Category: News in Brief

ITEC Day 2011 to be celebrated in Maldives

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program will celebrate ITEC Day 2011 in the Maldives this year.

The Indian government launched ITEC in 1964 to promote bilateral cooperation and technical assistance to partner countries, of which the Maldives is one. The program provides economic expertise, manpower, skills and technology with the 156 countries that are friendly to India.

The High Commission of India has organized the event to foster positive relations between former ITEC scholars from India and the Maldives.

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Five parties contracted to conduct training programmes

Five private parties have been contracted to teach new skills to 645 youth under the government’s national training programme.

On Independence Day, July 26, President Mohamed Nasheed unveiled a massive Rf360 million (US$23 million) national programme with an ambitious target of training 8,500 Maldivians for skilled employment.

Haveeru reported today that an agreement was signed with Clique College to train 100 youth in front office management while training youth in welding was contracted to Clique College, Bayan Training Centre and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). An addition to Male’, the training programmes will be conducted in Haa Alif Hoarafushi in the north and Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo in the south.

A third agreement was signed with Maldives Polytechnic, MNDF and the Centre for Career and Training Education (CCTE) to provide training in electronic wiring for 200 youth. The CCTE will also train 100 youth in heavy vehicle operations.

An agreement was also signed with Cyrix College to train 50 youth in digital animation while an additional 50 youth are to be trained in fish processing and quality control by Clique and Polytechnic.

The government has invited youth above 16 years of age to apply for the national programme. Participants will be given a Rf2000 a month allowance while undergoing training.

Application forms are available from the Polytechnics Institute and island councils.

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Supreme Court celebrates third anniversary

The Supreme Court held a function at Dharubaaruge last night to celebrate its third anniversary.

According to local media reports, Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz said that citizens would accept judgments and rulings by the courts “if the person making the decision is someone who lives in a way that is acceptable to them.”

The Chief Justice vowed that he would not allow judicial independence to be compromised: “I accept that there will be challenges. I accept that there will be criticism. Nonetheless our direction will be forward with the independence assured by the constitution,” he said.

Justice Faiz also launched a book containing the rulings and judgments of the Supreme Court.

Newspaper Haveeru meanwhile reported that a number of judges from the Civil Court, Family Court and Criminal Court as well as some judges from the High Court did not attend last night’s ceremony.

An unnamed judge from a superior court told Haveeru that a lot of judges were unhappy with the decisions of the Supreme Court.

“I’m not at all satisfied with the way the Supreme Court has been acting so far,” another judge told the local daily. “There is dissatisfaction among judges about the rulings of the Supreme Court. That is why I didn’t attend last night. But I can’t say why some other judges did go.”

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Yellow paint at ICU prompts complaints from Hithadhoo citizens

Citizens of Hithadhoo in Addu City have “heavily criticised” the decision to paint the walls of the newly-built four-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital yellow, the color of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), according to Sun Online.

The ICU was constructed under the budget for the upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Addu City.

Unnamed residents of Hithadhoo told Sun Online that “the hospital should not cater to people of a certain color” and that yellow paint was not suited to an ICU.

Southern Health Corporation Managing Director Noorullah Saeed however denied that the decision was political.

Saeed revealed that the yellow was going to be painted over and a new color will be chosen after consulting with the hospital’s doctors and nurses.

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MP “Redwave” Saleem and Ilyas Ibrahim sign with Gayoom’s PPM

Eydhafushi MP Ahmed “Redwave” Saleem and former minister Ilyas Ibrahim have signed for newly-formed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), reports Sun Online.

Ilyas Ibrahim, brother-in-law of PPM figurehead former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and long-serving cabinet minister, was among the first to sign for the party, according to spokesperson MP Ahmed Mahlouf.

Saleem meanwhile resigned as leader of his Labour Party, stating that efforts within a larger opposition party would be more effective. People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdulla Yameen has also joined the party in similar fashion.

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Local photographer wins local competition, goes international

Abdulla Ameer has won the Alliance Francaise des Maldives photography competition, and been awarded the local price of a camera. The competition was open to photographers of all ages, except for professionals.

The exhibition “Planète Femmes/Women’s World” features 28 photographs from 14 participants, although four have been disqualified from the competition, reports Haveeru. The photographs portray female representation in Maldivian culture.

Ameer’s pictures will be sent to the Alliance Francaise’ international competition, from which the winning photo will be displayed in a Parisian art gallery and the winner awarded a one-week stay in Paris.

Some selected photos are also to be published in the magazine ‘Courrier International’, reports Haveeru.

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MP allowances unjustified in current economy: GIP

If the state is unable to reimburse the amount reduced from civil servants’ salaries for MP allowances, then allowances must be reduced, said the Gaumee Iththihaad Party (GIP) in a statement today.

GIP called on the general public to work with the government in reducing state expenditure, while Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik specifically objected to the Rf20,000 committee allowance currently designated for MPs by the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Haveeru reports.

MPs who attend 75 percent or more of parliamentary meetings are eligible for this allowance.

On Thursday, a court case was allegedly filed for a court order asking the Finance Ministry to halt the budget for an MP allowance, which was approved on August 9.

In recent weeks, the Finance Committee also approved a lump sum of Rf140,000 as back-pay for MPs. The bonus would cost the state Rf10 million; the state deficit is currently Rf1.3 billion.

The decision to give the Rf20,000 committee allowance has been protested by politicians and civil society members. Concerned citizens also protested the recent bonus of Rf140,000 last month.


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151 MTCC employees face last two weeks of employment

A financial crisis at Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) will leave 151 workers unemployed by the end of this month following an “organisational restructure”, reports Haveeru.

Chief Executive Officer Hussein Amr said departments would be reshuffled, Haveeru reports. Amr allegedly asked all employees to be cooperative during the transition.

A company spokesperson confirmed the report with Haveeru but was said to be unaware of the exact number of employees who can expect to be laid off.

He said the lay-offs are meant to improve the company’s efficiency.

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Why is Gayoom plunging back into active politics, asks the Eurasia Review

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s decision to create a new political party should come as now surprise to anyone who has been watching developments in the Maldives, writes S. Chandrasekharan for the Eurasia Review.

“Gayoom had been openly accusing the DRP leadership since March this year of acting ‘dictatorially’ and violating the party charter. Thus Gayoom was leaving a party that was created by him on July 21, 2005 when the country was moving towards a multi party democracy and ditching the current leader of the party Thasmeen Ali – a person chosen by him personally. “When Thasmeen took over, Gayoom was made the “honorary leader” ( Zaeem ) of the DRP. The understanding was that he would for all practical purposes give up politics and have a role like that of a senior adviser.

It now transpires and Gayoom has admitted that he never had any intention of giving up politics and alleged that he resigned from the DRP – the party he created could not be reformed despite all his efforts.

In a press conference on 4th of September to a private channel Gayoom declared that he was forming the party to achieve ‘very important’ national purposes that included:

  • Strengthening Islam in the country and maintain Islam as a religion that they all love and respect.
  • To protect their independence and sovereignty
  • To establish a strong democratic system in the country
  • Ensure happiness and prosperity to the people
  • To reform the country to make it a place where people want to live
  • Uphold public order, peace and stability and facilitate equal opportunity for everyone to advance

Why is he using the ‘Islamic Card’ now when Islam is in no danger in Maldives? The danger as one commentator has said in Minivan News on the same day of the press conference is from the Muslim leaders themselves. He said:

“The Muslim [world] needs leaders who can go beyond petty sloganeering and asserting a hollow supremacy… needs leaders who understand that for a religion to maintain its greatness, it principles need to be as dynamic as the human cultures and societies themselves… what is needed is a change of guard and a new class of leaders who are not afraid to take the much harder route – one of accomplishment and progress; to create a world where a tyrant like Gadafi or terrorist like Osama never again gets mistaken for a ‘Muslim leader’.’

Democracy itself is not in danger in Maldives now or before. What we saw was that the ruling party ( that was in a minority) was thwarted at every stage to establish democratic traditions and move forward with the new constitution.

President Nasheed had respected the majority decisions of the Majlis though such decisions ran counter to good governance – like the appointment of cabinet ministers or of the judicial decisions. He did not use his presidential position to countermand such decisions.

Those outsiders who have been following the developments in Maldives would confirm that despite all the hiccups and obstructive tactics of the opposition, democracy is taking firm roots in a country that had seen only authoritarian regimes until very recently.

Gayoom could have achieved the objectives mentioned in his press conference through the coalition partner – People’s Alliance led by his half brother Abdulla Yameen. Instead we find that Yameen had also ditched the party he created and was the one of the first to register himself with the new party.

In the press conference, Gayoom did not say anything about his intention to contest the next presidential elections. He may still do, though there are other contenders like Yameen who had earlier declared his intention to do so.

We come back to the question as to why Gayoom is plunging into active politics once again when he could have retired with all the benefits he obtained and led a life of a senior statesman?

It looks that the deal he had with the present regime to abstain from politics in return for certain benefits no longer holds good. His past conduct under the three decades of absolute rule may come to haunt him. Perhaps, (it is only a guess) he feels that he has to be in the driving seat in active politics to save himself.

Two issues have come up already.

The present government has ordered the reopening of investigation of the 2003 Maafushi Jail shooting. A Special committee consisting of the Housing Minister, the Attorney General and the Defence Minister has been formed by the President in this connection.

There was an investigation of the riots earlier and the report of January 2004 that has not been published mentioned that there was no emergency situation and that shooting of the prisoners was neither a proportional response nor reasonable means of control.

The Officer who ordered the shooting, Captain Adam Mohamed was granted clemency by Gayoom. A former prison guard who was recently arrested for the shooting in 2003 revealed that the order to shoot came from the “top.”

More dirty details of the unfortunate incident may come out now.

Gayoom was also the Minister of Defence and National Security at the time of the riots.

Second- the scandal involving former President Gayoom and his half brother Abdulla Yameen in the 800 million oil deal has also been revived and it was revealed on 3rd August that the National Security Committee has proposed to summon Gayoom to investigate his involvement in the deal.

The scandal related to buying of subsidised oil through the Singapore Branch of Maldivian State Trading Corporation and selling it to the Burmese Military Junta at black market premium rates.

It looks that President Nasheed is slowly giving up the idealistic positions he has been taking all along. One recent example is the way Maldives has responded to the Human rights violations of Sri Lanka during the last stages of war against the LTTE. Its representative said at the United Nations that one should take note of the violation not only on what happened during the last stages of war but also much earlier thereby diluting the whole thrust of the argument of gruesome violations that took place towards the close of the war when 40,000 civilians were killed.”

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