Housing Minister Muiz joins MDA

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz and Deputy Minister Abdulla Muttalib have signed for the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), local media reports.

Muiz had been a senior member of the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP).

According to Sun Online – owned by MDA Leader Ahmed Siyam Mohamed – Deputy Minister of Education Ismail Shafeeu and former Kooddoo Fisheries Managing Director Mohamed Muttalib have also signed for the government-aligned party.

Following the expulsion of the Jumhooree Party from the ruling coalition, the MDA remains the only coalition partner of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

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Government announces new political appointees

President Abdulla Yameen has this week announced a number of new political appointees.

Abdul Rasheed Nafiz has been reappointed as chairman of the Transport Authority – having been appointed to the post previously during President Mohamed Waheed’s administration before being removedby the current government in January.

Former parliamentarian for the Hanimaadhoo constituency Mohamed Mujuthaz has been appointed to the post of state minister at the President’s Office. Mujuthaz is a member of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

Former footballer Shah Ismail has been appointed deputy minister of youth and sports. Shah served as the ministry’s sports advisor during the Waheed administration.

Meanwhile, the PPM’s Secretary General Mohamed Zuhair has been appointed deputy minister of finance and treasury.

Last week Yameen proposed three names as heads of diplomatic missions, nominating Abdulla Hameed as Non-Resident Ambassador to the United ‎Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait, Dr Mohamed Asim as Non-Resident High Commissioner to ‎Bangladesh, and Ahmed Shiaan as Ambassador to Belgium and the European ‎Union, and as Non-Resident High Commissioner to the United ‎Kingdom.

Both the Bangladesh and the UK missions have had their resident high commissioners removed as the Foreign Ministry seeks to reduce costs.

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EPA against airport development on Farukolhu

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rejected a proposal to develop an airport on an environmentally sensitive area in Farukolhu Island in northern Shaviyani Atoll.

“We believe the damage caused to such an environmentally sensitive area does not justify the project,” EPA’s Director General Ibrahim Naeem told Minivan News today.

Farukolhu has extensive mangroves and is a nesting ground for several species of birds. Sharks and rays frequent the island’s bay for breeding.

In June 2013, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Adeeb and recently dismissed Minister of Transport Ameen Ibrahim leased out the island to Araam Travels Pvt Ltd to establish an airport.

The project – to be completed within 15 months – would boost tourism in the area, Adeeb said. He identified lack of transport infrastructure to be the biggest obstacle to tourism in Shaviyani Atoll.

The company was awarded Gaaf Alif Atoll Innahera Island for resort development under a public-private partnership agreement to subsidize the airport venture.

The US$ 4 million project was to reclaim 1.8 hectares from the island’s mangrove sites to construct airport runway. Generators, desalination plants, sewerage and drainage facilities and a jetty were also planned.

The EPA rejected the proposal based on an environmental impact assessment. Araam Travels can appeal the EPA’s decision with Minister of Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim.

If the minister upholds the EPA’s decision, the government may have to designate another island for airport development.

According to local media, a company owned by Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela’s husband, Mohamed Ibrahim Didi, owns a stake in Araam Travels.

The EPA recently halted reclamation in Dhaal Atoll Meedhoo Island for violating environmental regulations.

Established in 2009, the EPA functions under the supervision of a governing board within the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The agency has published a list of protected areas and a separate list of ‘environmentally sensitive areas.’

Local environmental groups have spoken out against the dredging of a mangrove site in Haa Dhaal Atoll Kulhudhuffushi Island for airport development.

There are nine airports in the Maldives, of which five are domestic airports.

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Political adjustments – The Weekly Review

May 31st – June 6th

Following the break-up of the Progressive Coalition, this week saw a resulting adjustment of party affiliations after an initial purge of Jumhooree Party (JP) appointees.

After the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) followed through on threats to remove JP members – the most notable being Transport Minister Ameen Ibrahim – Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim announced his decision to switch to the PPM.

After having picked up three of the five MPs elected as independents since the March elections, the PPM rounded off their new signings this week with Nilandhoo MP Abdulla Khaleel.

This addition brings the party’s parliamentary group up to 38 MPs, giving it a simple majority alongside its remaining ally, the Maldivian Development Alliance.

A final report from the EU’s Majlis election observers this week called for adapted legislation to clear up the issues of jurisdictional overlap and campaign financing which blighted recent polls.

While the Majlis made preparations for the assembly of its standing committees this week, former President Mohamed Nasheed told diplomats in Colombo that a constitutional adjustment to a parliamentary model of governance would resolve the perennial issue of failed coalitions.

Nasheed also made known his intention to stand for the Maldivian Democratic Party leadership in August, prompting senior member ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik to reiterate calls for new leaders to emerge.

The Syrian civil war continued to force itself onto the agenda, literally in the case of an anti-war hacker who infiltrated over 100 hundred government websites in what experts saw as a result of poor security measures.

Less direct threats to the country were depicted by Home Minister Umar Naseer during Martyrs’ Day, suggesting that the country ought to be prepared for “invisible” threats to its nationalism and its faith.

The government’s rhetoric and response to recent news of home-grown jihadis prompted accusations that it was tacitly supporting such activity, as did the invitation of controversial  Sheikh Ibrahim Shameem Adam to the police force’s Martyrs’ Day event.

The jihadi Bilad Al Sham Media group continued to reveal details of Maldivians fighting in Syria – mocking the police’s attempts to investigate, while an MoU signed with the UN will see Maldivian troops deployed in peacekeeping missions over the next two years.

Elsewhere, the police launched a special operation to crack down on a spate of robberies while the Supreme Court upheld a prior decision to reinstate an officer dismissed in relation to a rape case.

After investigations into the police’s handling of the Anbaraa, Amnesty International called for an investigation into allegations of brutality, and Hope for Women expressed outrage at the publication of an article in local media which suggested underage girls were voluntarily engaging in prostitution.

The government this week rejected claims of negligence at Fuvahmulah Hospital after a series of disturbing mishaps within a few days.

Responsibility for the failure of Laamu Gan’s sewerage system was also deflected by government departments after the local council accused it of offering on assistance in what it labelled a “health disaster”.

In Malé, the city council revealed it was relying on private donations to pay for pre-Ramadan mosque repairs after the government had failed to provide the required funds.

In other news, the President’s Office assured that asylum seekers breaching Maldivian law abroad would be assured of prosecution upon their return to the country.

President Abdulla Yameen’s promise to create a more business-friendly environment for foreign investors moved a step closer with the introduction of the special economic zones bill.

Yameen pledged respect for the local ecosystem during any prospective development projects during a speech to mark World Environment Day.

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Government submits bill on special economic zones

A bill on establishing special economic zones (SEZ) to attract foreign investment has been submitted to parliament on behalf of the government by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Nihan.

The SEZ bill becomes the first piece of legislation to be proposed by President Abdulla Yameen’s administration to the 18th People’s Majlis, the newly-elected PPM parliamentary group leader tweeted on Thursday (June 5).

Speaking to reporters prior to departing to China on Wednesday night (June 4) to attend the Kunming Trade Fair, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed explained that special economic zones would be established in the north, south and other “strategic locations.”

The SEZ bill is intended to expand the economy and could “bring an end to the dependence on tourism,” he said.

In addition to ports and light industries, Saeed said financial services and bunkering facilities would be made available at the zones.

“So the result of this would be the introduction of different industries to the Maldivian economy in addition to tourism,” he said, adding that the new enterprises could be more lucrative and beneficial than tourism.

Referring to the impact on the Maldives from the 2004 tsunami and the spread of the SARS virus, Saeed stressed the importance of diversification, as the Maldivian economy was vulnerable to external shocks due to the extreme dependence on the tourism industry.

He noted that economic development and job creation was the key focus of President Yameen’s election campaign.

The government conducted “a wide research” in drafting the bill, Saeed continued, and studied the practices of countries such as Dubai, South Korea, Mauritius, Cyprus, China, and Singapore.

The bill would “completely ensure investor protection,” he asserted.

Business-friendly laws were essential for attracting investors for mega-projects planned by the government, Saeed noted, such as the ‘iHavan’ transhipment port project.

The minister also expressed confidence that parliament would pass the bill without delay.

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed meanwhile observed that the ruling party had a clear majority in parliament with a team of young MPs committed to the government’s economic agenda.

“Freeholds”

President Yameen had declared in April that the SEZ bill would become “a landmark law” that would strengthen the country’s foreign investment regime.

“What we would like to confirm for the foreign investors who come to the Maldives is that foreign investors should feel that Maldives is your second home here,” Yameen had said at a function in Hulhumale’.

The special economic zones would be “likened to cities in Dubai or the Emirates” and “the [business] environment we have in Singapore.”

The new law would enable investors to have “freeholds” in the country and allow investors “to engage in really, really long gestative projects,” Yameen said.

“We are embarking on an era of growth,” he said.

Other economic bills in the government’s legislative agenda include bills on foreign investment, insurance, consumer protection, corporate social responsibility and small claims as well as amendments to the Maldives Monetary Authority Act and the Pensions Act.

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BML and Islamic Bank offer advise for Maldivians travelling abroad

The Maldives Islamic Bank has announce provisions to sell US dollars to Maldivians travellign abroad, while the Bank of Maldives (BML) has advised those journeying abroad not to carry cash.

A press release from the Islamic Bank said that, from today (June 5), customers with a valid air ticket and national ID could purchase up to US$500.

A heavy import-export imbalance in the Maldives results in a perennial foreign currency shortage, while a dominant tourism sector – which deals almost exclusively in US dollars – results in a weak local currency.

BML has meanwhile advised customers that using its debit and credit cards abroad is recommended.

BML has found that some customers become frustrated if their debit or credit card appears to have been declined when abroad. Cards will almost always be accepted if the amount being transacted is within the cardholder’s limit.

BML visa debit card holders can currently withdraw up to US$200 a day, while point of sale transactions have a US$400 limit, explained today’s press release.

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Maldivians in Ukraine taken to safety with Indian assistance

Eighteen Maldivians living in Luhansk, Ukraine were today transported to Kiev following escalated violence in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

According to the ministry the transportation was carried out with assistance from the Indian government.

“Following the violence in Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation of Maldivians living there with a special attention to their safety, ” read a statement.

Speaking to ‘Haveeru‘ today, the Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, Rajeev Shahare said that it was proof that “India is always prepared at every instance Maldives seek assistance”.

He told Haveeru that Indian Embassy in Ukraine has arranged accommodation for Maldivians and that if further assistance is required India will provide that as well.

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Hope for Women condemns “offensive” child abuse article

Hope for Women has expressed concern about the portrayal of domestic violence in Maldivian media, following the publication of a controversial article this week regarding the sexual abuse of minors.

“At a time where the epidemic of sexual abuse has thoroughly established its claws in the society of Maldives, we are currently witnessing a media determined to re-victimize the victims of this tragedy,” said the women’s rights NGO.

The article in question, published by online news outlet Sun Online, suggested that underaged girls were abusing elements of the Child Sex Abuse (Specials Provisions) Act in order to engage in prostitution.

“Even if the girl is addicted to sex in prostitution cases, no action is usually taken against her,” read the article, which then suggested that some girls engage in prostitution due to an addiction to sex.

“The girl who engages in prostitution should also be arrested and brought to justice in the same way the person who pays for it is,” it continued.

“And that girl should not be released back into the society after the case is taken to the court, until a verdict is reached. Otherwise it is possible to see many such cases from her before the initial case reaches a verdict.”

Quoting a criminal lawyer named Adam Asif, the article said that there are cases where some girls accuse their family members of child abuse when they disagree with her choice of boyfriend.

Hope for Women have described the article as “irresponsible journalism” and its tone “very offensive”.

“The article blames the victims and instead of getting a fair public opinion, it deprives the rights of these victims and demeans their prestige and reputation. By focusing on the perpetrator, the article failed to fathom the grievance of the actual matter,” said the NGO.

“Hope for Women harshly condemns all such reports on media re-victimizing the victims.”

Reports of child prostitution in the Maldives were aired publicly for the first time last year by the then Minister of Family, Gender, and Human Rights Azima Shukoor.

“The number of children facing abuse at one point in time in the Maldives is a number that is unreasonable for a country with such a small population,” said Azima.

Speaking with Minivan News shortly after this news, clinical psychologist Dr Aishath Ali Naaz explained that child prostitution had become so “common” in some parts of the country that the underage victims considered it “normal”.

The practice, believed by multiple sources interviewed by Minivan News to be prevalent across the Maldives, ranges from male benefactors grooming children with ‘gifts’, to parents actively selling the sexual services of their children – some as young as 12.

A former island chief explained to Minivan News that there have been cases of middle aged or elderly men providing financial support to young girls for basic necessities “and then taking advantage of the position [of benefactor].”

Reported cases typically involved low income families “with four or five children,” he said, with adolescent girls aged 16-17 often targeted.

Hope for Women concluded it’s statement by calling for responsible authorities to monitor sensitive media reporting in order to “enhance justice” for survivors of violence.

“Also, we call every individual and the relevant authorities to take all the measures to prevent all forms of reporting that are misleading and irresponsible written on domestic violence.”

“We reiterate the fact that we all have a critical role to play, governments, independent institutions, civil society, young people, the media, religious groups and the corporate sector and most importantly, individuals for zero tolerance to domestic violence,” said Hope for Women.

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Nasheed announces candidacy for MDP presidency

Former President Mohamed Nasheed yesterday announced his candidacy for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidency – vacant since the national council removed former party president Dr Ibrahim Didi in April 2012.

Nasheed, who represented MDP in the 2013 presidential elections, is currently the interim president of the party after the National Council appointed him to the post on April 1.

Meanwhile, former party chair MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik reiterated calls for young leaders to come through the ranks, while refuting reports that he hoped Nasheed would not again stand for office.

Speaking with Minivan News today, Moosa – recently elected as Majlis deputy speaker – expressed the need for a “young and new” leadership in MDP.

“Deciding who will become the [permanent] President is in the hands of party members. I think is time for us, who have been in the leadership before to make way for a young leadership and step aside.”

Recently quoted in Haveeru as saying he hoped Nasheed would not compete in future presidential elections in order to make way for young leaders, Moosa told Minivan News that his words had been misunderstood.

The Hulhuhenveiru MP clarified that, since Nasheed is working to bring a parliamentary system, it would mean the most powerful position would be that of prime minister, and that Nasheed would not be then be running for president.

Time for young leaders

However, Moosa added that – though he still supports the parliamentary system “as the MDP has always done” – he felt that Nasheed’s calls to bring about the change immediately were premature.

“We were demanding a legitimate elected government in the Maldives, and we have one now. So I think we should give time for the people to breath and for economic and financial stability. The government should also be given an opportunity,” said Moosa.

“We saw what happened during our government, we should see how things go for this government instead of trying to destabilise the political environment.” Moosa said.

“The problem is less about the system of governance and more to do with powers of the state stepping into each other’s boundaries”.

He added that he would also be against anything done in cooperation with President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, referring to Nasheed’s suggestion that he would gladly work alongside the 30-year ruler to bring about the necessary constitutional changes.

Moosa said the appointment of Nasheed as the interim president could be a good move as he is an experienced politician, adding that his calls for a young leadership was inspired by Nasheed’s post-Majlis election statement calling for a new leadership and internal reform.

“I want new people to come forward to run the party. But I will not go away from the party, I will always remain in doing party work,” Nasheed said at the time.

Noting that there were capable and experienced candidates for future leadership, Moosa gave the example of former MP Ali Waheed.

“There was a similar thinking before back when Maumoon was in power. People though that no one else have the capability of ruling the country. And again later when Maumoon founded PPM, a young leadership came out of the party and are still holding posts. MDP have much more capable people,” said Moosa.

Nasheed and the MDP

President Nasheed – also a founding member of the party – acted as its chairperson from December 2005 until he won the primary for presidential elections in April 2008.

After winning the first ever democratic presidential elections in October 2008, he automatically remained leader of the party until his dramatic resignation in February 2012. According to internal regulations, when the party is not in power the highest authority of the party will be its president.

While Nasheed is the only candidate who has thus far announced candidacy, the official date for applications is Jun 15 – 25, with elections for president and chairperson of the party on August 29.

The MDP has also called for a National Congress – a gathering which includes representatives from all organs of the party across the country.

Initially planned to be held this weekend (June 6-7), the congress was today delayed due to difficulties in arranging a venue.

According to the party, discussions at this congress will include the restructuring of the party and proposals made by the members regarding the issue.

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