Day: December 31, 2013

Ex CSC Chair seeks compensation for “financial loss and psychological trauma”

Former President of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Mohamed Fahmy Hassan has filed charges against the state seeking compensation for losses after the People’s Majlis dismissed him from his position.

Fahmy was removed from his post through a no-confidence vote after a parliament committee investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of a female employee.

But the Supreme Court later overturned the Parliament’s decision, deeming it “unlawful”.

An official of the Civil Court confirmed receipt of the case, but declined from providing details.

Meanwhile, local media have reported that Fahmy has sued the state for MVR 7 million (USD 456,029) for psychological trauma and the financial loss that the decision of the parliament had cost him.

He further added that the damage it caused to his reputation has made it difficult for him to obtain other employment.

However, incumbent President Abdulla Yameen has appointed Fahmy as the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia. The post is equivalent to the post of Deputy Minister. Hence, tehe Civil Court has asked Fahmy to resubmit his case without the reference to the difficulty in obtaining employment, local media reported.

Background

Police sent the case against Fahmy to the Prosecutor General’s Office in August 2012, requesting for charges to be pressed against him for sexual harassment. The PGO returned the case to the police, requesting further clarification.

In November 2012, parliament voted out Fahmy with 38 votes against 32.

Chair of the Independent Commissions Oversight Committee Mohamed Nasheed had said at the time with regard to the committee’s investigation of the matter that the committee had applied widely accepted civil standards.

“We have oversight mandate over the CSC and do not need to conduct a criminal investigation. Based on our findings, 7 out of 10 committee members decided that it is more likely that Fahmy had committeed this act than that he did not. And that is enough to remove him from the post,” Nasheed had said.

However, the Supreme Court overruled the parliamentary decision in March 2013.

Fahmy continued to go into work even after the parliament voted him out and a new Chair was appointed to the commission.

By mid-September 2013, the commission finally revoked Fahmy access to its offices, cancelling his fingerprint access on the offices’ security systems until the parliament and apex court overcame the impasse over his membership.

The commission also withheld his pay from September onwards, on the advice of Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim.

Just over a week after President Yameen assumed office, he appointed Fahmy as the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia.

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JP fined MVR 17,000 over “dead members”

The Elections Commission has fined the Jumhooriee Party (JP) MVR 17,000 (USD 1108) in December for submitting three party membership forms ‘signed’ by deceased people.

A press release by the commission states that the fine is levied under the Political Parties Act.

According to the Elections Commission website, the JP currently has a total of 14,330 members.

The Commission has previously brought cases of membership forms being submitted in the names of the deceased, or under other fraudulent terms, to the notice of the police.

They have previously noted that political parties submitted a higher number of fraudulent forms at the time when the parties held membership drive campaigns following the parliament was working to pass a bill stating that a party must consist of a minimum of 10,000 members to be officially registered.

The commission has previously revealed in 2012 that then President Mohamed Waheed’s party had submitted 80 percent fraudulent membership forms.

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Thilafushi Corporation’s MD and board members dismissed

Thilafushi Corporation Limited (TLC) Managing Director Ilham Idrees and four other members of its board have been dismissed from their positions.

A statement released by the Privatization and Corporatization Board stated that Idrees has been replaced with Abdulla Saleeh Jaleel as TLC’s Managing Director. The Board did not provide a reason for the dismissal of any of the board members.

Ilham Idrees was appointed to the post by former President Mohamed Waheed Hassan during his term in office.

It further stated that board members Ahmed Rasheed Hussain, Adam Thaufeeq, Ali Rasheed Ibrahim and Ahmed Musthafa have also been dismissed.

The Privatization and Corporatization board – mandated with privatizing and corporatizing state enterprises, and monitoring and evaluating them – is compiled of seven members appointed by the President.

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Coalition will overcome “ordinary” rifts: Gayoom

Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom has disregarded claims of rifts in the current government coalition as “ordinary”, expressing confidence that disputes will be sorted out in the near future.

Coalition partner Jumhooree Party (JP) had expressed dissatisfaction regarding the PPM’s failure to consult the party in compiling the state budget for 2014.

“It is understandable that sometimes, on particular matters, misunderstandings within a coalition may arise. That is how it happens in all parts of the world,” Gayoom said, addressing media upon return to the Maldives from a personal trip to Malaysia.

He stated that in general, the leaders of the coalition parties shared a “strong sense of unity and a spirit of working together”. He assured supporters that he would “wisely take on smoothing out any discord there may be within the coalition”.

While Gayoom speaks of solving issues within the coalition, his half-brother President Abdulla Yameen and JP leader Gasim Ibrahim – whose support was crucial in PPM winning the presidential election – have exchanged harsh criticism against each other regarding the proposed budget for 2014.

Deputy leaders of both parties have dismissed the claims that a rift existed within the coalition.

Upcoming elections

Gayoom further confirmed that as the main party in the coalition, PPM is currently working on assigning constituencies to the coalition partners for the upcoming elections, adding that it will be assigned as was agreed during the formation of the coalition for the presidential election.

PPM is competing in the upcoming elections together with coalition partners JP and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).

PPM had promised the JP over 30 per cent of cabinet positions, parliamentary seats and local council seats in exchange for their support in the presidential election.

Earlier in November, Gasim expressed concern about the governing party’s failure to fulfill its promises to the JP, adding that it may be because the PPM “is hectically engaged in other government matters”. Stating that he did not believe Yameen or Gayoom would “deprive JP of benefits”, Gasim stated then that he had sent a letter to the PPM’s leader asking for clarification of what the JP is entitled to.

The fourth party in the coalition, religious conservative Adhaalath Party – after having recently dismissed rumours of it leaving the alliance – has announced that it will be contesting in the elections separate from the coalition.

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MDP asked for cancellation of Nasheed trial: Adheeb

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) deputy leader and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb has said the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) asked for cancellation of criminal charges against former President Mohamed Nasheed in exchange for MDP endorsing cabinet ministers.

Nasheed has been charged with the unlawful arrest of a Criminal Court chief judge Abdulla Mohamed. The case is still pending.

MDP International Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor has dismissed Adheeb’s claims, terming them “nothing but blatant lies”.

Adeeb alleged that the MDP had raised Nasheed’s personal interest over national interest in discussions held between the two political parties ahead of the parliamentary vote to endorse cabinet ministers.

The People’s Majlis voted to endorse President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s cabinet yesterday. Six MDP members voted against a three whip line in endorsing eight ministers who MDP had rejected claiming they are ministers of “the coup government.”

Describing Nasheed as a man who “raised self-interest above all with no consideration towards national good”, Adeeb claimed that MDP had “reverted back to it’s old manners”.

“Instead of that exemplary behaviour, what we saw was that the party wants to revert back to its old manners and return to the past. Every time we tried to sit down with MDP and talk about endorsing our government’s ministers, they set the condition that we must recall the case against Nasheed. But we are not a government who will form commission upon commission and engage in digging up people’s past,” Adeeb said in a press briefing on Monday.

“Despite some MDP parliamentarians failing to work responsibly, the brave decision to vote in favour by some among those MPs who have deep-rooted love for the nation made it possible for all our ministers to become endorsed,” Adeeb stated.

“While I won’t accuse all of them, some among MDP attempted to inhibit the development we are trying to bring to this country, and to decrease investor confidence. However, the parliament vote has demonstrated the fact that our party is going steadily forward. That we will bring about the development that the citizens yearn for,” he stated.

Prior to Monday’s vote, President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali had also expressed confidence that the ministers will receive sufficient votes from the parliament, saying at the time that “the government has a very good understanding with the leadership of MDP.”

He added then that the MDP had “put forward a number of suggestions”, but refused to reveal details of the discussion.

“Blatant lies”: MDP

MDP has meanwhile dismissed Adeeb’s allegations as “blatant lies”.

“Adeeb’s comments are nothing but blatant lies. To my knowledge, no one from this party has brought up some a topic or condition with any other person ever. We have set no conditions in discussions about ministers endorsement,” the party’s International Spokesperson Hamid told Minivan News today.

Hamid added that there has been “no formal negotiation between the parties, although there have been unofficial discussions between politicians from over the political spectrum”.

“Over a 1000 regular members of MDP have been placed in detention after the coup d’etat of February 2012, with a wide range of fabricated charges raised against them. I have heard of discussions about this matter between politicians of various parties. MDP does have an expectation that these people must be freed and allowed to return to their normal lives now that there is an elected government in place. They have done no wrong, and the charges against them were fabricated after they were arrested for exercising their right to demonstrate,” Hamid explained.

Former President Nasheed has also dismissed Adeeb’s allegations as false.

“To my knowledge, no such conditions were put forward. This is clear even from MDP parliamentary group’s whipline in the vote,” he is quoted as saying in local media Haveeru.

In Monday’s parliamentary vote to endorse ministers, MDP had enforced a three line whip against voting for 8 of the 15 cabinet ministers, while a free whip had been released in voting for the remaining 7.

A number of parliamentarians had breached the party’s whipline, resulting in the endorsement of all cabinet ministers. One of these members – Mohamed Rasheed – has since joined ruling party PPM.

The MDP leadership has announced that it will reveal the form of action to be taken against those who voted against the whipline after further investigation of the matter.

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