Day: January 2, 2011

Maldivian Democracy Network hits out at parliament’s privilege amendments

The Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) has hit out at proposed amendments to the privileges afforded to MPs, the judiciary and independent organisations, calling them irresponsible at a time of supposed national cost cutting, as well as potentially setting back social security development in the country.

In a joint statement issued with the Democracy House group, the MDN said that parliament, under Article 102 of the Constitution, needed to act responsibly in setting out state salary structures and its own allowances;  a requirment the NGO claimed had not been the case in passing certain amendments in the 2011 annual budget.

“We note that the bill on parliamentary privileges has been passed in a manner that will further increase state expenses,” stated the MDN. “The bill also grants members of the People’s Majlis certain privileges in criminal matters. We note that these privileges are of a nature that are not granted to parliamentarians in other open democratic societies, and are not even granted to the President under the Maldivian legal system.”

The NGO also dismissed claims that individual MPs required additional benefits and financial remuneration to provide “welfare services” to constituents, claiming such patronage compromises democratic principles.

Speaking to Minivan News last week, both acting Finance Minister Mahmood Razee and parliamentary Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim said that the proposed hikes in parliamentary wages were still required to obtain approval from parliamentary committees and the president before being passed.

Nazim claimed that although MPs “have not taken pay increases”, parliament had considered amendments to the wage structure as part of attempts to test methods for improved “productivity” among the Majlis.

Regional salaries

However, in figures compiled from sources including the Asian Development Bank, the CIA Fact File, the Economist magazine and official government statistics, the Maldives was found to offer a significantly higher salary for its MPs than some of its South Asian neighbours such as India and Sri Lanka combined, at least on 2009 levels of income.

Combining both base earnings and allotted allowances, the monthly salary of a Maldivian MP was said to be equivalent to US$ 7,083; well above Sri Lanka and Indian levels, which during 2009 were found to be around US$877 and US$5,966 respectively. Based on 2009 levels, both Sri Lanka and India had much higher national rates of goods and services produced – recorded as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$96.47 billion and US$3.6 trillion respectively. By comparison, the GDP of the Maldives over the same period was US$1.683bn.

In terms of MPs monthly salaries, the Maldives remained behind nations such as Singapore (US9,264), the UK (US$8,552) and Australia (US$9,687), however, the GDP of each of these nations was found to be significantly higher.

While the MDN said that it accepted some difference in the salaries and benefits afforded to state officials, was “necessary and inevitable”, the NGO claimed that economic burdens needed to be shared equally.

“It is unacceptable that this gap be widened by increasing the salaries and benefits given to high ranking state officials at a time when the average citizen faces financial difficulties,” the MDN stated.

The NGO also expressed concerns regarding the administration of social security within the country, which it said needed to be provided through fair, equitable and ultimately transparent systems rather than the private incomes of individual MPs.

Welfare systems

Speaking to Minivan News, MDN Executive Director Ahmed Irfan claimed there was strong concern that members of the Majlis were undermining democratic principles by creating dependency among constituents for financial assistance from local MPs.

“Unfortunately, it does seem that the practice of MPs providing financial and other such support to constituents is a common and accepted practice in the Maldives,” said Irfan. “Rectifying this will require both a more robust welfare system and a change in culture and attitudes among all stakeholders.”

While praising the work of the Majlis in passing a number of “important bills” during recent sessions, Irfan said the MDN did not support proposals to extend benefits and privileges for state employees within the 2011 annual budget.

“The MDN hopes that the increase in expenditure on senior state officials will not be implemented,” he said.

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DRP Deputy Leader not informed of Gayoom’s council elections plan

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef has said that the party’s “honorary leader”, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has not disclosed how he aims to campaign for them ahead of next month’s local council elections upon returning to the country last week.

Shareef said that following the return of the former president to the Maldives on Friday night the party had not discussed the role Gayoom might play for them during the upcoming contest.

“He [Gayoom] is our honorary leader and enormously popular right now,” said Shareef. “While we will appreciate his help during campaigning, we have not been informed of his plans right now.”

Thousands of supporters holding posters of the former president and banners gathered near the presidential jetty to welcome Gayoom on Friday after it was announced last month that he would return to campaigning for the party during the local council elections.

At Male’ International Airport’s VIP lounge, the former president gave a brief interview to the media on his return along with his views on the latest political issues like the war of words between current DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and former Deputy Umar Naseer. Naseer was dismissed from the party by its disciplinary committee late last year.

The animosity between the two political figures appeared to come to a head last month amidst reports of violence at a meeting held at DRP headquarters between rival supporters loyal to either Thasmeen and Naseer over gaining entry to the event.

Gayoom told the media that there were no fractions forming within the DRP and added that he would describe the developments more as disputes. He also denied completely retiring from political life.

”I am still in the position of honorary leader of DRP, and it is also the highest position in the party, therefore, it is the responsibility of the head of the party to work for the unity of the party and for the progress of the party,” he said.

Gayoom was also questioned about allegations that the party’s deputy leader and leader – Abdulla Shahid and Ahmed Thasmeen Ali respectively – had travelled to India to meet senior officials of infrastructure giant GMR in relation to their opposition of a privatisation agreement with the government to manage Male’ International Airport.

Gayoom said that he received the information that Shahid was in India and when he enquired about the Deputy Leader’s location, Shahid replied to him via text message that he was in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The DRP is itself involved in a coalition of opposition parties like the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Jumhooree Party (JP) and the People’s Alliance (PA) against the privatisation agreement with GMR on the grounds of nationalistic interests.

Gayoom arrived in the Maldives whilst the DRP was holding the official launch ceremony of its Local Council Campaign, a function that the former president said he was unaware of.

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Civil servants opt to strike

The Maldives Civil Servants Association (MCSA) has said that a large numbers of its members have requested to take strike action over reduced public sector salaries.

The government had pledged to reduce the salaries of civil servants along with the amount it pays independent commissions as part of attempts to slash costs during an era economic uncertainty.

By last year, civil servants demanded to have their salaries restored by 2011 and also demanded to add the restored salaries to this year’s budget.

President Mohamed Nasheed had said that the civil cuts were possibly to have been revoked by the end of last year.

However, it is the salaries of independent commissions that have been restored, alongside proposed hikes in the wages and privileges afforded to MPs, leading to protests across Male’ during the last few days from various groups.

”The majority of the civil servants want to be on strike, they are unhappy about the reduced salaries,” said Abdulla Mohamed, Spokesperson of the MCSA. ”They wish to stop work for five days.”

Mohamed said that the association had informed the Civil Service Commission (CSC) about the strike last Thursday, but added that it had yet to responded to the association on the matter.

”We do not have much hope that the salaries will be restored,” Mohamed said. ”Nobody seems to realise the importance of civil servants, so when they stop their work, people will understand the services they deliver.”

The MCSA has said that it hopes the strike action will bring the issue of civil service cuts to the attention of the government and the wider international community.

”We know the strike will not restore salaries for the sector and we also understand it is no solution,” the MCSA spokesperson added. “But we just want to bring it to the attention of the international community and the government.”

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Gayoom makes Male’ return amidst council elections and DRP turmoil

Former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom returned to Male’ yesterday ahead of campaigning for next month’s local council elections saying he would not be attributing blame for the current disputes over the leadership position of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) that he once held.

Haveeru reported that Gayoom was greeted to Male’ by supporters saying that he was looking for a “smooth solution” to a war of words between current DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and former Deputy Umar Naseer, who was dismissed from the party by its disciplinary committee late last year.

The animosity between the two political figures appeared to come to a head last month amidst reports of violence at a meeting held at DRP headquarters between rival supporters loyal to either Thasmeen and Naseer over gaining entry to the event.

The former president told the paper that he saw the current developments within the party as disputes rather than the formation of factions within the country’s main political opposition group, but claimed that he didn’t believe one individual was to “blame”.

“What is best is to opt for dialogue in order to find a peaceful and a smooth solution to the disputes. I am trying to unite the party,” he was quoted as saying by Haveeru.

Gayoom added that consideration on running as a candidate for the 2013 presidential election was not on his mind at present as the contest was “still too far away.”

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Development to speed up under new budget: President Nasheed

The passing of the 2011 state budget will allow for much faster development of infrastructure projects across the Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed has said, as street protests by NGOs, civil servants and private citizens took place last week over concerns about the finance plan.

Miadhu reported that the president used his radio address on Friday to claim that the country’s finances for 2011 represented “a different type of budget” following multi-party consultation. Nasheed also said that he was hopeful the “objectives” of this year’s budget could all be achieved by 2012.

Miadhu reported that the budget has been said to be designed for the first time around various government programmes mandated by the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) own manifesto.

“As the budget is implemented, it will show how much we achieve or how much we fail to achieve,” Nasheed was quoted as saying in the paper’s online edition. “The budget is based on programmes, which are government pledges. The budget’s objective is to fulfil those pledges.”

On Thursday, hundreds of protestors took to the streets around the Majlis to show their frustration at amendments included within the budget that could lead to increased salaries and other privileges for MPs.

According to the new bill, parliamentarians could receive up to an additional Rf20,000 in their salaries for attending committees, while also being allowed to import vehicles without paying any duty on them.   Parliament also approved measures to reinstate the salaries of independent commissions, while failing to address the reduced salaries of civil servants.

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