Secretary General of the JSC Moomina Umar, Velezinee said she wished to note “my critical concern that the Judicial Service Commission is refusing to meet with European Commission Identification team, as they have earlier refused to respond to requests from the US Embassy and Commonwealth teams, in order to hide trickery and treason practiced by JSC and their crimes against the State refusing to uphold the Constitutional mandate of the JSC.”

“As you are fully aware, JSC has been a closed body and remains one, and no one not even members are quite aware of what goes on in the Commission,” Velezinee said in the letter, adding that she had received no response from the JSC despite her efforts to ensure the meeting took place.

Chair of the JSC, Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed, declined to comment on Velezinee’s allegations. Vice Chair of the JSC, Dr Afrasheem Ali, referred Minivan News to the JSC itself. Moomina Umar was not responding at time of press.

Minivan News is currently seeking comment from the European Commission Identification Mission.

Velezinee is an outspoken whistleblower against the judicial watchdog, and has claimed that in her position of privilege within the JSC she has witnessed “it committing acts that stand to bring down the Constitutional Democracy that we as a people agreed to with the ratification of the Constitution on 7 August 2008.”

The JSC has meanwhile accused Velezinee of spreading misinformation to the international community, and set up a special committee comprising Vice Chair Afraasheem Ali, Member Abdullahi Didi, and Deputy Legal Representative Abdul Faththah to discuss how best to apply the new secrecy regulations against her.

It is the first time in the history of the new democratic government that a member of an independent Commission, set up by the 2008 Constitution, is being subjected to an internal investigation.

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