Category: News in Brief

Bill passed on separate administration for National University and Kulliyah

A National University bill was yesterday passed in the Majlis requiring the religious-focused Kulliyah to be run under a separate administration, providing opposition politicians a victory against the government, Miadhu has reported.

The government had argued that running the Kulliyah under a single administration within the university would allow it to reduce costs of a service that had a much smaller number of students, according to the report.

However, MPs said to be opposed to a single university administration that included the Kulliyah claimed that their victory would allow for improved standards and courses in higher education.

“Teaching the Islamic cultivation does not mean it is only teaching the Arabic language. It is to teach in set methodology. It is to cultivate from childhood itself. This is to make them responsible citizens of society,” Faresmathoda MP Ibrahim Muttalib was quoted as saying by Miadhu.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President meets with international eye expert

President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday met with ophthalmologist Dr Roberto Pinelli to discuss challenges in battling eyesight defects and diseases in the Maldives.

Dr Pinelli, who founded the private healthcare centre the ILMO Institute, which aims to research and treat problems with the human eye, met with the president to discuss possible future collaborations within the Maldives.

Dr Pinelli is said to have pioneered treatments around the world in refractive surgery and vision.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Ministry of Economic Development to license 24-hour food shopping

Shops, cafes and restaurants will be able to sell food products 24 hours a day under new licensing set to be introduced by the Ministry of Economic Development on January 1, Haveeru has reported.

Although some premises already operate 24 hours a day under a “special licence’ supplied by the ministry, the new regulations are expected to allow shops, fuel stations and eateries supplying goods such as sugar, rice, vegetables, fruits and curry powders to be able to remain open as long they want.

According to the paper, applicants wishing to obtain a licence will be required to register at the ministry as well as cover an annual fee of Rf10,000.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ahmed Inaz told Haveeru that the 24 hour licence would be available to shops selling any imported goods with the exception of clothing.

“Our objective is to provide every opportunity that is possible to the businesses. We are revising the business laws and regulations and getting rid of the useless things we have been doing,” he was quoted as saying in the paper.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

MMA pledges clamp down on black market business dollars

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has said that it will report any businesses found to be exchanging US dollars above the official foreign exchange rate value to police, Haveeru has reported.

The MMA has reportedly announced that amidst an “escalating” black market for US dollars, which has seen the currency sold beyond the exchange rate of Rf12.85, the authority was hoping to remind the public that such practices were illegal, particularly for companies.

“If someone buys dollars for their own use, we don’t take that as an issue. But if they continue to do it for business purposes, we take action. We report such cases to the police,” an authority official told the paper.

Earlier this year, the MMA reportedly sent a letter to parliament warning that without passing a bill on income tax in the Majlis and retaining foreign currency revenue in the local banking system, difficulties could lie ahead for the nation’s finance.

According to the letter, details of which were published by Haveeru back in October, the MMA warned that high recurrent expenditure against revenue “would increase domestic demand in Maldives economy, affect the exchange rate and exacerbate the dollar shortage.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President Nasheed discharges councillors ahead of local elections

President Mohamed Nasheed has today terminated the positions of appointed councillors ahead of local elections set to take place in February.

Nasheed claimed that the decision to discharge the councillors reflected an attempt to ensure February’s local council elections will be contested in an as “free and fair” manner as possible. The decision was first announced by the president back in September, according to a statement released from his office.

“The people will place one of the biggest responsibilities in national development on the local councils to be elected in February 2011,” read the statement.

“Accordingly, with respect to the powers vested on him under Article 115 of the Constitution, the President has decided to discharge all councillors appointed by him, effective from 26 December 2010.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Umar Naseer pursues dismissal validity case within DRP: report

Umar Naseer, a Former Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader who was dismissed earlier this month by its disciplinary committee, has filed a case to try and have the decision declared invalid, Haveeru has reported.

Naseer has reportedly filed a case to the DRP’s council as opposed to appealing to its disciplinary committee after he was not sure whether he “would get justice”, the former Deputy Leader told the paper.

“I filed the case in the council because it is the highest element of the party. The council has the authority to declare a committee decision invalid. The charter does not state that the council cannot invalidate a Disciplinary Committee’s decision,” he was reported as having said.

Naseer also reiterated his belief that a DRP Deputy Leader could only be removed by at least a two thirds vote against them by the party’s congress, a requirement he has claimed is outlined in its charter.

Naseer told Minivan News after a visit to Malaysia last week that former party leader and national president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, had personally backed him in the dismissal dispute.

“Mr Gayoom believes that the dismissal was illegal and he wants the party to abide by its own constitution and still believes that I hold the office,” he claimed.

Naseer added that he was confident that the Maldives’ general election commissioner would in time rule that his dismissal by the party was improper.

“There will be nothing to renegotiate, the position is illegal and I believe this will be supported by the election commission,” he said.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

PA leader Yaameen reportedly considering presidential bid with DRP

People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdullah Yaameen has told local reporters that he would stand as presidential candidate for the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), if a primary is held for the position.

Speaking to the DhiTV channel, Yaameen, brother of the former president and DRP leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said that he would consider standing as a single presidential candidate representing a “coalition” of opposition parties.

The comments were made amidst claims of a divide among some in the DRP concerning supporters of current party head, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and those of former Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, who was dismissed on December 2 this year by a party disciplinary committee. Naseer has moved to claim that this dismissal was illegal under the DRP constitution, a claim rejected Thasmeen.

Naseer told Minivan News that he travelled to Malaysia this week with a number of party representatives to discuss both Gayoom’s and his own political future within the DRP, including an offer for the former president to stand once again for the nation’s top political  position. He added, that no decision had yet been taken by Gayoom

Naseer claimed however that Gayoom had committed to begin travelling around the Maldives during next year’s local council elections to try and win voter confidence, as well as personally backing him in the dismissal dispute.

“Mr Gayoom believes that the dismissal was illegal and he wants the party to abide by its own constitution and still believes that I hold the office,” he claimed.

DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef said at the time that the party has not sought to talk with Gayoom or contact him regarding the rival faction in the party, and added that he was not concerned over the potential involvement of the “honorary leader.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Ministry seeking foster care for abandoned children

The Health and Family Ministry has said it is working to find foster parents for three abandoned Maldivian children, including a newborn baby found in Hulhumale’ late last month in some bushes, according to Haveeru.

Deputy Minister Maria Ali was quoted in the paper as saying that it had conducted assessments this week of two of the children, themselves not even a year old, by a panel of legal and medical experts.  The panel are then expected to select foster parents for the children from a list of applicants, with a final decision taken through court.

A newborn baby girl found discovered on November 25 in some bushes near the Wataniya telecommunications tower in Hulhumale’ is also expected to be put in foster care, according to the report.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Police take hospital DNA samples in abandoned baby case: report

Police have reportedly taken the DNA samples of three women from Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) as they continue to try and investigate the case of a newborn baby found abandoned on a beach in Hulhumale’ last month, Haveeru has reported.

The paper’s online addition claimed a “reliable source” at the hospital had confirmed that the samples had been taken from three females suspected to be linked to the case, with another two samples expected to be taken from two women between the age of 18 and 25 living in Hulhumale’.

The Police Service has not confirmed that they had taken the samples as part of their investigation, according to the report.

The abandoned female child was discovered on November 25 in some bushes near the Wataniya telecommunications tower in Hulhumale’.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)