Month: February 2010

Thasmeen to assume DRP leadership on 20 April

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali will officially take leadership of the DRP on 20 April, reports Miadhu.

Former DRP Leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom will also officially relinquishing the office and assume the title of honorary leader.

There will also be a ceremony to induct the new deputy leaders, including Ali Waheed, Ibrahim Shareef, Ilham Ahmed and Umar Naseer, and President and Vice President of the women’s branch Dunya Maumoon and Rozina Adam.

Ahmed Mahloof and Ghassan Maumoon were elected as President and Vice President of the Youth Branch.

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President meets with founders of Mission Maldives

President Mohamed Nasheed met with the founders of Mission Maldives yesterday afternoon.

Mission Maldives is a voluntary organisation created by three British nationals. Its stated aim is to make voluntary programs in the Maldives more easily available and affordable.

Mission Maldives’ aim is to bring volunteers in the most needed areas, which are those currently lacking in suitable skilled and educated staff.

According to President Nasheed, the government has priority toward promoting greater involvement and contribution of volunteers in the socio-economic and political development of the country.

The organisation already has begun a number of programs with schools in the Maldives.

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Liquor licenses spark protests across Male

A group of NGOs gathered outside the residence of Economic Minister Mohamed Rasheed last night for publishing regulations permitting the licensed sale of alcohol on inhabited islands.

The protesters called on the minister to withdraw the new regulations, which allow hotels with over 100 beds to sell alcohol and pork to foreigners amid tight security. Newspaper Haveeru reported that some elements of the crowd even called for the minister’s “execution”, calling him “an infidel”.

Police media official Sergeant Athifa Hassan said police received information about the protest around 11:00pm, and immediately attended the scene.

”It was a very peaceful protest and nobody was injured,” she said, adding that the protesters went home at 1:00am.

A second protest was sparked outside the Iskandhar Koshi (police base) after reports that police had discovered 168 bottles of alcohol in a car belonging to Maldivian Democratic Party MP MDP’s Parliamentary Group leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, who is currently in Singapore.

Sergeant Abdul Muhsin from the Maldives Police Service said the protesters gathered in front of Iskandhar Koshi around 10:30pm and were dispersed at 2:30am, reportedly with tear gas.

Muhsin said the protest was “not very violent” but ”three police were injured and five men were arrested.”

Reaction

Political parties including the Adhaalath Party, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Peoples Alliances (PA) and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) strongly condemned the regulation.

The Adhaalath Party has indicated its intention to host a protest on Friday afternoon, calling on the president to invalidate the regulation “and apologise to the people.”

Vice president of the Tourism Employment Association of Maldives (TEAM) Mauroof Zakir said more than 80 NGOs were present at the protest.

”We called on the resignation of the Minister,” Mauroof said, adding that ”nobody called for his execution.”

He claimed more than 1000 members took part in the protest, the first in a series of planned events.

”We will not say what kind of events and when we will start,” he said.

Spokesperson of the Adhaalath party and State minister for the Islamic Ministry Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the party would not allow alcohol to be consumed and sold on inhabited islands.

Shaheem said he regretted that the government had not discussed the issue with the Islamic Ministry.

”We invite all political parties and all people against the new regulation to take part in the protest [on Friday] so their voices are heard by the government,” he said.

The use and sale of alcohol was not permitted under the tenets of Islam, he said, ”and nobody under the sky can allow it.”

Vice President of the DRP Umar Naseer said he “knew this would be happen” and ”I am not surprised.”

Naseer claimed the government was trying to promote alcohol in the country “and make everyone drink it.”

”This government consists of alcoholics,” he claimed, accusing President Mohamed Nasheed of “building a bar inside Muleeage three months after he came to presidency.”

”I bet on that,” he said. ”One day let’s go inside Muleeage with journalists to check.”

Secretary General of the PA Ahmed Shareef said the party would be taking part in the protest held by Adhaalath party.

”We are against [the sale of alcohol],” Shareef said. ”Maldivians would not let the government to sell and use alcohol in the inhabited islands.”

He said the party was confused about the government’s policy on the subject.

President of religious NGO Jamiyyath-al-Salaf, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Ibrahim said the organisation would also take part in Friday’s protest by the Adhaalath Party, and that the entire coalition of concerned NGOs would participate.

”The whole country is against it,” he said. ”We will continue our protest until we succeed.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said he was confident that the president would not pass any law against the tenets of Islam, and would discuss the matter with the Islamic Ministry and the Economic Ministry over the coming days.

He said that the regulations would “not technically” become effective until they were published in the government’s gazette, and noted that “the President has not yet made the decision to do so. He has reservations and is seeking advice as to the extent the regulations [can be implemented].”

The ministry of economic developments commented that the regulations would come into effect on 1 March “were not true”, he said, “even if gazetted, as certain criteria have to be met by sellers.”

State Minister for Economic Development Adhil Saleem said the regulations would be effective from 1 March “unless we receive instructions otherwise.”

“We have a mandate to regulate controlled substances,” he said. “This ministry regulates the use of alcohol and pork in this country, and working with police and customs we have formulated regulations we believe are best suited for today’s economy.”

The sale of alcohol, he said, was innately linked to Western tourism in the Maldives and its ability “to provide an environment conducive to foreign investment.”

“The Maldivian people want an international airport at Gan, and there are many development projects to boost economic activity through foreign investment,” he said. “If we want to be [a hub] like Singapore, we have to allow big hotel chains to establish themselves here and create an environment attractive to foreign investment. City hotels create economic activity and jobs.”

Adhil said he felt people were “being misled” over the issue, and “do not understand what this means for the economy.”

“It’s not just the development of airports [at stake] but schools and hospitals. We cannot achieve this development by 2013 unless our revenues increase.”

He claimed that many countries grappled with the issue, “and if you take a religious angle on this, many Muslim countries issue liquor permits to non-Muslims. Some of them have minerals, soil or gold, we have based our economy on tourism. For 15 years we’ve been attracting Western tourism development, and that includes alcohol. If that is unacceptable we should design another industry.”

He noted that many resorts in the Maldives “employ more than 1000 Maldivians, which is larger than the population of some inhabited islands.”

Like those opposed to the new regulations, he said “the real public reaction will be gauged on Friday. Let’s see how many people turn up. If this is something the majority of people don’t want, then no doubt the government will reconsider it. I am defending the new liquor regulations openly in public and I believe we should stand firm against these attacks.”

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Maldives to withdraw reservations on women’s rights treaty

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced the government’s intention to withdraw the reservations of the Maldives to the UN Woman’s Rights Treaty.

The Ministry has informed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that the Maldives will shortly be withdrawing the controversial national reservation, which limits key aspects of the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The reservation restricts the application of Article 7(a) of CEDAW, under which state parties commit “to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right: (a) to vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies.”

Under the 1998 Constitution, women were banned from running for president. Article 109 of the new Constitution of 2008 does not include any restrictions based on gender under “qualifications for election as President”.

Aishath Zahir, Deputy Additional Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “this withdrawal is reinforcing the Constitution,” and “it reinforces our obligations under international law.”

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women had repeatedly asked the Maldives to withdraw this reservation, since it was contrary to the purpose of the Convention of Women’s Rights and went against the principle of the equality of women and men.

The withdrawal of the restriction on Article 7(a) is a necessary official notification from the Maldivian government to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the statement claimed. This is being done so that “the new reality is fully reflected in international law.”

Because under the new Constitution parliament must approve any changes in the legislature, it is necessary for the government to submit a procedural bill to the Majlis seeking approval.

“As soon as it’s passed by the Majlis we will lodge our instrument of withdrawal to the UN,” said Zahir.

The Bill has been prepared by the Department of Gender and Family in the Ministry of Health and will soon be considered by the People’s Majlis.

Minister of Foreign Affaris Dr Ahmed Shaheed said the reservation was “a relic of a time in the Maldives when women were openly and explicitly discriminated against even within our primary legal framework.”

He added that this withdrawal makes explicitly clear that “everyone is entitled to the same rights and freedoms…without discrimination of any kind, including based on gender”.

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Government claims Reeko Moosa alcohol bust was “a set up”

Police are investigating an incident in which 168 bottles of alcohol were discovered last night in a car registered to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, on the same day controversial liquor licensing regulations were unveiled by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Sergeant Abdul Muhsin from the Maldives Police Service said four foreigners had been arrested over the incident, including three Sri Lankans and one Indian man. The investigation is ongoing, he noted.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said he had spoken with police about the incident “and it looks like a set up.”

“Whoever brought that booze out from their warehouse knew it would be confiscated. The brands are not what you would call hot sellers – it was menthol gin and watered-down whiskey.”

Sergeant Muhsin identified the seized bottles as ‘King Roberts’ gin and ‘Muirhead’ whiskey.

Zuhair said he suspect the foreigners had been bribed “and were connected to certain political opponents of Moosa Manik, owing to the fact he is currently in Singapore.”

Adhil Saleem, State Minister for Economics Development, said he believed the incident to be “a very childish attack to damage [Moosa’s] reputation.”

“The same thing happened to me over the allegations I was found in a guest house with bottles of vodka and underage girls,” Adhil said. “This is another attempt to damage a political opponent.”

DRP Vice President Ibrahim Shareef said he was “not surprised” at the case, “but I doubt it will go very far.”

“There have been many similar incidents in the past,” he noted, “and in the worst case scenario Reeko’s driver will be implicated and that will be the end of the story.”

He said he “was sure” the incident was not a set up.

Vice President of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Umar Naseer said the bottles were connected to Moosa and that last night people had witnessed the actions of “one of the six top drug dealers in the Maldives.”

”Of course the bottles were connected to Moosa,” Umar said. ”How could somebody drive or carry something in his car without his knowledge?”

MP of DRP coalition partner the People’s Alliance (PA) Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakru claimed that Zuhair’s words were not trustworthy and that the bottles must have belonged to Reeko Moosa or someone close to him.

”Why would somebody put the bottles inside Moosa’s car and try and blame him for it while he is not even in the Maldives?” he said.

Azeez added that furthermore he had information that the bottles “were supplied to celebrate the new regulations allowing alcohol on inhabited islands.”

PA Secretary General Ahmed Shareef said he would not comment on the issue.

News of the find is believed to have fuelled additional protests last night over the liquor licensing regulations published by the Ministry of Economic Development. One protest outside Iskandhar Koshi police base was eventually subdued with tear gas.

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A little about Alison, IVP volunteer

Alison Warnock is a 24 year old from Edinburgh, Scotland. She describes herself as “a very over-enthusiastic Scottish girl” and says she absolutely loves the Maldives.

She is starting her second year teaching at Jalaluddin School in Kulhudhuffushi Island in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, in the upper-north province, as part of the International Volunteer’s Program (IVP).

She was working at a cancer charity in Scotland when her friend Sarah, who was also a volunteer in 2009, heard about the IVP. She asked Sarah if she could come along for the interview and got the job. Alison “saw what an incredible opportunity it was and took it.”

Her friends and family were all very excited about her coming, and some of them were slightly jealous. She says “there’s a misconception that every single island will look like the resort islands, with houses on stilts in the water and long, white sandy beaches.”

Even though she knew there would be some home comforts that she would miss, she packed her bags and flew half-way around the world.

Coming to Kulhudhuffushi

Alison arrived in the Maldives in May 2009 and taught until November of the same year. She then went home for five weeks and returned to the Maldives in January 2010.

Coming from a city like Edinburgh to a small island like Kulhuduffushi would be a great challenge for many people, but Alison says she “thrives in small communities”. She attended St. Andrew’s University, a soon-to-be 600 year old university in Scotland, which has “about 3,000 people less than the island.”

“I’m quite used to the small community feel where everybody knows your name. I like knowing where everything is and who everybody is. I love being in small communities, especially when everybody is so welcoming and friendly and everything is so beautiful.”

She says the entire community has been very supportive of her.

“If my washing machine isn’t working or I don’t know how to cook something, they all help me.” She says she never feels alone.

She is picking up some Dhivehi, but says she can understand a lot more than she can speak.

“My accent doesn’t help,” she says with a giggle, “it makes words sound completely wrong, and sometimes it just means a completely different thing.”

Her neighbour finds Alison “hilarious” and they have bilingual conversations in the mornings.

Jalaluddin School

Alison is currently teaching three biology classes at Jalaluddin School: two grade 9 classes and one grade 10 class. One of her grade 9 classes is one she also taught last year, and she says they work like a “well-oiled machine” now: “I’m getting used to them and they’re getting used to me.”

The school’s head of department gave her an “idea of what needs to be taught and over what time-frame” at the beginning of the term. The departments then have weekly meetings where they discuss what the students have been learning.

“You can’t choose what to teach, but you have freedom to do it in whatever way you want,” she says, adding that her students enjoy films and slideshows. She’s teaching them about the heart this week.

The program has provided her with everything she needs and she says “even the things I didn’t think I would need I can get easily on the island.”

The school went on a science trip once, and Alison says it was nice to be around her students in a non-classroom environment which allowed her to get to know them better.

“Everybody is really friendly, and we have been on some really nice staff trips. They have been some of the best days here for me, going on picnics to uninhabited islands.”

Home Sickness?

Alison has travelled to Canada and Thailand, among other places, but she has never been away from home for so long. “I’m really enjoying it, it’s an amazing country, it’s wonderful.”

The school organised a house for her, with bright purple and aqua walls, which is less than a five minute bicycle ride from the school.

“The house is so uplifting: I never feel depressed,” she says.

Although every now and then she gets a craving for something (unhealthy) to eat from back home, “some ice cream or chocolate or popcorn,” she says she loves Maldivian food. “It’s so healthy and tasty; just looking at my skin I can see how good the food is for me.”

Alison also tutors a girl after class and says the girl’s mother has just about adopted her. “She’s always checking up on me and she gives me dinner.”

Alison says she’s very lucky that the school has really good internet access.

“The internet just makes the world so much smaller. I can keep in touch with everyone,” she says. She speaks to her parents every Friday so she doesn’t “feel so far away.”

She loves the lifestyle, the colours, the food, the weather, the view, and her job. And she says if she ever gets stressed, she just has to walk 500 feet and she’s at a spectacular beach: “What’s not to like?”

Alison will continue to teach until November this year, when she will decide whether or not to renew her contract for a third year. “I don’t know if I will renew it again,” she says. “It’s something about the Maldives, I don’t have to look too far ahead.”

There are currently fourteen other education volunteers in different islands throughout the Maldives working through the IVP.

The International Volunteer’s Program (IVP) began operating in 2009 in a partnership between Friends of Maldives (FOM), the Ministry of Health and Family, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is coordinated principally by the Maldivian High Commission in London.

Its intent is to recruit qualified teachers and health professionals from overseas. The education volunteers teach in local schools in small island communities.

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Cabinet ratifies accession of Afghanistan to SAFTA

The Cabinet decided yesterday to ratify the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) protocol of accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

The protocol was originally signed by all member states of SAARC in August 2008 in Colombo to enable the accession of Afghanistan to the SAFTA agreement.

Afghanistan joined the SAARC in April 2007, during the 14th SAARC summit held in New Dehli.

Cabinet members also discussed their December 2009 decision on the measures to be taken on islands leased for resort development, which are behind schedule. Members decided to defer the implementation of these measures until the passage of bills concerning the issue, which are currently being considered by the People’s Majlis.

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President Nasheed meets with UNDP regional Director

President Mohamed Nasheed met with UNDP Regional Director at the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Ligia Elizondo yesterday morning at the President’s Office.

President Nasheed and Elizondo discussed the UNDP projects in the Maldives. The president said that due to issues with project management, completion of a number of development projects had been delayed.

President Nasheed noted the importance of having a central project management office and sought technical assistance from UNDP to strengthen project management, project monitoring and ensuring projects would be to the greatest benefit to the people of the Maldives.

Elizondo assured the president that the UNDP would continue their assistance to the government of the Maldives and offered further assistance and advise to the government on development projects and their implementation.

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