Day: August 3, 2013

President Waheed hands flats to ‘top 50’ police, promises more

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has expressed hope that more housing will be made exclusively available for police and military officers, while speaking at a ceremony to hand over 50 flats on Hulhumale’ to law enforcement officials yesterday (August 2).

Speaking at last night’s ceremony in Male’, the president said the whole nation should recognise the role that the police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) played towards maintaining law, order and national security. He also called on officers to “uphold the constitution” and help ensure a peaceful election next month.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) meanwhile has raised concerns whether the 50 flats – which it contends forms part of the “Veshi Fahi” Male’ (decongestion) project launched under the previous government in 2011 – were being given to the “needy” and most deserving.

Since President Waheed’s government came to power during the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012, which followed a mutiny by sections of the police and military, more than 1000 officers have been promoted, while 110 new police officers were hired.

A housing scheme was also introduced for police officers, with 300 flats to be constructed in Hulhumale’, arrangements were made for cheap accommodation in Sri Lanka for police officers and their families and a loan scheme was set up for police officers.

According to the President’s Office website, while handing over 50 flats to specially selected officers yesterday, Dr Waheed also praised the majority of police officers who had served the nations for a long period of time under “difficult living conditions”.

He also praised Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz, who took office following a mutiny by certain officers that led to former President Mohamed Nasheed’s resignation in February 2012, for the “developmental achievements” to the institution made during his tenure.

Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that the 50 officers presented with housing were required to undergo an “internal” selection procedure, based on specific criteria outlined by the institution itself.

Haneef explained that all officers who applied for the housing were then judged on a points system using the aforementioned internal criteria, with the “top 50” officers being selected.

“Big concern”, MDP claims

MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said it was “very concerning” that police should be given flats exclusively, to the detriment of teachers, doctors and other civilians. He also questioned how officers themselves had been selected for the process.

“The intention for these flats was for the needy and people who deserved them. This is why these flats were built,” he added.

Ghafoor claimed that while some of the officers may have deserved the housing, which he said had been set aside from the “Veshi Fahi” Male’ program established under the former government, there was concern that some officers involved in last year’s mutiny had been rewarded with flats.

President Waheed awarded the housing days after Commissioner Riyaz declared that police will continue to refuse any orders the deemed “unconstitutional”.  The comments were made as Riyaz expressed concern over leaked proposals for reforming the country’s security forces allegedly devised by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) should it win the upcoming presidential election.

“I don’t want to say anything specifically about something that has been prepared politically or for a political purpose, but we do have a constitution and the MPS is an institution formed by the constitution,” he said, speaking just over a month ahead of the 2013 presidential election.

Proposals in the paper – leaked on social media earlier this month – include transferring the police to the authority of city councils, similar to the system in the US, while providing salaries and allowances of officers through the Local Government Authority (LGA).

The commissioner also rejected the professional capacity of individuals behind the reforms, which he claimed sought to “dismantle” and undermine the large role security services play in the country.

“I’d like to tell the MDP that they should clarify whether it is their policy or not. If it is their policy, it is of great concern. This [police] institution will be very concerned,” he said.

“Politicians should not try to play with this institution. Help this institution develop. Work to make this institution more responsible. To make it operationally accountable. Don’t use political influence to carry out political objectives through this institution.”

Riyaz alleged that certain senior government figures over the last three years had attempted to limit or weaken police in the country through the use of political influence that led to officers “straying from their path”.

He insinuated that police would not allow a similar event to happen again.

The opposition MDP have continued to question the legitimacy of the leaked reform proposals, claiming the party had no knowledge of such a document, despite backing the idea of a ”transitional arrangement” to reform the country’s security forces after last year’s power transfer.

The opposition party continues to maintain that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a “coup d’etat” after being forced to resign from office following a mutiny by sections of the police and military.

The allegations were later rejected by a Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) that ruled that there had been “no coup, no duress and no mutiny”, while also calling for action taken against unlawful acts committed by the country’s security forces following the transfer.

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Maldives police contemplate stationing officers in Sri Lanka, India

Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz has revealed plans are being discussed to station Maldivian officers in Sri Lanka and India from next year as part of efforts to curb the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country.

In an interview with Haveeru, Commissioner Riyaz said that considering the suspected heavy involvement of foreigners smuggling drugs into the Maldives, officers from the country may need to be based at Maldivian embassies in several neighbouring countries to try and curb the illegal trade.

Riyaz also spoke of the need to introduce rehabilitation programs in the country’s prisons.

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Maldives Development Alliance to hold coalition talks

The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) headed by local MP and business tycoon Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam is reportedly looking to form a coalition with which to contest the presidential election scheduled for next month.

MDA national council members present at a meeting held on Thursday (August 1) unanimously approved the decision to form a coalition, with an unnamed party official telling Shiyam’s Sun Online news service that the power-sharing talks were thought to involve the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

According to local media, a five-member committee has already been formed to discuss forming a coalition with the PPM, which is presently standing by itself with Parliamentary Group Leader MP Adulla Yameen as presidential candidate.

PPM vice presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and Spokesperson MP Ahmed Nihan were not responding to requests to clarify the report at time of press.

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Fifteen year-old’s appeal of flogging sentence for fornication stalled in High Court

State and judicial authorities have failed to provide a timeline for the appeal of a 15 year-old rape victim sentenced to flogging for a separate incidence of fornication, despite repeated pledges and promises of wider legal reform.

The 15 year-old minor from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll was convicted to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest in February 2013, after confessing to fornication with another man during an investigation into allegations she was sexually abused at the hands of her stepfather. Those allegations arose with the earlier discovery of a dead baby buried in the outdoor shower area of the family’s home.

A month after the sentence was delivered, sources on Feydhoo told Minivan News that islanders had been raising concerns to the authorities over the girl’s abuse by other men on the island since 2009.

Sources at the time accused law enforcement officials, civil society and successive governments of failing on every level to protect the minor.

Widespread international coverage of the sentencing has since led to over two million people signing an Avaaz.org petition calling for her sentence to be quashed, a moratorium on flogging, and reform of laws to protect women and girls in the Maldives.

Despite the country’s international reputation as an romantic island getaway for couples, fornication (sex outside marriage) is illegal in the Maldives and is subject to Sharia punishments under the 1968 penal code.

However, statistics from the Department of Judicial Administration show that flogging sentences are overwhelmingly issued to women. Of the 129 fornication cases filed last in 2011, 104 resulted in sentences – 93 of whom were female.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has dismissed calls to suspend Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed following the judge’s appearance in at least three recently-leaked sex videos appearing to depict him fornicating with unidentified foreign women in a Colombo Hotel room, citing “lack of evidence”.

15 year-old’s appeal stalled

The opening hearing of a High Court appeal of the girl’s flogging sentence, filed on her behalf by Attorney General Azima Shukoor, was held on April 29

The High Court has confirmed to Minivan News that there had been no further hearings in the three months since, and no further hearings scheduled.

However, a legal source speaking this week on condition of anonymity said the hearing in April was believed to have been the last, with the court expected to deliver a verdict on the case the next time it reconvened on the issue.  The appeal is being heard behind closed doors.

The flogging would be administered when the girl turns 18, although local media has previously cited a court official who claimed it could be implemented earlier should the minor request so.

Deputy Solicitor General Ahmed Usham confirmed that the sentence had not been carried out, and reiterated that no date had yet been set for a verdict on the minor’s appeal.

Usham added that a process to oversee legal reforms into the treatment of sexual abuse victims involving state bodies including the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Office was ongoing at present.

“Hopefully something concrete will be announced on this soon,” he said, but could not speculate on a timeline.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s government has previously pledged to review and “correct” laws it says victimise young women and minors who have suffered sexual abuse.

President’s Office Spokesperson Masood Imad previously expressed hope that the use of punishments such as flogging would be among practices debated as part of reforms.

“I’m sure when we debate [punishing suspects for fornication with lashes], we will find an acceptable solution for all parties,” he said.

More recently, the President’s Office said current legal practices involving the treatment of victims of sexual offences could not be changed overnight, and required gradual implementation.

“We cannot go any faster on the matter than this, we don’t want to see any trouble like in the past. We can’t just go and ask a judge not to [give sentences like this] anymore,” Masood said in May.

The President’s Office today confirmed that Dr Waheed had established a “special committee” as part of efforts to try and oversee the requested legal reforms, referring any specific questions on its work to Spokesperson Ahmed ‘Topy’ Thaufeeq.

Thaufeeq was not responding to calls or text messages at time of press.

Recently appointed Gender Minister Dr Aamaal Ali meanwhile requested Minivan News contact the office of former Gender Minister and current AG Azima Shukoor concerning the current status of attempts to reform laws on the treatment of sexual abuse victims.

Azima was not responding to calls or e-mails to her office at time of press.

Local newspaper Haveeru meanwhile last weekend interviewed the judiciary’s official flogger, Abdul Khalig.

“According to his memory, Khalig has enforced flogging sentences of over 300 people which amounts to thousands of lashes with his leather whip,” reported Haveeru.

“But Khalig to this day remains hesitant when it comes to flogging the elderly given their age. But he assures that no old person mostly sentenced for fornication and child abuse had come to any harm as a direct result of the flogging.

“No matter who the person is, this must be done. It is not a cruel punishment. Only one woman fainted whilst I was flogging her,” Khalig told the paper.

“I notice that people who have been flogged, repent and live good lives afterwards. Because this such a small society I see it quite often. People who have been flogged for fornication later go on to live very good lives,” he said, adding that he was now hoping “to impart what he has learned to the next generation before he retires.”

15 year-old’s case “tip of the iceberg”: Amnesty International

Speaking to Minivan News at the conclusion of a nine day visit to the country in April, Amnesty’s South Asia Director Polly Truscott claimed the treatment and controversial flogging sentence handed to the 15 year-old girl was the “tip of the iceberg” regarding the Maldives’ treatment of sexual abuse victims.

Earlier the same month, Maldivian NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) criticised child protection measures currently in place in the country as “inadequate”, urging government authorities to incorporate several key human rights obligations into domestic law.

ARC at the time told Minivan News that although the Maldives has signed and agreed to be legally bound by the provisions in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols, the commitments have yet to be adopted into law.

Minivan News meanwhile in June investigated reports of “widespread” child prostitution being conducted in Laamu Atoll, and was informed by a private clinical psychologist that the practice had become “so common” that the victims considered it “normal”.

Multiple sources told Minivan News the practice has prevalent across the Maldives, ranging from male benefactors grooming children with ‘gifts’ to parents actively selling the sexual services of their children – some as young as 12.

Official and public acknowledgement of the “systemic” child sexual abuse remains taboo, although Azima Shukoor – then Family and Gender Minister – in a statement on May 10 to mark Children’s Day revealed that “children being used as sex workers, where the children are sent to places as a means to pleasure people and to gain an income from such a trade. This is being practiced in the Maldives today. Both boys and girls are being used in this trade.”

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Comment: Eyes on the Maldives

In a month’s time on September 7 the eyes of the world will once again be on the Maldives. The second Presidential election will be a test not just of the island’s young democracy but also the statesmanship of its politicians.

How they behave and whether they are magnanimous in victory or defeat will be crucial to the Maldives’ status as a tourist destination and its standing in the world.

As a journalist I have had the privilege of visiting the islands over the last decade and have witnessed their transition from a dictatorship to a democracy and their struggles since to make that democracy work. In 2009 I reported on the first Presidential election for the international press and still remember the euphoria on the streets of Male’ which greeted the election of former President Nasheed and his coalition government. It was a great time to be a Maldivian because the country was filled with hope and optimism for the future.

Since those heady days however, I have reported on too many stories which have cast the Maldives in a bad light. The Swiss couple mocked during their wedding vows, the flogging of a 15-year old girl and the shutting down of the islands spas. But it has been the ongoing political protests and sporadic but very damaging violence on the streets of Male’ which have done the islands’ reputation abroad most harm.

The Maldives remains a beacon of hope for many Islamic countries around the world who would like to move to democracy. They will be following the election closely to see if the country’s politicians act responsibly. So will the UN, US, EU, Commonwealth, Indian and the Chinese governments. Each will be looking for a candidate who can unite the country and they can ‘do business with’.

It is therefore vital that the elections are free and fair and this is verified by independent election observers. Any violence, boycotts or protests has the potential not just to mar the election result but also inward investment and the islands’ vital tourism industry for years to come. The Chinese market, now the biggest source of visitors to the islands, is particularly sensitive to political unrest.

Whatever the controversy surrounding the transfer of power last February, the Maldives now has the opportunity to start again with a clean slate. I have met each of the candidates and they have a lot to offer. Former President Nasheed has experience and charisma, Gasim and Yameen are very successful businessmen who would be a new start and President Waheed has proved he can put together a unity government. They also all have very talented running mates. Dr Luthfy is an educational reformer, Dr Saeed and Dr Jameel have a wealth of experience in government and Thasmeen is a philanthropist and businessman. This is a great pool of talent which whoever wins the election can draw upon to help transform the islands’ future.

The test of their ability to work together and compromise could come soon after the election on September 7 if, as seems likely, there is no clear winner in the first round. Coalition governments can be strong governments if politicians work together in the national interest and not in their own interest.

Unfortunately, the Maldives does not have a good record of doing this over the last four years. The Maldivian people deserve better than a coalition of politicians who can come together to oppose someone but then cannot work together to run a successful government.

To reassure the Maldivian people each of them should now make a public pledge to work together in the national interest. This means saying nothing before or after the election to destabilise the Maldives democracy, economy or its international standing in the world. It also means showing their support for the tourism industry, tackling extremism and encouraging their supporters to give the winning candidate a chance.

The Maldives democracy is still very young but the second Presidential election will be a key test of whether all its politicians can act with restraint and maturity. Looking on will be an anxious international community who want to see a free and fair election and a strong government. Failure to deliver it risks further isolating the Maldives politically and economically.

When contemplating their future over the next month, each candidate would do well to remember Winston Churchill’s famous maxim about democracy: “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.

Nicholas Milton is a freelance journalist. He has reported on the Maldives for the last decade for the Guardian and Daily Telegraph newspapers. His website is www.nicholas-milton.com

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]

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