Day: August 16, 2010

Legal confusion over local council elections

The government claims to be seeking legal advice concerning issues relating to the local council elections scheduled for October.

The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said there were contradictory definitions mentioned in the decentralisation and local council acts.

For instance, Hulhudhoo and Meedhu in Addu Atoll are considered two different islands and have their own island offices, but both are located on the same land mass.  Under the decentralisation act,  two islands on the same land or in the same lagoon would be considered one island, Zuhair explained.

“But in the local council elections act island offices are [allocated] for every island. As a result, it is now difficult to determine on which islands councils should be established,’’ he said.

Zuhair said the Elections Commission [EC] would try to hold elections on time, regardless to the issues raised.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said DRP has already presented a bill to the parliament to resolve the issue.

”We will amend the law to provide power to the citizens, and we might as well amend the constitution if necessary,” said Mausoom. ”In the bill it will determine how the local councils should be established in the controversial islands of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah.”

In May, the parliament passed legislation on local council elections. The bill was initially passed in such a way that any person who lived out of their birthplace was required to travel to their home island.

Article 4 of the first legislation passed said voters would have to be present in their island of birth or registered constituency in order to cast their ballots.

President Mohamed Nasheed vetoed the bill, claiming a large number of people from the atolls living in Male’ or “40 per cent of the population”, would be deprived of the right to vote if he ratified the bill.

President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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HRCM lacks a religious scholar: Adhaalath party

The Adhaalath Party has called on parliament and President Mohamed Nasheed to include a religious scholar in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives [HRCM], as stipulated in the constitution.

“HRCM is an institute established according to the constitution of the Maldives. The constitution very clearly states how to appoint members for the commission,’’ said a statement issued by the party. “According to the constitution, the Human Rights Commission should consist of people with different skills, [one of which] is that there should be a person educated in the field of Islam.”

The lack of such a person was a “constitutional absence”, the statement said. “Therefore, members are currently being appointed for the commission, we appeal to the president and parliament to focus attention on including persons from different areas in the commission.’’

The party also said it hoped parliament and president would endeavor to keep independent commissions, such as HRCM, free from people of partisan political background.

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said that the president would give due consideration to the Adhaalath Party’s request.

”I think it is a requirement mentioned in the constitution,” said Zuhair, “and of course the president gives high priority to requirements mentioned in the constitution.”

The parliament last week appointed three members for the HRCM, out of eight names proposed by the president.

The three members appointed for HRCM were Maryam Azra Ahmed of Maafannu Hukuradhige, Jeehaan Mahmood of Dheyliyage in Hinnavaru of Lhaviyani Atoll and Ahmed Thalal of Henveiru Adduge. Former President of HRCM Ahmed Saleem was not approved by the parliament.

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PG files criminal charges against policeman for reckless driving

A policeman crashed who allegedly killed an elderly woman after crashing into her on his motorcycle will appear in court charged with recklessly driving an engine vehicle, according to a report in Haveeru.

52-year-old Shakeela and her grandson were allegedly hit and injured while crossing the road by Shimaz Ahmed of Guleynooranmaage on Villingilli in Gaaf Alif Atoll.

According to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Shakeela died of internal bleeding in the hospital two hours after the incident on March 2. Her grandson suffered head injuries but recovered.

In its report, Haveeru published a picture of Shimaz riding a motorcycle in September 2009 while appearing to talk on a mobile phone.

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