Month: November 2013

Maldives reaches one million tourists target for 2013

The Maldives has reached one million tourist arrivals for the current year, with the Tourism Ministry announcing that 1,000,203 had visited the country as of Monday (November 25).

The Maldivian government had narrowly failed to reach this milestone target in 2012, after a year of political turmoil and an economic slump in key markets.

“It’s a major victory for the whole country,” recently re-appointed Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb was quoted as telling media yesterday.

“This victory has been made possible amidst boycott campaigns and other such obstacles. Resort owners, ministry employees and MMPRC have worked really hard for this.”

Repeated delays to the scheduled presidential elections recently brought threats of prolonged strike actions from leading tourism industry groups, including the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM).

In late October the People’s Majlis accepted a bill that would criminalise any actions calling for a tourism boycott, supporting or endorsing a boycott, participating in a boycott, or any act that would incite fear amongst tourists.

Previously this month, the Finance Ministry revealed that “political turmoil” had caused growth in the tourism industry to stall in 2012, though it did anticipate that the sector – responsible for around 28 percent of GDP in each of the past five years – would return to growth this year.

The Tourism Ministry revealed yesterday that the “Maldives received 925,413 tourists at the end of October 2013 and 783,999 tourists at the end of October 2012, which is an increase of 18% compared to the same period of last year.”

“A total 284,926 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives which is 30.8% of the total arrivals to the Maldives and is the highest arrival from a single source market,” continued the ministry’s press release.

The large numbers of Chinese arrivals to the country’s idyllic resorts, the Finance Ministry has suggested previously, was increasing arrivals whilst reducing the relative value of the industry.

“As the most number of tourists to the country now come from China, we note that the low number of nights on average that a Chinese tourist spends in the Maldives has an adverse effect on the tourism sector’s GDP,” read the Finance Ministry’s ‘Fiscal and Economic Outlook: 2012 to 2016’ statement this month.

Recent tourism statistics show that, whilst there was a slight growth in European arrivals this year, the overall share of the market is now dominated by Asia.

Prominent resort owner and leader of the government-aligned Maldivian Development Alliance Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam has blamed the relative decline in the European market on the state’s failure to properly market the destination.

The official hashtag of London’s World Travel Market was hijacked by Maldivian pro-democracy activists this month, making global headlines by linking prominent resort owners with the overthrow of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

A similar tactic was used by anti-government protesters in 2012 as the government re-launched the ‘Sunny side of life’ slogan that had been temporarily replaced under Nasheed’s tenure.

In order to celebrate the one million tourist milestone, the Ministry of Tourism together with Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation and the Airport Reps Association of Maldives will be holding a week of celebrations at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport between December 25 to December 31.

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Supreme Court questions MDP Lawyer Hisaan Hussain over alleged contempt of court

The Supreme Court has questioned opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) lawyer Hisaan Hussein today for alleged contempt of court.

On September 24, the Supreme Court suspended Hisaan from defending the Elections Commission (EC) in the apex court’s hearings into a case filed by Jumhooree Party (JP) to annul the first round of presidential elections held on September 7.

The Supreme Court letter posted by Hisaan at the time stated that she had been barred from appearing before the court as her remarks “in the media as well as social media” had allegedly “diminished the dignity” of the court and were under investigation.

The letter also accused Hisaan of criticizing a Supreme Court order to delay the second round of polls until a verdict in the vote annulment case is issued.

The MDP’s Hassan Latheef and Election Commission’s (EC) Husnu Suood were also suspended.

Expressing concern over the Supreme Court’s investigation, Hisaan said: “It is deeply concerning when a court investigates lawyers. The constitution guarantees freedom of speech to all citizens without discrimination.”

Hisaan said she had told the Supreme Court that she respects the court system and that she had not disrespected the courts in any manner.

The Supreme Court had told her they would summon her later to sign her statement, she added.

The Supreme Court annulled the September 7 polls based on a secret police document that the EC was not allowed to respond to and issued several guidelines dictating the electoral process. The EC has criticized the guidelines as “restrictions” that limit the EC’s powers.

EC President Fuwad Thowfeek has also slammed the evidence used by the Supreme Court to annul the vote as “baseless.”

Meanwhile, the UN has conducted an expert UN review of the secret police report and said the September 7 poll was “all inclusive, there was no disenfranchisement and the quality of the voter register met international standards.”

UN Assistant Seceretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez- Taranco joined the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in expressing deep concern over the conduct of the Supreme Court.

Several MDP MPs are currently on trial for contempt of court. The Criminal Court held a hearing yesterday against MP Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy for alleged contempt of court.

Fahmy’s lawyer Masthoor Husny said the regulation criminalizing contempt of court had expired in 2011.

Private broadcaster Raajje TV is also under investigation for criticizing the Supreme Court.

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Ahmed Farish Maumoon made state minister

The President’s Office has confirmed the appointment of Ahmed Farish Maumoon as the Minister of State for Economic Development.

Farish is the son of former President and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gayoom’s daughter Dunya – formerly state minister for foreign affairs under the previous administration – was appointed to the cabinet as foreign minister last week.

The names of the first cabinet ministers proposed by the newly elected President Abdulla Yameen – Gayoom’s half-brother – were forwarded for the approval of the People’s Majlis today.

The proposed appointments include Umar Naseer as Home Minister, Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed as Islamic Minister, Dr Mohamed Muiz as Housing and Infrastructure Minister, Dr Mohamed Shainy as Fisheries and Agriculture Minister, Mohamed Saeed as Economic Development Minister and Thoriq Ibrahim as Environment and Energy Minister.

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President Yameen vows not to interfere with judicial processes before calling for cases to be expedited

President Abdulla Yameen has stated that his administration will not interfere in the judicial process,  while also calling on authorities to expedite both the investigation and prosecution of pending cases.

“We will not try to influence the judiciary to rule on any case in any certain way,” said the president, addressing supporters at a PPM coalition rally held on Sunday night under the title of ‘Thank you, nation’.

“My government is not one that will pressurize the judiciary to rule on any case in any particular way. We will not do such a thing. However, the cases pending at courts must be expedited. This is a personal right constitutionally guaranteed to every citizen,” Yameen stated,

“Even tonight, I call to expedite any cases against a child or person. What the state can do to facilitate this is to ensure we provide the facilities needed to do this,” Yameen said.

Parliament

Yameen spoke about the no-confidence vote against Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz – who subsequently resigned this afternoon – saying that members are appointed to independent institutions with trust placed in them, but that the current parliament removes them if they are dissatisfied regardless of whether any fault is found.

He commented on the work of the parliament, saying that although the state is working with loyalty and is aiming to protect the constitution, the parliament has the complete authority to send a particular person back home if they are displeased with him for any reason, regardless of whether or not they can pinpoint the reasons for it.

He then went on to say that when no-confidence motions are passed against senior leaders of independent institutions, their reason for dismissal and their faults must be laid out for all to see, adding that the current parliament did not seem to share his viewpoint.

“While the government is looking at providing services to the public, and at fulfilling the larger policies included in our manifesto, we require the institutions to be able to match us step for step and walk alongside us. If not, the complete development that I speak of cannot be brought to the Maldives,” he stated.

Nasheed Administration

Speaking at the rally, President Yameen announced that the various allegations made against members of the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed will be investigated by “specific state institutions created for the purpose”, and that the current government will not be involved in the process.

Yameen spoke of the importance of leaving behind the mindset where the opposition are viewed as enemies, and highlighted the importance of working together with even those who differ in political views. He said that, despite differences in political opinions, one must forgive others.

“There is an Auditor General. There is an Anti-Corruption Commission. Thankfully, the judiciary is an institution we have trust in. Neither our party nor I believe these are matters that I need to interfere in,” he stated.

While noting that there are many needs of the citizens, the president said that the main thing the people desired was peace and stability. He commended the first days of his government, claiming they had demonstrated an exemplary conduct of working in unity and refraining from envy and enmity.

Local council and parliamentary elections

The upcoming elections for the local councils and parliament were also discussed, with Yameen stating that during contests, citizens would not judge the government by the fluency of their political rhetoric, but by the level of stability maintained in the country and the speed at which their needs are met.

“Regardless of how little time there is, with Allah’s will we have begun some work. Our work is to ensure that in the coming local council elections, our work is done in a manner that will be accepted by the citizens,” Yameen stated.

Vice President Jameel also stated that the PPM coalition will “employ the same formula used to win the presidential election to achieve a sweeping win with a large majority in the upcoming local council and parliamentary elections”.

Jameel stated that while the “formula” is based on three concepts, the main and most important one is unity amongst separate political parties.

“This is a success that was gained for the protection of this country. A success gotten for the sake of protecting the religion of Islam. If we are to offer thanks for this success in the coming days, we must listen to that prayer of the people. The thanks can be given by not forgetting to deliver the major things we must provide for the citizens,” Jameel told the gathered supporters.

He added that the biggest fear in Maldivian hearts is that Islam might be eradicated from the country, pledging to appoint Quran teachers for every Maldivian school in the next 14 days in an attempt to prevent this from happening.

The vice president added that the Yameen administration had also begun work to establish an Islamic University in the country.

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MP Easa withdraws bill reducing penalty for refusal to provide urine

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Easa has withdrawn a bill reducing the penalty for refusal to provide urine from a one year jail term to 15 days in jail.

Easa proposed the amendment to the Drugs Act after the Criminal Court sought to prosecute MDP MPs Abdulla Jabir and Hamid Abdul Ghafoor for refusal to provide urine when they were arrested on Hondaidhoo Island in August 2012.

If convicted with a one-year jail term, the two MPs may lose their parliamentary seats.

At the time, the MDP accused the judiciary of “purging” MDP MPs from parliament in order to influence the party’s simple majority in parliament ahead of several no-confidence motions against ministers of former President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Easa said he had withdrawn the bill due to criticism from his own party and because he believes the police will be more professional with the election of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

The Criminal Court’s Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed has sentenced Hamid to six months in jail for disobedience to order after he refused to obey court summons to attend a refusal to provide urine trial.

Hamid contends the court summons were issued in violation of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act which prohibits the judiciary from scheduling hearings during Majlis work hours.

Hamid had sought refuse inside the People’s Majlis when the six month jail term was issued. The MDP then amended the parliament’s standing orders to allow an MP convicted of criminal acts to continue to attend Majlis sittings.

The Home Ministry transferred Hamid to house arrest in mid November and Hamid has now left the parliament after four weeks.

New Home Minister Umar Naseer has said enforcing Hamid’s jail sentence would be difficult as the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Department (DPRS) does not have the facilities to transport Hamid back and forth from Maafushi Island jail to Malé.

“We have to arrange a speed boat to bring him to every single session if he is kept in a jail outside Malé. We may have to bring him two or three times a day,” he told local newspaper Haveeru.

Furthermore, Naseer explained that incarcerating Hamid in the Malé City jail was not an option because the jail was at full capacity.

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Prosecutor General resigns before no-confidence debate

Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizzu has today tendered his resignation, shortly before parliament was set to debate a no-confidence motion against him.

The President’s Office has confirmed that Muiz wrote to newly elected President Abdulla Yameen, following through on a previous promise not to allow the censure motion to reach the floor of the house.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) filed the motion against Muiz on October 24, claiming that that he had failed to take action against the police and the military officers who mutinied against former President Mohamed Nasheed on February 2012.

Parliament was scheduled to discuss the motion at 1:30pm today. The MDP currently holds a simple majority in parliament, recently using its position to secure the removal of Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukoor in the final days of the Waheed administration.

The MDP in its statement argued that the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) report had given clear evidence of gross misconduct by the police and the military on February 7 and 8 2012, which included brutalizing protesters and undermining fundamental rights guaranteed to the people by the constitution.

The party alleged that the PG – despite having the power, authority, and the mandate to look into such actions – had failed to take any action against the wrongdoing noted in the CoNI report.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has also alleged that Muiz’s independence and impartiality had been compromised in return for his job security.

The PG is constitutionally required to act independently and impartially, with only general policy directives from the AG.

After the original hearings of the Majlis Independent Institutions Committee was disrupted by pro-government MPs, Muiz produced a written response to the charges earlier this month, maintaining that he had always executed his responsibilities in accordance with the constitution and Islamic Sharia.

President Yameen is now required to appoint to the post an individual approved by the majority of the total membership of the People’s Majlis.

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Goverment to amend Decentralisation Act

The Government has proposed an amendment to the Decentralisation Act in a bid to cut spending on the Civil Service.

The Act, regarding local councils, currently ensures that five council members must be elected for every island with less than 3000 people, while islands with more than 3000 people are entitled to seven councilors.

In cities, one councilor is elected for each constituency.

The proposed amendment amalgamates the island and atoll councils to a limited extent.

Individuals may belong to both councils, and there will no longer be separate elections for the atoll councils.

Ibrahim Muaz, spokesman for the President’s Office, said, “the president’s thinking is not to cut-down on the number of councilors. But to elect councilors based on the population of the islands. This is a move to curb State expenditure.”

The government hopes to implement the amendment before the local council elections in January.

However, Moosa Manik, MP for Hulhu-Henveiru and Chair of the Parliamentary National Security Committee, warned that it may be impossible to implement the changes before January.

The committee has recently passed other local council reforms, including designating any island with more than 10 000 people a city (currently 25 000) and inviting the president of the women’s committee into council.

The Maldivian Democratic Party had proposed similar legislation in 2010, aiming to cut down on administrative costs by establishing seven provinces in place of the twenty-one atoll system.

The bill was shot down by opposition MPs, mostly from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party, on the grounds that the proposed changes were unconstitutional.

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PPM fought whole world to win the election: ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam

Resort owner and government-aligned politician Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam has said that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) won the presidential election by fighting the entire international community.

“We had to fight with the whole world to win the presidential election. The EU, made up of 30 countries, the Commonwealth, our neighbouring countries, and several organisations were against us,” Shiyam was quoted as saying by Sun Online – party of the MP’s Sun Media Group.

Shiyam’s Maldivian Development Alliance formed an alliance with the PPM going into the repeatedly-delayed presidential polls, supporting the eventual winner Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

“Even the UN was working 24 hours to make sure that we lose the election,” Shiyam was quoted as telling a rally in Male’ yesterday evening.

The annulment of the first round of the presidential election – held on September 7 – was followed by further delays to the rescheduled poll, bringing strong criticism from international actors, whose observer missions had found no problems with the initial vote.

After conducting its own review of the a secret police intelligence report purported to demonstrate voting irregularities, the UN argued that there was no disenfranchisement and that the voter register had met with international standards.

Newly elected President Yameen, meanwhile, struck a more conciliatory tone yesterday, assuring the Indian Prime Minister of his administration’s desire for enhanced bilateral ties.

Writing to Manmohan Singh, the President’s Office website reported Yameen as emphasising that “diverse Indo-Maldives people-to-people contact offers avenues for further cooperation”.

Yameen also urged Singh to pay an official visit to the Maldives as soon as it was mutually convenient to do so.

The Maldives’ traditionally close ties with India came under increasing strain under the previous government – of which the PPM was a prominent partner. The cancellation of a deal to develop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport  in December 2012 was a particularly  contentious issue.

During a visit to India in June, former President and PPM leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom told the Indian PM of his disappointment that the Maldives’ relationship with India had been impacted upon by the then-government’s decision to evict GMR from the country with seven days notice.

“This was a mistake. Had he consulted all political parties, the public would not have formed the impression that corruption had taken place,” Gayoom was reported as saying in the Hindu.

The cancellation of the project is currently being investigated in a Singapore court of arbitration, with the Indian infrastructure company seeking US$1.4 billion in compensation – more than the Maldives’ annual budget.

The government’s sudden eviction of the Indian investor was quickly followed by a list of 11 grievances handed to all senior Maldivian reporters by the Indian High Commission in January this year.

The list included concerns such as discrimination against Indian expatriates and the confiscation of passports by Maldivian employers.

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New Attorney-General appointed

The new Attorney-General, Uz Mohamed Anil, took his oath of office on Thursday evening at the President’s office.

Mohamed Anil was appointed by President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom, and took his oath before Supreme Court Judge Uz Abdulla Areef.

Mohamed Anil will also sit on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as per Article 158 (i) of the Constitution.

This marks the final appointment of the President’s Cabinet.

President Yameen’s Cabinet
Minister of Defense and National Security, Retired Colonel Mohamed Nazim
Minister of Finance and Treasury, Abdulla Jihad
Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Adheeb (PPM)
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dunya Maumoon (PPM)
Minister of Transport and Communication, Ameen Ibrahim (Jumhoree Party)
Minister of Home Affairs, Umar Naseer
Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed (Adhaalath Party)
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Mohamed Muiz (Adhaalath Party)
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr Mohamed Shainy
Minister of Economic Development, Mohamed Saeed (Jumhoree Party)
Minister of Environment and Energy, Thoriq Ibrahim
Minister of Education, Dr Aishath Shiham (PPM)
Minister of Health and Gender, Dr Mariyam Shakeela
Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal (PPM)
Attorney General Mohamed Anil

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