Category: News in Brief

President reaffirms commitment to rule of law

Speaking in his weekly radio address over the weekend, President Mohamed Nasheed reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law.

The Maldives government recently came under heavy criticism internationally for its nine day detention of People’s Alliance (MP) Abdulla Yameen in the Presidential Retreat of Aarah, after accusing him of vote-buying and treason. The Civil Court last week ruled that this action was unconstitutional.

Speaking in his radio address, President Nasheed expressed concern over the misuse of laws and the courts, claiming that “some politicians think of laws or even the courts as political tools”.

“The expectation of laws is compliance, and the expectation from decisions by courts is that people could have confidence in them,” he added.

Nasheed claimed that using laws for the wrong purposes undermined the rule of law and made them useless.

The President also discussed the historical significance of the day, the 17th of Ramadan, on which the Battle of Badr took place. The Battle of Badr is considered a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point the Prophet Mohamed’s struggle with his opponents among the Quraish in Mecca.

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Maldives to donate Rf3 million (US$233,500) to Pakistan relief efforts

The Maldives will donate a total of more than Rf3 million (US$233,500) to Pakistan in humanitarian aid for victims of the worst flooding in the country’s history.

A fund was launched by the Adhaalath Party after the floods struck quickly drew participation from other political parties and NGOs, raising Rf1.6 million towards relief efforts. Organisers commented to newspaper Haveeru that they hoped this amount would rise to Rf2.6 million.

The Maldives government has meanwhile donated Rf400,000 to a relief fund launched by the Pakistani High commission, which confirmed to Haveeru that Rf1.5 million had been received so far.

The Teachers Association has set up fund collection boxes in several supermarkets in Male’, with others in the fish market and local market on Saturday.

“We have decided to hold a rally at artificial beach area today afternoon. We also intend to set up fund boxes at every mosque after Friday prayer,” head of the association, Abdulla Mohamed, told Haveeru.

Local companies, resorts, and private parties are also donating to the fund, the newspaper reported.

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British Council to expand projects in Maldives

The British Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maldives, defining the scope of future British Council programmes to be delivered in the Maldives.

Country Director of British Council Sri Lanka, Gill Westaway and the Maldives Minister of State of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed, signed the MOU on Thursday.

“While maintaining many of our current services, particularly examinations administration and advice in studying in the UK, we have already put in place an exciting menu of projects which represent new departures in the way in which we want to work with the Maldivian people,” said Westaway.

“One is our desire to recruit three Maldivian Climate Champions who will work with us as part of an India Sri Lanka regional programme on climate change.”

Alongside the signing of the MOU, the British Council also launched its climate Cchange programme in the Maldives, a programme that has been successfully implemented for the past three years by British Council India and Sri Lanka.

One of the key areas of work in Climate Change is the global roll-out of the ‘Climate Champions’ programme. British Council currently has 70 Champions in India and five Champions in Sri Lanka working on community and grassroots level projects. The programme launched in the Maldives will select three young Maldivians as new International Climate Champions.

The British Council will also collaborate with the organisers of the world famous Hay festival in Hay, and will support the festival in the Maldives.

One of the primary drivers behind this event is to reflect Maldivian culture to the world, while demonstrating that the islands are more than sun, sea, and sand – the image it has in the eyes of many, the British Council said in a statement.

The Hay Festival is scheduled to take place from 14 – 17 October 2010 and is planned to be held annually over the next three years.

British Council Sri Lanka is also seeking to provide training to staff of the Maldives National Library, through work attachments and job shadowing in the Colombo office. This capacity building will be delivered to the staff in September 2010.

With the British Council office in Male’ set to relocate to new premises in the National Museum Building, the UK’s cultural relations organisation is firmly committed to strengthen its work in the Maldives and offer programmes in key new areas, as demonstrated by the launch of their Climate Change project.

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Parliament passes amendment to Tourism Act

Parliament passed an amendment to the Tourism Act during yesterday’s sitting.

The Tourism Act states that resorts can be leased for 99 years, under the condition that the company is registered in Maldives and has sold 55 percent shares of the resort to the public, reports Miadhu.

The Act states that if rent charged from land smaller than 200,000 square metres is more than US$1 million, the rent is set at US$1 million per year, Miadhu reported.

US$1.5 million per year is charged for 200,000 to400,000 square metres, while where rent of land larger than 400,000 square metres is more than US$2 million, the rent of the land is set at US$2 million per year.

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Merciel International signs US$180 million agreement to provide utilities to upper north province

The government-owned utilities firm Upper North Utilities Limited (UNUL) has signed an agreement with US firm Merciel International to provide utilities to all islands  in the country’s upper north province.

Merciel International CEO Bradley Smegal and UNUL Managing Director Abdulla Waheed signed the US$180 million agreement yesterday at a ceremony attended by President Mohamed Nasheed.

In an interview with newspaper Haveeru, Smegal said the company would have up to a 40 percent share in the joint venture.

“We have already got the funds in hand. It has been one and a half years since we started working on this project. We will be able to start the works in Uligamu within the next two weeks. Currently, we are also bottling water in one of the islands,” he told the newspaper.

Smegal the company would produce bio-fuel to power diesel generators and explore other environmental methods of power generation as well.

“More than half of the [three-atoll] province’s citizens will get cooking gas without any difficulty within 60 days of signing the agreement,” claimed General Manager of UNUL Ali Hashim.

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Criminal Court restricts movements of 19 staff arrested in Kurumba strike

The Criminal Court has ordered 19 staff at Kurumba Resort, who were arrested on charges of vandalism and intimidation during the recent strike, not to not to leave Male’.

The resort told Minivan News that senior management were intimidated by staff during the strike, and a door in a staff room was damaged.

During the strike the resort moved guests to other islands owned by the Universal group, while others chose to leave the country.

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Police negligence responsible for death in custody, says PIC

The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) have ruled that the Maldives Police Services was responsible for the death of Ibrahim Afzal, who self-immolated while in custody at Gahdhoo police station in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

Afzal died after pouring petrol over his body and lighting it, police claimed. The PIC said there was no evidence to suggest that police tortured him or set fire to him.

However, as Afzal died while in police custody, police were responsible for him the commission said, making the case one of negligence.

The commission also noted that there was no adequate place in Gahdhoo police station for holding suspects in custody.

The PIC has now sent the case to the Prosecutor General to determine whether a criminal case should be raised against concerned persons.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that police would accept the responsibilities expected of them.

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UNICEF representative Mansoor Ali farewells President

President Mohamed Nasheed has said the government will continue the projects set in motion by UNICEF Representative in the Maldives Mansoor M Ali, on his departure.

During a farewell call to the President’s office yesterday, Nasheed observed that Ali had served in the Maldives “at an important time for the country”, and was aware of the challenges faced by the country during the transition period.

Mansoor Ali thanked the President and the government for the support he and UNCEF received during his term in office and said he was privileged to have had the opportunity to work in the Maldives.

The meeting was attended by Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed and UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia Mr Daniel Toole.

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Government to cease issuing cargo licenses to most ports

Cabinet decided yesterday to cease issuing cargo licenses to all ports except Male’, Thilafushi and two regional ports.

The government said the decision was made in the interests of “closely monitoring items imported into the country, and strengthen cargo facilities.”

It added that for regional ports to be run sustainably, “duty on cargo imported via sea to the ports must be reduced by 30 percent.”

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