Letter to the Judicial Services Commission: Ibra’s blog

“It appears that the JSC has taken it unto themselves to go ahead and appoint judges for life without laws that direct them on the standards expected of judges, or the number of courts that should be established, the jurisdicitions of various courts, the tenure of judges for the first fifteen years of the new constitution etc.” writes the chairman of the drafting committee of the current Maldivian constitution, Ibrahim Ismail, in his personal blog.

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Afghan Women and the Return of the Taliban: Time

Mutilation, beatings, and oppression of women for ‘crimes’ that are not enforced for men, continues in areas of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban.

Time magazine asks whether women’s rights will be sacrificed in any deal with the Taliban.

Read more – Warning: graphic photos

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Former president Gayoom departs to Saudi Arabia

The Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has departed for Saudi Arabia this morning to attend a special conference to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rabitat Al-Alam Al-Islami (the Muslim World League).

Gayoom will address the  Opening Session of the conference in Mecca.

President Gayoom is accompanied by his son Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, Former Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim, and Principal Secretary at the Secretariat of the Former President Adam Naeem.

At their departure this morning the former president had a visa issue and the airline declined to take him, however with the assistance of President Mohamed Nasheed, the delegates were able to leave on the flight.

Spokesperson for the former president, Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Shareef did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Amend constitution and re-elect parliament, and I may hold elections: President Nasheed

President Mohamed Nasheed has hinted that he is prepared to hold mid-term elections – a promise he made prior to being elected – if the opposition agreed to amend the constitution and re-elect the parliament.

”Elections have been very friendly to me in my life,” Nasheed said, speaking at an MDP rally last night. ”I am ready to face any elections should they be needed.”

However, Nasheed demanded that the opposition agree to amend the constitution and re-elect parliament.

”Although the tax bill to increase the government’s revenue has not been passed, [we] will fulfill the pledges,” said Nasheed, noting that six projects were scheduled to commence in Male’.

Nasheed has recently claimed that laws passed by the parliament were making it difficult for a presidential system to function effectively.

“In my view, the essence of this is connected to the form of the constitution,” he said, adding that the “teething issues” related to implementing the constitution must be resolved.

“One way is for all political parties to agree to amend the constitution to change to a parliamentary system,” he suggested, adding that he was ready to face any election in this event.

As the existing constitution allows parliament to block executive functions, said Nasheed, the government could neither ensure economic development nor provide basic services effectively.

“If opposition political parties do not believe [changing to a parliamentary system] is best, the second way is for us to perfect the presidential system,” he said.

“Either perfecting the presidential system, or changing to a parliamentary system [is the choice],” he said.

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom said that the president had promised the people he would hold mid-term elections, “and he has no other choice.”

”That was an unconditional statement he made before the last [presidential] elections,” said Mausoom. ”He has to do it without applying any conditions.”

Mausoom claimed that today, people of the Maldives did not have trust in the president.

”I will say we should wait and see. He is repeating an earlier statement he made, it means there is a possibility that he might do it,” Mausoom added.

The government and the opposition parties are currently holding closed-door discussions, ostentatiously to try and resolve the current political deadlock.

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Tropical storm hits Male’, sinks fishing boat

A tropical storm hit the capital city of Male’ yesterday causing severe damage, while other areas in the country’s middle region were also impacted by wind speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.

Deputy Director General for Meteorological Department (MET), Ali Shareef, said that yesterday the storm arrived at 2:50pm with strong westerly winds of up to 62 miles per hour.

“The wind speed deteriorated after 4:30pm to an average of 30 miles per hour,’’ said Shareef.

“Strong winds occur during the southwest monsoon every year. Last year wind speeds were recorded up to 50 miles per hour.’’

He said that weather would be unsteady at this time of year.

“The wind speed may rise that high within the next two days,’’ he added.

10 different incidents were reported to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) following the storm, which issued a warning not to travel by sea and to take safety measures if forced to do so.

The MNDF reported that roof of a shop was blown off by the strong wind and metal pipes on a 10th story building were also thrown to the street.

A tree fell on top of a house, and many other trees were uprooted, the MNDF reported.

The MNDF also said that minor injuries were caused to people and buildings during the incident.

Meanwhile, the MNDF Coast Guard reported that 15 incidents at sea were reported.

Yesterday when the storm arrived, a fishing boat with a crew of 11 men sank and the crew was rescued from the sea by the coast guard late afternoon.

In another incident, a cargo ship drifted onto a reef near Hulhule’.

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Changing ocean conditions driving marine species away from tropics

A crucial marine species called phytoplankton, which forms the base of the marine food chain, has declined by 40% since 1950, reports a three year study by Canadian scientists. Rising sea surface temperatures and changing ocean conditions are the most likely cause.

“What’s likely to happen is that as the oceans warm, species may move away from the equator, northwards and southwards to maintain their water conditions,” says the report’s leading author Derek Tittensor.

Phytoplankton generate around half of all organic matter on the planet and produce half the world’s oxygen.

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See also:
2009 was one of Australia’s hottest years on record

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Technological advances likely to lower air-conditioning costs: Economist

Advances in air-conditioning design, and use of solar power, will mean cheaper cooling systems for buildings, according to a report in the Economist.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado is developing technology known as “desiccant-evaporative cooling” which requires little power because the hot water can be obtained from solar panels.

The process may consume only about a fifth of the energy of conventional air-conditioners, says Ron Judkoff of NREL.

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Parties conduct peace talks behind closed doors

The opposition joint coalition and the government yesterday decided not to disclose any information to the media regarding the second round of peace talks, in an effort to calm tensions “and give the talks the best chance of succeeding”, according to one member.

A Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP said that during yesterday’s meeting all the parties had agreed not to reveal any details of the ongoing discussions.

“We will issue a joint statement. Now the administrative work of the statement is on going,” he said. A third meeting is scheduled for Saturday.

Chairperson of MDP and MP Mariya Didi, who is also representing the government in the peace talks, said it was “in the best interests of the country” to conduct the meetings behind closed doors.

Spokesperson for the MDP Ahmed Haleem said he would not wish to comment on the peace talks.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Ahmed Nihan, Deputy leader Umar Naseer and Peoples Alliance leader Abdulla Yamin did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Meanwhile, President Nasheed welcomed the ongoing all-party talks, which aim to break the present political deadlock in the country between the executive and legislature.

“I very much welcome the discussions and I am optimistic that the parties will reach a productive outcome,” the President said in a statement.“There are people in all parties who are rational, reasonable and respectable and who would like this country to succeed.”

“I believe it is time for the voices of reason and compromise to step forward and leave behind those who hanker for a return to the authoritarian past,” he added.

The relative ceasefire of angry rhetoric between the parties will likely lead to a focus on the judicial reform process, with crowds gathering today outside the  Judicial Service Commission (JSC) demanding action be taken against corrupt judges.

Haleem said the crowd did not only consist of MDP supporters, “but normal people who belong to different political parties”.

“The judges are working against the spirit of the constitution,” he alleged. “They can’t say, ‘We are taking an oath and this is for 70 years’. If that is the case, the president can also take an oath for lifetime.”

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The Maldives may drift back into dictatorship

The Maldives is in danger of drifting back into dictatorship, writes Al-Jazeera journalist Mark Seddon on website ‘Big Think’.

“The Maldives is not only the World’s newest democracy—it is one of the World’s most fragile democracies. In recent weeks, the rule of the democratically elected President Nasheed began to look a little shaky, as elements of the old Gayoom regime coagulated under a grubby coalition of MPs and corrupt judicial figures to try and force him out.

“What had infuriated them more than anything else was the seriousness behind the intent of the Maldives to recover huge stolen assets—some $400 million, in fact, that now resides in foreign bank accounts. This grand larceny does not include the wealth already squandered on luxury yachts, palaces and all of the paraphernalia associated with bog standard dictators. It was enough to alarm Gayoom, and his close supporters and family, who it is alleged have paid off enough Opposition MPs to make the Maldives more or less un-governable.”

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