Category: News in Brief

Tourism ministry marks new year with celebration of one million tourist arrivals

A new year countdown event titled “One Million and Beyond” organised by the Ministry of Tourism was held last night at Malé’s Alimas Carnival area. The celebrations, with fireworks and musical performances, was to mark the arrival of 1.2 million tourists in the year 2013.

The one million mark was reached in November with the arrival of 94,562 tourists in that month alone, a nearly fifteen percent increase from 2012.

Among the tourists who visited Maldives in that month were 45,894 from European countries and 26,008 from China – a leap from just 18,450 Chinese tourists in November 2012.

Eighty one percent of the total bed capacity of 22,889 in 2012 was situated on the 105 islands developed as tourist resorts. The hotel sector share was at six percent that year.

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DPRS replaced with Maldives Correctional Service

President Abdulla Yameen has established the Maldives Correctional Service on December 31, 2013, which replaces the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services.

The President’s Office announced that, together with the establishment of the Correctional Service under the Maldives Prisons and Parole Act, the DPRS’s Second Chance Programme will also be discontinued effective from Tuesday.

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Majlis passes Sexual Offenses, and Social Protection bills

The People’s Majlis has passed the Sexual Offense Bill and the Social Protection Bill ,sending them for ratification by the president.

The Sexual Offenses Bill was passed with a majority vote of 67 from 69 members who took part. The Social Protection Bill was was passed unanimously with 69 votes.

A third bill – the third amendment to the Employment Act – was also passed in the final sitting of the third session of the Majlis on 30 December 2013. The amendment was brought to chapter five of the act regarding the employment of foreigners.

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JP fined MVR 17,000 over “dead members”

The Elections Commission has fined the Jumhooriee Party (JP) MVR 17,000 (USD 1108) in December for submitting three party membership forms ‘signed’ by deceased people.

A press release by the commission states that the fine is levied under the Political Parties Act.

According to the Elections Commission website, the JP currently has a total of 14,330 members.

The Commission has previously brought cases of membership forms being submitted in the names of the deceased, or under other fraudulent terms, to the notice of the police.

They have previously noted that political parties submitted a higher number of fraudulent forms at the time when the parties held membership drive campaigns following the parliament was working to pass a bill stating that a party must consist of a minimum of 10,000 members to be officially registered.

The commission has previously revealed in 2012 that then President Mohamed Waheed’s party had submitted 80 percent fraudulent membership forms.

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Thilafushi Corporation’s MD and board members dismissed

Thilafushi Corporation Limited (TLC) Managing Director Ilham Idrees and four other members of its board have been dismissed from their positions.

A statement released by the Privatization and Corporatization Board stated that Idrees has been replaced with Abdulla Saleeh Jaleel as TLC’s Managing Director. The Board did not provide a reason for the dismissal of any of the board members.

Ilham Idrees was appointed to the post by former President Mohamed Waheed Hassan during his term in office.

It further stated that board members Ahmed Rasheed Hussain, Adam Thaufeeq, Ali Rasheed Ibrahim and Ahmed Musthafa have also been dismissed.

The Privatization and Corporatization board – mandated with privatizing and corporatizing state enterprises, and monitoring and evaluating them – is compiled of seven members appointed by the President.

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Three people arrested for performing black magic nude

Police have yesterday arrested two men and a woman for performing black magic while nude, ‘Haveeru‘ has reported.

They were caught in the act inside a small everyday-goods shop in Male’ named ‘Dhanaala’.

Maldives Police Service said the three people were arrested under a court order in a special operation.

Some suspicious objects that may have been used to perform magic were also taken by the police. According to Haveeru Police entered the shop by breaking its glasses.

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MACL ordered to halt evacuation of portrait artists at INIA

The Civil Court has issued a temporary order to halt the termination and evacuation of space dedicated for Maldives Music and Arts Center’s (MMAC) live art portrait services at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

MMAC had requested for a a halting order from the civil court until the ongoing court case against when Maldives Airports Company Limited for sending a termination notice in November 2013.

The Center filed a case to invalidate MACL notice for contravening an existing contract. The court order said MACL cannot implement the termination notice until the case is settled.

MMAC first started providing the live art portraits service at the airport in 2011, under an agreement with GMR Male’ International Airport Pvt Ltd and it was later extended till 21 December 2014.

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Police appoint a commander to oversee election security

Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed has appointed a commander and a deputy commander for operations conducted to oversee safety during January’s upcoming local council elections.

A statement issued by the police said that Deputy Head of Central Operations Command Ismail Naveen was appointed as a commander and Divisional Operations Command Head Chief Superintendent of Police Abdul Mannan was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the operations.

Local council elections are scheduled for January 2014.

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