Day: December 3, 2014

HRCM urges state to address needs of disabled, government launches programmes to improve services

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has urged the government and relevant authorities to fully address the needs of persons with disabilities.

“Disabled persons in the Maldives are not usually provided equal opportunities in education, health care and at communal interactions,” read the statement marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The HRCM noted that, despite the skills and resourcefulness of disabled persons, they are not provided with adequate opportunities and are often excluded by the community.

President Abdulla Yameen attended the official function marking the occasion today, with the first lady launching schemes to improve access to medical services and travel for disabled persons.

Today is the twelfth celebration of the international day, which seeks to promote understanding of disability issues and garnering support for affected persons through campaigns and support grants.

The theme for this year is ‘The Promise of technology’, with a focus on assisting the disabled with disaster risk reduction systems, creating enabling work environments, and addressing disability within future development goals.

While speaking at the  ceremony held this morning, Attorney General Mohamed Anil told local media that there were many rights which still needed to be provided for disabled Maldivians.

Anil noted that insufficient thought was going into the construction 0f disability-friendly buildings, adding that service provision was not addressing the needs of the disabled, resulting in “decreased participation and interaction of disabled persons within the community”.

First Lady Madam Fathimath Ibrahim launched the ‎medical and travel concessionary card for persons with disabilities, as well as ‎inaugurating the special discount programme ‘Dharumaverivaashe’.

The ‘Eheetheriya’ programme was also introduced by the national airline, making persons with ‎disability eligible to  a 15 percent discount when purchasing tickets ‎from the airline.‎ The Airports Ferry Operators Association announced last month that it would provide free services for the disabled between Malé and Hulhulé.

Today’s ceremony also saw the assignment of three disability rights goodwill ambassadors – Kaashidhoo MP Faisal Naeem, former Deputy Health Minister Fathimath Afiya, and disability rights activist and National Award winner Ahmed Hishan.

President Yameen also handed employment contracts with state-owned companies to ten people with disabilities.

The Maldives Association for Physical Disabilities (MAPD) observed the occasion today with a walk in the capital Malé, as well the launch of a programme aiming to provide equal and competitive sporting opportunities for disabled youth.

A baseline study conducted by the HRCM in 2010 stated that 8.1 percent of the population suffers from a temporary or permanent disability with most commonly reported disabilities being hearing impairments, speech impairments, and mental illnesses.

Maldives signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in October 2007, the purpose of which is to “promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.”

The Ministry of Law and Gender announced earlier this year that the government would turn Guraidhoo’s Home for Special Needs – currently the only such facility in the country – into mental health institute, providing separate facilities for the elderly, the disabled, and the psychiatric patients who currently reside there.

Additionally, Adhaalath Party MP Anara Naeem submitted an amendment to the Disability Act to raise the monthly allowance provided to persons with special needs to MVR5,000 (US$324) in order to enable medical treatment overseas.


Related to this story


Bill submitted to raise disability benefits to MVR5,000

Parents protest as disabled childrens’ school faces closure

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Maldives omitted from Corruption Perceptions Index for third year

The Maldives has been omitted from Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for the third successive year.

“The Maldives fell a dramatic 57 places since it first appeared in the CPI between 2008 and 2011. Since then, there have been no positive systemic changes to the governance system,” explained Transparency Maldives (TM) Advocacy and Communications Manager Aiman Rasheed.

“The Maldives scored a lowly 2.5 on a scale of 0-10 – 10 being least corrupt and 0 most corrupt – in 2011. There have been no developments to suggest that the situation may have improved this year even if Maldives were to appear in the index,” he added.

In order to be included in the index, Transparency International must collect data from a minimum of three expert sources – usually from international organisations with expertise in governance of business climate analysis.

The widely used indicator of corruption again ranked Denmark as the country with the least perceived corruption problems out of 175 states in this year’s index.

Somalia and North Korea were ranked bottom for the second consecutive year.

After appearing in the CPI – published every year since 1995 – for the first time in 2007, the Maldives appeared in the index until 2011, when a ranking of 134th prompted TM to describe the country’s “grand scale” corruption as “systemic”.

Potential sources for the study this year included the World Bank, the IMD World Competitiveness Center, Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and the Bertelsmann Foundation.

TM’s Aiman Rasheed noted that the interaction between source and government institutions was crucial, with data only being provided from two sources in recent years.

TM’s own Global Corruption Barometer Survey – released shortly after the release of the 2013 CPI – found that 83 percent of people questioned felt corruption had increased or stayed the same during the past two years.

The survey of 1,002 people – randomly selected and interviewed by telephone – showed respondents to perceive the People’s Majlis and political parties to be the country’s most corrupt organisations.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) – perceived as  ‘extremely corrupt’ by 34 percent of respondents – immediately labelled the results of survey a “baseless” attack on its reputation, calling on local media not to publish such information.

A recent high profile case of alleged corruption involved the misappropriation of US$6 million in a deal involving tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb.

The minister – also deputy leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – dismissed evidence published by the auditor general as politically motivated. PPM sponsored amendments to the Audit Act have subsequently resulted in the replacement of Niyaz Ibrahim as auditor general.

Audit reports released this year – concerning the financial years 2011 and 2012 – showed financial transactions worth MVR2.2 billion (US$142 million) had been conducted illegally by state institutions and corporations.

Niyaz told state television, however, that releasing audit reports had become “futile” as the accountability process had so far failed.

Evidence of a crisis of confidence in public institutions, revealed in a 2013 democracy survey, was bolstered by a recent International Foundation for Electoral Systems study which found that one in three Maldivians were offered bribes for their votes or witnessed vote buying in the March 2014 parliamentary polls.

The recently introduced Special Economic Zones Act – promising relaxed regulations for large foreign investments – has been criticised by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party as paving the way for corruption. Both the Maldives Monetary Authority governor and the IMF have noted the importance of transparency in the regulation of the zones.


Related to this story

“Systemic failure to address corruption”: Transparency Maldives

Transparency Maldives reveals growing perception of corruption

Maldives absent from Corruption Perceptions Index for second consecutive year

Analysis: President Yameen’s first year – Towards good governance?

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President ratifies amendments to Clemency Act, Human Rights Commission Act

President Abdulla Yameen yesterday ratified amendments passed by parliament to the Clemency Act and Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) Act last month.

Amendments submitted on behalf of the government to the HRCM Act were among a number of bills drafted by the Attorney General’s Office to bring outdated laws in line with the Constitution adopted in August 2008.

The amendments confer powers to the HRCM to either suspend employees of state institutions for two weeks for not complying with the commission’s orders, or to impose a fine of between MVR3,000 (US$195) and MVR25,000 (US$1,621) for non-compliance.

Amendments submitted by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Thoriq to the Clemency Act meanwhile state that convicts would be eligible for presidential pardon or reduction of sentences after serving one-quarter of a jail term. The period is currently one-third of a sentence.

Moreover, persons convicted of drug trafficking involving less than 14 grams would also be eligible for pardon or commuting of sentences.

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President Yameen’s brother appointed deputy controller of immigration

President Abdulla Yameen has appointed his younger brother Abdulla Algeen Abdul Gayoom deputy controller at the department of immigration and emigration.

According to local media, Algeen assumed the responsibilities of the post yesterday.

In August 2012, Algeen was acquitted of corruption charges more than three years after his trial began.

Algeen was accused of embezzling US$177,460 of Japanese funding from the Department of Meteorology (DOM), where he was the director during former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s administration.

Algeen allegedly sent three separate invoices to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) between May 2006 and April 2007 on behalf of DOM.

All three invoices demanded payment to Algeen’s personal Bank of Maldives account.

However, in the not guilty verdict (Dhivehi), Judge Abdulla Didi determined that the state could not prove the money in question was owed by JAMSTEC to the government.

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Majlis approves president’s nominees to Elections Commission

The People’s Majlis today approved two nominees of President Abdulla Yameen for vacant seats on the Elections Commission (EC).

Mohamed Shakeel and Ahmed Sulaiman were approved with 54 votes in favour and 16  against.

The pair were subsequently sworn in and presented letters of appointment at a ceremony this afternoon at the President’s Office.

Despite being presented with three nominees last month, the Majlis only approved Amjad Musthafa, leaving the five-seat commission with just two members following the expiry of Mohamed Farooq and Ali Mohamed Manik’s five-year terms.

The five-member commission that oversaw last year’s presidential election was reduced to four after Ibrahim ‘Ogaru’ Waheed resigned for health reasons during the poll.

The commission was further reduced in February this year, with the Supreme Court removing Chair Fuwad Thowfeek and Deputy Chair Ahmed Fayaz.

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Islamic minister dismisses rumour of President Yameen not performing Hajj

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has dismissed rumours of President Abdulla Yameen not performing the Hajj pilgrimage despite traveling to Saudi Arabia in September.

Asked to address the speculation during minister’s question time at yesterday’s sitting of parliament by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim Shareef, Shaheem suggested the rumours were being spread by former President Mohamed Nasheed, who he said was unable to make the pilgrimage while in office.

“The president of the Maldives made the Hajj [pilgrimage]. As you know, he was supposed to go the UN assembly but went to Hajj after cancelling it,” he said.

He claimed that former President Nasheed declined an opportunity to perform the pilgrimage during his tenure and had sent the first lady instead.

Shaheem was state minister for Islamic affairs under the Nasheed administration.

Nasheed’s remarks concerning President Yameen’s Hajj pilgrimage “opens the door for others to talk further about the things they have done,” Shaheem said.

“So I think it would be better to stay quiet without going around talking about such personal matters,” he said.

In an interview with Minivan Radio last week, Nasheed repeated calls for President Yameen to publicly address speculation concerning the trip to Saudi Arabia and his health.

The opposition leader referred to former President Mohamed Ameen informing the public about his health in a letter sent from Sri Lanka to the Maldivian parliament.

Nasheed claimed that according to close associates President Yameen was unable to perform rituals at Arafat due to poor health.

He implied that the source of the rumours was government-aligned Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) Leader Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, who accompanied the president to Saudi Arabia.

The public deserved to know the truth about the president’s health as speculation creates fear and doubt, he added.

Following numerous unofficial trips to Singapore by President Yameen this year, President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali denied rumours that the president underwent brain surgery in Singapore.

“Rumours being spread about the president’s health are false,” he tweeted on October 23.

Nasheed meanwhile contended that President Yameen was ruling “in absentia” or away from the public eye.

If the president is “incapacitated” and could not execute the duties of his office, Nasheed said the Constitution requires the vice president to assume the president’s powers.

In late October, an anonymous senior government told newspaper Haveeru that the MDP were using areca palm trees planted in Malé by the city council for black magic to curse President Yameen with ill health.

A close associate of President Yameen told the newspaper that the president did not seek treatment for a brain tumour.

Instead, the associate claimed, the president sought treatment for infections caught during his Hajj pilgrimage and had to be admitted at a Singapore hospital.

The anonymous government official said the president’s close associates believe that black magic or sorcery using the palm trees were responsible for the president’s ill health.

“[They] believe that [President Yameen’s] health worsens with every palm frond that falls off the areca palm trees. And that his health would worsen further with every tree that blossoms,” the anonymous official was quoted as saying.


Related to this story

Palm trees used by MDP to curse President Yameen, alleges senior government official

Public should be informed about president’s health, says Nasheed

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Suspect in Rilwan’s disappearance released from house arrest

The Criminal Court has released the last remaining suspect related to the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan from house arrest (December 1).

A police media official told Minivan News that the suspect was released after the criminal court deemed it was unnecessary to keep him under house arrest any longer.

The suspect was kept under house arrest in relation to what is believed to have been an abduction at knife-point from outside Rilwan’s Hulhumalé apartment on the night of August 8.

Rilwan’s family and local NGO Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) have filed two separate cases at the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) accusing the police of negligence in the investigation.

An MDN commissioned private investigation by a UK based security firm outlined several lines of inquiry into the disappearance with pointing out radicalised gang related abduction as the most likely explanation for the disappearance.

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FAM denounces FIFA decision on normalisation committee

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has denounced the normalisation committee appointed by FIFA to revise the association and organise fresh elections.

“It is improbable this is the final decision of FIFA as the FIFA executive committee has the right to overrule the decision as it was made by a FIFA emergency committee,” local media reported an FAM statement as reading.

FIFA yesterday announced the formation of a five-member normalisation committee after the collapse of the FAM Congress in September and resignations of several of the members of the FAM Executive Committee, making it impossible to reach a decision-making quorum.

The FAM rejected the move today, saying that the decision was made using a number of false assumptions, noting that an accurate account of events was now being provided.

“One [assumption] was that the FAM executive committee failed to hold the annual congress. However, the executive committee’s responsibility is to organise the congress and that the executive committee fulfilled its responsibilities.”

“The executive committee does not have to take responsibility for the events which occurred at the congress and the perpetrators are being investigated by the FAM.”

The FAM’s 6th congress was abandoned in late September after a number of clubs refused to continue with the agenda following the refusal to consider a no-confidence motion against association President Ilham Ahmed – also Jumhooree Party MP for the Alif Dhaal Dhagethi constituency.

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