Month: January 2012

Comment: Maldives writing new social order

When people think about democracy immediately the mind flies to voting, elections, free speaking and parliament discussions.

Is that all it takes to be a democracy? Honestly?

Democracy, in its essence is much more than that and the main principle lies on a balance between duties and rights of both the citizens and their elected government. What I often see in countries with little experience in the subject, is that the image of democracy is being biased by media reporting on other countries bad practice and surely heavily influenced by showing shouting, criticism and disagreement between different political parties. Democracy, I’m certain, goes beyond what we might see in news and films.

Democracy is a very old social practical concept and way of ruling, born in Greece, Athens, following a popular uprising in 508 BC, a country that ironically is on the verge of collapsing and filing for bankruptcy due to the mismanagement of their elected governments over the last 40 years, which underlines the responsibility not only of the Government but the people who elected the team in power.

Coming from the Greek words “dêmo” (people) and “kratos” (power), the concept is one of the most respectable and practical social structures man created to avoid repression, misery, starving, abuse, and give equal opportunities to man and women, thus allowing society to develop by helping their citizens to grow and achieve a better standard of life. Although the word has two elements in it, I have frequently the feeling that the word “dêmo” is forgotten and only “katros” (power) is retained in daily political practice.

So what takes a government to install a democracy in a country? Moving from an era of dictatorship, a one voice ruling system, to an open and free social structure is not an easy task and it’s not free from obstacles. A society based on legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement, being those the fundamental normative rules, needs time to learn, time to practice and time to adapt.

I believe the Dhivehi people are very much today in such position and honestly any government in power (dêmo-katros) will not have an easy task. I am not praising nor defending your government here, surely there will be big mistakes like the airport handling to GMR, a fatal and nonsense approach to liberalism that Maldives will pay sooner or later, but experience shows that moving a country from a harsh past to a bright future will never be a popular task.

Maybe one of the best symbols of a consolidated democracy is when people stops saying “us and them” and just say “we” when talking about the elected team. I’m afraid Maldives is not yet there by the look of things.

Democracy brings along rules, duties and responsibilities that will neither be accepted easily nor quickly. Spain and Portugal first democratic governments know about that as both needed several decades to recover from 50 years of fascism and “throat slashing”, somehow thus being still today far away from other European countries.

As humans tend to resist changes, as it is somehow natural that people tend to go back to their comfort zone, thus the Maldives might see and suffer attempts to go back to the old ruling system (it happened in Spain the 23 February 1981 – six years after democracy was installed, a coup d’État took place by some generals of the army and a military assault of the parliament took place).

Obstacles will be several before the real democracy will be in place.

One thing certainly helps often a lot to speed up the process: the love the citizens and government have for their own country. Is this the case of Maldives? I really do not know. How deep and far do Maldivian love their country? I certainly I am not the one to answer the question.

Democracy at its beginning is risky if not closely surveyed due to the mentioned old behaviors insisting in coming back and ruling everybody’s life once more.

People think all is possible under a democracy including destroying the new system. In those situations the government has to be strong and not fall into the trap of patronising people, neither fearing their reactions, or the snake enchantments that the past will re-install.

An example of what I’m saying are the following historical facts: in 1981 Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain, solemnly declared in a clear and energetic way, during the coup d’État, that Spain would never go back to a fascist structure. The king’s firm position, was the most clear landmark the country could have in its path to democracy. Maldives might need a bit of the same, these days.

In today’s world, going back is not an option to be considered. So, does it means that the present government has to stay in power for ever? For another 30 years like the one before? I’m not the one to answer the question but the Maldivian people have something to say on the subject, I’m sure.

Democracy brings along respect for the law. A law based only in facts and equal rights and opportunities, being such mechanism a vital one to make people feel it is worth the change. Such a mandate, “one law for all”, has to be the first change to be made visible, thus fighting the old regime where law was equal to the interests of the ruler, often based on bribery and a system of favoring friends. Avoiding this will not be easily done but is crucial for the survival of democracy. If a government fails in this chapter, the failure will be massive.

Democracy means as well obedience. Armed forces are no longer the arm of persecution but the arm of law. That makes a big difference for a country. The same applies for judges.

The greatest difference, nevertheless, is that men and women are no longer just a labor force to serve a few, but are a vital resource in the country’s development and thus need to be treated as such.

That is the meaning of the word citizen, the soul of democracy. Universities, schools, opportunities and wellbeing for all, including the creation of jobs, are now THE priority, whereas in the past the priority was to fill the belly (if not the bank account) of the boss and his friends.

A real democracy never looks at the gender of its citizens, all deserve the same opportunities. In this sense, women have always had an important role in the family and community. In the early history of the Maldives, it was not uncommon to have a woman as a Sultana or ruler and it has been suggested that the society was once a matriarchy.

The Maldives is today writing a new social order, the step outline of its future. Once it will be written it will be the next generations that will judge. May Maldives become a very respectful country in the world.

Antonio V is a former teacher of the PF-IDEC University in Barcelona. He works as an adviser of management teams and is the coach of the High Management of the Catalan Police among other organisations. Antonio is a psychotherapist in the executive management area and former share holder of a business in the Maldives.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Criminal Court orders release of Dr Jameel, rules arrest unlawful

The Criminal Court ordered the immediate release of minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Deputy Leader Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed from police detention for a second time tonight, ruling that his arrest on charges of slandering the government was unlawful.

The former cabinet minister under both current and previous governments was first summoned for questioning Thursday night after the President’s Office requested an investigation into “slanderous” allegations that the government was working under the influence of “Jews and Christian priests” to weaken Islam in the Maldives.

Jameel was taken into custody on Sunday night after being repeatedly summoned for interrogation along with DQP council member ‘Sandhaanu’ Ahmed Didi.

Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, ordered his immediate release after midnight and ruled that the arrest was unlawful. Police however summoned Jameel again last night and took him to Dhoonidhoo detention.

Dr JameelSpeaking to press outside the Justice Building following his release around 9.30pm tonight, Dr Jameel criticised police for arresting him for a second time for the same offence despite the court ruling that the arrest was unlawful.

Jameel said the court has vindicated DQP’s stance that the government could not silence the opposition “every time we stand up and speak in defense of the country’s sovereignty, independence, businesses and mostly importantly the country’s religion.”

The former Justice Minister explained that the court ruled that section 125 of the 1968 penal code was invalid in reference to articles 27 and 66 of the constitution.

Section 125 of the penal code states, “Where a person makes a fabricated statement or repeats a statement whose basis cannot be proven, he shall be punished with house detention for a period between one to six months or fined between Rf25 and Rf200.”

In an earlier statement, DQP noted that the provision was “one of the most frequently invoked clauses by the 30-year rule of President Gayoom to suppress press freedom and dissenting views,” arguing that the liberal constitution adopted in 2008 and decriminalisation of defamation in 2009 rendered the offence of slander or lying “invalid.”

While article 27 of the constitution guarantees freedom of expression “in a manner that is not contrary to any tenet of Islam,” article 66 states, “All existing statutes, regulations, decrees and notices inconsistent with the fundamental rights and freedoms provisions in this Chapter shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, become void on the commencement of this constitution.”

Jameel meanwhile strongly criticised police officers involved in his arrest for allegedly questioning him after he exercised the right to remain silent.

“In my view, what these few police officers have done is rob the Maldivian people of constitutional protections,” he said.

Meanwhile, roving protests by opposition supporters – sparked by the arrest of Jameel and the unprecedented move by the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) to take Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed into custody last night – continue in Male’.

As of press time, protesters were headed towards the residence of Home Minister Hassan Afeef.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

“Judicial independence does not mean that judges are above the law”: Foreign Minister, as political tension erupts

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has received an order from the Supreme Court to release Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed.

However MNDF spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem told Minivan News this afternoon that the military has “not yet decided what do with that order.”

The MNDF refused to release the judge on a Supreme Court order last night, requesting that it be delivered during ‘official hours’. Minivan News understands that President Mohamed Nasheed met with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this morning.

Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested for corruption and for “allowing his judicial decisions to be determined by political and personal affiliations and interests”, Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said in a statement today.

The arrest of the judge caused a spike in political tensions across Male’, coming so soon after he opened the court late at night to order that the arrest of DQP politicians for “hate speech” was unlawful.

“[Judge Abdulla’s] repeated failure to comply with constitutional requirements regarding the individual integrity and competence of judges has been compounded by the failure of normal constitutional checks and balances to hold him accountable to the society he is supposed to serve,” read the Foreign Ministry’s statement.

“The Government of the Maldives fully supports and will always protect judicial independence,” Naseem said today. “However, judicial independence does not mean that judges are above the law and can behave as they see fit – contrary to the laws of the land. A judge is a citizen of the Maldives – no more or less important than any other citizen”.

Political tension erupts

The civil, criminal and high courts have cancelled hearings in protest against the arrest of the Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed. The High Court, Supreme Court and Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muiz demanded the release of the judge.

Muiz told local media that police must consult the PG before taking a judge into custody.

The Criminal Court also issued a court order today ordering the PG to prosecute within the next three days the Chief of Defence Forces and others involved in “contempt of court”.
A group of lawyers filed a similar case at the High Court after the military ignored court orders from both the High Court and Supreme Court for Judge Abdulla Mohamed’s immediate release.
Upon receiving the police summons yesterday, Judge Abdulla had filed a case at the High Court requesting that the summons be cancelled or overturned. The court issued an order halting the summons pending a ruling on the case.
Following his arrest, the High Court issued a court order around 2:00am Tuesday morning for the immediate release of the judge. The High Court noted that as article 12 of the Judges Act specifies procedures for the arrest of a sitting judge.

Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz released a statement after midnight calling for the immediate release of Judge Abdulla, noting that a judge could only be arrested on criminal charges with a warrant from a higher court.

Only the PG is authorised by the Judges Act to seek such an arrest warrant, the Chief Justice noted.
“The day these principle are demolished is the darkest and gloomiest time in the life of a nation,” the statement reads.
The apex court also issued a court order around 5:00am for Judge Abdulla’s immediate release.
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) also called for the release of the judge, claiming that the government had “completely destroyed the country’s hard earned democracy”.

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) meanwhile called on authorities to respect article 24 of the constitution, which states, “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his private communications.”

However the Foreign Ministry said that Abdulla Mohamed had violated the Bangalore Principles on judicial conduct and independence.

“All the time, Abdulla Mohamed’s actions are becoming more blatant – from asking children who have been sexually abused to act out the crime in court, to repeatedly releasing opposition figures brought before the courts for serious crimes including assault and incitement to hatred or violence,” Naseem said.

“As the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) made clear following their recent assessment of the state of the Maldives judiciary, judicial independence is a responsibility requiring accountability – a point clearly reflected in the Constitution of the Maldives. This accountability includes a requirement of individual competence and integrity by judges in their proceedings: including issues of actual or perceived bias, prejudice, or conflicts of interest and ethical behaviour outside of office, requiring continuous responsibility to demonstrate high moral character,”

“Unfortunately, it is clear, in contravention of the Bangalore Principles, that Abdulla Mohamed considers judicial independence to mean that he can do whatever he likes, and can act with total impunity”.

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the watchdog body supposedly responsible for ensuring the good conduct of judges, “is itself dominated by judges and opposition politicians”, the Foreign Ministry stated.

An attempt by the JSC to take action against Abdulla Mohamed following allegations of political bias after he appeared on TV saying “this government is a dying government” were overturned by the judge’s allies in the lower courts, Naseem argued.

The Civil Court in November 2011 ordered the JSC to take no action against Abdulla Mohamed, until the court reached a verdict in the case filed against him.

Judge Maryam Nihayath said at the time that if the JSC took any further action against Abdulla Mohamed while the case was in court, “it might disrupt the case and Abdulla Mohamed would suffer irreparable damages”.

Former President’s member on the JSC and outspoken whistleblower, Aishath Velezinee, told Minivan News at the time that the JSC’s investigation of Abdulla Mohamed was “the first time the JSC had ever completed an investigation into a judge’s misconduct.”

“There are many allegations against Abdulla Mohamed, but one is enough,” she said. “If the JSC decides, all investigation reports, documents and oral statements will be submitted to parliament, which can then decide to remove him with a simple two-thirds majority.”

“Sadly, as we have seen time and again, the JSC has not been able to fulfil its constitutional task of holding judges like Abdulla Mohamed – who is representative of a small minority of judges who abuse their position to protect themselves and their political allies – to account”.

The  allegations against judge Abdulla Mohamed were originally forwarded to the President’s Office in 2005 by then Attorney General Hassan Saeed, current leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP). His party is presently attacking the government not only for its interference in the judiciary, but of harbouring “Christian priests”, “introducing other religions into the country”,  “encouraging vice”, and accepting “statues for praying” from other SAARC countries during the recent summit in Addu.

Those allegations, concerning Abdulla Mohamed’s request that an underage victim of sexual abuse reenact her abuse for the court, were dropped when the JSC decided not to proceed with the investigation on July 30, 2009.

“With the JSC unwilling or unable to act, responsibility to reign-in judges who break the law should fall to higher judicial authorities. However, senior judges have proved time and again that they are not willing to take action against one of their own – destroying, in the process, public confidence in the judiciary,” Naseem said today.

It had therefore fallen to the President, “as the ultimate guarantor of the Constitution”, to resolve the situation, Naseem stated.

“The President could no longer sit by and watch as a minority of judges destroy public trust in the judiciary and make a mockery of the laws of the country. Abdulla Mohamed has therefore been arrested.

“This is not a move against the judiciary of the Maldives – but rather against an individual who has repeatedly broken the law and who should be held accountable for his actions,” the Foreign Minister said.

Judges under scrutiny

In October 2011, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) appealed for assistance from the international community over the “increasingly blatant collusion between politicians loyal to the former autocratic President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and senior members of the judiciary – most of whom were appointed by Gayoom during his thirty years of power.”

The MDP statement also referred to the corruption trial of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim, charged with multiple counts of defrauding the former Atolls Ministry, which remains “indefinitely delayed.”

In an interview with Minivan News in September 2011, former chairman of the Special Majlis Drafting Committee responsible for the new Constitution claimed that the Supreme Court “and key elements within the judiciary are still controlled by Gayoom – directly or indirectly.”

“Face facts – they are issuing instructions to the trial courts, saying ‘Case X, stop proceedings, we’ll take that over,'” Ibra said.

“Who ever heard of an appellate court taking over a trial court’s jurisdiction? I don’t know of any instance in any democratic country, anywhere in the world, where an appellate court will take over a trial court.

“Even in cases of a mistrial, the instruction is to retry the case. Appellate courts don’t sit on trials. And they are systematically doing it – at least three cases so far. What they are effectively doing is influencing the independence of the trial court. The significance of that is that if trial court judges cannot be independent of the higher court, there is no room for appeals. Because the decision is going to be the Supreme Court decision.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DQP “pamphlet of hatred” filled with “extremist, bigoted and hate-filled rhetoric”: Zuhair

The President’s Office has issued a response to a 30-page pamphlet published by minority opposition Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP), which accuses the government of participating in an anti-Islamic conspiracy.

According to translations of the pamphlet released by the President’s Office, “[President Mohamed] Nasheed’s big plan is to undermine Maldivians’ religion, introduce other religions into the country and encourage vice.”

According to the President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair, however, the pamphlet “contains a litany of extremist, bigoted and hate-filled rhetoric aimed primarily at President Nasheed and his administration.”

“There isn’t a sentence in this pamphlet that isn’t a slanderous lie against the government,” Zuhair was quoted as saying. “This is an official DQP pamphlet, colour printed and branded with their logo and contact details.

It has clearly been sanctioned, and probably written, by senior party officials including leader Dr Hassan Saeed”, he said, adding that Saeed and DQP members “should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.”

A former Attorney General and 2008 presidential candidate, Dr Hassan Saeed made similar claims under the previous government in 2007, prompting then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government to contract UK security and private investigation firm Sion Resources for a surveillance operation dubbed ‘Operation Druid’. After a series of inquiries, it was clear that nothing untoward or anti-Islamic had taken place.

Saeed today said he would not speak to Minivan News. When asked whether other DQP members would be available for comment he retorted, “you can try your luck”.

DQP members Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and ‘Sandhaanu’ Ahmed Ibrahim Didi were summoned for questioning at 8pm on Thursday, January 12.

Saeed accompanied the pair as their lead lawyer. Since that time, Jameel has been detained twice and Didi has been detained once, although they have both been summoned for questioning every night since except for Friday. Didi was not summoned on Monday.

One of DQP’s vice presidents Abdullah Matheen was also briefly detained.

At 2312 members, DQP is the sixth smallest of the nation’s 15 political parties. No other DQP members had responded to phone calls at time of press.

Meanwhile, opposition supporters have protested the police action against DQP leaders on a nightly basis on the grounds that the government is impounding the people’s freedom of expression, granted under Article 27 of the Constitution.

Portraying the government as sympathetic to the Jewish people, the pamphlet contends that the President aims to undermine national unity by attacking the national religion of Islam.

“When the Nasheed administration established diplomatic relations with the biggest enemy of Islam [Israel], the government agreed to change the school curriculum and teach our small children about the goodness of Jews,” reads page seven of the pamphlet.

Deputy Minister of Education Dr Abdulla Nazeer believed the accusations were “baseless lies”.

“We haven’t had any such discussions at any stage during the reform of the curriculum,” he said.

Nazeer pointed out that as the school curriculum had not been revised since 1984 at the time that the current government took office, the Ministry had issued 7,000 surveys and held 200 public meetings to get the public’s input on the matter.

He added that information discussed at a curriculum symposium is publicly available on the ministry’s website. While the ministry has added a group of elective subjects, Nazeer noted that Islamic and Dhivehi studies were mandated according to the public’s request.

The only subject that comes close to teaching about the “goodness of Jews” would be the broad, non-religious discipline of Social Studies.

“The O-level pass rate has improved from 27 percent to 35 percent over the pass three years, and this year we are hoping for 40 percent. Parents, schools boards and teachers are working very hard to improve the school system.

“Unfortunately, some social and oppositional elements are not happy with these efforts and are looking for ways to ridicule the government,” Nazeer concluded.

The DQP pamphlet also criticises the government’s foreign policy as evidence of its penchant for the Jewish people.

“The government accepted the responsibility of monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Iran. This task was assigned to Nasheed’s former Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed. There is no doubt that this was a reward for the Nasheed administration’s efforts to strengthen ties with the Jews and please the Jews,” the pamphlet reads on page 20.

“The Jew’s plan and way of thinking is to divide Islamic countries,” it adds, further claiming that Maldivian government officials hold secret identities as “Christian priests”.

Directing accusations at neighboring SAARC countries, DQP claims that the cultural monuments gifted at the 2011 SAARC summit hosted in Addu City are really “religious statues, depicting other Gods for praying [towards].”

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also implicated for unveiling his country’s statue of the national lion – a “statue for praying”, DQP claims.

According to DQP, the monuments prove President Nasheed’s involvement in an international conspiracy to introduce other religions into the Maldives.

Following repeated acts of vandalism and theft, the monuments were recently removed to a secure location by Addu City Council. Officials have claimed that the acts against the monuments were not religious but political, and noted that the stolen Nepalese monument was a simple block that read “Nepal”. Other accusations target people who dance and women who wear skirts as “disrespectful towards Islam”, reads the President’s Office translation.

Dancing is frowned upon by conservative interpretations of Islam. However, the popular Maldivian dance and drumming tradition of bodu beru engages men in dancing activities.

According to Press Secretary Zuhair, DQP’s statements have “[undermined] the religious harmony of the country” by using the constitutionally-granted right to freedom of expression as an excuse to engage in hate speech.

“With rights come responsibilities. Freedom of speech does not entitle you to maliciously shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre,” he said. “Similarly, you cannot spread malevolent lies about the government, whip up hatred against people and undermine the religious harmony of the country and claim it is your right to do so under freedom of expression.”

Meanwhile, the President has requested Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari to investigate DQP’s allegations and advise on the proper response–whether to form an independent commission to investigate the matter, or request Dr Bari to seek the counsel of his colleagues.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Dhiraagu shares to sell on Maldives stock exchange

Local telecommunications provider Dhiraagu will sell shares to the public via the Maldives Stock Exchange (MSE) starting next Thursday.

Government shares have meanwhile been sold to all applicants.

Of its 11.4 million shares, Dhiraagu has sold 41 percent under the Initial Public Offering (IPO) at a rate of Rf80 (US$5.2). The IPO became effective on December 25, 2011.

The government lately released 48 percent of its shares, which had a value of approximately Rf376 million (US$24 million). Of those shares, 15 percent were set to be sold and 4.7 million have been sold, reports Haveeru.

Most government shares were purchased by the Pension Administration Office, the State Trading Organisation (STO) and Allied Insurance.

Foreign investors may also purchase Dhiraagu shares.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police push back protesters with tear gas

A third night of protests in the capital Male’ forced the government to deploy defence forces to guard the residence of President Mohamed Nasheed, as hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police following the arrest of Dr Mohamed Jameel, Deputy Leader of minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and Criminal Court Cheif Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

The protesters gathered outside police headquarters following the arrest of Jameel last night, for the second time this week.

At last night’s demonstration began around 9:00pm, as protesters led by opposition MPs yelled for the release of Jameel and Chief Judge Mohamed, who was detained by the military.

Minivan News reporters witnessed protesters continue to penetrate the line of shielded police patrolling the headquarters – ignoring repeated warnings by police. They yelled for the  resignation of President Nasheed, Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh and Home Minister Hassan Afeef.

Police responded with tear gas and marched forward, pushing back the crowd to the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), where they continued to protest.

A policeman, who was reportedly injured after being pushed by some protestors, was rushed to hospital.

Minivan News also witnessed crowds apprehend and smash up a pickup registered to Male City Council, which has a ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) majority.

Meanwhile, around 15 or so Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activists faced the crowd of opposition protester, leading to direct confrontation between the two groups.

As some ran away from crowd, a few were seen falling to the ground. Police meanwhile intervened to control the violence and arrested some protesters. Crowds dispersed shortly afterwards.

However, pockets of demonstrators continued to roamed around the streets, uprooting the coconut palms planted by the city council.

DQP member Didi was reportedly attacked by MDP activists and suffered cigarette burn marks to his neck. He was treated at the ADK hospital.

MNDF officers guarding Muleaage

Meanwhile opposition protestors marched towards President Nasheed’s residence Muleaage, which was guarded by the defence forces.

Protestors faced the guards, yelled for President’s resignation calling him a “dictator”. However, they turned back after repeated attempts to break the defence line of defence guards failed.

Few gathered near Home Minister’s house, which was also guarded by police and defence.

The protests slowly receded into the morning.

Police media official Sub-inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed eight were arrested last night, including a woman, and all were released afterwards.

As political parties’ vowed to continue protests as long as the government pursue actions against the opposition leaders, Haneef said that “to ensure stability, police will continue to take measures according to the constitution and laws”.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Sri Lankan tourism model could benefit local industry and exposure

While Maldives niche market continues to draw elite dollars, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry earned more money in 2011 than its island neighbor, statistics suggest. However, the Maldives’ move into the mid-market sector could expand horizons for budget travelers and Maldivians alike.

On January 6, Reuters reported that Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals hit a record high in 2011 with a 30.8 percent jump to 855, 975; in 2010, the country experienced a 64.8 percent jump. Sri Lanka’s state revenue from tourism also rose by 46.7 percent to US$735.7 million in the first 11 months of last year.

Meanwhile, the Maldives has seen its own tourist arrivals jump to a record high of 1 million in 2011 – triple the country’s population.

The elite level of a Maldives vacation would suggest an elite revenue; use of the airport alone costs the 1 millions tourists approximately US$18 apiece, bringing US$21 million to the State last year. Yet in spite of the higher arrival rate, Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) statistics estimate state revenue from tourism in 2011 at US$374 million–half its neighbor’s intake.

MIRA’s statistics are subject to two wild cards–the newly implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) which left many items undeclared, and the possibility that some yachts aren’t declaring their total profits. Corruption is also a concern across the region, in which many countries have developing government infrastructure. “In the old days, there was no tax or GST,” said Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) Simon Hawkins. “But now we have an accounts footprint from the GST, which will be available by 2013, so we will have a better idea of how money is being spent and where it’s going,” he added.

In addition, Sri Lankan nationals have more options for travel within their own country than the average Maldivian does among the islands. Even for Maldivians who could afford a resort trip, the un-Islamic stigma of the resorts is socially prohibitive and limits domestic tourism.

While Finance Ministry officials have been unable to clarify the discrepancy, Sri Lankan officials have pointed to the grassroots nature of their own tourism industry.

Listing the variety of vacations available in Sri Lanka, one official noted that the tourism industry is integrated into the local culture, and money paid to guest houses, restaurants and cultural and entertainment services goes directly into the economy.

By contrast, a Maldivian vacation typically happens on an island isolated from local culture and economy, feeding chunks of revenue to the expatriate workers and foreign investors who dominate resort operations.

While both countries compliment each other, Maldives is hard to beat, said Hawkins.

“Most people who go to Sri Lanka are backpackers. The beaches are okay, but people go for the cultural experience,” he said. “The most common package is the honeymooners who want to spend a week in Sri Lanka and a week in the Maldives. The general consensus is its more expensive in the Maldives but its worth it.”

According to State Minister of Tourism Thoyyib Waheed, the Maldives elite niche is a product of high-stakes bidding.

“In the last five years the government has given away many islands to the highest bidder. Because of that process, the winning bidder cannot develop a resort for the mid-market. To earn a return on the investment, the bidder has to aim for the high-end market,” he said.

Pointing to the dwindling arrivals from Europe, Waheed explained that during the global recession tourism operators have more Europeans requesting budget vacations.

“They’re looking for those rooms, especially the UK market, but we don’t have them. We need to provide for that charter market.”

While Sri Lanka may attract more budget backpackers, statistics suggest it is also pulling more of the Maldives’ main markets – flush Europeans and curious, recession-proof Asians.

In 2011, Western European arrivals jumped 22.7 percent, accounting for over ⅓ of tourist arrivals that year. South Asian arrivals jumped 35.3 percent, rivaling their Western European counterparts, government data suggests.

As a result, “the government is targeting annual revenue of $2.75 billion by 2016 from 2.5 million expected visitors attracted by Sri Lanka’s beaches, hills and religious and historic sites, while aiming for $3 billion in foreign direct investment,” Reuters reports.

Looking ahead to 2012, Sri Lanka is expecting a revenue in excess of US$1 billion – a 20 percent increase from 2011.

Deeper in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives appears to be edging into the mid-market sector.

According to State Minister Waheed, land lease rates have dropped from previous levels to encourage more mid-market tourism projects–and benefit the local economy. “The President’s view is, why can’t tourists come and stay in an empty room of a local home? There are so many empty rooms on the islands, everyone shouldn’t come and stay in a resort. In Germany tourists can stay in bed & breakfasts. In Maldives, it doesn’t have to be five-star.”

According to MMPRC, 88 percent of Maldives hotels are four star and above, giving it the highest propensity of hotels in terms of the high-end market anywhere in world. It also enjoys the highest occupancy rate (75 percent) world-wide.

While Maldives will maintain its one island, one resort image, it is aiming for more variety. Two projects in Laamu Atoll Gan are actively moving in that direction.

J Hotels and Resorts is expected to bring two 300-bed hotels and 69 guest houses to the 25 hectare area along with recreation activities, water sports and restaurants. Tourism Minister Dr Maryam Zulfa has said the Ministry is keen to see the Asseyri Project succeed.

“Right now we can’t cater to the mid-market tourists who want to have options when they make a trip to or within the Maldives,” Zulfa explained. “This will give them that opportunity. And the basis of the project will be the natural beauty – the beach, lagoon and reef are absolutely fantastic.”

She added that commercial components of the area would be rented out to different parties, thus involving more local entrepreneurs in the Maldives tourism-based economy.

In February, Reveries Boutique will become the first resort to open on a local island. Offering rooms available for under US$200 and the option of strolling into town for fish curry or mashuni, management aims to “explore the idea that parts of the Maldives are open for people of all types.”

Locals stand to gain in both income and experience.

Allowing guest houses in local islands would bring more jobs and new businesses to those areas while raising the rate of interaction between locals and tourists. Waheed added that the government is taking steps to help tourists navigate the country, rather than remain stationary on resort islands.

The same rule applies to Maldivians.

While Maldivians don’t normally go for vacation in the Maldives, they do spend high amounts abroad, “although vacations are often combined with medical treatments”, Waheed pointed out. High domestic costs also make international travel an attractive alternative–a return flight to Addu can cost more than the airfare to Colombo and back.

Although inter-island transport has improved in recent years, “locals don’t really know where to go or where to stay,” said Waheed. “The steps we are taking now will give locals more opportunities to travel around the Maldives.”

In August 2011, Sri Lanka’s “The Sunday Times” advised the nation to follow the Maldives’ lead.

“Resorts in the Maldives charge rates from US$200-300 upwards to over $1000 per night, and the authorities are now looking to attract the mid-market clientele which is also Sri Lanka’s market – though the two markets have different attractions”, read the article.

While Sri Lanka’s product is less luxe its method appears to bring more to the government, and theoretically the people working in the tourism industry. Moving into the mid-market sector could open opportunities for Maldivians seeking to gain a slice of the nation’s highest-earning industry, as well as offer them more exposure to their own country.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Islamic Minister to investigate “Christian missionary” allegations against the State

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari has consulted with President Mohamed Nasheed on allegations that the government has cooperated with Christian missionaries in an effort “to wipe out Islam”.

“The President is now considering the best way forward,” said Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair. “He will either form an independent commission to address the issue, or allow the Islamic Minister to consult with his colleagues. The Islamic Minister will advise the President in the matter.”

The consultation is in keeping with the government’s commitment to share decisions of religious matters with Islamic scholars.

Speaking to local media today, Dr Bari said “The President called very late yesterday and said he would request the Ministry to look into the allegations to understand the truth.” At the time, Bari had not received a formal letter stating the request but said he would cooperate with the request upon receiving such a document.

The Minister and officials at the Islamic Ministry could not be reached at time of press.

Over the past week, members of minority opposition Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP) Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and ‘Sandhaanu’ Ahmed Ibrahim Didi have accused the government of cooperating with “Christian missionaries” and “Jewish parties” against the state religion of Islam- Didi claimed the President was “a madman and a Christian”- and of spreading undue fear with the claim that the islands are sinking.

Both men have been repeatedly summoned for police interrogations, prompting protests outside police headquarters and the Presidential Palace.

Speaking today with Minivan News, Zuhair called the allegations “a big lie that has been repeated since 2003, when Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) began to work abroad.”

He added that the claims were also raised in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, in which currently ruling MDP won the election over the 30-year administration of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

“At that time Dr Hassan Saeed had made these allegations and the government carried out a full-scale, professional investigation in the United Kingdom. The ‘Operation Druid’ found no substance to any of the allegations. There was no evidence of any contact with Christian missionaries or priests. So it is surprising that members of Saeed’s party are again repeating these allegations,” Zuhair observed.

Operation Druid

In 2007, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government contracted UK security and private investigation firm Sion Resources for a surveillance operation dubbed ‘Operation Druid’. According to the former Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Gayoom “had concerns” about the origins of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), exiles from which had fled to Salisbury where they had been sheltered by Nasheed’s high school alumni, David Hardingham.

Hardingham, founder of the Friends of Maldives NGO, and Sarah Mahir had previously ambushed Gayoom in the UN building in Geneva in May 2005, accusing him of complicity in human rights abuses.

“I think Gayoom was quite shaken by that, and afterwards he was not as complacent over the security given to him by his hosts, be that by the UK or UN,” Dr Shaheed told Minivan News, in an interview in June 2011.

Subsequently, “The government may have wanted to see what was going on [in Salisbury],” Dr Shaheed said.

“What these operations did was try to see who was who. And a lot of the operations the government felt were against it came from Salisbury, and I think the government of the day felt justified in engaging a firm to look into what was going on,” he said. “They felt they needed to check on that, and what came out was a clean bill of health. Nothing untoward was happening, and these people were by and large bone-fide.”

Back in the Maldives, Gayoom’s government released a leaflet accusing Hardingham and Salisbury Cathedral of conspiring to blow up the Islamic Centre and build a church.

“It was just a mischievous suggestion, a very mischievous suggestion,” Dr Shaheed acknowledged. “At the time everyone was accusing each other of being non-Muslim, and this accusation that the MDP was non-Muslim was getting very loud.

“There is this very, very deep reaction to anything un-Islamic in this country, and you can use Islam as a political tool quite easily. Therefore these allegations become political charges.”

Former Conservative Party MP for Salisbury, Robert Key, who had been instrumental in getting Nasheed an audience in British parliament, told Minivan News in February 2011 that Salisbury Cathedral had taken the accusation “at face value” .

“It was not true, and therefore we had to say ‘It is not true,'” he said. “The Dean of Salisbury Cathedral understood the issue, she took it at face value, and we sought security advice as necessary. But it was never a serious threat. It was a juvenile political ploy.”

For his part, Hardingham has dismissed the allegations that he is a Christian missionary as “absolute nonsense – I have never been a priest or anything associated with any church, and I challenge the people making the allegations to provide a shred of evidence to support their case.

“I was refused entry into the Maldives in April 2005. Government spokesperson at the time, Mohamed Hussein ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, told Associated Press that this was due to my involvement with an Islamic extremist group. So I have been accused of being an Islamic extremist and a Christian missionary – probably the fastest and most radical conversion in history.”

Government respects religion

Citing the Maldives’ commitment to be an Islamic state, Zuhair today pointed out that it was the government’s public responsibility to clarify that the allegations against it were baseless.

“Not only do these statements refer to the government, they also refer to our members and supporters and their respect for our religion”, he said, adding that the allegations involving Jewish parties came close to anti-Semitism – “and we don’t want to spread that image.”

In its efforts to staunch DQP’s “hate speech”, the government has drawn criticism from main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) for “suppression of the constitutional right to free expression”.

Speaking previously at a press conference held in response to the allegations, which were broadcast on DhiTV news on January 8, Zuhair called “spreading baseless and demonstrably false claims” about the government a “criminal offence”, and the coverage of demonstrably false allegations of foreign religious influence a “violation of journalism ethics”–statements which drew prompt criticism from media associations and opposition parties.

“The government will not allow anybody to be influenced by the crime of incitement,” Zuhair clarified today, explaining that the opposition had put the media in a position of defending the general freedom of expression in order to promote their own agenda.

“It is very easy for any Maldivian or journalist to find out about the Druid operation or to see if we have been accepting payments from a Christian priest. Ask us. What is surprising is that this story has been going on for a week and yet none of the media have found out or reported what the grounds for the allegations are,” Zuhair said. “It’s part of journalistic integrity to at least get the five W’s right: who, what, where, when and why. Why are they being fooled?”

According to Zuhair, the findings of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the court will be necessary to resolve the matter.

The matter continues to be investigated by the police, who have now summoned Didi and Jameel for four consecutive nights. Meanwhile, a protest supporting the freedom of expression has been scheduled for the Artificial Beach this evening.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldivian Air drops three flights from weekly schedule

Maldivian flights to Fuvahmulah have been reduced to four days a week due to a decrease in demand for passage to the single-island atoll.

Maldivian previously operated daily flights due to an increased demand during the holiday season of October through December.

The new airline officially began operating scheduled flights to Fuvah Mulah’s newly opened airport in November 2011.

Flights are now scheduled for Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, Haveeru reports. Additional flights may be added according to passenger demand.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)