May 2010 – Page 11 – Minivan News

Coastguard rescues stranded Iranian vessel

Maldives Coastguard rescued an Iranian fishing vessel in Maldivian waters, reports Miadhu.

Coastguards had heard reports of an Iranian fishing vessel which drifted into Maldivian waters. Island Aviation air crafts were also used in the search.

The vessel was located 75 miles off the coast of Havadu Atoll and was found without food or water.

There were twenty crew-members on board, seven of them had previously high-jacked the boat.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) confirmed there were no weapons found on board, and negotiations are underway to send the vessel back to Iran.

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President Nasheed sends condolences after Tripoli plane crash

President Mohamed Nasheed sent his condolences to Libyan leader Muammar Al-Qadhafi and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands following the plane crash in Tripoli last Sunday.

The Afriqiyah Ariways flight, on route to Libya from South Africa, crashed near the Libyan capital and was carrying mostly Dutch tourists.

The only survivor was a nine year-old Dutch boy.

President Nasheed sent his sympathies to all the families who lost loved ones in the crash as well as the two countries.

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President meets Maldives Honourary Consul in Italy

President Mohamed Nasheed met with the Honourary Consul of Maldives in Italy, Dr Luca Fiormonte, yesterday afternoon.

The meeting focused on strengthening trade, health and education between the two countries.

Dr Fiormonte studied law in Rome and also works at LUMSA University in Rome and State University in Milan.

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Pakistan to assist Maldives in police training

Concluding his official visit to Pakistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed said Pakistani assistance to the Maldives will be renewed, reports Miadhu.

Dr Shaheed said Pakistan would assist the Maldives mainly in training police officers, adding that a fully funded training visit for 25 Maldivian police officers is being planned.

Pakistan will also send senior police officers to Maldives to help in police training.

They will also assist with cyber-crimes and money laundering, Dr Shaheed said.

This is the first bilateral visit the Maldives has made to Pakistan in 20 years.

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UN congratulates Maldives on Human Rights seat

The United Nations has congratulated the Maldives for gain a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN noted that the election of the Maldives shows a “a high level of international confidence that the country will be able to play a strong leadership role in human rights.”

“The eyes of the world will be on the Maldives Government, both as a guarantor and protector of human rights in the country, as well as to act as a role model in the international community,” the UN commented.

The organisation pledged its continued support.

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Comment: Playing God’s Advocate

‘Ambiguities’ are stalling the speedy passage of The Regulations to Protect Maldivian Religious Unity. If this document does not get on the government gazette ASAP, this country will degenerate into religious chaos.

Evidence clearly shows Maldivian religious unity to be a perilous façade, having managed to endure without legal enforcement (apart from the small matter of the constitutional stipulation that every citizen be a Muslim for only 800 years).

As citizens who are so closely consulted in the open and democratic lawmaking process of the country, it is our duty to highlight the problem areas so the Ministry can move rapidly to pass The Regulations and pre-empt the imminent religious war.

What is unambiguous about The Regulations is that The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is The Supreme Entity. Omniscient, but not omnipresent, it will choose a learned group to act as its eyes and ears in society. This select group, or The Board, will report to The Ministry any utterances, actions and opinions expressed or held by unlicensed-scholars, citizens and/or visiting aliens/infidels deemed to possess the potential for creating religious disunity.

Recognising the gravity of The Board’s responsibility, The Ministry has set the appointment criteria very high indeed. Members must: (1) be at least 25 years old; (2) possess at least a first degree in Islamic Studies or law; and (3) should not have committed an act defined as a punishable crime in Islam.

Given how difficult it would be to find a 25-year-old graduate who has not fornicated, The Board has the potential to become one of the most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs in the world.

The Regulations states as its raison d’être ever-increasing disputes between religious scholars that threaten to tear the country apart (Article 1.2). The Mullah to Mere-mortal ratio has not yet been tallied in the Maldives, but evidence suggests it could easily be 1:2.

In such a situation, The Regulations will prove invaluable in helping us distinguish the ersatz scholar from the genuine Sheikh. Besides, ‘the liberals’ have long agitated for the government to muzzle over-zealous Mullahs, so it is now time to make a gracious retreat on the issue, happy in the knowledge that your local Mullah is not just any Mullah, but a bona fide Mullah With a License to Preach.

Chapter 4 states that it is a requirement of every Maldivian citizen to actively protect Islam (Article 4.21). Is this a legal requirement? And what does the duty entail? What exactly is it that we need to peel our eyes and cock our ears for? And how do we go about reporting our suspicions and findings? Would there be a 24-hour Infidel Alert hotline manned by a Licensed Mullah?

The Regulations bans any religion other than Islam from all public discourse. Being citizens active in protecting Islam, should we from now on categorically deny other religions exist, or is it sufficient to regard Them with condescension and/or loathing whence acknowledgement is required? Article 6.32 bans any utterance or action that is insulting to Islam in any way. What is the definition of the term ‘insulting to Islam’? Would, say, leaving out the PBUH after Prophet Mohamed be deemed an insult? Or does it have to be material such as those published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005 before it is found to be insulting? What is an utterance that constitutes an insult against a mosque? Would criticism of its architecture – say the suggestion that its dome would have looked better if elevated five inches more – amount to an insult, or would the criticism have to take in the state of its badly landscaped garden, too, before it is deemed an Offence Against a Mosque?

Non-Muslim expatriates in the Maldives – best wean yourselves off the habit of holding garage sales to sell religious memorabilia at discount prices like you invariably do every Sunday ‘back home where you come from’. Any such sale in the Maldives would flout The Regulations (Article 34.a), so resist the temptation to make a quick buck, and firmly turn away the Maldivians queuing outside, desperate to get their grubby apostate hands on your old rosary beads or your Krishna statue for a Bai Rufiyaa.

You should also be aware that even though religion is most likely to have been your favourite conversation starter and probably the source of your best pick-up lines back home, it will not aid your hectic social life on this island paradise in a similar manner. In fact, Article 34.b makes it safer to drop religion from your vocabulary altogether. As a precautionary measure, before The Regulations are passed, you should try and remove any reflexive exclamations that may have embedded themselves in your oral register over the years such as ‘Oh my God!, ‘Jesus!’, ‘Harey Raam!’, etc. If you are more accustomed to saying ‘Jesus [insert expletive] Christ!’, however, it might help your plea of mitigation. Remember, though, a precedent is yet to be set, so proceed with caution.

Article 6.35 is a veritable quagmire of ambiguity. What constitutes a television programme or a written publication that is offensive or insulting to Islam? Where do we look to for guidance? The Taliban? The Emirates? Saudi Arabia? Insulting to whose version of Islam? Can a woman be shown wearing a bikini, or should a burqa be superimposed on her image before she appears on our airwaves? Does every shot of a church, temple and/or synagogue have to be removed from any film that a Maldivian watches? What does it mean that all advertisements should be ‘respectful of the beautiful customs of Islam’ (6.35c)? Apart from beauty being an entirely subjective concept, does this mean that only veiled women can appear in advertisements now? What if she is selling shampoo? Will all Gillette advertisements have to be axed? Books, too, are to be screened by The Board before it is available for Maldivian consumption (Article 31). If this gives us some reprieve from ‘literature’ such as The DaVinci Code, such a regulation might not be entirely without merit, but hardly justifies a group of 25-year-old male graduate virgins deciding our choice of reading matter.

Can The Ministry please clarify why it is necessary to burn the house down to roast the pig?

It has been a surprisingly risky business highlighting the ‘ambiguities’ in The Regulations. This article contains the p-word; names someone whom over a billion non-Muslims regard as the Son of God; allows Lord Krishna a cameo appearance; speaks of women in bikinis; discusses an instrument of shaving for men; and mentions places of worship other than a mosque.

Would The Regulations be applied retrospectively? If Sheikh Shaheem of The Ministry is to be taken at his word, the consequences may not be too dire. Even if found guilty of the Offence of Mockery, he has assured, the author will not be imprisoned, but will receive ‘counselling’. Whether ‘counselling’ involves a psychiatrist’s couch, one-on-one preaching sessions with a Licensed Mullah, or water-boarding, remains undefined and open to interpretation. As is much of The Regulations.

Criminalising (dis)belief will never be free of ambiguities.

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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Maldives to resettle two Gitmo inmates

Two inmates of the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention camp that houses terror suspects will be transferred to the Maldives for resettlement, President Mohamed Nasheed has announced.

Addressing growing opposition to the move in his weekly radio address, President Nasheed said the resettlement of the two former prisoners would not “change anything or cause any loss to the country.”

“On the contrary, it will be good for the country,” he said. “[The country] will get a good name, honour and prestige. We will be noted as people who help in whatever capacity we can to help solve others’ problems.”

He added that not helping when the opportunity presented itself was, in his view, was not in keeping with either the constitution, Islam or the Maldivian national character.

“There are more than 150,000 expatriates living in our country. We are benefiting from their work. There is no danger in two more people coming to the Maldives,” he said, stressing that the government would not violate any laws in the process of transferring the inmates.

The religiously conservative Adhaalath Party yesterday clarified its position on the matter, noting on its new English-language website that “if the two men in question are Muslims who have been detained unjustly, providing assistance to them from a Muslim country is not a problem on Islamic grounds.”

However, “if they are terrorists who have committed crimes against humanity, then it is not wise to give them sanctuary in Maldives,” the party said, expressing concern about the government’s “ambiguity” on the subject.

Nasheed meanwhile urged the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) not to make the issue a politically divisive one, calling on opposition parties to take up complaints with the government.

“We will clear up what the DRP wants to know,” he offered.

The president thanked the leader and deputy leader of the DRP as it was the opposition party’s responsibility to hold the government accountable and offered to hold discussions on the subject.

On Tuesday, DRP MP Ali Waheed filed a motion without notice at the parliamentary national security committee to investigate the government’s decision.

“While we don’t even have a proper jail and the society is drowning in gang violence and crime, the Maldivian government has reached the point where they are forming agreements with another country and creating a legal framework to bring in people from the jail that has the world’s most dangerous terrorists and citizens aren’t aware of what’s happening. The People’s Majlis elected by the Maldivian people aren’t aware of it,” Ali Waheed told press on Tuesday.

Not confidential

Nasheed further said the issue has not been kept confidential by the government.

The president referred to his radio address on December 11 when he signaled that Gitmo prisoners cleared off terrorism charges could be transferred to the Maldives.

“If a Muslim does not have a place to live in freedom, we will help in whatever way we can. We don’t want anyone to suffer any harm,” Nasheed had said. “We know that the Maldives, in helping just three people from Guantanamo Bay, does not mean that either the Maldives or the world would be free of inhumane treatment,” he said. “However this jail, Guantanamo jail, is very symbolic.”

He said most of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay were innocent people caught up in the war in Afghanistan, and that offering assistance to other nations in whatever capacity was “a national duty.”

On Friday, the president said it was “very clear” to the government that the Muslims detained in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba were not terrorists.

A Maldivian citizen kept in Gitmo was released by the government, said Nasheed, and Maldives police have concluded that he was not a terrorist.

Meanwhile, Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed wrote on his blog last week that official correspondence showed the government was in the final stages of “resettling” prisoners.

The former legal reform minister wrote that diplomatic correspondence has been exchanged between the Maldivian government and the American Embassy in Colombo to agree upon guidelines for the release and monitoring of the former terror suspects.

He noted that following initial discussions between the two governments, the American embassy sent a three-page diplomatic notice to the Maldives Foreign Ministry in February.

According to the diplomatic note, once the Maldivian government presents written confirmation, it will be agreed that the government shall:

Agree to resettle Gitmo prisoners escorted to the country by the US military
Determine a date and time for arrival after discussions between the relevant officials
If the Maldivian government wishes to relocate or transfer the prisoners to another country, it will be done only after discussions with the US government.
Maintain correspondence on the process of resettlement.
Conduct surveillance on the prisoners while they are in the country, including monitoring their phone calls, letters and other communications.
Prevent them from leaving the country.
Regularly meet them and see how they are settling.

On March 28, writes Nasheed, the foreign ministry asked for legal advice from the attorney general on instituting a legal mechanism for the transfer.

Nasheed also noted possible legal complications concerning the issuance of visas as the immigration laws specify that people ‘considered to’ belong to a terrorist organization or ‘believed to’ pose a danger to national security shall not be given visas.

While the parliamentary committee has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, Nasheed wrote that ministers would likely be summoned for questioning.

“If our beloved human rights-loving president so wishes, it would be much better for the country if he could implement even one recommendation of the Human Rights Commission,” he added.

DQP anger

Imad Solih, vice-president of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), had meanwhile announced the party’s intention to take the matter to court at last week’s “Red Notice” protest.

A statement on the party’s website claims that the President was not empowered to transfer “convicts such as those in Guantanamo by either the constitution or any law or regulation in the Maldives.”

“There is no reason that a small country like the Maldives with limited resources should accept such convicts when a country like America won’t accept them,” it continues.

“While any sense of security of person and property has been lost and people are being knifed in front of police officers, there is no doubt that bringing such serious criminals to the Maldives is only going to make expatriates working in the country as well as visiting tourists more unsettled.”

It adds that President Nasheed’s decision was going to turn the country “from a tourist paradise into a terrorist paradise.”

Moreover, the decision was motivated by the president’s “greed for a prize” as the government was “not making any effort” to repatriate the many Maldivians in foreign jails.

In addition to filing a case at court, the party will be submitting a bill to the next session of parliament on prohibiting the transfer of foreign convicts to the Maldives.

DQP will also communicate with the US State Department and the American embassy to “prevent this from happening”, the party said.

“The president was elected by the Maldivian people to fulfill duties specified in the constitution and the laws of the country,” it concludes, “Under no circumstances does the president have the power to violate the law to further his self-interest.”

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Sheraton Full Moon begins community assistance project with Vilingili children’s home

Sheraton’s Full Moon Resort has begun a first-of-its-kind community project to help Kudakudhige Hiya children’s home in Vilingili.

Manager of Full Moon, Justin Malcolm, said the Sheraton family is “globally focused on giving back to the community” in every country.

He said they had been looking for a community project in the Maldives for about six months since last year. After looking at the children’s home, Malcolm said, he realised “it is exactly what we’re looking to do.”

Malcolm visited the home, which had been having staff shortages due to financial difficulties earlier this year. Another problem has been overcrowding.

He said there are children aged two months to fourteen years and “a fair little work needs to take place to make it feel like a homely environment.”

He said since “the government doesn’t have enough funds” to to further assist the centre, “and it ticked all the boxes,” management chose Vilingili orphanage as their target project.

He added they felt it was a great opportunity to do something “meaningful” and said “the goal is to make the kids’ lives a little brighter.”

The project is a “long-term partnership” between the resort and the Ministry of Health and Family. Full Moon is the first resort in the Maldives to start a community project with the government, Malcolm noted.

They will also be “updating the facilities” at the home and will be providing a General Practitioner and two dentists to “assess the kids’ health.” The dentists will come in twice a year for check ups and their stay will be sponsored by the resort.

Malcolm added the home does not have air conditioning, and Full Moon hopes to sponsor the installation of AC in the near future.

He said this is an “important time in the Maldives” and believes “we are making history” by sponsoring this project.

“I believe we’ve chosen the right project,” he added. “I don’t see why this can’t be a long-term partnership.”

The project was launched yesterday at the resort, where they had fun activities for the children as well as an environmental awareness campaign, which Malcolm feels “is equally important” for the children.

The launch was celebrated on National Family Day and Malcolm noted the kids had “so much fun.”

Deputy Minister of Health and Family, Mariya Ali, said “Sheraton came forward and were interested in a community assistance project to help Kudakudhige Hiya, and we welcomed it.”

She said although the contract has not been signed yet, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being developed. She explained because the project will involve volunteers, they are drafting confidentiality agreements to ensure the children’s safety.

children at vilingili — Kids painting corals during the launching celebration

Mariya added the project would “strengthen civil society,” as Maldives is such a big tourist destination and this is creating a link between the tourism industry and the local community. “It’s important to make that link,” she noted.

She said the impact on the children’s lives would be “enriching” and added the project will help the home in many ways.

Besides assisting with maintenance, Sheraton will also be holding workshops both for staff and the children. One of them, Mariya noted, would focus on nutrition and preparation of age-appropriate food.

She also noted the two dentists who are being hired and the GP would be of huge assistance to the centre.

Mariya noted the US$20,000 the Chinese government pledged to the home earlier this month have now been transferred to the Ministry of Finance for processing, and as soon as it is finalised, the funds will be allocated.

She said they would mostly be used to upgrade security in the centre.

Mariya said there have been many recent calls from resorts wanting to offer assistance to the home, such as providing food, for instance.

“It’s been a very good response,” she said. “We are working very rapidly on this.”

A Pay-Pal account will also be set up soon and a new campaign will be launched next week.

Director of Kudakudhige Hiya, Ahmed Gazim, said there will be “much improvement” through the Sheraton’s programme. Additionally, he noted, the senior staff are also carrying out awareness programmes for the kids.

“It’s all slowly improving,” he said.

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“Red Notice” protest leaves scores injured

The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) “Red Notice” protest against hiked electricity tariffs on Thursday was forcibly broken by riot police outside the State Electricity Company (STELCO) building, leaving protestors and police officers injured.

Following a tense three-hour stand-off on Thursday evening, police used water canons and then tear gas to disperse the crowd at 1.15am and took a number of DRP activists into custody.

An hour after the demonstration started at 8.30pm near the tsunami monument area, the red-shirted protestors marched to STELCO led by two pickups with loud speakers, breaking through the first police cordon before coming to a halt in front of riot police.

The crowd, numbering in the thousands, was led by DRP MPs, who vowed to continue the protest until either prices were reduced or President Mohamed Nasheed resigned.

“We are not a party that takes protesting and raising our voices lightly,” DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told supporters just before the march, adding that the party would do everything necessary on behalf of “suffering and impoverished Maldivian citizens” to hold the government accountable.

The raised tariff was “a debt” the government owned to citizens, he said, pledging DRP’s support and cooperation in fulfilling the government’s campaign promises.

But, he added, it had become clear the current administration was “ruining people, impoverishing citizens, putting them on their knees and forcing them to beg.”

He concluded with a warning that the government’s harmful policies and disregard for citizens’ welfare would spike if MDP candidates were elected to local councils.

Thasmeen and his wife, Maduvari MP Visam Ali, left the protest before the march to STELCO began.

Apart from MPs of the DRP, Imad Solih, vice-president of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and Maavashu MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakuru addressed the crowd.

The protestors condemned the government’s decision to raise electricity prices, the formation of utility companies and the appointment of “drug users” as its managing directors.

Moreover, DRP MPs alleged that electricity subsidies – “a failed innovation” – were awarded solely to supporters of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

An audio clip of President Mohamed Nasheed assuring citizens during a coalition campaign rally that the price of an electricity unit would not be raised was played throughout the protest.

The clip was followed by a recording of President Nasheed stating that a government would lose its legitimacy if it broke the promises it made to get elected.

While the DRP faced off with riot police in front of the children’s park next to STELCO, a group of MDP supporters gathered behind police lines, calling on DRP Leader Thasmeen to “pay your debts to the government”.

Violence

Settling outside the children’s park in front of riot police protecting the STELCO building, DRP MPs Ali Waheed, Ahmed Mahlouf, Ilham Ahmed, Ali Arif, Ali Azim, PA MP Abdul Azeez and DRP Vice-President Umar Naseer took turns addressing the crowd from the front pickup.

Police repeatedly urged protestors to vacate the area as they were blocking traffic and disturbing the peace.

“Staying here in violation of our order is illegal,” they warned. “The Maldives Police Service will take [legally sanctioned] action against those who stay here.”

However, the warnings were met with heated words from the DRP MPs, who said the citizens behind them were exercising a constitutional right to freedom of assembly and would not leave before the president either lowered electricity prices or resigned.

Meanwhile, Umar Naseer called on the assembled police officers to join the protestors: “Even if only the police that are here join us, we can topple the government tonight!”

“If the government decides against discussions and negotiations tonight, remember that we not discuss anything anymore!” warned Ali Waheed. “If you play with us tonight, we will bring four people to every one here tomorrow night.”

Deputy DRP leader Ibrahim Shareef told Minivan News today it was not the party’s policy to try an overthrow the government through force.

“I don’t know what he said. Our party policy is to engage in peaceful protest when dialogue fails. We will not overthrow the government through force,” he promised.

Almost three hours later, police turned the water hose first on the front pickup and the DRP MPs.

After water bottles and other projectiles were thrown, police used teargas and charged the crowd, which included a bevy of middle-aged women and children, with shields and batons.

In the aftermath, Minivan News journalists observed that the megaphone and speakers on the DRP front pickup were damaged, while the front windshield was smashed.

DRP MPs Ali Waheed, Mahlouf and PA MP Abdul Azeez were lying prone upon the ground.

A woman fainted and was carried inside STELCO, while ambulances arrived to take the injured to hospital.

Camera crews and journalist from all three local television stations filmed the police charge.

Shareef claimed the situation only became violent “when MDP activists wearing black shirts began to cause havoc from behind the police line. Then police started to use teargas and water cannon simultaneously.

“They targeted our sound system and the pickup where the DRP MPs were standing. They were quite badly hurt. One PA MP fainted and had to be taken to hospital, and Ali Waheed suffered cuts and bruises.”

Shareef said the party “did not know what really happened. We heard a glass panel at STELCO was smashed, but it could not have been DRP members because we were behind the police lines.”

Police

A statement issued by police on Friday reads that force was employed to disperse the crowd after protestors broke through police lines and “attacked police officers.”

It adds that STELCO was “an important institution that provides a basic service” and the gathering posed a danger to public safety and threatened the peace of a residential area.

Moreover, it notes that the regulations on freedom of assembly prohibited gatherings after midnight.

The regulations enforced by presidential decree under the previous administration also makes it illegal to protest outside the presidential palace and other designated spots.

The statement claims that the protestors damaged STELCO property and climbed over the fence into the children’s park.

“In addition, when the crowd was dispersed, some people in the area attacked the Henveiru police station and smashed its window,” it reads. “And a number of police officers sustained injuries, while some had their heads smashed, when rocks and other objects were thrown at police.”

Local daily Haveeru reports that 16 police officers were injured in addition to 13 others who were taken to hospital.

While a number of protestors were taken into custody, said police, no one apart from a minor suspected of smashing the Henveiru police station window was arrested.

The statement goes on to condemn the actions of protestors “led by honourable members of parliament” in attacking duty officers, breaking through police lines and “obstructed the legal duty of police”, adding it was “regrettable” that force had to be used after repeated pleading and warning was to no avail.

It concludes by urging those who organise protests to abide by regulations and conduct themselves peacefully.

The protest continued on Friday night with a smaller crowd but was called off at around 11pm after giving the government “until Thursday” to find a solution.

A group of people reportedly threw rocks at the DRP supporters near the tsunami monument. DRP leaders claimed they were paid Rf50,000 to disrupt the rally.

President welcomes drop in temperature

President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday welcomed the DRP’s decision to suspend its protests against hiked electricity tariffs for one week to allow the government to resolve the issue.

A statement issued by the president’s office yesterday offers President Nasheed’s “sincere thanks” to DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali for the party’s decision to cease its protests “to cooperate with the government’s efforts.”

It stresses that a special taskforce was formed last week to assist in the awarding of subsidies following the introduction of fuel surcharges by the State Electricity Company (STELCO).

The president said in his weekly radio address on Friday that the government would resolve the issue to ensure that citizens would not “face too much hardship” in paying electricity bills.

While STELCO has been an efficiently managed state-owned enterprise until the 2000s, the company’s shortfalls and debts was “a loss to the government and the people.”

The government anticipates that all state-owned enterprises would be able to compete in the market place as a viable and sustainable business.

“The government will always cooperate with opposition political parties on any issue that would improve public welfare,” the statement concludes.

The government hiked electricity tariffs for the Greater Male’ region in November as part of a tariff restructure.

At the time the government argued that granting over Rf100 million in annual subsidies to STELCO was “subsidising the rich and poor alike.”

Moreover, it was revealed that STELCO faced a loss of Rf547 million (US$43 million) in 2008 and was operating at a daily loss of Rf320,000 (US$25,000).

Concurrently with the raised prices, the government introduced “targeted subsidies” to poor income families through the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA).

In his weekly radio address on Friday, President Nasheed said a proper mechanism for awarding electricity subsidies has not yet been established.

He added that efforts were underway to resolve the issue so that citizens would not have to “bear such a burden”.

President Nasheed noted that subsidies would also be awarded in the atolls and “not just in Male’.”

Moreover, as a result of direct government subsidies in the past, state-owned enterprises were “not at all responsible.”

“So the change we made is to help citizens directly, not the company,” he said.

However Shareef noted that during the last 30 years the previous government “only had to subsidise STELCO in 2006-08 when the price of fuel skyrocketed, but now it is half the price of what it was in 2008. Otherwise, it was making a profit.”

The current programme of subsidies was encouraging begging, and stripping people of their dignity, Shareef claimed.

“People don’t want to have to ask for a subsidy,” he said.

President Nasheed claimed the crux of the matter was difficulty in ascertaining deserving and eligible recipients for subsidies.

“I know the process of clearing this up has been going on for a long time,” he said. “However, God willing, it will be completely resolved in the coming week.”

Meanwhile, three people were taken into custody at a DRP demonstration in Addu yesterday following the Southern Utility Company’s decision to introduce fuel surcharges.

While the protestors damaged the Southern Province Office, the three men were arrested after they attacked police officers during the protest.

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