Day: May 12, 2013

DRP enters coalition with President Waheed, commits “political suicide” claims MDP

The government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has  said it will stand in a coalition with President Dr Mohamed Waheed during September’s elections as part of an agreement to strengthen its position in the political “middle-ground”.

Party spokesperson Ibrahim Shareef told Minivan News that with the DRP battling for space in the middle ground between the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), it had opted to form as broad a coalition as possible to try and ensure a second round electoral victory.

“No party in the country will get more than 35 percent of the vote during the first round, even the MDP which remains the biggest single party,” he said, adding that the party continued to rule out working with the PPM beyond the present government.

Speaking following the coalition announcement today, the MDP accused the DRP and its current leader – one-time presidential candidate MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali – of committing political “suicide” by continuing to side with a government the opposition party’s supporters accuse of coming to power in a “coup d’etat” last year.

Earlier this year the government-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and religious conservative Adhaalath Party both announced their intentions to join a coalition with President Waheed’s Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP).

Both the DQP and GIP are small political parties currently facing potential dissolution for lacking the minimum requirement of 10,000 members as stipulated in the recently passed Political Parties Act.

“Too hardline”

DRP spokesperson Shareef said today that competing directly against the GIP or other government-aligned parties like the Jumhoree Party (JP) would only allow the PPM – as the country’s second largest party in terms of MPs – to emerge as a front runner during a potential run-off vote.

He went on to accuse the PPM, which was formed from a breakaway sections of DRP supporters loyal to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, as being “too hardline” to benefit the Maldivian people.

“This is a party to belongs to one family, or a supreme leader,” Shareef said, referring to Gayoom, who previously formed the DRP in 2005 during his 30 year rule of the country.

He added that even with the MDP presently being the country’s largest party, it was not itself capable of obtaining even 35 percent of the vote – a 51 percent share is required to form a government.

Shareef said considering the MDP’s likely support, being part of a coalition gave the DRP a better chance of securing election during a second round of voting, adding that increased polarisation between the country’s two largest parties during the last seven years was “leading the country nowhere”.

“There is no chance of a first round victory, so unless we have a strong coalition, those of us in the political middle ground would be forced to support the MDP,” he claimed.

Shareef added that no demands has so far been made by the party with regard to securing senior cabinet or government positions such as the vice presidency, should the coalition be voted into power.

“It would be nice to have [the vice presidential position], but we are not asking for cabinet posts or a certain share of ministers, we believe that unity is needed right now,” he claimed.

Since the controversial transfer of power that on February 7, 2012, which saw former President Mohamed Nasheed resign from office following a mutiny by sections of the police and military the DRP has been part of a coalition government with other former opposition parties including the PPM, JP, DQP and the Adhaalath Party.

Asked whether a similar coalition of parties similar to those already serving under the current administration would be electable, Shareef said he believed President Waheed had served the country admirably to hold so many rival political figures together.

“When you have a government that comes into power by accident it will always be a lame duck [administration],” he claimed. “President Waheed has done an admirable thing and filled a political vacuum.”

After the coalition agreement was announced today, DRP Deputy Leader MP Rozaina Adam took to social network service Twitter to accuse both the PPM and the MDP of “desperation” by trying to disparage the party’s decision to enter a coalition with the president.

Political “suicide”

However, MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor argued that September’s election would be divided along the lines of those voting against a government deemed to have come to power in a “coup d’etat” last year and those in support of the present administration.

“This an an election based on recovering from a coup government,” he said.  “The election will be along these lines.”

Ghafoor claimed that by opting to stay aligned with the current government of President Waheed, DRP Leader MP Thasmeen had committed political “suicide”.

“We have been travelling all over the country as a party recently, and we have seen lots of concern that this coup administration has ruined the economy and stalled investment projects. We are will be lucky if we can avoid [sovereign] default before the election is held,” he said.

“Our candidate [former President Mohamed Nasheed] has previously summarised it well. You have the MDP making three foot strides, the PPM making half foot strides and the present government going backwards,” he said.

Ghafoor also said  he had met a large number of local councilors from government-aligned parties during his travels who had expressed concern at a perceived focus by the current administration to centralise power as much as possible.

Speaking to Minivan News last month, former Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, now standing as running mate to PPM presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen, said that the political landscape since the country’s first multi-party elections in 2008 necessitated a willingness to share power more than ever with “major” political parties.

“We have to recognise that the PPM and the MDP are the two major political forces in the country capable of winning elections. Hence, if the governing coalition desires to forge an alliance, it cannot realistically exclude the PPM from any such move. Whether a coalition, inclusive of the PPM can be realised prior to the elections is possible or not, we cannot alienate major political parties in an election,” he said at the time.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Singaporean woman drowns at Embudu Village Resort

A Singaporean woman on vacation with her husband at Embudu Village Resort died while snorkeling, the second such incident at the resort in the past three years.

The 34 year-old Singaporean, Irene Soon, drowned last Saturday (May 4) in a snorkelling accident at Embudu Village resort, located eight kilometres from Male’ in Kaafu Atoll.

Soon was snorkeling near the main jetty area of the resort and is believed to have drowned, however the case is still under investigation a police media official told Minivan News today (May 12).

Soon, an insurance manager, was vacationing with her husband in the Maldives to celebrate her recent promotion. Soon and her 37 year-old husband Mike Lie were snorkeling for the first time and taking photos with a rented underwater camera when the incident occurred, reported Singaporean publication the New Paper.

The publication claims that a dive instructor ran over after Soon had been pulled from the water and asked Lie how long she had been underwater. Allegedly Lie responded that he was unsure, but “maybe 10 minutes”.

Lie then asked the “Aren’t you going to CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or something?” at which point the dive instructor said “there was no point”, claims the publication.

“She was snorkeling with her husband, taking photographs then somebody saw her motionless, lifeless, in the water,” Embudu Village General Manager Ramsay Perera told Minivan News today.

“The dive instructor did give emergency care and performed CPR. She was then taken to ADK hospital via speed boat,” he claimed.

Perera explained that the dive school staff is “well equipped” and trained in CPR, however there is no in house doctor at the resort.

“The dive school staff are very observant most of the time. It was calm weather and very shallow water. She was briefed [about snorkeling safety] when she arrived at the resort and was wearing a life-jacket, snorkel and fins [when the incident occurred],” Perera said.

Snorkel at your own risk

After approximately an hour of snorkeling Lie decided to take a break because saltwater was “getting into his mask and nose”. Lie was standing in shallow water next to the resort’s pier watching his wife continue to snorkel and diverted his gaze for five minutes to watch a group of guests learning to scuba dive. When Lie looked back for his wife, she was nowhere to be seen.

“That was when I realised, ‘Oh my goodness,’ the weather is bad, cloudy and drizzling. I decided to swim out,” Lie said. “I was worried, I wanted to get her out of the weather and say it was time to go back.”

While Lie hurried to put his snorkelling gear back on to swim out and look for Soon, she was being pulled from the water by a German uncle and nephew, with her body face down on the seabed.

The German tourists noticed that Soon’s snorkeling tube was underwater and swam out to where she was floating.

“I was shocked, I wondered what I could do to save her. Her fingernails and toenails were purple. I tried calling her name, she didn’t answer. I frantically felt for her pulse, but there was none,” said Lie.

Soon was snorkeling in water about one metre deep. “It would have taken effort for her to stand with flippers on her feet and corals below,” explained Lie.

Soon was not a strong swimmer and her husband recalled swimming together fewer than 10 times in the last 12 years they had known each other. “She wouldn’t do laps, just short distances,” Lie recalled.

Lie said there no lifeguards were present at the Embudu Village beach, however he and his wife had been briefed about water safety upon their arrival at the resort. During the briefing, entry points into the water and coral bed areas were discussed, as well as advice not to swim too far away from shore. They were also told that “activities were carried out at their own risk”.

Lie returned to Singapore May 6 and Soon’s body arrived the morning of May 9. During her wake, Lie told Singaporean media that he regrets “taking his eyes off my wife.. or else, this might not have happened.”

Second death

Soon’s drowning is the second such incident at Embudu Village Resort. In February 2010, a 69 year-old German tourist died while snorkelling at the resort.

A senior staff member at Embudu Village told Minivan News at the time that the man was snorkeling with his friend.

”His friend noticed that he had been floating in the water without movement for a while and went to help him,” the staff member said at the time. ”When he shook him he did not move, so he knew that something was wrong. The sea was calm and there was low tide at the time.”

There have been a string of tourist deaths while snorkeling in recent years.

A 51 year-old Italian tourist died in a boat propeller accident while snorkeling in January of this year near Elaa Island in Thaa Atoll.

During 2012, tourist deaths – usually while snorkelling – were disproportionately higher among Chinese visitors, who now account for a majority of Maldives tourist arrivals compared to the country’s traditional European market.

Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’ from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) pointed out in a 2012 interview with Minivan News that Chinese guests in particular needed to be made more aware of the dangers of snorkeling in the Maldives, “because it is a totally different environment than what they are used to.”

Many resorts and Chinese tour operators have reacted to the higher incidence of casualties by issuing life-jackets to Chinese guests on arrival. However, despite efforts to adapt to a market which in 2011 brought over 100,000 visitors to resort beaches and house reefs, Sim observed that “things still have not changed” as Chinese fatalities remain higher compared to European market.

Two Chinese nationals vacationing on two different resorts in the Maldives were found dead within 48 hours in suspected snorkeling accidents in 2012.

A Chinese woman identified as Shuhui Li, aged 58, was pronounced dead after she was pulled out from the waters of Lily Beach resort on January 26, 2012, while a Chinese man identified as Ding Hai, aged 30, was found dead whilst snorkeling at the newly-opened Ayada resort the following afternoon.

In October 2012, a 26 year-old male from China staying at Alif Dhaal Atoll Vakafaru resort was suspected to have died in a snorkelling accident at the property.

In December 2012, a Chinese tourist was reported missing from the Bandos Island Resort and Spa property.

Earlier in 2012, a French tourist, identified as 49 year-old Alan Marshall, went missing during a late afternoon swim while vacationing on Club Med Kanifinolhu resort with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. A day later he was found dead near Paradise Island Resort.

A 36 year-old Chinese tourist was also found dead off the coast of Sun Island Resort and Spa in January 2011.

In August 2011, a decomposing female body was found on the shore of the Adhaaran Hudhuranfushi resort, a week after a 29 year-old Japanese tourist and her 37 year-old husband were reported missing from the property.

On March 14, 2010 police received a report that a Chinese national, Rui Dai, died while snorkeling at Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort, in Kaafu Atoll.

Earlier that same month another Chinese man died while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German tourist died in a snorkeling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

In mid-August 2010 a Chinese couple vacationing in the Maldives disappeared from their resort after going for a swim. The 38 year-old woman and 40 year-old man were staying with their 13 year-old daughter on the Hilton Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll.

In September 2010 a 48-year old Chinese woman died while snorkeling at Paradise Island Resort and Spa.

A top UK transplant surgeon died while snorkeling on holiday at the Adaaran Meedhupparu Resort in Raa Atoll in September 2010.

The following month, Sharon Duval, a 42 year-old British woman died while on honeymoon. Her body was found on the shore of Kuredhoo Island Resort.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President’s Office dismisses Ibrahim Moosa Luthfee from advisory role

Ibrahim ‘Sandhaanu’ Moosa Luthfee has been dismissed from his advisory role at the President’s Office after he failed to attend for months after taking leave, the government confirmed.

President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad told Minivan News the decision had been taken to terminate Luthfee’s advisory role – stated in local media to be a salaried position with a monthly wage of MVR 32,000 (US$2075),  after he was found not to have returned to work for a significant period of time after taking leave.

Masood was unable to clarify if Luthfee had continued to receive wages during the period of leave, but expressed his personal belief that this would be unlikely.

“This is a bureaucratic issue and I think that it is normal to dismiss someone if they don’t come to work for four months or whatever,” he said. “In such a case, If I overstay my leave, I believe I would not be continued to be paid if I did not return to work. We haven’t been on top of this matter, but I’m sure payments would have been stopped through the bureaucratic system we have.”

According to Sun Online, Luthfee, who was previously sentenced to life in prison back in 2002 under the government of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, had resided in Switzerland before returning to the country in August of last year for a “holiday”.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police arrest 17 year-old boy in connection with Foakaidhoo abortion case

Police have arrested a 17 year-old boy and a man in connection with the discovery of a five month-old foetus on Foakaidhoo in Shaviyani Atoll.

a case where a 17 year-old girl gave birth to a 5 month fetus on the island of Foakaidhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, according to Fokaidhoo Island Council Secretariat.

A Fokaidhoo island council member told Minivan News the father of a 17 year-old girl had called the council to inform them his daughter’s pregnancy had been terminated and she had miscarried while at home, and requested police be called to investigate the matter.

“Police arrived at the scene at 1:47am, I was among the first to go there. The baby was inside a bucket,’’ the councillor said.

Photos of the five-month old foetus in the bucket were being circulated on Maldivian social media this morning, with the head blurred.

‘’An under-age boy was arrested in connection with the case after the girl told police that he was the father of the baby,’’ the councillor said. ‘’Another man [around] 27 years of age was arrested for allegedly giving abortion pills to the girl.’’

He said the mother and daughter were placed under police custody but were later released as the girl needed to see a gynecologist.

The councilor claimed nobody on the island had noticed the girl was pregnant.

Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed police were investigating a case involving a 17 year-old girl who gave birth on the island of Foakaidhoo, but did not give further information.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Big surf heats up bodyboarding competition final

The Burunu Shikaaru Bodyboarding Challenge, the first event of the Maldives Bodyboarding Association (MBBA), concluded in Male’ yesterday with big surf and competitors in high spirits.

The newly formed MBBA began this aptly named event – in Dhivehi, ‘burunu’ means a constellation that indicates the southwest monsoon and the best season for surfing, while ‘shikaaru’ is to hunt – on May 2.

What was originally planned to take three days stretched into nearly a week and a half of postponements and rescheduling with swells at Male’s surf area ‘Raalhugandu’ only reaching about a foot.

However, after a week of severe thunderstorms across the island-nation the five foot swells at yesterday’s (May 11) final provided competitors with the strong, hollow waves they were hunting for.

Ali ‘Kuda Ayya’ Khushruwan, founder of MBBA, won first place and MVR 10,000 (US$648). The competition’s youngest bodyboarder, 16 year-old Ali ‘Shaam’ Raafiu, finished a close second scoring only half a point less, and walked away with MVR 5,000 (US$324). Third place and MVR 2,500 (US$162) went to Ali ‘JD’ Javid, while Ijazulla ‘Ija’ Shareef took home the ‘rookie’ award.

“I didn’t know this would happen. I thought you know it’s really competitive, I didn’t expect this. Today it was really good, really strong and nice waves. Overall [my performance] was pretty good, but in the final I got really panicked because I didn’t get really good waves. I thought I’d place second. I’m really shocked,” MBBA founder and competition winner Ali ‘Kuda Ayya’ Khushruwan told Minivan News.

“I also didn’t know that my dad competed. The first day I told him don’t go, it’s going to be really big,” said Kuda Ayya. “It’s really nice, crazy, everyone came here to support me. I didn’t know that everyone would come, my friends and family, everyone was supporting [wearing ‘Kuda Ayya’ t-shirts],” he gushed.

Second and third place winners Shaam and JD were beaming after their performance in the final and craving the next competition.

“Waves today were really good. We didn’t think we’d get this size of waves. At the beginning [of the competition] it was good, but the waves were awesome for the final,” Shaam told Minivan News.

“It was very heavy and shallow, with a strong current and backwash. All the conditions are very difficult because this area is closed,” JD told Minivan News.

Both Sham and JD are “trying for first place the next time” and explained that competition is always a friendly amongst the Maldivian bodyboarders because “it’s a very close knit group”.

Kuda Ayya is also excited to compete in the for the next MBBA competition, planned to take place in June on Villingili Island, which neighbors Male’.

“It’s going to be good, really fun, it’s really hollow and really shallow. We have to be really careful, but it’s competition,” said Kuda Ayya.

Twenty-two bodyboarders faced off over 18 heats, with the best two from each heat automatically advancing to the next round, while the bottom two had a chance to participate in the requalifying rounds. Ultimately, eight bodyboarders advanced to the semi-final and four to the final yesterday.

Rough rides at Raalhugandu

Although regulars make carving the waves at raalhugandu look easy, the reef break is not for the faint of heart.

“If you can surf here, you can surf anywhere in the Maldives,” a local surfer explained.

Bodyboarders had to contend with a reef break plagued by strong currents, rip tides, backwash, a very shallow reef, all in an area less than a kilometer wide.

“You have to be very careful. It’s really hard to learn here [at raalhugandu], because it’s a reef break and really shallow – waist high where the waves break,” said Kuda Ayya.

“This break is pretty, it’s like when it’s big, it’s really good for bodyboarders, the waves are really strong and hollow. We need a critical, strong lip for maneuvers – like backflips which are my favorite,” Kuda Ayya explained. “But it’s a really small space.”

“In 2000 the artificial beach was made, that’s why it’s really small. Previously we had really long waves. It was really good spot in the 1980’s and 1990’s but what to do,” he lamented. “[Now] it’s really bad. I think the bodyboarding and surfing community is really small, that’s why they [the government] didn’t care and they did this.”

Although Raalhugandu can break big, after Kuda Ayya’s first round, first heat win earlier this week, he discussed having to compete on small waves.

“The heat went pretty good, the thing is the waves are pretty small [today], but I think it’s going to be fine,” Kuda Ayya said. “Actually it’s really hard to take the speed and doing the rolls and things, you have to paddle for the rolls and forward spins. It’s really difficult, but what to do,” Kuda Ayya told Minivan News the first day of competition.

Kuda Ayya is a Male’ local with 12 years of bodyboarding experience, including winning first place in international competitions held in Malaysia and New South Wales, Australia. He took first place in 2012’s Australia’s Senior Men’s Open, competing for the New South Wales team.

Raalhugandu regulars

“The MBBA plans to hold four or five contests yearly,” MBBA Media Coordinator Hassan ‘Rushh’ Rasheed told Minivan News.

“This is the first competition, so I think it’s pretty big. You can see lots of spectators,” he added.

Maldivian bodyboarders and surfers work together closely, especially raalhugandu regulars, and this was evident during the very well organised bodyboarding competition.

Five International Surf Association (ISA) certified judges – also local surfers – scored the competition.

“Although the maneuvers are different, the judging criteria is the same,” a competition judge told Minivan News.

“The Maldives Surfing Association (MSA) and MBBA we are together and work together. MSA is the governing body, but I think next year MBBA might change to a bodyboarding governing body,” explained Kuda Ayya.

The Burunu Shikaaru Bodyboarding Challenge was the first event held by the MBBA, which had its first round of elections February 10 and was registered February 11 with 40 new members. To compete in the competition bodyboarders had to be an member of MBBA.

The bodyboarding challenge was sponsored by Sonee Sports, the Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM), and travel company, ‘I (heart) Maldives’.

The newly-formed MBBA’s mission is to help local bodyboarders of all ages get started and build a career in the sport. They aim to raise awareness, support, and promote bodyboarding throughout the Maldives.

Given the intimate relationship bodyboarders, and surfers, have with the ocean, the MBBA also plans to organise beach cleaning projects on islands throughout the country with local bodyboarders and surfers.

Joining MBBA only requires MVR 150 (US$10) and an application form, and membership has the bonus perks of a member identification card, event t-shirts, and “hopefully” surf shops and coffee shop discounts.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

HSBC appoints new CEO for Sri Lanka, Maldives operations

Patrick Gallagher has assumed the role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the HSBC bank group’s operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Gallagher is said to have began his new role with “immediate effect”, the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka newspaper reported today.

Gallagher, who since November 2009 has headed up HSBC’s operations in Bahrain, will be replacing Nick Nocolau as CEO for the company’s operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)