Month: June 2010

Education Minister fights back against no confidence motion

Education Minister Dr. Mustafa Lutfy has sent information to members of the Majlis regarding issues raised by 10 MPs who have filed a motion of no confidence against him, reports Miadhu Daily.

It is important that members of the Majlis are given the real facts about these issues, says Miadhu, and in a document on the Education ministry’s website Dr. Luthfy has responded to seven issues raised by the MPs.

Dr. Luthfy says that he has taken steps to strengthen Islam and Dhivehi at Maldivian schools, including the separation of Islam and Koran which was previously taught as one subject, offering innumerable opportunities for professional classes for Islam and Koran teachers, obtaining assistance from the ministry of Islamic Affairs to establish prayer rooms in schools and encouraging schools to make time for prayers, and for schools to take in the lead in promoting the practice of praying.

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President Nasheed makes first official visit to Singapore

President Nasheed will make his first official visit to Singapore starting today, reports ChannelNewsAsia.com.

The two-day visit is at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. President Nasheed will deliver the keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Water Ministers Forum held in conjunction with the Singapore International Water Week.

On Monday, there will be a welcome ceremony for him at the Office of the President of Singapore, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Lee and a call on President S. R. Nathan. President Nasheed will also visit the Singapore Airport Terminal Services’ Coolport @ Changi facility and the National Orchid Garden where he will have an orchid named after him.

The President will also participate in a business forum organised by the Maldives High Commission in Singapore, and inform Singaporean business people and potential investors of the opportunities in the Maldives.

He is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Shaheed, Housing, Transport and Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam, President of Male Municipality Adam Maniku, and other senior officials.

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New Maldives Museum to be ready for Independence Day: Minister Dr. Sawad

Maldives new museum in Male will be inaugurated on Independence Day 26 July, says the minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad., according to Miadhu Daily.

The new museum has been donated by the Chinese government, and Dr. Sawad says that work to transfer artifacts from the old museum is underway. A task force including officials from the President’s Office, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Environment Ministry and the MNDF is taking part in the transfer. The new building is still under construction and some difficulties have arisen during the transfer process, says Ali Waheed, who is in charge of the taskforce.

Sultans Park would become the museum park, says Dr. Sawad who confirmed that the Chinese government would assist in that development.

“The Chinese government and the Tourism ministry are working to train staff at the museum, with added assistance from a Singaporean NGO,” Dr. Sawad said.

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Celebrity football games help children with heart disease in Maldives

Two fund-raising football matches featuring Maldivian celebrity players are being organised by Tiny Hearts, a local NGO, to help children with congenital heart disease, reports Haveeru.

Coaches were assigned to the four teams during an inaugural ceremony held at Holiday Inn, Male. Men and women television presenters, actors and vocalists would play in the games, said Fiunaz Mohamed, a member of the organisation. Tiny Hearts has scheduled the matches for 9 July to raise funds for surgery for around 20 children with heart defects, she said, because their families are unable to afford the costly operations.

Donation boxes would be set up at Galolhu National Stadium and tickets are on sale.

Tiny Hearts was established by the parents of a child who died of congenital heart disease. The organisation has identified 125 similar cases in Maldives.

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Supreme Court judges’ appointments not temporary: Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed

The appointment of judges to the Supreme Court is permanent, claims Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed in a letter to President Nasheed.

The receipt of the letter has been confirmed by the President’s Office press secretary Mohamed Zuhair who said the letter included legal points on expelling judges from the courts. “Such letters by the judiciary will be received by the President with special attention,” he said.

The legal points raised by the chief judge are being studied by the President’s Office’s legal team, said Zuhair, and when the legal team presents its conclusions, the President will make a decision on the letter.

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Dictatorial Majlis hindering progress in Maldives: Mariya Didi

Previously it was a dictatorial executive but now it is a dictatorial Majlis which is hindering progress in Maldives, said Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson and MP Mariya Ahmed Didi speaking at a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the MDP.

The opposition parties which campaigned for a presidential system are trying to rule the country like a parliamentary democracy, Mariya Didi said, referring to opposition DRP’s Majlis bills which aim to limit the policy options of the government. The MDP sees these bills as an encroachment by the Majlis into the mandate of the executive branch of government, she said.

Members of independent commissions usually work with government agencies, and the president usually names the members of such commissions in almost all countries with a presidential system, Mariya Didi said, but because the opposition DRP controls the Majlis, it has decided that the Majlis would recruit the members of independent commissions.

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Maldives opposition parties allege corruption in Male International Airport privatisation deal

Corruption is rife in Male International Airport privatisation process, according to the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), the Peoples Alliance (PA), the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and the Jumhooree Party (JP). The opposition parties have signed an agreement to work against the privatisation process.

The government’s haste in the bidding process, at a time when there is a bill pending in the Majlis which would regularise the process of selling public assets, is troubling and a case would be lodged with the anti-corruption commission, say the president of DQP, Dr. Hassan Saeed and the president of People’s Alliance, Abdulla Yameen.

Saeed also noted that the move comes at a time when public confidence in the government is at rock-bottom. The airport should be developed by the Maldives Airports Company (MAC), according to Saeed, and if the same provisions which the government is allowing for GMR were allowed for MAC, it would be able to develop the airport.

They also said that a Majlis amendment is necessary to raise the airport service charge from US$18 to US$25, which the government has promised to GMR.

Experts have said that privatisation of US airports was one reason which led to 9/11 attacks in US, said Yameen, and privatisation could cause loss of revenues to companies which operate through the airport, such as Island Aviation Services. GMR’s fuel charges, airport tax and charges for flights landing at the airport could cause tourist arrivals to decline, he said.

Because of the financial and economic crisis, this is not the best time to sell an asset like the airport, Yameen said, and in the bidding process, highest marks should not be given to the company which pays the largest amount upfront, but to the company which gives the most throughout the lease period.

The government has never requested money for the airport development from the Majlis, Yameen said.

GMR should consider the views of the people and the opposition parties before making a final decision, said Dr Hassan Saeed in response to a question from Miadhu Daily. “Even if they sign the agreement, and even if they take over management of the airport, we will do whatever we can to cancel the agreement. We will go to Court, and I have a guarantee that we can win this case.”

Haveeru Online reports the Bangalore-based GMR has proposed to pay US$78 million (almost Rf1 billion) upfront to the Maldivian government, one percent of the total profit in the first year (until 2014) and 10% of total profit from 2015 to 2035. The company also agreed to pay 15% of fuel trade revenues in the first four years and 27% from 2015 to 2035.

President Nasheed has said that with privatisation, “the government will be able to save over US$300 million in investments.” The government had launched the airport tender process in October 2009. The President said the International Financial Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, worked with the government throughout the process, and he was “confident the tender process was transparent and ensured there was no room for corruption.”

The GMR group is named after its founder G. M. Rao, and Kiran K Gandhi is chairman of its airports division.

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Maldivian journalist and blogger found unconscious on Raa atoll

Well-known Maldivian writer and blogger, Ismail Khilath ‘Hilath’ Rasheed, 34, has been found unconscious from a suspected drug overdose on an uninhabited island in Raa atoll, according to a Haveeru report in Dhivehi.

Hilath was found unconscious at a beach in Furaveri, a garden island where he had been staying since last Saturday. The caretaker of the island found him at the beach around 4:00pm last Wednesday, said the Haveeru report.

Haveeru noted that Hilath was being treated at Ugoofaru hospital, and his condition was improving.

Today Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Hilath had been released from hospital and is now being held in police custody while police investigate the drug related-incident.

“We tried to keep him under house arrest but his family refused and asked that he be placed in police custody,” Shiyam said, adding that the court had ruled that Hilath could be held for seven days.

Hilath, a journalist of 10 years experience, is one of the most outspoken and controversial figures in the Maldivian ‘bloggosphere’ and is well known for being highly critical of Islamic fundamentalism in the Maldives.

In March he was the subject of death threats published on Muraasil.com, a popular publishing platform that allows anyone to publish content in Dhivehi.

The threats were quickly removed from Muraasil following complaints, but not before receiving widespread attention.

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High Court concludes hearings into Public Service salaries dispute

The High Court has concluded hearings in the appeal case involving the finance ministry’s order to government offices to prepare salary sheets in accordance with reduced salaries scales, after the civil service commission (CSC) announced the restoration of wages, Haveeru reports.

The Civil Court earlier ruled that the ministry did not have authority to make the order.

Solicitor General Abdulla Muiz spoke on behalf of finance ministry before Judge Ali Hameed on Thursday, saying that the Majlis had not decided to restore civil service wages and no separate budget was allocated for it. Instead, the Majlis decision was to allow the ministry and the commission to work in agreement, he said.

Representing CSC, former communications minister Dr Abdulla Jameel responded that it was against article 96(c) of the constitution not to give the money allocated for civil service wages. The article was included in the constitution because the former government had not kept up with the budget, he claimed. The commission’s independence would not be maintained, said Dr Jameel, if it was required to act on recommendations.

Judge Hameed concluded the hearing and said an additional hearing would only be held if the court finds something that should be clarified.

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