EC announces 17 resorts will host ballot boxes

The Elections Commission have announced 17 tourist resorts that will host ballot boxes during the local council elections on February 5.

The Commission said the resorts would be: Hilton Maldives Irufushi Resort and Spa, Kuredhoo Island Resort, Palm Beach Island Resort, Bandos Island Resort and Spa, Taj Exotic Resort and Spa, Paradise Island Resort and Spa, Sharaton Maldives Full Moon Beach Resort and Spa, Baros Maldives, One and Only Reethi Rah, Huvafenfushi Maldives, Olhuveli Beach and Spa, Soneva Gili By Six Senses, Ananthara Dhigu Resort and Spa, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, Kuramathi Island Resort, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and Sun Island Resort and Spa.

The Elections Commission said that these resorts that had registered voters numbering above the minimum of 100 required to host a ballot box.

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Maldives moves into Commonwealth’s Small States Office in Geneva

The Maldives is one of several small island states being provided subsidied office space by the Commonwealth’s Small States Office when it opens in Geneva on January 17.

The Maldives, the Bahamas, Solomon Islands, the Organisation for Eastern Caribbean States and the Seychelles will operate from the new office, which includes a business centre for visiting delegations attending meetings in Geneva. Tenants will also have access to a resident technical expert on trade and human rights.

“We are delighted to open this new office to assist our small states that could not otherwise afford the full cost of a Permanent Mission in Geneva,” said Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma.

“The office will allow these countries to establish a diplomatic presence in the region for bilateral accreditation in Europe and to the many multilateral organisations in Geneva. It will also act as a global hub for small states to work with other countries on issues such as trade, private investment, human rights, health and labour.”

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Diving with the Maldives’ manta rays

The rays are great black silhouettes, scything streamlined shapes that fishermen called “devil fish” because of the curious horn-like fins hanging down near their mouths, writes Tim Ecott in UK newspaper The Telegraph.

“But side on and up close you can look into their eyes and get a sense of their peaceful nature. Unlike stingrays, mantas don’t have venomous spines in their tails, and unlike many fish species they seem to enjoy human company. They tolerate our presence and sometimes perform loop-the-loops through the air bubbles exhaled from my scuba gear.

I have come to Hanifaru, a small lagoon next to an uninhabited island in the Maldives, especially to see manta rays. These great harmless filter-feeders congregate here during the south-west monsoon between May and November and, if the tides and winds are right, enter a shallow cul-de-sac in the reef to hunt for food. On certain days, usually near to the full moon, the bay can attract more than 100 mantas.

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Cabinet to launch four new Male’ development projects

The Cabinet has announced four new projects intended to develop the capital under Male’ Municipality’s ‘Veshi Fahi Male’ programme.

The projects include:

  • Development of a container terminal at the industrial ‘garbage’ island of Thilafushi, releasing land in Male’ presently being used for warehousing and unloading and speeding the development of Thilafushi as the city’s industrial sector.
  • A light industrial park in nearby Villingili consolidating services and low-rent commercial properties, increasing local employment.
  • Outsourcing management of the T-Jetty to increase operational efficiency.
  • Developing a local market in Male’, including a building with water facilities for small-scale retail.
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Two years and 25 lashes for sexual assault of Japanese music teacher

The Criminal Court of the Maldives has sentenced a man to two years imprisonment and 25 lashes for sexually assaulting a Japanese woman on Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

The Criminal Court, which identified the victim, said she was walking down the ‘Giolhilaashi Hingun’ street in Kulhudhufushi on November 6, 2010, when she was approached by Adam Shareef who sexually assaulted her.

“Adam Shareef stopped [the victim] and [sexually assaulted] her according to his own admittance.”

An authority at Kulhudhufushi told Minivan News that the Japanese citizen was a volunteer music teacher at Kulhudhufushi school.

”Whatever took place happened on that street,” he said. ”It is a very narrow street where people do not walk very often.”

”Another islander reported the incident to police, not the Japanese citizen,” he said, adding that the incident occurred during broad day light in the afternoon.

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Business Profit Tax ratified by President

President Mohamed Nasheed has ratified the Business Profit Tax Bill after it was passed by parliament on December 30.

The long-awaited Act, which the government contends is vital to the country’s future economic prosperity, includes six chapters setting out a framework and guidelines for the taxing of businesses in the Maldives.

The government will ultimately phase out the US$8 a night bed tax charge on the tourism industry and replace it with a goods and service tax (GST), land rent and business profit tax.

Following the ratification, the Business Profit Tax Act has been published in the government Gazette.

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Declaring Addu a city “against spirit of decentralisation Act” claims DQP

The criteria for establishing a city given by the government last week, prior to its second declaration of Addu as a city, was “against the spirit of the decentralisation Act”, the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has claimed.

Haveeru reported that Secretary General Abdulla Amin had sent a letter to President Mohamed Nasheed complaining that announcing the criteria through the one-member Local Government Authority was “in contradiction with the idea of decentralisation”, and “humiliates the manners of democracy”.

Amin claimed in the letter that declaring Addu a city was premature as it did not have a functional sewerage system, or even a paved road other than the primary link road, and accused the President of “escaping from his responsibilities.”

The party has said it will support the development of Addu as a city “if done according to the law.”

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Raising parliament’s wall to 12 feet “sends wrong message”: MP Nasheed

Parliament has announced its intention to increase the height of the building’s boundary wall to 12 feet to increase the security of the building.

Secretary General of the Parliament Secretariat Ahmed Mohamed told local media earlier that the decision was made on the advice of security services “to prevent people from climbing the wall or throwing things.” The Secretariat is currently searching for a contractor to do the work.

Parliament has been subjected to recurrent protests outside its gates, most recently by demonstrators against the MP Privileges Bill and new pay structure, which would have seen the salaries of Maldivian MPs increased to a level on par with those in Sweden, as well as introduced a plethora of benefits ranging from tax-free cars to certain immunities from the criminal justice system.

President Mohamed Nasheed refused to ratify the bill yesterday, after consulting the Attorney General, Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and receiving 289 letters of concern from the public.

Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed said that he did not think the solution to public concern regarding MPs and their work was “to turn parliament into a fortress.”

“I believe parliament should be seen to be accessible, open and transparent – a symbol of open democracy,” he said.

“There have been quite a lot of disturbances outside, and odd comments towards parliamentarians sitting having coffees, and a lot of unruly elements in the area, but I don’t believe this justifies raising the wall,” he said.

“I’m not sure how this came about – I just heard they were looking for a contractor to raise the wall. I don’t see it as a solution – it sends a message of defiance, which is not the right message to send to the public.”

MP Nasheed, who abstained from the vote over the controversial MP Privileges bill, said he believed the President was justified in refusing to ratify it.

“I didn’t want to express an opinion on it. There are issues I like, but there are things in it I don’t like. I believe it exceeds the ambit of priviledges and guarantees that parliamentarians need to carry out their work.”

Nasheed said he felt the term ‘priviliege’ could be misleading and said he understood it in a techincal sense as distinct from ‘benefits’, in that ‘privileges’ provided that which MPs required to function free of interference.

“[Things like] elevating status in society, seating orders, use of the [airport] VIP lounge on departure, special treatment at the places MPs visit – I don’t believe these are necessary for an MP to function,” he said. “These are not privileges, they are benefits.”

“As for the criminal [immunities], I don’t believe any parliamentarian should be exempt or receive special treatment from criminal proceedings. There are concerns about the surveillance of MPs and advantages taken of this monitoring, but I believe the criminal justice system must come into action, even against an MP. But there should be a parliamentary mechanism in parallel to check on the process.”

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