Month: April 2012

MDP Parliamentarians submit no-confidence motion against Speaker Shahid

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group has today passed a no-confidence motion against Abdulla Shahid, Speaker of the People’s Majlis.

The now opposition party said it had moved to pass the current no-confidence motion against Speaker Shahid over allegations that he had been making decisions relating to significant parliamentary issues without discussing them with various political parties.

The party claimed that Shahid had been acting outside of his mandate by deciding to suspend certain parliament regulations, whilst opting to follow others that were to his personal benefit.  The MDP allege the speaker had been doing this without discussing his decisions among any political parties represented inside parliament.

From within the MDP Parliamentary Group, 27 members out of a total of 32 belonging to the group are said to have signed the no-confidence motion.  The party claimed that its members who did not sign the motion had been unavailable to do so at present.

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof could not be contacted at the time of going to press regarding his party’s response to the motion.

Speaker Shahid told Minivan News today that parliament had received the no-confidence motion, though he did not wish to elaborate further at the present time.

‘’I will issue a written statement tomorrow,’’ he said. ‘’I have decided not to say anything before that.’’

The MDP previously called for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker in March 2010, accusing him of siding with the then-opposition parties.

In January last year, there were widespread rumors that MDP, the People’s Alliance Party (PA) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) were planning to forward a no-confidence motion against the speaker.

However, all the parties denied such a collaboration at the time and a no-confidence motion was not forwarded to the parliament.

DRP Parliamentary Group Leader and MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Dr Mausoom has today told the local press that he will make sure the no-confidence motion against Speaker fails in parliament.

He also said there might be a chance that MDP has sided with some of the independent MPs in parliament to pass the no-confidence motion.

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Majlis postpones decision on response to President’s speech

The parliamentary speaker yesterday announced the postponement of providing an official response to President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s inaugural speech to the Majlis chamber on March 19.

Controversy surrounded the curtailed speech as opposition MPs attempted to disrupt and heckle the president as he performed his constitutionally mandated duty of speaking at the opening of the session. The previous attempt to address parliament on March 1 had been abandoned after the Speaker of the House Abdullah Shahid was unable to gain entrance to the People’s Majlis.

The official response to the address, according to article 25 of the Parliament rules of procedure, must come from the non-presidential party with the most number of seats.

The Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) leader in Parliament Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Solih, however has said that he does not feel it appropriate for his party to carry out this function at present.

“I don’t believe that the Maldives has a legitimate leader at present. If so then the leader would be from MDP. That’s why we have refused to respond to the presidential address as MDP is not required to do so,” Haveeru reported Ibu Solih as having said.

Haveeru reported that no members objected to the motion to postpone the response.

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Police claim Bangladeshi prostitution ring smashed following Male’ arrests

Police have arrested seven foreign nationals from Bangladesh over alleged involvement in a prostitution ring amidst an ongoing crackdown over the last month on premises suspected of operating as brothels.

The suspects – four female and three male – were apprehended during raids by police officers inside Ranfaunu house, based in the Mahchangolhi ward of Male’ on 9 April.

Inspector Mohamed Dhaudh yesterday told the press the arrests had been made after police intelligence confirmed that prostitution had been taking place at the property.

Following this confirmation, Dhaudh said police entered the house through the main door of the house at 10:10pm on the evening of April 9 .

Once inside, officers reported that although the house looked as if it was built for residential purposes, a reception was found inside and a bell was placed on the staircase.

Inspector Dhaudh claimed that the bell situated on the staircase was suspected as functioning as a warning device used to signal people inside of possible danger.

Dhaudh said condoms were discovered inside a drawer in the reception and that officers also found two women inside a room on the ground floor along with pills used for sexual activities.

He said one man and two women were found inside a room upstairs and alleged that a second room on the building’s first floor was suspected of being used for homosexual prostitution.

One of the women tried to escape by jumping on to the roof of the house next door police said.   One of the male suspects was also said to have a previous criminal record related to a kidnapping incident.

Dhaudh also noted that all of those arrested were believed to have been illegally transmitted in to Maldives.

Police announced yesterday that they had arrested two Thai women and two local men on prostitution charges after raiding a Male’-based business suspected of operating as a brothel.

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PG expects decision on prosecution of Mohamed Nasheed by next week

Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizz has said that a decision on whether to press charges against former President Mohamed Nasheed over the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed is expected to be made by next week.

Earlier this week, the Maldives Police Service sent the case of the arrest of the chief judge to the PG’s Office. Minivan News reported at the time that under the submitted case, former President Mohamed Nasheed could face charges for his alleged role in the Maldives National Defense Force’s (MNDF) decision to detain Judge Abdulla.

The country’s judges and their conduct became a major focus for Nasheed in the run up to his replacement by Dr Waheed in February.  The former president had raised concerns over allegations of perjury and “increasingly blatant collusion” between senior judicial figures and politicians loyal to his predecessors, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

However, Nasheed himself came under criticism from some international bodies after detaining the chief judge whilst he claimed to be awaiting international assistance from bodies like the UN and the Commonwealth with the judicial reforms.

Speaking briefly by phone today about the Judge Abdulla case and its relation to the former president, PG Muizz said that a decision had yet to be taken on whether to press criminal charges or not.

In addressing the decision-making process concerning the prosecution of a high-profile figure such as a former president of the nation, Muizz said that he would apply the same criteria that was used against any other Maldivian citizen.

MDP response

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), of which Nasheed is a member, has responded to the filing of the case against the former president by claiming the decision was “pure injustice”, representing the “broken” state of the national criminal justice system.

MP Imthiyaz Fahmy commented that it was ironic that Nasheed, who had worked to foster a reputation for championing human rights in the country, could now potentially face prosecution by a judiciary that he himself believed to be guilty of several of cases of corruption.

“This is injustice. Justice is not ensured simply by a judge’s verdict on an issue, it has to be publically accepted that it is justice,” he argued.

“For the last thirty long years, the regime [of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom] tortured and suppressed the people. They systematically tortured the people. Those that were at the helm of torture and corruption are made as clean as ‘pure white cotton’ by the crippled judiciary.”

Charges

According to sources linked to the Judge Abdulla case, the charges levelled against Nasheed relate to the violation of article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives, and for violation of Article 12 clause (a) of Judges Act (Act no 13/2010).

Article 44 of the Maldives Constitution states: “No person shall be arrested or detained for an offence unless the arresting officer observes the offence being committed, or has reasonable and probable grounds or evidence to believe the person has committed an offence or is about to commit an offence, or under the authority of an arrest warrant issued by the court.”

Article 12 clause (a) of the Judges Act states that a judge can be arrested without a court warrant, but only if he is found indulging in a criminal act.

The same article also states that if a judge comes under  suspicion of committing a criminal act or being about to commit a criminal act, they can only be taken into custody with a court warrant obtained from a higher court than that in which the judge presently sits.  This warrant has to be approved by the PG.

A police official confirmed on Sunday – April 15 – that the case regarding the judge’s detention had been submitted to the PG’s Office .

“Today at around 9:30am, we have submitted the case [the arrest of Judge Abdulla] to the prosecutor general. We have completed all the necessary investigations required,” the police official said at the time.

An official from the PG’s Office also confirmed to Minivan News that the charges sent to it by the police were against Nasheed. However, the official refused to explain the exact nature of the charges, stating that the case was still being assessed by their legal team.

Alcohol case

A second case involving Nasheed has also been sent to the PG by the police, involving the confiscation of bottles of alcohol allegedly found at his residence shortly after his presidency ended.

In a press conference, Deputy Head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Sub-Inspector Ismail Fareed, noted that all people questioned regarding the case had cooperated fully.

However, Nasheed maintained that he had no part to play in the confiscated liquor bottles.

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President honours award-winning students

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan yesterday distributed awards to some of the country’s top students in a ceremony at Dharubaaruge.

Thirty-three students from the Maldives achieved results placing them in the top ten of all O’levels candidates around the globe, according to Haveeru. The Education Ministry said that the pass percentage had risen this year to 37 percent.

Also given awards were four students who achieved the highest marks in the world in individual subjects. These outstanding marks were achieved byAhmed Shaffaan Mohamed (Computer Studies), Ahmed Hindham (Travel and Tourism), Amru Mohamed Didi (Business Studies), Fathimath Sana Haleem (English as a Second Language).

The President’s Office website reports that Dr Waheed gave a speech on the need for discipline in school-leavers which could be fostered through better teacher-pupil relationships.

Police closed off a large area surrounding the conference centre although some anti-government protesters were able to gather outside the event, reported Haveeru.

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President Waheed addresses MNDF training graduates

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has addressed graduates of the Maldives National Defense Force’s (MNDF) 56th basic training course, calling for their continued support in protecting the sovereignty and independence of the nation.

Speaking to graduates of the course, which was conducted by the Defence Institute for Training, the president called on MNDF officers to continue demonstrating a high sense of integrity and moral character personally and professionally.

In addressing the professional aspects of the MNDF’s work, Dr Waheed said that it was vital the country’s defence forces remained steadfast in their core values of Islamic principles, selfless service and maintaining the rule of law.

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CMAG warns of “stronger measures” against government unless CNI is reformed

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action (CMAG) has said it will consider taking “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives government unless the composition of its Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) is revised in the next four weeks.

During a meeting held in London today that was attended by representatives of both the government and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), CMAG continued to call for fresh elections to be called this year.

The need for long-term measures to strengthen the capacity of the country’s judicial sector, as well as fresh party talks between the country’s most senior political representatives to help resolve the current political situation was also raised.

Following the conclusion of today’s talks, CMAG said its members were critical of the government’s attempts so far to establish an independent enquiry into the exact nature of how President Mohamed Waheed Hassan came to power earlier this year.

The CNI, which is charged by the government with looking into the legality and legitimacy of the transfer of presidential power on February 7, was set up amidst international calls to provide an independent assessment of the legitimacy of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s administration.

The now opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which alleges that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a coup d’état, has refused to work with the CNI claiming it lacks impartiality and had no international representation.

While reiterating its previous calls for presidential elections to be held by the end of this year, CMAG said it was with “deep regret that there had been little progress towards a political understanding in the Maldives” during the last month.

“The Group was of the view that the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), established to assess the events leading to the transfer of power on 7 February 2012, is not independent or impartial, and has failed to gain sufficient support in Maldives,” CMAG said in a statement.

“Ministers urged the Government to review immediately the composition and terms of reference of the Commission to make it genuinely independent, credible and impartial. CMAG reiterated the Commonwealth’s offer to provide assistance in this regard.”

Amidst the concerns said to be held by the CMAG over the independence of the CNI and its ability to conduct an independent enquiry into the change of government back in February, the body also set out a time-line for the government to adhere to in order to enact reforms.

“Further and stronger measures”

“Should the composition and terms of reference of the [CNI] not be amended within four weeks in a manner that is generally acceptable and enhances its credibility, CMAG would be compelled to consider further and stronger measures,” the body concluded.

Aside from continuing to push for the establishment of fresh elections by the end of 2012, CMAG added that it also supported Commonwealth’s assistance in order to “strengthen democratic processes, institutions and culture in the Maldives.”

“In this context, it expressed support for the Commonwealth Secretariat’s technical assistance for strengthening for the long term the capacity of the judicial sector, as agreed with the authorities in Maldives,” CMAG added.

“It also welcomed the Secretary-General’s offer to provide elections-related assistance. The Group further called for the capacity of the Majlis to be strengthened.”

In supporting these stated aims, CMAG additionally welcomed ongoing collaborations between other international parties such as the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The CMAG panel that presided over today’s talks was comprised of Foreign Ministers from member states including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, Sierra Leone,Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago.

The representatives during the course of the talks were updated on the current situation in the Maldives by the Commonwealth Secretary General and his Special Envoy, Sir Donald McKinnon who has visited the country to meet with various representatives from both sides of the political divide.

The Maldives government was represented at the talks by Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor, who presented evidence during the day to the CMAG panel. Dr Farahanaz Faizal also met with the CMAG panel as a representative for former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Azima Shakoor could not be contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press for her reaction to CMAG’s conclusions.

By-election “mandate”

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday ahead of today’s CMAG meeting, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the government felt the success of its coalition partners in three out of four by-elections over the weekend was an indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people.

Abbas therefore called on international bodies such as CMAG to take the results of the weekend’s polls into consideration when reflecting on the need for early presidential elections before the ones already scheduled for 2013.

“It is clear that there is public support in the country for this government and that there are not any problems with its constitutional mandate to be in power. In three out of the four elections held, the coalition won by a clear majority,” he said at the time. “The MDP has continued to call for early elections, though yesterday’s elections show that the public backs the government until early elections can be held in July 2013.”

In a statement released Saturday whilst polling was being conducted, the MDP maintained the by-elections indicated that the country was able to hold “free and fair elections” as soon as possible.

“The MDP has consistently called for early presidential elections in the Maldives to resolve the political deadlock that exists since the unlawful transfer of power on February 7 following police and military backed coup in the Maldives,” stated party spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor .

“Elections today are held at a time when [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom has publicly stated early Presidential elections would not be held in the Maldives citing conditions for elections are not right and also that Elections Commission does not have the capacity to hold early elections in the Maldives.”

CMAG was last month accused by members of President Waheed’s government of showing “bias” towards certain political parties in calling for general elections as early as possible to resolve questions over the administrations legitimacy.

The government later said it was concerned over the “language” used by the Commonwealth in its statement.

The President’s Office said last month said that although it was not for the time being looking to leave the Commonwealth, it added that such a move could be considered if CMAG continued to use similar language in the future.

“If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News at the time.

The government later denied it had made such claims, alleging to local media that the report in Minivan News had been “politically motivated”.

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President announces resumption of fishing subsidies

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said he intends to begin resuming the payment of subsidies to fishermen within days. The President added that he would try to provide fish at better prices by increasing the promotion of pole and line fishing in other countries.

President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza has said that the money was badly needed as the industry was in “real economic trouble,” despite the government coming under pressure to cut state expenditure.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shafeeu said that the subsidy had not been paid at all in 2011. He added that this year’s subsidies this year had not been reserved exclusively for fuel,  with funding being set aside for measures to encourage investment in ice plants – for which there was apparently a high demand.

Shafeeu also spoke of the ministry’s plans, unrelated to these particular subsidies, to improve access to loans to encourage investment in the industry.

“In terms of the economics of the sector, since 2006 we have seen a decline in fish numbers. In terms of total exports, it has gone down. There are many factors – a lot of them to do with management of the budget. Also there are risks due to the world economic crisis,” said Shafeeu.

The local industry is also thought to have been affected by the mass harvesting of fish stocks by foreign vessels in and around Maldivian waters. Traditional pole and line techniques struggle to compete with the more sophisticated technology and less environmentally considerate practices used by some competitors.

Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ali Solih explained that the proposed subsidies amounted to Rf100 million for the year, and would be disbursed once approval came from the Majlis. He added that the current members of the ministry had been working towards this goal since assuming their posts.

Methods

The use of the traditional pole and line method being encouraged in the president’s speech have been used in the Maldives for millennia and are an important feature of the industry which has long prided itself on its sustainable practices.

The previous government, however, felt it necessary to look into greater opportunities for the use of long line fishing techniques. It argued that, despite the greater risks of harming protected species, the technique offered far greater economic opportunities for a struggling industry.

A research officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture at the time argued that long line fishing vessels did not have to travel as far as pole and line ships, lowering fuel costs and so making operations more viable economically.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, speaking at the opening of the Majlis 2010 session that it was not feasible to burn fuel and engage in pole and line fishing in big vessels.  He claimed at the time that experts had advised him it would be more profitable to use those vessels for group long-line fishing.

Fisheries Minister Shafeeu said that the ministry would seek to continue this policy of providing varied opportunities to local fishermen. He said that pole and line fishing remained the most “prominent” method used in the Maldives, but said that “diversification is something [that is] required”.

A feature of this approach has been seen in the granting of long-line licenses within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) exclusively to Maldivian businesses. In April 2010, foreign licences for long lining were terminated by the government.

The long-line fishing method appears as something of a double edged sword for the industry.  While the method offers the potential for better harvests of species that subsist in deeper waters such as Yellowfin and Bigeye tuna, it is also alleged to potentially  harm the marketability of Maldivian marine produce.

Shafeeu noted that the number of skipjack tuna exports, most commonly caught using the pole and line method had dropped “significantly” although the industry had been able to sustain the numbers of Yellowfin being caught.

Many chains such as Marks and Spencer in the UK place great value on purchasing tuna caught using the traditional economically friendly pole and line method. The marine conservation group Bite Back, in 2010, expressed its belief that the use of long line methods in the Maldives could result in a UK boycott of its tuna products.

Depleted financial stocks

The Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP) last year took the Finance Ministry and the Fisheries Ministry to court over the failure to pay fuel subsidies to fishermen.

In a similar case yesterday, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced its decision to repay money withheld from government employees during the previous government’s attempts at enforcing austerity measures in 2010.

Abbas remarked that due to a Civil Court ruling on this issue, the Rf443.7 million owed to civil servants was now a “legally compulsory payment.”

This financial commitment comes at a time when the government faces a widening budget deficit, argued by Finance Minister Abdullah Jihad to stand at Rf2 billion, based on current rates of spending.

As part of its new austerity measures, the People’s Majlis has been re-examining the Aasandha health care scheme in an attempt to rein in state overspending. Thorig Ali Luthfee of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) recently told the Majlis’ Financial Committee that the scheme was likely to spend more than double its allocated budget this year, according to Sun Online.

Were the government able to tame this overspend, it could expect to save around Rf500million. Minivan News was unable to contact Finance Minister Jihad or Ahmed Nazim, head of the Majlis’ Financial Committee,  regarding further attempts to cut spending at the time of going to press.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the people’s Majlis earlier this month that a failure to reduce spending could have disastrous consequences for the Maldivian economy if it results in the depletion of its foreign currency reserves.

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Attorney General Shakoor in London for CMAG meeting

Attorney General (AG) Azima Shakoor is representing the government during the latest round of Commonwelath Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) talks being held today, local media has reported.

Speaking to Haveeru, the AG said that she had travelled to the UK following an invitation to attend the event. She added that the Commonwealth’s special envoy to the Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon would also be in attendance.

CMAG has previously called for early elections and an investigation into the transfer of power on Februray 7 and will give a press conference immediately after the meeting’s conclusion today.

Minivan News was unable to contact AG Shakoor or Special Advisor to the President Dr Hassan Saeed at the time of press.

Dr Saeed is reported as having claimed in local press that the Commonwealth would hold off from further calls for early elections until the Committee for National Inquiry (CNI) had completed its investigation.

The CNI committee, assigned to look into the events of the presidential changeover by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, is due to publish its results by the end of May.

The party of former President Mohamed Nasheed has nonetheless refused to work with the CNI, arguing it lacks impartiality.

International groups, including the Commonwealth, have strongly urged that the committee to feature an international element but progress on this front has been slow.

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