Day: November 20, 2010

Majlis impasse may obstruct passing of 2011 Budget

The 2011 State Budget to be deliberated by parliament next week will target more funds for island development, provide soft loans for small business and encourage private sector job growth, President Mohamed Nasheed said yesterday in his weekly radio address.

A shift from line-item to programme budgeting makes next year’s budget “very different from previous years” as it will direct more resources to islands for managing development programmes.

The budget for individual islands “will be much higher than it was in the past”, Nasheed explained, as the government anticipated “the work of ministries will be reduced and especially, when atoll councils and island councils start functioning, the government believes it will have, that it should have, responsibilities to carry out.”

While the budget includes a programme to offer government guarantees on soft loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, he added, economic policies will aim to spur job growth by strengthening the private sector.

“For example, the transport network – 300 new jobs have been created within that system,” he said, reiterating the government’s policy of pursuing public-private partnerships.

Moreover, the Human Resources Ministry is currently compiling a national employment registry to track monthly rates of job losses and employment gains, he revealed.

Gridlock

As the final sittings of the year are set to resume on Monday, parliament remains at loggerheads with the executive over the endorsement of cabinet members, with forced cancellations paralysing the legislature for the past three weeks.

While the opposition majority insist that ministers must be approved individually, MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) favour a ‘block vote’ for all ministers and moreover argue that the issue must be removed from the agenda until parliamentary rules of procedure is amended in light of the landmark Supreme Court ruling last month.

The Supreme Court ruled that while article 171(i) of the parliament’s rules of procedure, which allows nominees to be questioned by committee, does not contradict with constitution, it cannot be used in endorsing cabinet ministers.

Addressing supporters during a campaign rally last week, opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said that although the party engaged in official talks with the government and international mediators “in the end after three months when there is still no way to hold ministers accountable, and when these ministers do as they please, the result ultimately is adverse effect on the lives of the Maldivian people.”

Writing in his website in September, the parliament majority leader argued that parliament was “unable to effectively provide the checks and balances necessary for the system to work democratically” and exercise oversight powers with the cabinet awaiting parliamentary consent.

Thasmeen further claimed that “failure of government officials to appear before the parliament is part of a series of deliberate acts by the government to pave way for autocratic rule,” adding that the opposition “should seriously consider taking legal action against government officials who ignore requests to appear before the parliament.”

The cabinet was reappointed by President Nasheed in July after resigning en masse in protest of the “scorched-earth policies” of the opposition, which it accused of obstruction and attempting to wrest executive control from the government.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News today that “no MP would obstruct the passing of the budget, but they should advocate on behalf of their constituencies.”

Nihan said that the party would seek to “make adjustments and change some components” as with the 2010 budget, claiming that opposition MPs’ constituencies were neglected by the government.

He further criticised the government for revenue shortfalls due to “failed projects such as privatising IGMH (Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital) and not collecting the full amount for the sale of Dhiraagu shares”.

While he expressed confidence that MPs would “fulfill their constitutional responsibility to pass the budget and ensure that services are provided to the people”, Nihan backed the DRP Leader’s stance on resolving the cabinet issue as the first priority.

“According to the constitution, the Finance Minister has to submit the budget,” he explained. “But we don’t believe there is a Finance Minister right now. What [Thasmeen] is saying is how can we go forward without resolving this. So let’s finish this first.”

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Comment: Challenges remain for child rights in the Maldives

November 20 marks the 21st anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is a landmark Convention formulated in 1989, founded upon the collective realisation, understanding and agreement among nations of the world that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.

The CRC underpins the international agreement articulated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 that the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth. The CRC is the most ratified international treaty, having been signed by all countries of the world, bar two, representing a major milestone in the efforts to achieve a world fit for children.

The Maldives ratified the CRC in 1991, being amongst the earliest signatories to the Convention. Accession to the CRC has achieved substantial benefits for the children of the Maldives. The Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Law 9/91), for example, is derived directly from the provisions stipulated in the CRC, providing a legal basis for the protection of children in the Maldives.

The anniversary of the CRC provides an excellent opportunity to take stock of the achievements Maldives has made in the realisation of the rights of children to survival, development, protection and participation as well as to examine opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Maldives has made remarkable progress in development over the last several years having achieved five out of eight Millennium Development Goals ahead of time, making it the first MDG plus country in South Asia. These achievements demonstrate significant progress for Maldivian children with regard to their survival and development. Initial steps are being taken to establish mechanisms for the protection of children. Family and Children Service Centres have been established in the atolls with the intention of bringing protection services closer to the people. There is also widespread dialogue amongst political and civil leaders, as well as the public at large on issues relating to child protection and a greater demand for more urgent and stringent actions to prevent child abuse.

Despite the substantial progress made for Maldivian children, several challenges remain. While the health and nutrition status of children are improving, malnutrition and under-nutrition of children remains persistent throughout the country with one in five Maldivian children under five years being stunted.

The challenges for sustaining achievements in education at the primary level relate to quality and limited opportunities for children with special needs. Furthermore, the low completion rates at lower secondary level combined with limited opportunities for vocational education and recreational opportunities have lead to a whole host of problems surrounding youth including drug abuse, juvenile delinquency and gang violence.

Children continue to be exploited, abused and neglected. The child protection system lacks capacity, adequate resources and proper coordination between agencies responsible for protection, care and rehabilitation. Additional challenges affecting the realization of children’s right to protection include lack of a proper juvenile justice system, including juvenile justice legislations and comprehensive child rights and child protection legislation.

Article 12 of the Convention stipulates that, “State Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child”. Children remain left out of the decision making process in matters affecting them.

Recommendations of the CRC Committee to the Combined Second and Third Report of the Maldives to the UN in 2006 highlight key actions that can accelerate the realization of the rights of Maldivian children. The responsibility for success not only lies with the State, but also with the parents, caregivers, and the community.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and civil society groups, as well the media, are essential in monitoring and advocating for child rights. Strong families and communities are central to augmenting the gains made for children. Parents can play a critical role in the all round development of the child by providing love, care and a supportive environment. A mechanism for children’s participation in matters affecting them needs to be put in place. The evidence base needs to be strengthened and utilised to ensure the most vulnerable children are identified and reached. Strategic partnerships between the State and civil society as well as the private sector need to be strengthened to guarantee all Maldivian children have an equal chance to reach their potential.

The anniversary of the CRC is a time for us to revisit the pledge the world made for children. Most importantly, it is a reminder for us of what we have left to do to realize all rights, of all children. On this occasion, let us recall the words of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan who said, “There is no trust more sacred than the one that the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace”.

Bertrand Mendis is the UNICEF Maldives Representative.

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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