Day: March 2, 2011

National office formation not a response to council disputes, government claims

The formation of seven national offices to oversee government projects at regional and local level is not a response to ongoing disputes with some councils following decentralisation, the President’s Office has today said.

The administrative structures of the seven national offices were formed by members of the cabinet yesterday to oversee developments within seven regions across the country to try and coordinate national developments within newly decentralised councils. The councils were themselves established after last month’s local elections.

Administering these local councils has already led to problems in some areas, with police being called in to try and work through disputes concerning the government and newly elected local councils over whether they have the right to relocate their offices.

Some opposition parliamentarians today moved to criticise the formation of the administrative offices as a contradiction to the purpose of decentralizing power to allow councils to meet specific needs of their constituents.

However, the President’s Office has said that the formation of these administrative centres were constitutionally required and not a response to developments this week that saw confrontations with police at the islands of Thulusdhoo and Funadhoo.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that the seven offices were established as stipulated under Article 71 of the Decentralisation Act as a means to oversee government development programmes and ensure budgets were being met by councils.

As a result of the formation of these offices, the President’s Office said that the cabinet had decided that all activities of the city, island and atoll councils formed during last month’s local elections were conducted through the offices.

While all these councils at “ground level” were able to meet and deliberate on local matters that affected their constituents, Zuhair said that they “technically remained” part of the national executive when it came to overseeing national developments set out by the government.

“There are budgeted programmes for each island that the government has decided to extend nationally,” he said.

Zuhair added that these seven regional offices would therefore work to oversee the administrative functions of decentralized government and any national developments undertake locally.

According to the President’s Office, the session saw the cabinet appoint individual personnel to oversee each regional office. These positions included:

• Mohamed Hunaif as Minister of State for the Upper North Province and head of the National Office for the Upper North Region

• Ali Niyaz as Deputy Minister of State for the North Province and head of the National Office for the North Region

• Hussain Irfan Zaki as Minister of State for the North Central Province and head of the National Office for the North Central Province

• Ibrahim Mohamed as Deputy Minister of State for Central Province and head of the National Office for the Central Region

• Ahmed Mujuthaba as Minister of State for the South Central Province and head of the National Office for the South Central Region

• Mohamed Shareef as Deputy Minister of State for the Upper South Province and head of the National Office for the Upper South Region

• Ahmed Adhham as Deputy Minister of State for the South Province and head of the National Office for the South Region

Although not directly related to disputes this week between the government and local councils, the president’s press secretary claimed that the offices were a means of overseeing councils were accountable nationally.

According to Zuhair, decentralisation resulting from local elections held on 5 February did not equate to granting individual councils the power to act as independent federal states.

“What we are saying is, that it is for the president to decide which state owned buildings shall be used for council offices as stipulated under the constitution,” he added.

However, the formation of the national offices was met with criticism by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Mahlouf who said that opposition parliamentarians would oppose the cabinet on the issue through the courts if necessary.

“It can’t be done,” Mahlouf said in regards to the formation of the seven offices. “We went through the [local council] elections to give power to the people. No government authority can stop or control work [of the councils].”

With the majority of councils under control of the DRP and other opposition parties outside of the major residential municipal regions of Male’ and Addu Atoll, Mahlouf claimed that he believed opposition parties would oppose the national offices.

“[The decision] may go to the courts. It is something we would support. There is no need to send the police,” he said, pointing to this week’s disputes over council offices.

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Students take to President’s Office over “pocket money” funding concerns

Hundreds of students gathered today outside the President’s Office to call for the reestablishment of a “pocket money” grant scheme and have vowed to continue strikes and protests if their aims for free funding are not met.

After sending a petition to President Mohamed Nasheed last Thursday (24 February) over concerns about the end of the pocket money programme for pupils who enrolled in Maldivian higher education institutions during 2010, a large number of students took to the streets today to try and guarantee a monthly grant for their studies.

In light of the protests, prominent education officials in the country have claimed that the pocket money system had been phased out for pupil enrollments in 2010 as part of plans establish a new student loans system.

Some higher education figures claim that the loan, which would be required to be paid back unlike the pocket money, would be more widely available, yet they accepted that a system of means tested benefits and scholarships may be required for protecting the most financially vulnerable and brightest students respectively.

Despite these claims, some student protesters who had gathered outside the President’s Office this afternoon said they were not convinced that the planned student loans system was working in a manner fair to all Maldivians wishing to take part in higher education.

Two of the gathered protesters told Minivan News that the strikes, which were said to have been organised by just a “couple of students”, represented concerns about the government listening to students and the overall cost of education.

The protesters went on to claim that at present, some students appeared to still be getting the pocket money grant, while others were struggling to afford or obtain books required for their studies, with no explanation being given about how the current system of grants and loans were being assigned.

Abdulla Asjad, another student at the gathering currently studying for a BTch (Secondary) in Male’, said that he believed the student loan system bought in to replace pocket money was also not being supplied to everyone.

“They are giving these loans to some, but not to all students. They have not explained the system at all,” he said.

Asjad claimed that as protests continued, he was aware that five or so students had been admitted to the President’s Office to meet Nasheed himself, but he said the outcome of the talks remained uncertain.

When asked though about the students’ next plan to try and seek the return of pocket money, he replied: “We will come back.”

Education challenges

Dr Mustafa Luthfy, a former Education Minister and the Chancellor of the recently opened Maldives National University said that amendments made to higher education funding were bought about in an attempt to make the system fairer for a wider number of students, rather than trying to cut spending.

Recognising the concerns of some students over the changes though, the chancellor said that he had been involved with meetings to discuss the student petition. The meetings were said to be jointly organised between the country’s current Education Minister and the Minister of Human Resources, Youth, and Sports.

“Before 2009, some students were given pocket money of about Rf1,000 by the government for studying certain courses at specific institutions,” he said. “The government decided to change to student loans in 2009. Those students that enrolled in 2010 knew they were getting that. But students who enrolled before this time were still receiving the pocket money.”

According to Luthfy, the replacement student loan system, which provides about Rf2,000 a month to students at an interest rate lower than that being offered by national banks, was designed to be offered to every student in higher education regardless of the course or the institution they were studying.

These loans were then expected to be paid back years later when students had graduated and were in work, he claimed.

Luthfy told Minivan News that he believed there had been some problems with the grants and loan system, such as the case of a number of students who had travelled to study nursing at an institution in India.

After financial difficulties hit the study programme and the local representative in charge was said to have been unable to cover their economic responsibilities, the university chancellor claimed that the government had intervened and brought the students back to the Maldives.

After putting them into a local educational institution – where the students were deemed to be missing some of the requirements needed to study there – the government also took the decision to offer grants to aid the pupils through additional foundation courses after they had already paid money to the Indian institution in question, Luthfy said.

Scholarship considerations

In considering today’s protest, the university chancellor said that although he believed the student loans were open to everyone, some changes to existing education funding would possibly need to be introduced in the future.

“The student loan system is fairer in one way,” he said. “But students do have to pay for this.”

Luthfy claimed that at present, institutions such as the Maldives National University were already using their entire budgets, so the reintroduction of grants like pocket money was not deemed possible by the government.

In looking to further potential changes, the chancellor suggested that systems such as means testing could be used to ascertain where assistance was needed for economically disadvantaged pupils or those suitable for scholarships.

“For the future, we will have to look at methods to help students who have financial difficulties,” he said. “Right now we also don’t have scholarship programmes, but we would have to introduce them in order to attract the brightest students.”

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Police investigate allegations that politicians physically attacked and threatened officers

The Maldives Police Service yesterday issued a press statement saying it was now investigating allegations that politicians had physically attacked and threatened its officers.

Police have claimed that “some” politicians were seeking to mislead the public over recent conflicts in Kaafu Atoll Thulusdhoo and Shaviyani Atoll Funadhoo.

”The conflicts occurred when the Atoll Councilors entered the former Atoll Offices in these islands which are under charge of the Finance Ministry. The President has already allocated an administrative office for the council under Decentralisation Act article number 127,” said Police in the statement.

“When the Atoll Councilors started to use the state assets like this, the Home Ministry requested police to protect the state assets and to take necessary actions.”

The investigation follows a war of words between the government and some recently elected local councils over their right to move to offices other than those assigned to them

Atoll councilors had been told repeatedly that if they wish to use state assets, they should be used in line with proper procedure, police claimed.

”But rather than solving the issue peacefully, they [Atoll Councilors] have vandalized and used some state assets, while the police were taking necessary measures,” the statement read.

Police therefore said they were calling on politicians not to use the elected councilors as a tool to create splits and civil strife in society.

”Although some politicians told police to act in a way that would politically benefit them, the responsibility of police to uphold the constitution will be carried out within the laws and for the best interest of the society, whilst preserving peace and harmony,” the statement added.

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Umar Naseer expects upcoming DRP protest to end with tear gas

Umar Naseer, former deputy leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), has said the opposition party will hold a protest in Male’ tonight from 9:00pm in order to demonstrate against the perceived unlawful actions and “torture” practiced by the current government.

”The government has been constantly violating the laws, religion and has been trying to over power the local councils,” Naseer claimed. ”After the protest, we have scheduled a march around the streets.”

The claims come as political parties have this week become embroiled in disputes over the legitimacy of some local councils opting to move the location of their offices without government approval.

Naseer said that all the country’s political parties were officially invited to join its protest over the issue and also called on as many citizens as possible to join in.

The former deputy leader who was dismissed from the party in December claimed he expected the protest would likely end with authorities using tear gas.

”We call on police not to follow any unlawful orders, we know that the government have been punishing police for not obeying their unlawful orders,” said Naseer. ”We are very pleased to know that Deputy Police Commissioner Rishwan was suspended for rejecting an unlawful order, it was a good example.”

He also criticized the government for not taking ” action against any senior government officials who are alleged to have been found posing naked in pictures and video files, but taking action on journalists who reported it.”

DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf said the intention of the protest was to defend the laws and to ”make things go right.”

”All the good things we brought to the country has been turned upside down today,” Mahlouf said. ”Tonight, we are coming out to make them right again, to uphold the religion and democracy.”

Mahlouf referred to the conflict in the islands and said it was an ”additional circle to the chain of the current government’s torture.”

”If we have to, we will not hesitate to go near Muleeage or near the Home Minister’s house,” said Mahlouf.

Mahlouf said that many police officers were encouraged not to follow “unlawful orders” after the alleged suspension of the Deputy Police Commissioner. Police have yet to officially confirm whether Deputy Commissioner Rishwan had been suspended.

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PA to boycott Presidential address to parliament

MPs from the People’s Alliance (PA) party have said they will boycott the speech to be given by President Mohamed Nasheed at the first parliamentary session of 2011.

”PA believes that the Presidential address Nasheed gave during the first sitting of the first session of 2010 was not given as stated in article 84 of the constitution,” said the PA in a statement.

Article 84 of the constitution says that at the beginning of the first parliament session of each year, the President shall address the Majlis on the state of the country, as well as present proposals for trying to improve the nation.

The PA stated that rather than giving Nasheed’s presidential address as a speech based on the state of the nation and proposals to improve the state, his last opening address was based on threatening opposition figures.

”The presidential address was a hopeless speech, thus a speech that threatened the citizens,” said the party in the statement.

PA alleged that the president had attempted to smear the respect and sanctity of parliament and also attempted to make the pubic lose confidence in their the MPs.

The party recalled the arrest of Jumhoory Party leader and MP Gasim Ibrahim, as well as PA Leader and MP Abdulla Yamin, claiming the president misused the power of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to detain them.

Criminal charges against the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Ali Waheed and Mahlouf were said to be politically motivated, the party alleged.

”Moreover, he [the president] made false accusations about MPs, made the entire cabinet resign, called MPs ‘wild animals’, attempted to run the government with a cabinet that does not have the consent of the parliament and made the parliament face obstacles in conducting its work fully,” claimed the PA. ”[Nasheed] gave warnings about all this during his presidential address [in 2010].”

The PA also claimed that the current government has always violated the constitution and laws.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that the decision of the opposition parties were against the national spirit.

”It is the constitutional duty of the president, not something that is initiated by the government,” said Zuhair. He added that the President will give his presidential speech regardless of whether members of the opposition boycotted it.

Zuhair said ”that means the opposition started to use National Ceremonies as political tools.”

”If they boycott the presidential address, they are betraying the citizens,” he said. ”They are the symbols of the citizens.”

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IFJ condemns police questioning of Haveeru journalists

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned Maldives police for summoning two journalists from the Haveeru newspaper for questioning after they wrote an article about an alleged Facebook blackmail ring thought to involve a number of high profile politicians.

Police have since denied allegations from some press and media organisations that the questioning was politically motivated, claiming they had sought to request assistance with the ongoing investigation into the reported crime.

However, the IFJ has said it was critical of the manner that police sought to question two journalists over their story.

”Ahmed Hamdhoon and Ismail Naseer, who researched and wrote the story in the Dhivehi-language edition of Haveeru, were summoned by police in the capital Male’ and asked about the sources they had used to detail the content of the allegedly pornographic videos,” said the IFJ in a statement. ”The story published on 22 February had reported that the pornographic material was being circulated in a blackmail operation that had entrapped several well-known figures.”

“We are encouraged to learn that the two journalists turned down the police demand to name sources,” the IFJ website quoted is Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park as saying. ”The Republic of the Maldives sent out a strong positive signal by including the protection of media sources in its basic law and it is important to see that this significant legal provision is strengthened, not weakened, in practice.”

“Anonymity of sources is a necessary protection for journalists seeking to bring evidence of wrongdoing into the public domain. It is well understood that anonymity cannot be used as a cover for putting out wrong or malicious information, or for the protection of anybody involved in any felony,” added Park.

On 22 February, Police announced that they had arrested 14 persons including a minor for alleged involvement in blackmailing people after acquiring nude pictures and videos of them through Facebook.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News this week that in light of the ongoing serious cyber crimes investigation into the Facebook case, attempts were made to to obtain further information from the sources used in Haveeru’s article.

“For that we needed more cooperation from Haveeru so we sought a court order to go ahead with this,” he said.

The conduct of police in requesting information about the sources used in the Haveeru article has been criticised by both the paper’s own editor and the Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) – an affiliate of the IFJ.

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STO claims airport fuel contract under one year deal

GMR Male’ International Airport Limited (GMIAL) has announced that the Maldives State Trading Organization (STO) will begin supplying fuel to its operations from the beginning of April under the terms of a one-year contract.

The company has claimed that STO beat off competition from a host of international bidders to win the contract that will commence from 1 April 2011. The contract is expected to amount to a total value of US$140m over its twelve month lifespan – reflecting the supply of about 1.1 million barrels of fuel.

GMIAL said in a statement that the success of STO’s bid was based on both technical and economic factors such as the capability to supply both Jet A-1 fuel and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) as well providing testing facilities and the lowest financial premiums.

Andrew Harrison, CEO of GMIAL, said the decision was a key step in working to try and set the airport up as a world class facility and reduce any interruptions to transport services, while also offering direct economic benefits to the local economy.

“This contract will bring commercial revenue in form of US Dollar receipts to a Maldivian company, which will be a valuable benefit in terms of foreign exchange trading,” he stated.

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Male’ airport security official rejects GMR delay criticisms

Security officials at Male’ International Airport have rejected criticism that increased scrutiny during passenger checks was responsible for the delay of a number of flights yesterday morning, claiming there has been no additional or emergency measures put in place.

In a statement issued by infrastructure giant GMR, which is currently managing and renovating the existing airport site ahead of opening an entirely new terminal to open in 2014, the company said that six international flights were “heavily delayed” on 1 March.

The adoption of new security measures yesterday at the airport that it had not been informed of were alleged to be responsible for the delays.

According to the company, six flights scheduled to take off between 9:00am and 10:00am were unable to leave on time due to the congestion of passengers waiting to pass through security checks to catch their planes.

“These delays were the direct results of additional security measures introduced by the Aviation Security Division,” the company stated. “These measures included the physical hand pat‐down of each departing passenger which led to longer processing times extending the queuing time. These additional measures were not communicated by the Aviation Security Command to GMR Male’ International Airport Pvt. Ltd. or the customer airlines.”

GMR claimed that i a physical pat-down of every passenger after passing through metal detectors was believed to have resulted in flights being delayed during the morning by up to one hour and twenty minutes.

The company added that it was common practice at airports all over the world to use hand-held scanning devices instead during security checks.

“The standard queuing time required under the Concession Agreement is 10 minutes until processing at the x‐ray machine,” GMR stated. “This morning processing time for a large number of passengers was in excess of 40 minutes and as a result, flights could not close check‐in at the allocated time which led to the extensive departure delays.”

GMR claimed that although it was focused on trying to ensure improvements to all areas of airport service during its tenure – particularly by working with airlines and regulators – the company said that the “highest standards” must be maintained without severely impacting the experience of passengers.

In responding to the criticisms, Moosa Habib from the airport’s Aviation Security Command said that no new procedures such as pat downs of all passengers had been put in place during the morning before clearing passengers for their flights.

Habib claimed that many other factors outside their control were also responsible for any delays.

“The security measures are the airport and very important and sometimes they can be strict,” he said. “But there are many factors out of our control that can delay flights.”

Habib told Minivan News that there had not been any changes to security procedures during the morning and that he believed “business operated as normal” with pat-down procedures taking between 20 to 30 seconds per passenger.

A spokesperson for the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) told Minivan News that it had no real role in providing security at the airport.

The spokesperson added that the MNDF currently did not hold any concerns about security at the site.

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