Month: April 2014

Nasheed backs Gasim for Speaker

Opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed has declared support for Jumhooree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim as Speaker of the newly elected People’s Majlis.

Speaking to the media following a meeting with Gasim on Monday night, Nasheed said his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group will make a final decision on behalf of the party.

“Our party will decide on this matter on discussion among its members, within the National Executive Council. Tonight, I met Gasim and we held discussions in a very friendly atmosphere. So I hope the outcome will be beneficial to both parties,” Nasheed said.

Gasim placed third in the 2013 presidential elections and successfully sought a revote. After Gasim placed third for a second time, Nasheed sought his backing for the second round. However, the JP decided to back Progressive Party of the Maldives’ (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

On its presidential win, the PPM and JP formed a coalition – the Progressive Coalition – along with two smaller parties. The coalition fielded joint candidates in the parliamentary elections in March. The PPM won 33 seats, the JP 15 and the MDP 26.

Tension has risen within the coalition on the question of which party should control the Speaker’s position.

Nasheed told the media that he agreed to support Gasim without any conditions and that there were benefits for the MDP and the JP from supporting Gasim as Speaker.

Gasim said all parties must come together and discuss over important issues in a democracy.

He told the press he will hold discussions with President Yameen to obtain backing from the PPM for his Speaker bid.

Meanwhile, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is also PPM’s honorary leader spoke to newspaper ‘Haveeru’ at the airport after arriving from Srilanka and said that the normal procedure followed when appointing a Speaker of the parliament in most countries was selecting someone from the party that has the most number of MPs.

Gayoom said that PPM had not decided on the issue and will hold more discussions within the party in the upcoming days.

He also said that Gasim had told him about his interest in becoming the Speaker of parliament and said that he had not agreed to it.

In March 2014, President Abdulla Yameen said that PPM will forward its own candidate for the position of speaker of the People’s Majlis.

Parliament should be an institution that “sincerely and responsibly” fulfils the duty bestowed by the public, Yameen told his supporters in speaking at a rally at the time to celebrate the Progressive Coalition’s garnering of a 53 seat majority in Majlis elections.

“For this reason, our party wants the speaker’s post in the next People’s Majlis,” he said during the rally.

Previously, local media reported PPM MP Ahmed Mahloof as saying that both he and fellow re-elected PPM MP Ahmed Nihan had pledged to support Gasim’s candidacy for speaker while negotiating during the 2013 presidential election.

Mahloof suggested that the nomination of a PPM candidate would be likely to cause a rift within the Progressive Coalition, and would be a decision he would find difficult to support

The election of the new speaker – a position that was held by the MDP’s Abdulla Shahid in the previous parliament session – is scheduled to take place through a secret ballot of MPs at the first sitting of the new session.

Majlis regulations note that the speaker “shall be the highest authority of the People’s Majlis responsible for the conduction of all matters pertaining to the People’s Majlis including the administration, the sittings and the committees of the People’s Majlis in accordance with the Constitution and the Regulations.”

The speaker is also charged with preserving “order and decorum” within the Majlis, as well as observance of the institution’s regulations.

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Police release 44 arrested from Anbaara

Police have confirmed the release of 44 individuals arrested from Anbaraa Island during a raid on a music festival on April 18.

A total of 79 suspects were taken into police custody from the island of Anbaraa in Vaavu atoll, all of whom were suspected of being under the influence of drugs, or had drugs on their person, according to police. On Tuesday (April 22) 19 women were transferred to house arrest.

After release of 44 individuals last night, there are currently 32 men still in police custody.

“We have 32 males [under arrest] , those who were in house arrest they are also released except for three,” confirmed a Police spokesperson.

“The investigation is completed now – so today some might be relsead, and some might be taken to court for extended custody,” the spokesperson added.

The Drug Enforcement Department, Specialist Operations, police intelligence department, and the forensic department conducted the operation, Satheeh told  Minivan News previously.

Upon searching the island as well as the 198 partygoers, Satheeh said police discovered different types of drugs and more than MVR90,000 (US$5,836) in cash.

In addition to beer cans, the drugs confiscated from the island included pills, LSD stickers, and hash oil joints as well as rubber packets, cellophane packets, and film canisters containing cannabis, Satheeh said.

However, the raid of the island and subsequent arrests have been an issue of contention, with some arguing that the Police’s actions were a breach of human rights.

In a recent article published on Minivan News, Mushfique Mohamed contended that the arrests at Anbaraa underpinned by a political and constitutional motive, with police using the arrests as a means of “garnering support along ultra-nationalist and Islamist lines.”

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has denied allegations by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that constitutional rights and procedures were violated in the arrest of 79 youth last weekend from a music festival in an uninhabited island.

In a press release issued in response to a statement yesterday by the MDP’s rights committee, police insisted that all the suspects taken into custody from Vaavu Anbaraa were informed of their constitutional rights as well as the reason for the arrest.

“In addition, they were informed in writing of the reason for their detention in accordance with the law, and they were told that they had the right to legal counsel,” the press release read.

It added that all suspects detained from Anbaraa were brought before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest. Police also noted that the island was raided with a court order.

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Red Bull reveals plans for ‘Catch the Ferry’ road race

Runners in the Maldives can expect a new challenge unlike any seen in the Maldives before. The Red Bull Catch the Ferry (RBCF) road race is set to commence on May 31. Unlike other road races previously held in the Maldives, the RBCF road race will see participants compete in a 12.6km race across Malé, Hulhumalé and Vilingili.

To progress, runners will need to make it around each of the routes on the island and catch the ferry before it departs for the next leg of the race. Ferries will leave at progressively quicker intervals before departing for the next leg, reads the press statement.

“This very unique concept, offering Maldivian runners to a new challenge. Red Bull Catch the Ferry combines challenge, excitement and fun in one competition. Athletes are really looking forward for this exciting event,” Half Marathon record holder Naseer Ismail states on the press release.

Accordidng to the statement, the fastest male and female of the race will win an opportunity to attend the Almáty edition of the Red Bull 400, which is scheduled to be held inKazakhstan in August this year.

Red Bull 400 is the steepest uphill race that takes place in Europe, and was created by former world-class sprinter Andreas Berger.

The race will take place from 15:50 – 18:00, May 31 2014, starting at the Raalhugandu Helipad Area, Boduthakurufaanu Magu in Malé.

Other races in the Maldives include the Dhiraagu Maldives Road Race, which will take place on June 6.

One of the largest athletic events in the country, the Dhiraagu Maldives Road Race comprises of 5km and 10km. The run is dedicated for a social cause, and this year’s theme is ‘Help Protect Our Children’. Local telecoms company Dhiraagu initially started the event in 2007 as a way of promoting healthier lifestyles for Maldivians.

The race is scheduled to take place in the afternoon of June 6 2014, at Male’ City (Raalhugandu Area), accompanied by live music and children’s activities. Since its inception in 2007, this is the 8th consecutive year of the event.

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Civil Court reinstates policeman dismissed on witness statement dispute

The Ciivl Court has ordered the reinstatement of a police officer who was dismissed for allegedly attempting to modify witness statements.

Police Constable Ahmed Haisham was dismissed from the police force in 2009 after he confessed to calling two Lance Corporals and asking them to change witness statements against a man suspected of stabbing another police officer.

However, the Civil Court said Haisham cannot be dismissed from his job unless he is found guilty by a court of law.

The ruling referred to the Supreme Court ruling 2012/SC-C/35 which reinstated the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chair Fahmy Hassan who was dismissed by the parliament after he allegedly sexually harassed a female staff working at the commission.

The Supreme Court said Fahmy cannot be dismissed unless found guilty by a court of law, claiming that if Fahmy was dismissed from the position without being investigated and proven guilty, as per the criminal justice procedure, then his dismissal was to be considered as double jeopardy.

Referring to Fahmy’s case, the Civil Court said Haisham must be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Further, the ruling said the Employment Act does not apply to Haisham as he is a police officer.

The ruling noted that although the police had carried out investigations, a case had not been forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG) for prosecution.

The Civil Court has ordered the police to compensate Haisham for lost wages since December 2009, clear his record and grant him promotions he may have received had he remained with the police force.

In October 2013, the Civil Court also ordered the reinstatement of a police offices and a soldier who were dismissed on criminal charges.

Civil Court Judge Maryam Nihayath said that the Supreme Court (ruling 2012/SC-C/35) had brought into existence important procedures to follow when dealing with such cases.

The court ordered former Intelligence Chief Mohamed ‘MC’ Hameed to be reinstated in 2013. He had been dismissed from the police after the controversial transfer of power on allegations that he had abused his authority as the chief of police intelligence for the benefit of a certain political party and that he had leaked secret information obtained by the police.

An MNDF officer Ahmed Althaf who was dismissed from the force on allegations that he lost a compressor valve and asked a lower rank officer to replace it with an older one was also ordered to be reinstated in October 2013.

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Drug kingpin Shafaz must return from Sri Lanka in May, says Home Minister

Convicted drug kingpin Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzak must return from medical treatment in Sri Lanka by May 20, Home Minister Umar Naseer has said.

Shafaz’s temporary release in early February has garnered controversy with the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) confiscating the passport of an expatriate doctor who signed the medical report recommending that Shafaz be sent abroad for medical treatment.

Shafaz is serving an 18 year prison sentence and was fined MVR75,000 (US$4,860) for drug trafficking in November 2013.

Speaking on Villa TV (VTV), Naseer said Shafaz’s authorized period to stay abroad will expire on May 20 and that the Home Ministry will seek assistance from the Interpol to find any inmates who flee.

Naseer defended the Maldives Correctional Services (MCS), claiming a prisoner will only be sent abroad on the recommendation of two specialist doctors. The MCS would only provide inmates with a temporary travel document instead of a passport, he claimed.

Shafaz has now appealed his 18 year jail term at the High Court.

Commissioner of Prisons Moosa Azim has previously told Minivan News that all due procedures had been followed in Shafaz’s release.

“A medical officer does not have to accompany the inmate. He was allowed to leave under an agreement with his family. Family members will be held accountable for his actions, including failure to return,” Azim told Minivan News at the time.

Shafaz was arrested on June 24, 2011 with 896 grams of heroin from a rented apartment in a building owned by ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives MP Ahmed ‘Redwave’ Saleem.

Former head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Superintendent Mohamed Jinah, told the press at the time that police had raided Henveiru Fashan based on intelligence information gathered in the two-year long ‘Operation Challenge’.

Jinah labeled Shafaz a high-profile drug dealer suspected of smuggling and supplying drugs since 2006.

He claimed that the network had smuggled drugs worth MVR1.3 million (US$84,306) to the Maldives between February and April 2011.

Since the formation of the new government late last year, the Home Ministry has made the combating of illegal drugs its top priority, culminating in the confiscation of a record 24kg of heroin.

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NGO Kickstart completes free TechTalk lectures

Local NGO Kickstart completed it’s free TechTalk lectures at Madhu College, Malé on Monday.

The TechTalks are free monthly events organised to share knowledge about important concepts in computer science and the latest developments in software development.

Previously, Kickstart organised the Maldive’s first 24 hour Hackathon, an event that brought together web developers from the local community to create new software or applications. The Hackathon aimed to inspire participants to develop products that could have a high social impact, or ‘kickstart’ a viable business.

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Environmental regulations violated in Eydhafushi dredging: EPA

Environmental regulations were violated in dredging work conducted on the island of Eydhafushi in Baa atoll, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) said today.

Speaking to Minivan News, EPA Director General Ibrahim Naeem said the agency is currently investigating violations of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) terms during the dredging.

Naeem said the main issue was failure to build a “bund wall” to contain excess dredge spoil from spilling into the ocean, an issue which also came up last month in the dredging of Meedhoo in Dhaalu atoll.

The Meedhoo project was halted by EPA for noncompliance with EIA requirements, while the Health Protection Agency warned of possible health risks caused by unsafe dredging.

Using the rainbowing technique – the propulsion of materials through the air in a high arc – rather than using pipelines to take the the sand closer to the land, left a large part of the island’s shoreline vegetation and many houses near the beach covered in fine sand and sea water.

As the Eydhafushi project is expected to be concluded in three days, the EPA has not sought not to halt the dredging as was done with the Meedhoo project,

Naeem however assured that all necessary action will be taken in accordance with laws and regulations.

“Everything should be done in accordance to the regulations, we are trying to minimise the [environmental] impact. Our intention is not to become an obstacle to these projects, not to stop them. We all want development, but we need to protect the environment. It is the environment that we sell and we depend on,” Naeem said.

He said following the Meedhoo incident, the agency advised the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure to ensure that Eydhafushi dredging is carried out in accordance to regulations.

“We will not let another project go on like this, we will take action under article 6 [of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act],” he said.

The article authorises the EPA to stop ongoing projects to prevent any negative impact on the environment.

The project aimed at reclaiming 25.79 hectares land at Eydhafushi is funded by the state budget and implemented by Netherlands’ Boskalis International.

Yesterday, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Dr Mohamed Muiz said the project will be completed within four days. The minister was unavailable for comment at the time of press.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Eydhafushi is an inhabited island of Baa Atoll, which was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2011.

According to the EPA, Eydhafushi falls into the ‘transitional area‘ of the reserve, which under the “Statutory framework of the world network of biosphere reserves” has to be an area where “sustainable resource management practices have to be promoted and developed”.

“Since it is a biosphere reserve there are certain standards have to be met, even in buffer zones and transitional areas. Developmental activity should be carried out in an environmentally sustained manner, it should go beyond the usual acceptable standards with mitigation as well. We should maintain the terms which were agreed upon with UNESCO. They will be monitoring the situation,” Naeem said.

Naeem said it was likely for UNESCO to take action if the terms are not met.

Mohamed Aslam, who was the Minister of Environment and Housing when Baa Atoll was declared a biosphere reserve, said it was disheartening to see such violations by the state, noting that it was particularly sensitive since the incident has taken place within the biosphere reserve.

“Development and human intervention will always have an impact, but some practical mitigation measures to minimize the impact are agreed upon through the EIA process,” Aslam said, stressing that the Ministry of Housing must follow these measures and should also be held legally accountable for failure to do so.

“We [the Maldivian Democratic Party government] also used the same methods and reclaimed a number of Islands through the same company. There was Kulhudhufushi, Velidhoo, Thulhaadhoo, Hinnavaru Dhidhoo, GulhiFalhu. We took all the environmental mitigation measures. It can be done. It is disheartening to see a government which pledged to obey laws doing this, one ministry disrespecting the mandate of another like this,” Aslam said.

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Government seeks to remove borrowing limits from MMA

The government has submitted an amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility Act to scrap borrowing limits from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

The amendment was proposed to remove all limitations on government borrowing imposed by article 32(a) of the law and authorise the central bank’s board of directors to make decisions concerning lending in consultation with the Minister of Finance and Treasury.

The act stipulates that money borrowed from the MMA must be repaid within 91 days at an interest rate that is not lower than the market rate at the time.

The article also sets limits on the amount that can be borrowed, which must be no more than one percent of average government revenue (based on the previous three years).

The amendment was proposed on behalf of the government by Maavashu MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakr and its first reading took place at yesterday’s sitting of the People’s Majlis.

According to the government, the purpose of the amendment is to ensure that funds for providing basic services can be accessed as required.

Another amendment was proposed to article 39(b), which allows the president to defer enforcement of some provisions of the fiscal responsibility law by 12 months if they require establishment of certain procedures or mechanism.

The second amendment proposed by Kinbidhoo MP Moosa Zameer seeks to increase the period for delaying enforcement from 12 to 36 months.

The stated purpose of the amendment was providing more time for the government to prepare for implementation and prevent challenges it may pose to the functioning of the government “as the state’s cash flow is very tight at the moment.”

With the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 6, 2013, President Dr Mohamed Waheed issued an executive decree to delay the enforcement of four articles.

These were article 10 on the publication of an annual fiscal strategy statement, article 28 on activities of local councils, article 32 which limits government borrowing from MMA, and article 34 which requires maintenance of government deficit at a certain level.

Prior to the resignation of former Governor Dr. Fazeel Najeeb’s in January, MMA criticised the government on several occasions over excessive spending and dependence on borrowing, particularly as a means to finance budget deficit.

In its professional opinion on the 2014 national budget, which was submitted to the People’s Majlis in December 2013, the MMA noted that overdrawing from the state’s Public Bank Account (PBA) to accommodate government spending significantly increased the amount of rufiyaa in circulation and reduced the foreign exchange reserves to alarming levels.

The PBA overdraft facility was misused by the government, according to the MMA, using it to finance long term budget deficit even though it was intended to manage cash flow within a short period of time.

The amount overdrawn from PBA started increasing in October 2012 and reached MVR2.5 billion by 9 December 2013. At the time MMA noted the government had unpaid due treasury bills, treasury bonds and PBA overdrawing debts worth MVR945 million.

Newly-appointed Governor Dr Azeema Adam meanwhile gave assurances of the central bank’s assistance to the government to finance the budget deficit through a market mechanism.

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Parliament passes sexual harassment and sexual offences bills

Parliament passed the sexual harassment bill and sexual offences bill yesterday (April 27).

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Rozaina Adam – chair of the committee that evaluated the sexual harassment bill – told Minivan News that while the passage of the legislation was a positive step, there was still a lot of work to be done on combating the internalised effects of sexual harassment.

The sexual harassment bill was submitted in January 2013 by Rozaina, and aims to ensure gender discrimination is made illegal at workplaces, educational institutes, and other service providers such as hospitals.

“Previously there was no law or any regulation from which they could seek help. I think now the women have a place to go,” she explained.

If ratified by the president, the new law would mandate the creation of a committee to investigate sexual harassment complaints at all workplaces with more than 30 employees.

The committees shall be chaired the by the head of the respective offices and must include at least one female members.

If the committee finds an employee guilty of sexual harassment at the workplace following an inquiry, it will be empowered to advise the offender verbally or in writing, suspend him, demote him, or dismiss him based on the severity of the offence.

Rozaina however suggested that women would “still not be complaining” despite the introduction of an internal mechanism to address complaints.

“People have come to accept that this is just something that just happens,” she said.

She however said that the legislation would “create awareness,” contending that not enough was done in implementation of similar laws such as the anti-domestic violence law.

“Police are not taking domestic violence seriously enough,” she argued.

Rozaina recalled the story of one woman – whose experiences reflect the reality for many – as she attempted speak out about the sexual abuses inflicted against her.

“She was waiting outside for me,” recounted Rozaina, “she told me she complained to police about ex-husband beating her, and raping her. When I went to case, they hadn’t even done anything about it.”

“They are not giving enough importance to these cases, we need to create more awareness.”

Cooperation from police seems to be “declining”, she added, “they don’t feel it’s an important issue.”

“I just hope that everyone cooperates and more women report these cases in domestic violence. The main issue is talking and reporting, so very few people report.”

Sexual offences

The two bills – which support both men and women who are victims of sexual abuse – were submitted independently of each other.

The sexual offences bill – which called for recognition of marital rape as a crime – was first submitted in October 2012 and was vetoed by President Abdulla Yameen in January 2014.

“The bill contained some provisions that are contrary to Islamic Shariah and Islamic principles was among the reasons considered for returning the bill,” the President’s Office stated at the time.

The contentious bill was drafted and submitted in October 2012 by now-Progressive Party of Maldives MP for Kulhudhufushi South, Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed wrote in the draft legislation that it was not intended to replace Shariah, explaining that it did not preclude application of a Shariah penalty for an offence specified in the bill.

Previous reports of police apathy

Minivan News has previously spoken with foreign women from diverse nationalities working in Maldives who came forward and reported various attacks, ranging from verbal abuse to physical and sometimes sexual assaults.

Katie*, a 34-year-old American who has worked in Male’ for almost a year, was subject to a horrific incident last month when a local man sexually assaulted her while she was unlocking the door of her apartment.

Neighbours who heard her screams called the police, and around five to six officers arrived on the scene with a forensic team.

However, according to Katie, the police did not take her statement until three weeks later and then got the details of the attack completely wrong.

“The police had stated my necklace was stolen. It broke off during the attack, I still have it. The attacker must have known the necklace I was wearing was not gold because it was made of multi-colored beads,” Katie pointed out.

She added that she had later found out from CCTV camera owners nearby her house that the police had not requested the footage or interviewed neighbours for clues. Frustrated over the lack of police assistance, she called the US embassy.

“I don’t think they would have even taken the statement if the American Embassy had not called them,” Katie claimed.

The Police department was not issuing statements to Minivan News at the time of publishing.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

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