Category: News in Brief

MDP meeting hall set on fire in Haa Dhaal Kuribee

A youth meeting hall (jagaha) of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on the island of Kuribee in Haa Dhaalu atoll was set on fire in the early hours of Friday, local media reports.

Three motorbikes were also set ablaze around 3:30am in what is believed to have been a deliberate act of arson.

One of the motorbikes was reportedly damaged beyond repair while a sound system, two television sets, and two chairs inside the meeting hall were destroyed.

The case is currently under investigation by the police.

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Projects worth MVR242.48 million inaugurated in presence of coalition candidates

As part of a series of development projects being inaugurated and announced ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 22 March, developments worth MVR242.48 million for three different islands were inaugurated.

The new projects have been launched this week in the presence of government coalition parliamentary candidates for the respective constituencies.

On Wednesday (March 12) Muli island, Meemu atoll, reclamation project was signed by Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

MP Ahmed Nazim, the government coalition candidate for Dhiggaru constituency – to which Muli belongs – was also present at the ceremony.

The MVR159.18 million project will be implemented by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), and is expected to be completed within a year.

An additional MVR31million project to establish a sewage system in Maamendhoo, Laamu atoll, was signed with the Fenaka corporation on March 11.

After signing the contract, Minister of Environment Thoriq Ibrahim told media that the government services can be best provided to citizens with their cooperation, reported Sun Online.

The inauguration was attended by the government coalition candidate for Fonadhoo constituency Abduraheem Abdulla.

On 10th March the ministry also inaugurated the Bandidhoo harbour project, im Dhaalu atoll, to construct a 1000ft by 300ft harbour within a year.

The government funded project worth MVR52.3million will also be implemented by the MTCC.

The project was inaugurated by Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muiz, and chief guest of the ceremony Ahmed ‘Sun’ Siyam – the government coalition candidate for Meedhoo constituency, to which Bandidhoo belong.

According to local media ‘Sun’, at the ceremony Siyam said the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party will never wish any good for the people of Maldives.

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Police searching for man who refuses to hand over 5 month old baby

Police have launched a search for a man accused of refusing to hand over his five month old baby to the mother.

Police stated that they are looking for the man after he failed to follow a court order on March 10 which asked him to hand over the child within a period of 24 hours.

In accordance with a Family Court order, the police are looking for Ahmed Sharuvan of age 32 years from Kanmatheege in Seenu Atoll Maradhoo.

Police have appealed to the public to report any information held about Sharuvan to the police at the earliest.

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In democracy, we must welcome people with varying ideologies: Gayoom

Former President and leader of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has stated that a democracy is a system in which people are free to work with their personal political ideologies, and that in such a system people with varying ideas must be welcomed.

Speaking at a campaign event of PPM’s parliamentary candidate for Villin’gili constituency Saudh Hussain, Gayoom expressed concerns that residents of some islands harassed contestants campaigning for the party’s coalition.

“Since we are in a democracy, we must welcome people with different ideologies. We have to listen to what they have to say. It is a completely different matter whether you accept what they have to say or not,” Gayoom said.

Gayoom further said that it is very important to acquire a majority in the next parliament, stating that the reason for this is that the current government is led by the coalition.

He opined that failure to garner a majority would cause difficulties in fulfilling party manifesto.

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Gasim asserts importance of Majlis majority for the Maldives’ development

Jumhooree Party leader and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim has stated that, in order to lift the Maldives out of its current situation and to ascertain it has a better future, President Abdulla Yameen needs to be given his five years of governance.

Speaking at a campaign event of the Progressive Coalition’s Villin’gili constituency candidate Saudh Hussain, Gasim said that everyone needed to cooperate to provide Yameen with a five year term to make right the current situation of the country.

Gasim added that this will be made possible by ensuring that there is a Progressive Coalition majority in the upcoming 18th parliament, adding that Maldives will find itself in severe hardship if the majority cannot be achieved.

Speaking of the past ten years, Gasim claimed that the development had failed to go according to plan.

“The first five years were spent in establishing democracy within political chaos. In other words, it was spent in the establishment of reasonable norms and democracy within a peaceful environment. However, not much thought was given to economical matters within these five years, and not much was achieved on that front,” Gasim stated.

“The last five years were spent to bring economical stability within democratic norms, but even that failed to go according to plan,” he continued.

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IGMH dialysis unit to be expanded

In an attempt to broaden services at the dialysis unit in capital city Malé’s state owned Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the management has decided to expand the unit to twice its current size.

IGMH Deputy CEO Mohamed Habeeb told local media that after expansion, the unit will be able to attend to 20 patients at a time.

“As there is such a high demand for dialysis services, we are having to provide these services around the clock. Some patients have to spend about five hours in dialysis,” said Habeeb.

“Currently we have 11 beds in the Dialysis Unit, which will be increased to 20 after the expansion,” he said.

He further revealed that MVR2 million (US$130,000) is estimated to be spent on the project.

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Islamic Minister states MVR 35 million deposited in the Hajj Corporation to date

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has stated that to date, MVR35 million has been deposited in the accounts of the Maldives Hajj Corporation.

Speaking at the launching of PPM Parliamentary Candidate Ahmed Nihan’s campaign, Minister Shaheem stated that the “large amount of money deposited in the corporation in such a short period of time shows the level of trust that the citizens have in the corporation”.

The minister further revealed that both the previous and the incumbent administrations have provided financial aid to the corporation, detailing that the Yameen administration has so far provided MVR5 million.

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Road construction work commences in Gaaf Alif Atoll Villin’gili

The government has begun work on road construction in the island of Villin’gili in Gaaf Alif Atoll on Tuesday.

The project is handled by Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC) and was inaugurated by Villin’gili’s former Council President Saudh Hussain and MRDC Chairperson.

The MRDC stated that 50 kilometers of road will be constructed on the island, making up a total of 15 roads.

The government has further contracted the MRDC to build roads on seven other islands.

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Majlis sittings to resume after March 22 elections

Sittings of the first session of the People’s Majlis for 2014 will resume after the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22, Speaker Abdulla Shahid said today.

Concluding today’s sitting held to approve a nominee to the Elections Commission, Shahid said the decision was made after consulting political parties.

The first session of 2014 started on March 3 with the delivery of the presidential address, after which the speaker announced that normal sittings would resume after this month’s parliamentary polls.

The 17th parliament began its first session on May 28, 2009.

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