Month: April 2012

Defence Minister warns of piracy threat in Indian Ocean

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim has spoken to Indian media about the growing threat Somali Piracy poses to the Indian Ocean region.

Speaking to the India-based Daily News and Analysis publication, Nazim warned that “these threats have now come to our close proximity… We live by selling dreams of tranquility and even a small incident in our territory could have devastating implications for the region.”

The comments were made the same week that the the first ever tri-lateral naval exercises between Sri Lanka, India, and the Maldives were held. Nazim told the paper that he believed this united approach was the best way to combat the problem.

The Maldives experienced the first confirmed case of piracy within its waters last month when a Bolivian-flagged vessel headed for Iran was hijacked by Somali pirates before being released a few days later.

Nazim also praised the Indian Military for its assistance in equipping and training the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF). The Defence Minister visited India earlier this month to discuss potential opportunities for additional training of Maldivian troops in India.

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DRP’s Thasmeen to launch new TV station

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali is set to launch a new television channel in the Maldives designed to produce political and religious programming as well as news and entertainment shows.
Haveeru has reported that Thasmeen, along with fellow share holder, DRP member and Deputy Home Mnister Mohamed Saleem, were given a license by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) yesterday to launch the station, currently known as “TV-5”.
Deputy Economic Minister Shiham Waheed, DRP member Hussain Mohamed and  Mohamed Nasru will serve as directors of the new channel, according to local media.
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Civil Court issues injunction against Male City Council’s public referendum on the reopening of Fantasy Bakery

The Civil Court has issued an injunction to halt a public referendum planned by the Male’ City Council concerning the reopening of Fantasy Bakery, which was closed by health inspectors in October 2011 for selling expired food products.

The court’s injunction said if Male’ City Council held a public referendum that was not stipulated in any laws or regulations, it will hurt the business as well as making the public lose confidence in any verdict the court may deliver in Fantasy’s countersuit.

The Bakers Fantasy Private Limited had requested the court issue the injunction to halt the referendum, the Civil Court said.

The Civil Court’s injunction was delivered by Judge Abdulla Adheeb and a copy of the injunction was sent to Male’ City Council, Bakers Fantasy Private Limited and the Maldives Food and Drug Authority.

Male’ City Council was sued by Bakers Fantasy Private Limited following a decision of the council to withhold the license of the company to sell food products.

The company has claimed that they have paid the Rf 6500 (US$420) fine imposed on the company and have corrected issues noted by the council.

When Minivan News contacted Bakers Fantasy, the receptionist said no one was present who could speak with the media and would not provided a contact for management.

Last year when the issue came to light, police conducted an operation to close down the bakery and remove expired items from the store.

Police involvement came after the store disregarded orders from Community Health Services which had the legal authority to close food outlets.

The police at the that time went to the administrative office with a search warrant, but the staff refused to open the door stating that they did not have the authority to do so, according to police. Police called senior management, but they did not answer calls. Police waited outside for two hours before Fantasy management came to open the doors.

The Fantasy store was popular among locals as well as foreigners living in Male’, and was widely patronised.

Bakers Fantasy was closed by Male’ City Council on October 28. The council subsequently inspected three storehouses and Aioli Restaurant, which is also owned by Fantasy Pvt Ltd.

Male’ City Council’s head of health section Hassan ‘Jambu’ Afeef told local media at the timethat  expired products were found in two of three storehouses, and that storehouses were not properly lit. All expired products were destroyed, he said.

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Police mistakenly release picture of college student in drug suspect case

The Maldives Police Service has apologised to a 23 year-old female college student after she was wrongfully identified and pictured in the media as a suspect in a drug investigation.

Police released the picture of Aishath Hanaa of G Shady Ground on Wednesday night, after identifying her as a suspect in a case involving narcotics and money seized from a house in capital Male’ following a police raid.

However, the real suspect arrested was actually Aishath Hanaa,22, from M Fanari – a woman who shared the same name.

In a statement released on Sunday, police apologised for the incident, claiming that the innocent woman’s picture was sent out by “mistake” as both she and the actual suspect shared the same name.

Police further confirmed that the “woman in the first photo released by the police is a college student and did not have any police record”.

According to the statement, police accepted complaints from the woman’s family, who are reported to be “outraged” over the release of wrong photo.

Hanaa’s mother told Minivan News that the family was “deeply shocked” when Hanaa’s photo was published by several media outlets, painting her as a prime suspect in a drug case.

“My daughter was at the class when I first heard the news. I called her phone and she disconnected it. I was really scared and thought what if she had actually been arrested. But I called the police and found out from them that the photo was a mistake. I was outraged but relieved that it was not my daughter,” she said. “Now I am afraid of what people may think of my family and children.”

Although the police service has now publicly apologised for the error, she said that the family is discussing filing a defamation suit against the police as “their mistake has brought irreparable damage to Hanaa and her family’s reputation”.

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Gayoom is back and India is in no hurry to change its stand: Eurasia Review

Having recognised the new regime in a hurry, India is in no position to change its stand, writes Dr. S. Chandrasekharan for the Eurasia Review.

Despite two visits by the Indian Foreign Secretary to Male to convince the new regime for early elections and an undertaking by President Waheed that he would, it looks that there will be no early elections.

With Gayoom having returned to the island, is should be known to everyone that President Waheed is not the master and the decisions are being taken by Gayoom and his followers who are all over in the new government.

Gayoom’s daughter Dunya who is the Minister of state for foreign affairs admitted to the Sunday times that her father would be working “behind the scenes” and playing an advisory role to the President.

This point that Gayoom would be calling the shots was mentioned by Nasheed also. He said “whether we like it or not- the government is now in the hands of the elements that belonged to the three decade long authoritarian rule of Gayoom. President Waheed may be the face of the government- but if you look into it, you will see that he has neither the say nor the control of a President as outlined under the Maldivian constitution.”

This is very much true. Soon after landing in Male, Gayoom ruled out early elections. In his latest speech on 16th April, he has brought in the issue of religion and the sovereignty of Maldives on those ( India included) who are insisting on early elections. He said that international calls for elections are driven by a “special motive” that poses a direct threat for the Maldives’ sovereignty and religious heritage.

His daughter Dunya Maumoon had also said earlier that until the country’s state institutions – the judiciary, the election commission and human rights commission are strengthened it would be impossible for a vote to be held. In other words, what she means is that the present regime is in no hurry to hold the next elections.

Others who are not in support of early elections have cited that the law and order situation is not conducive for early elections. Four elections were held in the last one week- two to Majlis and two the local councils and there were no incidents at all.

The fact of the matter is that early elections will not be held and Gayoom has said the last word.

Read more

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No response to requests for Commonwealth assistance with inquiry, alleges Foreign Ministry

The Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in Dhivehi claiming the Commonwealth had not answered the government’s requests seeking expertise for the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).

The CNI was set up by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to investigate the controversial change of power on February 7 which the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) maintains was a coup d’état orchestrated by remnants of the former dictatorship, funded by several resort interests and carried out by mutinous police and military units.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on April 16 challenged the independence of the commission, urging 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.”

However in its statement yesterday, the Maldives Foreign Ministry claimed “when the inquiry commission was set up on February 22, this ministry requested the Commonwealth for expertise. This ministry sent the terms of reference for such an expert to the Commonwealth. However, the Commonwealth has not sent an answer to the request to this day.”

“The Maldivian government has previously agreed to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group’s call for international expert assistance as per the CMAG statement. Hence, the Maldivian government requests an international expert for the inquiry commission in the near future with Commonwealth’s support,” the Ministry stated.

Spokesperson for the Commonwealth Secretariat, Richard Uku, said that CMAG had noted during its teleconference on March 15 that while the CNI had commenced work, “it had failed to secure cross-party support.”

“[CMAG] Ministers acknowledged that international assistance had been requested, and noted that the Commonwealth could be of potential assistance,” Uku said.

Following a visit to the Maldives by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Sir Donald McKinnon, the Commonwealth had discussed the provision of a senior judicial advisor to the CNI, Uku explained.

“Draft terms of reference for the adviser were agreed with the Government of Maldives, and preparations made for the selection and placement of a Commonwealth adviser. However, by this time it had become amply clear that the existing composition of the Commission did not enjoy broad political acceptance. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy consequently focused his discussions with parties on attempting to facilitate agreement on this matter,” he said.

“At their meeting on 16 April, CMAG ministers were concerned that the Government had not made any moves to revise the composition of the CNI in a manner that would enhance its credibility. CMAG accordingly asked for the composition and terms of reference of the CNI to be reviewed in order to make them generally acceptable.

“Pending such a review,” he concluded, adding that the Commonwealth remained “ready to assist the Commission as soon as broad-based political agreement is reached on its composition and terms of reference.”

Rising rhetoric

In its concluding statement on April 16, CMAG warned of “stronger measures” against the Maldives “should the composition and terms of reference of the Commission not be amended within four weeks in a manner that is generally acceptable and enhances its credibility.”

Uku told Minivan News last week that while the Secretariat would not speculate about what “stronger measures” might entail, a range of options were available to CMAG “including suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth”.

Figures in the new government and MPs of the new ruling coalition have reacted angrily in parliament and in local media to the deadline, possibility of Commonwealth suspension and accompanying international censure.

Haama Daily reported State Minister for Foreign Affairs and daughter of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Dunya Maumoon, as questioning CMAG’s impartiality, claiming their response was based on “incomplete information” and stating that it was “very apparent that CMAG is not aware of Maldives’ laws and regulations.”

President Waheed’s political advisor, Ahmed ‘Topy’ Thaufeeq, posted on Twitter that the Commonwealth “has no right to call on Maldivian govt to hold ‘early’ elections against the country’s constitution.”
“CMAG can take whatever action it wants if the Maldives does not hold early elections against its constitution. Go ahead if that is democracy,” Thaufeeq stated.

State Minister for Tourism, Ahmed Shameem, was reported in newspaper Miadhu as accusing the Commonwealth of showing contempt for the Maldives constitution, claiming that “some entities of the United Kingdom are trying to shatter the Islamic unity of the country.”

“Everyone wants their puppet to rule the country. Nasheed ruled Maldives as a puppet of the United Kingdom. Nasheed is ready to destroy the Islamic unity of Maldives,” Miadhu reported Shameem as saying.

State Minister for Fisheries, Fuwad Gasim, also alleged in Miadhu that “Most foreign ministers sitting in CMAG would not even know the colour of the Maldivians.”

“A group like that all of a sudden releases a statement listening to only one party through a teleconversation and comments on issues. This is not how responsible organisations do things,” Fuwad claimed.

Fuwad said that a statement released by the Commonwealth after “thoroughly considering what has happened in Maldives” would “differ a lot from the original statement.”

“There are countries in the Commonwealth that know what happened on February 7, and haven’t said it was a coup,” he said.

Fuwad added that India had been observing the events from the day they unfolded, and that all political leaders were in touch with Indian High Commissioner D M Mulay.

“They were regularly updating Mulay about the events,” he said. “So I believe Mulay had been observing the events of February 7 and he would have said whether it was a coup or not. India was the first country to recognise the new government, so how could we give credibility to a report made by those who were  too far away?”

Meanwhile, speaking in parliament today, Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed called on the government to preemptively withdraw from the Commonwealth.

“There is no reason to have international relations with a group like this, who don’t even know how to ensure justice, he said. “I propose to disaffiliate ourselves from the Commonwealth for now.”

MP Muththalib from the Adhaalath Party accused CMAG of being “a weapon used to destroy the religion of this country.

“I do not believe CMAG has any right to call on us to hold early elections. We should consider the countries that are doing things for us,” he said.

“If the current government feels that disassociating with CMAG or the Commonwealth is the best thing for this country, I am in full support for this Majlis to pass such a motion.”

The MDP released a statement claiming it was concerned that attempts to discredit international bodies locally would lead the Maldives down the path of international isolation – “the route of Myanmar’s junta, or Zimbabwe or Fiji” – and reiterated its calls for Dr Waheed to step down and trigger early elections under the Speaker, or agree to amend the Constitution to provide for early elections before the end of 2012.

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Domestic Violence Bill ratified by President Waheed

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has today ratified the Domestic Violence Bill – the first piece of legislation to be approved by him since taking office on February 7.  The bill was passed by the parliament on April 9 and how now been approved by the president, allowing it to come into force as the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act.

This act defines domestic violence as an attack against someone by any other person with whom that they are presently, or have been in a domestic relationship. It also provides protection for victims of domestic violence and seeks to punish the perpetrators of such crimes.

According to the President’s Office, some of the objectives of the act include; declaring all acts of domestic violence as a punishable crime, giving protection and safety to victims of domestic violence and giving cost-effective, due and timely justice to victims of domestic violence.

The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act also includes frameworks for  conducting programmes to support victims of domestic violence.  This includes setting out measures for taking all necessary steps to prevent domestic violence, whilst rehabilitating perpetrators of such crimes and facilitating the implementation of court orders and orders from other law enforcement authorities to prevent domestic violence.

Speaking after ratifying the bill, President Waheed announced that the Family Protection Authority (FPA), which is required to be established under the act, would be formed soon.  The president has pledged to appoint the seven member FPA board without any further delay.

UN Women, which provided detailed inputs on the draft bill with other United Nations agencies has meanwhile welcomed the passage of the law and pledged its full support to consolidate the Act.

“This is a remarkable gain for the women of Maldives,” said Anne F. Stenhammer, the Regional Programme Director of UN Women in South Asia in a statement released last week.

“We hope to work together with the government and other UN agencies to raise awareness of the law and help in its implementation.”

Michiyo Yamada, Gender Specialist at the UN Women Maldives organisation added that her office has been working together with other UN agencies to support the government in developing the 4th and 5th combined state report for the Convention on The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

“Addressing violence against women is one of the key areas highlighted in the previous concluding remarks in 2007. UN Women hopes to support the Maldives in implementing the UN Secretary General’s Campaign, UNiTE to End Violence Against Women, which aims at adopting national laws and multi-sectoral action plans and collecting data on the prevalence of violence against women and girls.” Yamada observed.

According to a national survey on “Women’s Health and Life Experiences”, which was conducted with the support of UNFPA, UNICEF and the WHO, one in every three Maldivian women aged between 15 and 49 reported experiencing some form of physical or sexual violence at least once.

Information from Family Protection Units confirm such a prevalence, and indicate that 87 per cent of perpetrators are known to the survivors.

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Male’ City Council to put up sign boards in Male’ to stop tourists from swimming in bikinis

Following an incident yesterday in which a group of tourists arrived in Male’ and went swimming in the Artificial Beach wearing bikinis, Male’ City Council has decided to put up sign boards informing tourists that it is prohibited to swim in the area wearing bikinis.

Male’ City Council member Mohamed Shujau today told Minivan News that the decision to put up sign boards was to prevent such incidents from occurring.

‘’It will happen when large groups of tourists come to Male’,’’ Shujau said. ‘’We do not want to punish the tourists so we will try to put up sign boards as a method of prevention.’’

Shujau said the Male’ City Council was in an agreement with tour operator and agents responsible for bringing tourists to Male’ that they will inform tourists that wearing bikinis while in Male’ is not allowed.

He said the council was yesterday informed “by many people” about the incident, and requested the council look into the matter.

Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA) told Minivan News that the council had informed the association about the tourists swimming in the Artificial Beach wearing improper clothing.

‘’We always inform tourists that it is not allowed to wear bikinis in Male’ under Maldivian regulations,’’ Mohamed Ali said. ‘’We informed the tourists that came yesterday that the only place in Male’ that is for swimming is the Artificial Beach, and informed them that Maldivians also swim there.’’

Mohamed Ali said the association also informed tourists that anything they wear had to cover up to their knees, and that it was inappropriate to wear bikinis.

He said Male’ City Council has asked MAYA to assist the council in putting up the sign boards, and said MAYA had agreed to help.

A large group of tourists arrived yesterday from a cruise liner carrying more than 3000 tourists, he added.

In February last year the Adhaalath Party complained that tourists had been wearing improper clothing and consuming alcohol on Hulhumale’ beach in public, and that the area was becoming “a place where Maldivian families cannot visit.”

Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed today told Minivan News that the issue was not related to the Islamic Ministry and that Islamic Ministry “has nothing to say about it.”

He said that the Islamic Ministry had not received any complaints regarding the issue.

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MPs debate leaving Commonwealth

Members of parliament backing President Mohamed Waheed Hassan have called on the state to withdraw the country’s membership from the Commonwealth, during a debate on a resolution forwarded today.

The resolution that sparked the debate was forwarded by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim ‘Bonda’ Rasheed, “condemning” the current government’s failure to adhere to the calls of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) concluding statement on the Maldives, notably the call for early presidential elections in 2012.

The CMAG statement also noted that it will consider “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives unless the composition of its Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) was revised in the next four weeks.

Withdrawing Commonwealth membership

Speaking in the debate, Dhivehi Qaumee Party MP Riyaz Rasheed called for the Maldives to withdraw membership from the Commonwealth “for now”.

“We don’t want to, but there is no reason to have international relations with a group like this, who don’t even know to ensure justice,” he said. “I propose to disassociate  ourselves from the Commonwealth for now,” The MP said.

MP Rasheed has been highly critical of the Commonwealth and also Queen Elizabeth, who is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth.

During a diatribe on DhiTV in March, he argued that the British public had funded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in return for the establishment of churches in the Maldives, and also alleged that the UK hated the Maldives for gaining its independence.

Rasheed went onto criticise Queen Elizabeth stating, “After 50 years, the English Queen, she is physically challenged. But she is still the Queen, and if she wants she can remove the Prime Minister. Where is democracy? Where is democracy? That is not a democracy.”

Also speaking in the debate, MP Muththalib from the government-allied and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party, said that international organisations should ensure that their calls fitted with the constitution of the country and Islamic virtue.”

“CMAG should not be a weapon used to destroy the religion [Islam] of this country. The United Nations and all the other international organisations including the United States and India have accepted this government, “ he claimed.

“I do not believe CMAG has any right to demand our country hold early elections. Also, we should consider those [countries] that do things for us,” he added.

Muththalib said he would fully support the Maldives’ withdrawal from the Commonwealth if the government of President Waheed Hassan felt it was in the best interests of the county.

“If the current government feels that disaffiliating with CMAG or the Commonwealth is what is best for this country, I am in full support for this Majlis to pass such a motion,” he reiterated.

Deputy Parliamentary Group leader of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Ilham Mohamed, stated that there were no stipulations in the Constitution calling for an early election, and that one could only be held after amending the constitution.

He argued that that the Maldives should “immediately” withdraw its membership with the Commonwealth.

“I am saying this very clearly. I call on President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, who is in charge of this state, to carry out what ever necessary measures that needs to be taken to disaffiliate from the Commonwealth. We are ready to part with Commonwealth,” MP Mohamed said.

MP Mohamed sent a warning to the current government stating that the the government decides to hold early elections, his party would withdraw its support to the government.

“Elections will be held on 2013. Or else we won’t be supporting the government. [No one] can hold an election before 2013. I am saying it very clearly. Be it Commonwealth or any other country that calls for it, no one can hold an early election,” he said.

MDP response

MDP MPs argued that the government should adhere to the calls of CMAG and that early elections should be held in 2012.

The opposition MPs also expressed concern that an inter-governmental organisation such as the Commonwealth had said that it would consider taking action against the Maldives.

Speaking in the debate, MDP MP Eva Abdulla, who was recently elected to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s standing committee on Women Parliamentarians, stated that CMAG did not represent the foreign ministers of just nine countries but rather the entire 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

MP Abdulla also stated that when government officials said that the members of CMAG did not even know the “skin colour” of the Maldivians, such a statement was also directed at individuals such as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

“When we make such statements we are not harassing the Ministers, but our own peaceful relations with neighboring countries,” she said.

She also reiterated that if the Commonwealth suspended the Maldives, it would have a great impact on the ordinary citizens of the country.

MDP MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, of the Kulhudhuffushi North constituency, said that the Maldivian people had come to a “fork in the road” over the issue of early elections. He also stressed on the importance of adhering to the calls of Commonwealth.

“We don’t have the capacity to stand up against international bodies such as the Commonwealth, ASEAN and the SAARC. If we stay ignorant [of the calls of Commonwealth] in our greed for power, the ordinary citizens of this country will suffer,” Ghafoor said.

MDP MP Mohamed Riyaz during the debate expressed concern that some parliamentarians were accusing the Commonwealth of trying to destroy the Islamic faith of the Maldives. He also expressed concerns about possible impending Commonwealth action against the Maldives.

Earlier, President Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News that although the government was not currently seeking to reassess its Commonwealth membership, it was concerned over the language in the CMAG statement.

“We condemn the language used and the foreign minister has conveyed this as well,” he said. “If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” said Riza at the time.

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