Day: July 3, 2014

EC reinstates dissolved political parties as per SC order

The Elections Commission (EC) has reinstated eight small political parties on the Supreme Court’s advice.

The commission had dissolved the eight parties in February as they did not have a membership of 3,000 as required by a Supreme Court modification of the Political Party Act.

However, the Supreme Court subsequently sacked Elections Commission President Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz for disobedience to order and contempt of court.

The EC sought the apex court’s advice and following a letter on June 12, the EC has now decided to reinstate the Islamic Democratic Party, Maldivian Social Democratic Party, Social Liberal Party, People’s Party, Maldivian National Congress, People’s Alliance, Maldivian Labor Party and Dhivehi Qaumee Party.

The number of registered political parties in Maldives now stands at fourteen.

Political Parties Act

The People’s Majlis passed the Political Parties Act in December 2012. Article 11 of the act required a minimum of 10,000 members requests for party registration, while Article 8 (b) gave parties with less than 10,000 members a three month period to increase membership or face dissolution.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan – whose own Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP) was facing dissolution – refused to ratify the bill. But on March 5 2013, with unanimous support from both parliament’s minority leader and majority leader, the Majlis overruled the presidential veto and forced the the bill  into law.

In the same month the Elections commission dissolved eleven registered political parties under the Act.

Within days Attorney General Azima Shakoor asked the Supreme Court to declare existing smaller political parties could not be dissolved. The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) also intervened in the case.

In September 2013, the SC voided articles 11 and 8 (b) of the Political Parties Act, declaring them to be in violation of Article 16 of the constitution which states that the People’s Majlis can only limit constitutional rights through legislation to an extent “demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society”.

The SC claimed the Political Party Act narrowed the constitutional right to establish political parties and participate in political party activity.

The verdict, supported by the entire Supreme Court bench, also declared 3,000 members to be the minimum requirement for political party registration as per the political party regulation of 2005, until the parliament amended the Political Party Act in accordance with guidelines provided in the ruling.

In December 2013 Gaumee Ithihadh Party of former president Dr. Mohame Waheed and Maldives Reform Movement founded by former Attorney General and President of MDP Dr Mohamed Munavvar was voluntarily dissolved, leaving the number of parties in transition at nine.

February dissolution

On February 6, the Elections Commission dissolved eight political parties for not having a minimum of 3000 registered members and gave them a three month period to increase membership. The MDA with approximately eight thousand members survived the dissolution.

In the same month, the SC initiated a contempt of court charge against the EC under new suo moto regulations which allow the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings, prosecute and pass judgement. The five member bench accused the EC of disobeying orders in dissolving the eight parties.

SC reached a verdict in March 2014, stripping Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz Hassan of their membership in the commission and sentencing the former to a suspended prison term of six months.

In the controversial verdict, SC stated dissolving parties on the basis that a political party’s registry should include 3,000 members is be a violation of the constitution and the court’s previous verdict.

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Criminal Court denies ordering deportation of Pakistanis arrested in 24kg drug haul

The Criminal Court has denied ordering the deportation of two Pakistani nationals arrested in connection with the smuggling of 24kg of heroin in March.

Citing police, local media reported this week that the court had ordered the deportation of the pair.

The Criminal Court however refuted the claims in a press statement released yesterday (July 2), noting that ordering the deportation of foreign nationals was outside the court’s jurisdiction.

Media reports to the contrary were “based on false information,” the court said.

The statement explained that a court order extending the remand detention of the Pakistani suspects to 15 days had instructed the police to transfer the pair to the the custody of the Department of Immigration.

Police had stated at the remand hearing that the Prosecutor General’s Office had decided to deport the suspects, the statement noted.

The media reports referred to by the Criminal Court were based on a news item published on the police website on Tuesday (July 1).

Out of 18 suspects arrested in the case, police explained that 15 were held in pre-trial detention, including three Bangladeshis, four Maldivians, and eight Pakistanis.

Six of the Pakistani nationals had since been released while the Criminal Court ordered the release of two Bangladeshis on June 24.

On the same day, one of the Maldivian suspects was transferred to house arrest due to poor health. The suspect had earlier suffered burns to 45 percent of his body in a fire accident, police noted.

“The detention period of a Maldivian involved in the case was extended to seven days today [Tuesday]. Additionally, the detention period of three Maldivians and a Bangladeshi will be up on July 4,” the police news item read.

“The court has asked for the two Pakistanis involved in the case to be deported.”

Minivan News was awaiting a response from the police media official at the time of press. The official told newspaper Haveeru yesterday that police were looking into the matter.

Record haul

Four Maldivians, three Bangladeshis, and 11 Pakistanis were taken into custody on March 10 with 24kg of heroin, which police said was “the largest amount of drugs seized in a police operation conducted in the Maldives so far.”

The drugs were transported in a vessel named ‘Hormooz’ registered in Iran, Superintendent Mohamed Rasheed, head of the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), revealed at a press briefing on March 12.

The 11 Pakistani nationals were the crew and captain of the Iranian boat. Local media reported in April that the Iranian vessel was allowed to leave the country while six crew members were also released.

The drugs were allegedly collected by the four Maldivians and three Bangladeshis 30 nautical miles off the coast of Alif Alif Mathiveri, Rasheed had explained, after which it was concealed under fibre boards in a dinghy.

Two of the suspects were seized by police after arriving on the dinghy in Hulhumale’ while their dhoni waited in the harbour.

The Iranian vessel was meanwhile captured at sea with coastguard assistance between Alif Alif and Baa atolls, Rasheed said.

Asked by reporters whether a police sergeant and a Maldivian man – Abdulla Shaffath – arrested in connection with the Artur brothers’ case last year were among the 18 suspects, Rasheed had said he could not disclose details as it could hamper the investigation.

Rasheed, however, confirmed that a police officer had been arrested in connection with the drug haul while two of the Maldivian suspects had prior records for drug-related offences.

While the street value of the drugs was estimated to be MVR36 million (US$2.2 million), Superintendent Rasheed noted that the drugs would likely be laced with “other powders” to increase its volume “two or threefold” before being sold.

The additional volume could potentially raise its street value to almost MVR100 million (US$6.5 million), he said.

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Nasheed alleges President Yameen “remains under power” of Gayoom

Acting leader of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) former President Mohamed Nasheed has alleged that current President Abdulla Yameen “remains under the power” of his half brother former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Nasheed opined that it will be difficult for Yameen to continue his presidency under such circumstances, adding that to date he has observed that Yameen has been unable to rule autonomously without Gayoom’s interference.

“All we are seeing so far is the differences of thought between Yameen and Gayoom and the rifts that rise between coalition parties. So far, it does not appear as if Yameen has actual control over his presidency,” Nasheed said, speaking on a live talk show on opposition aligned Raajje TV on Wednesday night.

Nasheed also described Yameen’s appointment of Gayoom’s children and other relatives to political positions as nepotism, adding that “it’s lingering effects will prove to be extremely harmful even though it might seem the easier option”.

“They seem to be unsatisfied unless some relative or other is filling each key position in the government,” he continued.

Currently, Gayoom’s daughter Dunya Maumoon serves in Yameen’s cabinet as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Additionally, Yameen’s niece Dr Hala Hameed fills the post of Minister of State for Health and Gender, while Gayoom’s sons Ahmed Faris Maumoon serves as Minister of State for Economic Development and Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon serves as Minister of State for Youth and Sports.

Gayoom’s daughter Yumna Maumoon is currently in the post of Deputy Minister of Education.

Yameen has also drawn criticism for his drawn-out attempts to nominate his nephew Maumoon Hameed to the post of prosecutor general.

Nasheed – the first president to be elected in a multi-party election in the country – further asserted that it would be extremely difficult for a country to adapt to democracy after having had an autocratic regime for decades.

“Moving from autocracy to democracy is not an easy feat. It is not something that can be done in a day, or even in five years. I call upon all Maldivians to persevere in the efforts to establish a complete democracy in the country,” he stated.

“SEZs a path to money laundering”

Speaking on the show, Nasheed also criticised current government’s policies regarding tourism and foreign investment.

Nasheed alleged that, should the current bill on Special Economic Zones be passed by parliament, it would pose numerous threats to the people of Maldives. He stated that it would prove to be a path that facilitates black market activities and money laundering.

Tourism Minister and head of the cabinet’s economic council Ahmed Adeeb told Minivan News last month that critics of the bill had failed to understand that it offered the best way to encourage regional investment and development.

Nasheed yesterday alleged that there are no signs of improving general living conditions for the people as a result of Yameen’s economic policies, and that instead additional benefits are being introduced for businessmen and foreign investors.

Nasheed went on to say that the recently launched guest house island program would not present any benefits to locals, and that it is a threat to the success of guest houses in inhabited islands.

This policy – designed as a controlled version of the emerging guest house model on inhabited islands – was launched last week, and has been endorsed by industry groups.

Concluding the show, Nasheed spoke of the current government’s disregard towards improving the general livelihood of Maldivians.

Minivan News was unable to contact President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz for comment at the time of press.

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Two arrested in Hoarafushi for selling illicit drugs

Police have arrested two individuals from the island of Hoarafushi for engaging in the widespread sale of illicit drugs.

According to the police, the two persons arrested on Wednesday night are local men both aged 19.

While the Hoarafushi Magistrate Court has extended their detention by ten days, police have stated that they are unable to provide further details as the investigation is ongoing.

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Labour Relations Authority voices concern over failure to pay Ramadan allowance

The Labour Relations Authority has announced that it has discovered a number of employers who have failed to pay the Ramadan allowance in accordance with the law.

According to the authority, the matter is mostly found in companies doing construction work, hotel managers, and retail businesses.

The authority further confirmed that it is in the process of taking due action against businesses that fail to comply with the law.

According to the law, every Muslim employee must be paid one third of their salary as Ramadan allowance. If the amount is below MVR2000, employers must pay a minimum of MVR 2000. The amount cannot, however, exceed MVR10,000.

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EC to send names of candidates who failed to submit financial statements to PG

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced it will be sending for prosecution the names of 76 candidates who took part in the recently concluded parliamentary elections after they failed to submit their financial statements.

The EC confirmed that the 76 candidates who are to be sent for prosecution do not include any of the newly elected parliamentarians.

According to the General Elections Act, candidates are required to submit financial records of election expenditure to the EC within 30 days of the election.

Of the 302 candidates who contested in the parliamentary elections, 226 candidates submitted the financial records to the EC as required.

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Chair and deputy chair of parliament’s economic committee elected

Parliament’s economic committee has elected Nilandhoo constituency MP Abdulla Khaleel as its chair and Meedhoo constituency MP Ahmed ‘Sun’ Siyam as its deputy chair at a committee meeting held on Wednesday (July 2).

Maamigili constituency MP – leader of Jumhooree Party – Gasim Ibrahim and Hithadhoo Uthuru constituency MP Mohamed Aslam were also nominated for the post of chair but lost by 1 vote and 3 votes, respectively.

In addition to these four members, the committee also included Galolhu Uthuru constituency MP Eva Abdulla, Thinadhoo Uthuru constituency MP Saudhulla Hilmy, Guraidhoo constituency MP Hussain Manik Dhon Manik, Central Fuvahmulah constituency MP Ali Fazaadh, Kin’bidhoo constituency MP Abdulla Riyaz, Maduhvari constituency MP Mohamed Ameeth, and Laamu Gan constituency Fayyaz Ismail.

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