Day: January 8, 2014

Q&A: Hamid Abdul Ghafoor MP – Henveiru South constituency

In a series of interviews to lead into the the 2014 parliamentary elections – scheduled for March 22nd – Minivan News will be conducting a series of interviews with incumbent MPs.

All 77 sitting members have been contacted, from across the political spectrum, to be asked a standardised set of questions with additional topicals. The interviews will be published as and when they are received.

As part of the series, Minivan News interviewed Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, MP for the Henveiru South constituency.

Ahmed Rilwan: What made you enter the political arena and how?

Hamid Abdul Ghafoor: In my case it was more about what I could do for the party. When I joined the MDP the first question I asked was what can I do for you. So I have been doing what the party – as collective – felt was the best thing I could do for the party. They recognize what I could do collectively.

I was studying in New Zealand when MDP was formed. I kept in touch through the internet, because I shared the same ideology.  In 2005 I returned to Maldives and when President Mohamed Nasheed started registration for the party at ‘Dhunfini Haruge,’ [MDP office] I signed on the first day.

AR: Based on your attendance and work in this ending term, how would you judge your performance as an MP?

HG: The biggest and most important privilege I had during my term was to introduce the Decentralisation Bill on the party’s behalf and to push and get it through. Because of that we came to have local councils, and that changed this country.

That the MDP tasked me with the lobbying of such an important bill shows its confidence in me. We got about 70 percent of the bill through, but we still have thirty percent more to go. For instance there is no fiscal decentralisation, it is a problem that I am very concerned about. Decentralisation is key to democracy and economic development.

We stood up against the coup, risking ourselves, even in terms of reputation. I believe even in future there is a role for activism, we are not beyond that. Some people find it difficult to understand MPs as activists, but I define myself as an activist even though I am an MP.

As an MP I stood up for members’ privileges. I’m not a supporter of material privileges, but the protecting the votes of citizens is more important for me. I see the vote I cast as a vote from my constituents. I was standing up for the legal protection of the members against their attempts to minimize the influence of MDP after the coup. They had charges against one third of our parliamentary group at different stages – with police, prosecutor general and in the courts. I stood up against that. I stayed 27 days in parliament, 10 days in house arrest and 2 days in jail

A great achievement of the MDP, myself included, is taking a parliament that was in an undemocratic culture into a democratic one. We contributed to establish a democratic culture with a democratic outlook.

This People’s Majlis passed more bills than any other in the parliamentary history of Maldives. This was a historic People’s Majlis. People became more aware of the role of MPs in national development, and I suspect it could be because of this that the opposition tried to damage the reputation of the Majlis and targeted its members. If there is an undemocratic culture they will target MPs, and standing up against this was an important achievement for me.

I worked in the Committee on Independent Institutions and the Social Affairs Committee, I was the Secretary General of the MDP Parliamentary Goup – to which I was elected each year for the past five years, I was the Chair of Media subcommittee in the Committee on Independent Institutions and the Social Affairs Committee, and the MDP disciplinary committee chair.

Within the party, in addition to being the former secretary general, I was a member of the Foreign Policy Committee and the party’s international spokesperson. I am the vice chair of the MDP Policy Committee, and currently chair of the  Disciplinary Committee.

All these is an indication of the amount of trust the party has in me. I believe that the party is bigger than the individual. I am one of many people who define this party. Changes can be brought not by myself individually, but collectively through working with others. I am a hundred percent party person.

AR: What are the main committees you were in? Which bills did you focus on?

HG: I am in two committees; one is the  Committee on Independent Institutions where I have lobbied for more funding for independent commissions because democracy will not kick in without empowerment of independent commissions. We need a democratic culture in the Maldives, and independent commissions play an important role in creating this. Their mandates were very narrow because the parliament came from an undemocratic culture.

MDP initially did not have a majority in this committee, but when the judicial transition went wrong – especially by making their qualifications a symbolic issue – the independent institutions committee was equally divided between MDP and the opposition, with independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed as chair. But considering the circumstances, the committee was reasonably successful.

The other one is the Social Affairs Committee. It was an opposition dominated committee, and I am critical of that committee. It was slow and dull, we couldn’t perform well within that committee. But we were able to dilute issues, and that is our achievement. We stopped many unacceptable actions.

After the coup, for instance in the health sector is the Thalassemia Bill. It was passed by this committee to dismantle the decentralised system. It was hard for us to promote liberal thinking with regards to labor rights within that committee because of the conservative attitude within the committee.

The decentralisation bill was the main bill I focused on. I was involved in lobbying for other bills such as the tax bills and social protection bill. These bills brings about major policy changing laws. I was very vocal in lobbying for social protection.

We had to work against a tide of centralisation and money politics of big businesses. We fought very hard against this. We promoted ethical and democratic values to the Majlis.

AR: What would you say are the biggest achievements within your term; in terms of what you have accomplished for your constituency and the country as a whole?

HG: For my constituency, the biggest contribution was to get them more representation through decentralisation bill and further democratisation and empowerment of the constituents. Another thing is housing, a lot of my constituents got flats. This was a relief for many who were living in highly congested houses. But because of the coup many of the flats that could have been theirs were taken away.

Annually, nearly MVR5 million (US$324,254) worth of assistance is provided for my constituents under social protection programs. The recipients include elderly, orphans, persons with disabilities and single parents. Education and training opportunities were also provided for constituents under MDP policies.

AR: What would you say is the biggest blunder/mistake/worst step you have taken in your political career, why?

HG: There is no big blunder that I know of, I think it is for others to say. My biggest regret, however, is not getting the chance to make significant contributions towards the development of the People’s Majlis, mainly because I was focused on other issues.

AR: Some people see your actions following the Hondaidhoo case, especially taking refuge in the parliament as bad decision, what do you say to this?

HG: It was done against the judiciary, in defense of the right of the people to be represented in the parliament. It was not a bad decision, I am happy about it.

AR: Are you taking the optional committee allowance of an additional MVR20,000? Why or why not?

HG: I don’t take it, and I voted against it. However I believe they should be well paid in order to reduce the chances for corruption, especially to counter money politics. I voted against it because under that government it wasn’t necessary. But after that government they were trying to harm members of the parliament. With the coup I changed my mind about that.

AR: What is your view about MPs and other public servants declaring their financial assets publicly for the electorate to be able to refer to?

HG: I believe we have in our parliament, people who cant distinguish their personal property with state property. People who have an incestual economic relationship with the state. Assets should be declared. I support that.

AR: Are you re-contesting in the next elections? What do you hope to accomplish should you be elected for a new term?

HG: Yes, I am. First thing I would target is judicial reform, then significant economic reform and then social reform. These are the major hurdles we face. Without judicial reform we cannot do anything, there is no hope without it.

AR: What improvements do you feel the 18th Majlis will need to make as an institution?

HG: If I get re-elected I will work for a total overhaul of the parliament. The Majlis budget is relatively small for one of the three powers of the state. Manpower and buildings are needed for the parliament. We need a lot of qualified people in there. We need to increase the institution’s technical capacity too.

AR: What are your thoughts on party switching – do you think it undermines the party system?

HG: It is a very common practice in an emerging democracies. It is connected to the social fabric of the place, to the absence of good governance and to money politics. It is an obstacle for the parliament and the whole system. We do not hear of this so often in advanced democracies. This can be dealt with through legislation and a culture of good governance. We have a two thousand years of written history, we did not have a democratic system or a culture. But considering the scale at which it (party switching) is happening, we should confront it and consistently fight against it.

It will continue to happen here, but I think it will settle in a near future. Because people of Maldives learn really fast. Considering the changes within the past eight years, I am very optimistic.

AR: Anything else you want to add about what you want to see in the coming years as an MP if you are elected, or as a member of MDP?

HG: My urge is to sustain our democratic gains and to improve upon it, without losing any. Democratic gains include taxation, economic reform, decentralisation, separation of powers, setting up of independent institutions. We are not moving back, we are moving forward.

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STO launches campaign to cut operational costs by MVR 50 million

The State Trading Organization (STO) has launched a campaign to cut operational costs by MVR 50 million in 2014 (US$ 3,242,542).

The state-owned STO is the country’s primary wholesaler, responsible for bringing in the vast majority of basic foodstuffs such as rice and flour, as well as other imported commodities such as electrical goods.

It also imports the vast majority of the Maldives’ oil, used to fuel fishing and transport vessels, diesel generators, air-conditioners and water desalination plants.

The company’s chairman Ahmed Niyaz inaugurated the “Save 50 million” and a second campaign “Saafu STO” (Clean STO) at a ceremony held in front of the company’s headquarters this morning.

The Saafu STO campaign intends to encourage cleanliness, a pleasant work environment and efficient resource utilization, STO’s media official Ismail Sodiq told Minivan News.

Speaking at the ceremony STO’s new managing director Adam Azim called on staff to be ethical in using the company’s resources.

“It is my wish that everyone is loyal to STO, and be ethical in using STO’s resources. A place without ethics does not have progress or life. If we are ethical, it is not 50 million that we save, I am certain we can save more than 100 million in 2014,” he said.

“Our Maldives is very dirty. And STO has become very dirty. So we all have to unite and bring out the new STO culture to the streets. From the streets we will take [the culture] to the houses and be more determined to clean things up,” he added.

Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed said all businesses must take STO’s new campaigns as examples.

In November, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said STO is bankrupt.

“Not only does STO not have dollars, it does not have Maldivian Rufiyaa either. Funding the oil import through STO is now a burden for the state,” he said.

“I checked today where STO is now. By the time I left STO, the company had developed many commercial projects and STO was making MVR 154 million in profit. Today, STO is bankrupt. I am telling you, it is bankrupt. STO does not have money,” said Yameen, who chaired the organisation during the rule of his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

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IGMH to hire Police Special Constabulary to manage hospital security

Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in capital city Malé has announced that management of the state hospital’s security will be handled by the Special Constabulary or Reserve Force of the police from February 1.

IGMH’s Deputy CEO Mohamed Habeeb stated that the “access points” and all premises of IGMH will then be under the security of the police’s reserve force, adding that he believed this would bring “massive improvement” compared to the level of security currently seen at the hospital.

He stated that formalities regarding the matter have been completed except for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.

“It has already been agreed that we will begin implementation of this initiative by February 1. Police are now drafting the MoU which we will sign as soon as they send it to us,” Habeeb stated.

Stating that at present, the hospital has its own employees serving as security guards, Habeeb revealed that this caused a number of problems, including the “lack of suitable candidates who apply, and the irresponsible nature of those already employed”.

He revealed that the hospital’s management had tried to solve the matter by outsourcing to a private security firm, which had also proved unfruitful due to the lack of discipline of the guards.

“Everyone agrees that IGMH is in dire need of stronger security. We had some thieves walk out with our fundbox, we had keys stolen, we have had our doctors threatened…we absolutely are in need of taking stronger security measures,” Habeeb explained.

The police reserve force will be paid for their services by IGMH, Habeeb said, adding “mark that this is the special constabulary we are hiring. Not people from the real police force”.

“Even though we will need to pay them too, it is a far more feasible and effective measure than hiring our own guards or a private security firm. Police are well-disciplined and trained to deal with such situations, so we approached the police requesting for security assistance,” he continued.

“Police seniors then suggested we take the option of hiring the reserve force, which is what we have now agreed to do. We did request that they be especially trained to route patients and visitors to facilitate them to better obtain our services, and to prepare them for working in a hospital environment.”

“Now that we are hiring this force, we will not need to make special provisions for leaves and sick days and other such bureaucratic matters. All of that will be managed by police when it comes to security personnel,” Habeeb stated.

The police media official stated that while the Special Constabulary is managed by the police, it does not consist of “real police officers”.

The official – who requested to remain unnamed – stated that the Special Constabulary had a number of officers who have received basic police training but do not have the authorisation that comes with being an officer.

“For example, they will not have the jurisdiction to use weapons unless they are assigned to a particular task. They are a reserve force and do not have to report to duty daily. They only get paid when they are deployed on some project – oftentimes when other institutions or resorts request for police security assistance,” he explained.

He further added that the special constabulary force will be difficult to identify on sight as they wear the same uniform as regular officers, with a small identifier showing the difference in rank.

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Criminal Court stops accepting cases from PG’s Office

The Criminal Court has today decided not to accept any cases submitted by the Prosecutor General’s Office and to halt all existing cases because the position of Prosecutor General (PG) has been vacant for over 30 days, the PG’s Office has confirmed.

On November 25, former PG Ahmed Muiz submitted his resignation, shortly before parliament was set to debate a no-confidence motion against him.

Speaking to Minivan News today Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem said that as soon as he receives the court’s decision he will appeal it at the High Court.

Shameem stated that the laws do not say that the Deputy PG cannot take over the responsibilities of the PG in a case where a new PG is not appointed within 30 days.

He also said that it was for the parliament to appoint a new PG, noting that the Criminal Court had not discussed the issue with the parliament before making the decision.

Shameem expressed concern that there were people held in pretrial detention who are to be kept there until their trial was concluded.

“So what do they do now, it would not be fair to keep them in there until the parliament comes back to work from recess after three months and appoint a new PG,’’ Shameem said.

“That is one of my biggest concerns over this issue, it is a responsibility of the PG office to uphold constitutional rights of the people.’’

He said the court had not approached the PG’s Office before making this decision.

“And also, this morning the court made the decision but today afternoon we received a chit from the court stating that two cases have been scheduled for tomorrow,’’ he said, adding that “maybe the two cases are concerning someone close to them.’’

Furthermore, Shameem said that there were no laws stating that the Deputy PG cannot fulfill the responsibilities of PG in the case of the position being vacant. He argued that the work of PG’s Office should not come to a halt because the parliament had failed to appoint a new PG.

He also said that the court had informed the PG that it will continue the extension of detention trials for those under arrest.

On December 10, President Abdulla Yameen proposed his nephew Maumoon Hameed for the post of Prosecutor General and submitted the name to the parliament for the MPs to approve.

The issue was sent to parliament’s Independent Commissions Committee and the committee decided to seek public opinion on him before sending it to the parliament floor for voting.

However, the parliament is now on recess and will not re-commence work until March.

Criminal Court Spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Manik did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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President establishes Council of Higher Education

President Abdulla Yameen has re-established the Council of Higher Education, appointing his Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed its head, local media has reported.

Haveeru has reported that the council will be tasked with setting the criteria for courses at Maldivian higher education facilities as well as handling the transferring of students’ credit.

Joining the vice president on the council is reported to be six cabinet ministers from the ministries of health, youth, finance, fisheries, environment, and the Islamic Ministry.

They will be joined by Villa College rector Dr Ahmed Anwar, Dr Simad Saeed, Dr Ibrahim Saeed, Deputy Education Minister Azleen Ahmed, Director General of the Education Ministry Fathimath Amira, and Chancellor of the Maldives National University Dr Mohamed Zahir Hussein.

Vice President Jameel yesterday visited the Maldives National University, explaining that expanding academic opportunities was of the utmost importance to the new government.

Earlier this week, the Anti-Corruption Commission ordered the reevaluation of vetting procedures in the previous administration’s tertiary student loan initiative.

“[THe] Vice President spoke of the government’s vision to introduce short term professional training programmes for youth in fields such as offshore-financing, managerial economics, banking, accounting, auditing and tourism,” read a President’s Office press release.

During the meeting, Jameel also noted the government’s desire to include the youth in nation building.

Recently appointed Home Minister Umar Naseer this week revealed his intention to introduce obligatory government service for school leavers, explaining his motivations to Minivan News:

“We need to bring youth into a disciplined system where they get up early, become presentable, pray, have breakfast, work, and well, become responsible.”

“One of my objectives is to increase the number of trained professionals which will be useful in protecting the independence of a small country like ours, ” Naseer continued.

The Ministry of Education last week released its aims for the first 100 days of the Yameen administration, revealing a 19-point plan including the introduction of the Quran as a subject for grades 1-7, greater civic education, as well as greater professional standards for teachers.

According to the Ministry, the government will choose two islands to establish Arabic medium schools within the first 100 days as well as expanding special education and child protection policies.

As part of this plan the ministry is seeking to assign Quran teachers for all Schools before the academic year 2014. The ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr. Abdul Muhsin Mohamed said that the ministry is still short of 26 Quran teachers to achieve this this objective.

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