Day: April 10, 2011

President relaxes exchange rate crackdown

The government has relaxed a blackmarket crackdown on the illegal exchange of dollars into rufiya, announcing today that the currency could be traded at a rate within 20 percent of the pegged 12.85 to the dollar.

The announcement effectively defangs the police crackdown by allowing trade of the rufiya up to Rf15.42, at a time when the supply of dollars sits below demand and banks are refusing to exchange the local currency.

Haveeru reported that President Nasheed had sent a letter to MMA Governor Fazeel Najeeb requesting he announce the new exchange rate. The government has criticised Najeeb for not addressing the dollar shortage and for lack of response to requests for advice and assistance, and has requested the MDP parliamentary group to press for his dismissal.

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Nihan renews calls for Nasheed no-confidence motion as DRP factional strife intensifies

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan renewed calls for a no-confidence motion against President Mohamed Nasheed, during a rally on Friday.

Nihan said the motion, which requires 25 signatures from MPs to be put before parliament and a two-third majority vote to be passed, was in response to an increase in problems such as gang violence and the dollar shortage.

“Galaxy Enterprises can no longer sell air tickets because of the dollar shortage, and I received at least 20 desperate calls last night from people needing medical treatment who are suddenly unable to travel to Colombo. The public is very unhappy,” Nihan said.

“I strongly believe the opposition should seriously consider this motion because the President is ignoring problems. There is inflation, and people are in a mess and getting reckless,” he said, claiming that Nasheed had been “lying to the country over the extent of the problem.”

The government, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have contended that a key contributor to the dollar shortage is the high spend on civil servant salaries in rufiya relative to its dollar income.

The government hopes a reform of the tax system, including a business profit tax and a tourism goods and services tax – delayed in parliament and passed only late last year – will eventually increase its income, but contests that political obstacles prevent it from reducing the size of the civil service.

Nihan acknowledged that while the civil service was “quite large”, blaming it for the dollar shortage was “just an excuse”.

“This country has survived for the last decade as a well-governed country. There was no problem getting dollars on this scale, only now due to mismanagement,” Nihan claimed.

He also acknowledged that even with 25 signatures, the no-confidence motion was unlikely to get the two-thirds majority required to oust Nasheed. It was, he claimed, an attempt “to get the President to take notice of the problems people are facing.”

The brief resignation of Nasheed’s cabinet in July 2010 was in part prompted by letters from six ruling party MPs who claimed they had been offered bribes by the opposition to vote against the party line. As the opposition parties already have a majority in parliament, this was widely interpreted as an attempt to secure a two-thirds majority to remove the President.

Nasheed promptly arrested the respective leaders of the minority opposition Jumhoree and People’s Alliance parties, businessman Gasim Ibrahim and the former President’s half brother Abdulla Yameen, and charged them with treason and bribery.

No charges stuck in court, and Nasheed was eventually pressured by the international community to release Yameen from his “protective” extrajudicial detention on the Presidential Retreat of on Aarah.

The possibility of the Dhivehi gaining a two-thirds majority is particularly unlikely given the recent fracturing of the party into factions loyal to either former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom or the DRP’s leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali. Gayoom had endorsed Thasmeen as his successor on his retirement from politics early last year, but cemented his disapproval of Thasmeen’s performance with an open letter faulting his leadership and particularly the party’s dismissal of Deputy leader Umar Naseer, ostentiously for conducting protests without party approval.

During a rally on Thursday, Thasmeen told the press that he could not stand aside and watch when the internal dispute has reached the point where “the people are not sure what the DRP is.”

“When a rally is announced, it’s not clear who is calling for it,” he said. “A person dismissed from the party is using the party’s logo and giving press conferences as the party’s deputy leader.”

As the factional strife has reached “the limit where we can’t remain without taking measures,” Thasmeen said he would bring the matter to the party’s council seeking a decision.

Meanwhile Riyaz Rasheed, the sole DQP MP in parliament, participated in the Gayoom faction rally for the first time, despite the recent coalition agreement between the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and Thasmeen’s faction. The party’s existing coalition partner, Yameen’s PA, supports Gayoom.

At the Thasmeen faction rally at Immadhudheen School, speakers strongly criticised Umar Naseer for “disregarding the party’s charter.”

Leading the attack, Deputy Leader Ali Waheed argued that the opposing faction consisted of “presidential candidates who couldn’t get 3,000 votes (Umar) and leaders of parties with less than 3,000 people (Yameen),” and accused them of hijacking the DRP’s membership base.

“These people are holding rallies in DRP’s name because it has 40,000 members. Why won’t they hold a rally in their the name of their own party?”

The Gayoom faction was “obsessed with the DRP” because “when the time comes, it’s the DRP that has the ace of spades,” Waheed said.

“But what they don’t know is that we’re not playing cards,” said Waheed. “We’re playing joker. God willing, we will put down the joker and win the presidential election. When you’re playing joker, the ace of spades isn’t that important.”

Waheed argued that rallies held by Gayoom faction were “in truth Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s presidential campaign.”

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Dispute between MNCCI and Male’ City Council over night market settled

The dispute between Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI) and Male’ City Council over the night market has been settled, reports SunFM.

SunFM reported that the City Council granted permission to hold the Night Market after the MNCCI agreed to pay Rf750 (US$58) per table.

The location of the night market has also been changed. The tables will be arranged starting from Boduthakurufaanu Magu near the State Electric Company (STELCLO) to the park near the Tsunami monument.

It will be held on the 10th of July, according to SunFM.

During the night market many of the shops in Male’ set up tables on a location determined by the MNCCI to sell different types of products at low prices, a longstanding annual event.

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President appoints new Finance Minister

President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Ahmed Inaz as Finance Minister.

Inaz previously held the post of the Minister of State for Economic Development, said the President’s Office.

”Prior to the presentation of the Letter of Appointment, Inaz took the oath of office of the members of the Cabinet before the Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Areef,” the President’s Office said.

Former Finance Minister  Ali Hashim was dismissed from his position after it refused to approve his reappointment.

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PG rejects case concerning alcohol bottles found in MP Moosa’s car

The Prosecutor General’s office has rejected a case sent by police concerning 168 alcohol bottles discovered inside the car of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group leader MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the case was sent back by the Prosecutor General requesting the inclusion of missing information concerning the investigation.

”After including this information we will send it back to the Prosecutor General’s Office,” Shiyam said. ”We can’t disclose what information the Prosecutor General is requiring us to include.”

The bottles were found in Moosa’s car in February 2010 while he was out of the country. Moosa has claimed his driver was bribed to put the bottles of “cheap alcohol” into his car in an attempt to frame him for the crime.

That same week police arrested four expatriate men loading 168 bottles of whiskey and menthol gin into the car registered to Moosa, on the same day controversial liquor licensing regulations were unveiled by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Last year October police said the investigation in to the case was concluded and had beensent to Prosecutor General.

At the time the police refused to say whether Moosa would stand trial in the case.

Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Islamic Ministry to submerge Quran in controlled disposal

The Islamic Ministry will conduct a controlled disposal of old and worn out copies of the Quran this coming Friday, offering a new copy for every three old copies reports Haveeru.

Islamic custom dictates that the Quran cannot be disposed of in the rubbish, and thus the Ministry is holding a special disposal according to Islamic principles.

The Qurans will be submerged in water in a joint operation conducted by the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) and Male’ City Council.

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Three arrested over Badidhoo island council safe theft

Three men have been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of Rf 60,000 (US$4670) from two safes in the Island Office of Badidhoo in Dhaal atoll, during which a guard was tied up with tape.

Six men have been arrested in the case so far, however police have declined to reveal further information.

Haveeru reported that one the men arrested had run as an MDP candidate for the Island Council in the recent local council elections.

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Salaf attacks government’s decision to deploy MNDF soldiers as UN peacekeepers

Jamiyyathul Salaf, one of the Maldives’ largest and most active religious NGOs, has called on the government to withdraw a decision made by the cabinet to sent Maldives soldiers to UN conflict zones and take part in UN peacekeeping operations.

The Cabinet during last Tuesday’s meeting decided to finalise the participation of Maldivian soldiers in United Nations peacekeeping operations, noting that it was be” important for the Maldives to contribute to the efforts of these international agencies and institutions to ensure every country, every society and every individual had the opportunity to live in peace and security.”

However, “Taking part in the UN peacekeeping operations will force Maldivian forces to fight against Muslims which is unacceptable,” said Salaf in a statement. ”Everyone understands that the most of the wars against Muslims have been started without reasonable grounds, just because they are Muslims.”

Salaf claimed that biological weapons were used in these wars despite UN prohibitions concerning their use or manufacture.

“The history of such wars proves that non-believers have gathered and committed inhumane activities against Muslim women and children,” Salaf argued. ”The war in Iraq and Afghanistan are examples of places where such activities were practiced.”

Salaf noted that the Maldives had a very high crime rate and that civil defence was a higher priority than contributing to overseas peacekeeping operations.

”Disregarding our own society and getting involved in these matters for the sake of earing respect from powerful countries shows how much the future of this nation is being disregarded,” Salaf said. ”It will invite dangerous attacks on the country, from outside and within.”

Jamiyyathul Salaf furthermore claimed that any Muslim who assisted non-Muslims in a war against Muslims would themselves be branded infidels.

”Muslims will be obliged to treat him as a non-Muslim in all ways, such as if dead, burying without enshrouding the body, burying the body with other non-believer, and when dealing with inheritance matters the terms and condition that applies to a non-believer who dies in a war against Muslims will be applied to him,” the NGO said.

Referring to the incident where Prophet Mohamed’s (PBUH) uncle Abbas Bin Abdul Muthalib secretly embraced Islam and was forced to fight against Muslims in a battle where he lost his life, Salaf said the Prophet applied the same procedure as to what would be applied to non-believer if he died in a battle against Muslims.

During last week’s meeting, Cabinet agreed that participating in UN peacekeeping operations would enhance the country’s security capability through an improved understanding of the international security environment and integration with the international security architecture, according to the President’s Office.

”The Maldives’ participation in peacekeeping operations would also consolidate the country’s credibility on the international stage,” the President’s Office said.

UN peacekeepers include 98,863 uniformed personnel from 114 countries. The organisation’s limited terms of engagement led to widespread criticism of its inaction during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 people died.

Since then UN peacekeepers have been more proactive in troubled countries, such as its current siege and helicopter strikes on the palace belonging to Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to step down and launched a campaign of ethnic cleansing after losing the country’s 2010 Presidential Election.

Correction: An earlier version of this story translated the Dhivehi term used in Jamiyyathul Salaf’s statement, ‘Kaafarun’, as ‘Christians’. A more accurate translation is ‘non-believers’.

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Resorts must now invest after not doing enough for security, says MATI

Tourism insiders say that the industry has not done enough to provide security at the country’s resorts as authorities, while security officials and businesses continue to work on outlining new protective measures for properties across the country.

As security officials continue to await the outcomes from consultations by a steering group formed following a security seminar and workshop held last week to outline methods to reduce possible threats facing the country’s resorts, some property owners and managers appear divided over the severity of the challenges faced.

Speaking to Minivan News, ‘Sim’ Mohamed Ibrahim from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said that despite ongoing attempts to outline a nationwide resort security initiative since 2008, no such policy had as yet been put in place.

Following last week’s security seminars, Sim said he was confident that by working with the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), the police, and the coastguard, progress was now being made in outlining long-term security strategies for tourism. He conceded though that the industry would need to bare more of the financial brunt to protect its interests in the future.

“Resorts do need more investment in regards to security, we haven’t done enough so far,” said the MATI head.

Sim said that last week’s seminar reflected growing industry concerns of late raised by the active Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as industry bodies over protecting the country’s lucrative resort islands from possible theft and attack.

The country has this year alone faced two isolated, yet high-profile incidences of intrusion at properties such as Kihaadhuffaru resort and Baros Island Resort and Spa highlighting for some the magnitude of the threats facing the country.

Sim claimed that these concerns were not an “isolated” issue for tourist properties alone, but rather a symptom of rising levels of crime on inhabited islands such as the Maldivian capital of Male’ that had spilled onto resorts.

“This is not to say that the government is working on this issue [of crime], but really they need better laws in the country for offenders,” he claimed.

To try and combat fears over criminals targeting resorts, the MATI Secretary-General said he believed that improved networking between different resorts and ease of communication was a vital part of limiting potential attacks in the future.  He added that the closer cooperation between tourism officials and the police and armed forces in the country was also seen as another key aim.

However, Sim claimed that rather than bringing wide-ranging reforms to tourist and resort security, the country would be better prioritising commitments in areas where it was able to ensure effective changes could be put in place.

He added that a committee containing government and tourism industry figures was now working to address what sort of commitments should be prioritised on the back of last week’s security seminar.

“The best thing to come from these talks is that we are now attempting to work together [with the government and security forces]. We know we are not alone as an industry,” he said. “In the past, we have tended not to mix the leisure side of holidays with security, but this is something that we need to do.”

Security advisor

Speaking today to Minivan News, National Security Advisor Ameen Faisal said that he still haven’t received feedback from the steering committee of government and industry figures regarding outlining new proposals for resort security.

While Faisal added that he was not sure of the exact nature that potential changes could mean for how defence forces worked with the tourism industry, he was convinced it would not lead to a rise in their presence on resort islands.

“Personally, I don’t think operational changes will be seen in the manner that police and the MNDF operate regarding tourism,” he said. “There will probably be some training programmes conducted by police for resort security, but I don’t think we will see a physical presence by defence forces at these resorts.”

In addressing any perceived threats posed by Maldivian gang crime reaching the isolated environs of the country’s tourist properties, not all resort groups appeared to have share MATI’s beliefs that security problems were generated solely by offshore criminals.

One general manager for a leading multinational brand of resorts in the country said under anonymity that he believed the resort robberies were more likely to have resulted from serving or former employees with knowledge of the properties than from random attacks by gangs or opportunistic thieves.

In taking this view, the general manager said that he believed it was often imperative to try and effectively manage staff and their grievances that could often occur from very small and often easily rectified measures.

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