Day: December 25, 2006

Farooq Mohamed Hassan, Deputy Director General of the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company and recently appointed Shadow Environment Minister, has exposed cartel pricing behaviour by the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company.

Speaking at a meeting of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Friday, he claimed the company, which is now 76% owned by the government and has a monopoly on water supply in the Maldives, lowered prices during the 2003 Presidential elections campaign to benefit President Gayoom.

He said that as a result, the government agreed to pay an annual sum of Rf.10 000 000 (US$ 781 250) of tax payers’ money to cover the losses the company suffered.

He said that since then, the company has been pushing up the price of water to boost profits, meaning it had turned a profit by the fourth year of operations, instead of the fifth, as projected in the original plans.

He also criticised the company’s policy over water supply, metering and the chloride content of the water.

Farooq remains in the post of Deputy Director General but says he has been sidelined the company, which has ceased to consult him since he became a Shadow Minister.

“I am determined not to quit because if the ministers and deputy ministers can work in DRP I have an equal right to work in MDP,” he says.

A number of known MDP members who also work in government organisations have been subject to problems, ranging from general harassment to being fired for their involvement with the opposition.

Farooq is one of them, and is now calling for the company to honour its obligations under a joint venture agreement made when the company was founded.

Under the plans, the company should have provided water supply and a meter for every Maldivian household, rather than every house. In Male’, two or three families often live in one house due to the enormously high population density. But often, each household, defined as those who cook for themselves, does not have its own water supply.

Farooq is arguing that every household should now have a water supply and a meter, in order to take the onus off the government to provide public water taps where people can get water.

He has also complained about the company’s policy of charging Rf.30 per month as a rental fee for water meters. He says it violates the joint venture agreement and the company makes over Rf.450 000 every month from the charge, which is too much. Instead, he wants the company to charge for the meter up front.

He also argues that with less than 10% of water consumed used for drinking, the company should not spend so much money on producing water with low chloride content. He says that drives up prices when people are already paying for bottled water and do not need such high quality tap water.

Minivan News has tried on several occasions to contact staff from the MWSC to offer the company its right to reply. So far, our calls have gone unanswered and nobody has responded to our messages.

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Since the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) was established again on November 27, it has proven that it is not afraid to speak out over many issues.

That has been a surprise for many after the first Commission’s history was another sad chapter in Maldivian history, fraught with government meddling, argument and evasion of human rights issues, eventually leading to the organisation’s collapse.

But for many it will not come as a surprise that the newly formed Commission has refused to look into the controversial events surrounding the November 10 arrests leading up to a cancelled demonstration.

The Commission’s head, Ahmed Saleem, told Minivan News he was concerned an investigation might “exacerbate the problem” and that it was for the government and the MDP to work out the issues.

Events leading up to November 10 saw a government crackdown with over 100 people arrested in the run up to an opposition rally, which was later cancelled for fear of bloodshed. Many spent more than a month in jail and some are still incarcerated. Hunger strikes by some detainees were also allowed to progress dangerously far, leading to a situation where lives were at risk.

Allegations of multiple human rights violations and mental torture abound and many will be disappointed that the Commission is washing its hands of the controversial affair.

Speaking about the HRCM’s overall success so far, Saleem, the Commission’s head, said: “I personally feel we have not done badly, from what I hear from my friends,” but he added that he felt it was up to the public, journalists and others to evaluate their success.

The jury is still out for many. “They have got positive vibes, but in terms of results, it’s too early to tell,” says Chief Spokesman for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Hamid Abdul Gafoor.

But in the new Commission’s first press conference last Thursday, held at its offices in Male’, it said it has received 161 cases this year, 59 of which it has closed. Since it formally began last month, 40 cases have been filed and 13 completed.

Some of those cases have centred on key issues in Maldivian politics and given the Commission an opportunity to have its say. And it has spared few from criticism.

So far, it has censured the police’s approach to gang warfare, the various charities and NGOs for their slow work in tsunami recovery and the government for its defamation regulation changes.

In a statement about the recent wave of gang violence in Male’, the Commission said: “It is sadly noted that during the attacks that took place on three consecutive nights, not enough effort had been made to stop it.” It went on to say: “We call on the peace keeping forces to do everything necessary to ensure that such incidents do not recur.”

The police insist they did their utmost to stop the troubles, but they have come in for harsh criticism from the local press, the Commission and the public.

On tsunami recovery, Saleem said: “Considering that it has been two years since the tsunami, we can say that there is not enough effort being made to provide aid to those affected.”

“We have received, and continue to receive a lot of complaints about that. We are looking into it,” he added. His remarks come after a barrage of criticism against the network of charities trying to redevelop tsunami struck regions.

Islanders in Kolhufushi, Meemu Atoll, have actually seen their situation worsen since the arrival of the British Red Cross. Not only do they still not have permanent houses (only 8 out of 1 200 are now living in permanent homes) but the charity’s work has also led to 400 coconut trees being cut down and agricultural land being destroyed. The Commission is due to visit the island soon.

The international community and media, including Bill Clinton and the UN, have said the charities’ response has been simply too slow and they still have not spent enough of the money they were given.

Regarding defamation, the government has withdrawn its proposal to make new changes to its regulations applicable four months in retrospect after the Commission said that such a change was unconstitutional.

The Commission’s ruling, which the President, Ahmed Saleem, described as “a matter of principle,” came after this website’s sister newspaper Minivan Daily filed a complaint against the government’s planned changes by ministerial decree.

But there still remain many concerns over defamation as a civil offence; not least the fact changes will not be debated by parliament before being passed. Instead they will be instituted by ministerial decree, without any due democratic process.

They will also allow for a fine and damages of up to Rf.1 000 000 (US$78 125), which in a country where 42% live on less than US$2 a day, is a huge amount. Blood money is only Rf.100 000, which is a sum that can be paid under Islamic law to the family of a murdered person, in order to absolve the killer of guilt, if the family agree to forgive.

So far, the Commission has made a strong start, but many challenges still lie ahead and more concrete results are needed if it is to show itself to be more than a paper tiger.

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Three producers at state channel TV Maldives have been relieved of their duties following an internal investigation into leaked documents.

The three will nominally keep their jobs and pay, but have been told to do no more than sign in every morning at 8.30am.

Ibrahim Muaz Ali, Ahmed Zahiru and Ilham Ahmed have had internet and phone cables disconnected from their desks and have been told they are no longer able to write, present or narrate programmes.

But they are still being paid, at a basic rate of Rf.2 170 (US$ 170) per month. That means tax payers’ money is being wasted while none of the three are producing any programmes. Under guidelines set by the President’s Office, the producers say they should be working on at least one programme a week.

Mohamed Asif, a senior staff member at the channel, told the three to not bother coming to work at all. On December 18, they received a letter formally telling them they had been relieved of their duties.

The three TVM workers had been at the centre of an investigation within the channel after a series of embarrassing leaks, including a website being set up featuring documents, emails and gossip about the channel. “There have been indications [of their involvement in the website] in our investigation.” Ali Khalid, Chief Executive Officer of the channel, told Minivan News.

But the producers insist they have no links to the website. “I don’t have any involvement in that,” said Ilham Ahmed, who added he was “very angry” about the way he has been treated.

At current, it is not clear what the final decision will be over the three producers. Khalid says he does not know what will happen to them, but insists he does not categorise them as “rebels”, saying: “One guy has taken leave…another guy has just not been up to the mark.”

But the producers remain defiant and say the treatment they have received is unfair. Administrators at the rebel website say their case may now be reported to the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and the President’s Office.

But back at TVM the channel insists it has to impose discipline. “When you run an organisation there will be internal documents that should not be publicised,” Ali Khalid told Minivan News earlier this month. Today he said, “As an employee of TVM, they should have some discipline of leaving some sensitive information within.”

But discipline has been sorely lacking at the channel recently.

Earlier this month, Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed resigned his post as Assistant Director General and Head of Human Resources, saying there was “a conflict of interest” between the channel and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. He is now Shadow Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture.

Last month, a TVM journalist, Adam Mighdaadh, exposed why he had resigned from the channel in 2004. In a letter he had written to the Information Minister, Mohamed Nasheed, he said: “While I was an employee at TVM, I always worked to expose the truth, but my efforts were always set back due to the influence of the heads of the newsroom.”

The administrators of the rebel website about TVM told Minivan the investigation was run by nine senior staff, including Chief Executive Officer at the channel, Ali Khalid. According to the administrators, the committee also included Hassan Maanu, Aishath Hanaa, Ibrahim Rasheed (Thalvaaru), Abdu Raafiu, Raashidhu (Information Director), Nazeeru, Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed (Who recently resigned to become MDP Shadow Cabinet Member) and Mohamed Asif (Mondhu).

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