Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Alhan Fahmy has warned that dismissed Transport Minister Dr Ahmed Shamheed must be reinstated in order to retain the ruling coalition.
Dr Shamheed was removed from his cabinet post after he extended the Maamigili Airport lease to JP leader Gasim Ibrahim for 99 years.
In a press conference held on Tuesday (November 13) the JP stated it requested President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik reinstate Shamheed before Sunday.
Fahmy told Minivan News that he believes Shamheed should be reinstated if “Dr Waheed wants to sustain the national unity government.”
“I don’t believe [Waheed] was unaware of the decision [to dismiss Dr Shamheed], and it is of his own irresponsibility if he says so,” Fahmy said.
“A minister shall not be dismissed under the existing political situation unless it is associated with proper reasoning.”
Speaking at the press conference on Tuesday, Fahmy said Waheed met Gasim on Monday night and what he had to say implied that the President was “not fully aware of how [the dismissal] happened.”
After looking into the dismissal, Alhan said the JP believed it was done “without a legal basis” as the JP minister had not breached any laws or official procedures but was sacked “as a result of what the minister did to implement a decision made by the government.”
“Therefore, as we believe that this happened because the President was somewhat confused or misinformed, and after making certain of all the processes that were followed with regard to [the dismissal], the Jumhoree Party has asked the President to reinstate Dr Shamheed to the cabinet before next Sunday,” Fahmy said.
The government’s actions in sacking the minister provided opportunity to level corruption allegations against the JP’s presidential candidate and were “highly damaging” to the party, the MP for Feydhoo added.
A statement from JP last week said the party would take “necessary action” following an inquiry, expressing “serious concern” with statements in the media by officials from the President’s Office regarding Shamheed’s dismissal.
Minivan tried to contact President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad, but he was not responding at time of press.
Controversy has surrounded the sacked minister following allegations that Shamheed was dismissed because of his opposition to the recent sale of a stake in the Addu International Airport Company Ltd (AIA).
The unnamed JP official, who made the allegations speaking to Villa TV, said that Shameed was removed to allow Champa Afeef – a tourism tycoon who recently bought a 30 percent stake in Addu airport – to control the airport project.
The JP official said the sacking of Shameed was intended to divert attention away from the Addu airport sale.
Following his sudden dismissal, Shamheed claimed he had been sacked following his criticism of some decisions made by the government.
“I continued to criticise President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik over the Nexbis issue. Attorney General insists that the project cannot go on. Home Minister has to be responsible for the Immigration Department. Home Minister had ordered to stop the project. But the project went on. I have voiced my discontent over several such issues. We have all seen the result of that,” Shamheed told Haveeru Online.
Shamheed refused to comment on the current situation when called by Minivan News.
Maamigili airport had originally been leased to Gasim’s Villa Group for 30 years, and according to JP, the decision to extend the lease by Shamheed had been unanimously approved by the government’s Economic Committee on November 1.
In addition to Shamheed, the Economic Committee consists of Minister of Finance Abdulla Jihad and Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shafeeu, Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Environment Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb.
Shamheed, in a quote from newspaper Haveeru, said: “Documents to extend the lease of Maamigili Airport for 99 years were sent to the transport ministry by [former President Mohamed] Nasheed’s government. But the current government delayed the matter. The present government only endorsed the decision. It was decided by the NPC [National Planning Council] during the former government.”
More recently however, Haveeru Online learned that Shamheed had announced the extension of the airport’s lease before the ministerial cabinet had sanctioned it.
A tweet from government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza on the day of Shamheed’s dismissal read: “Transport Minister Dr Shamheed has been relieved from his duties today. Defence Minister Nazim will be the care taker until replaced by JP.”
He added that the cabinet seat will be reserved for the JP, currently the third largest party in terms of membership in the ruling coalition.
Minivan News was informed by Riza that the decision to extend the lease has not yet been reversed.
Following Shamheed’s dismissal, Dr Shamheed told Sun Online he believed he was sacked for difference of opinion with the President on a number of issues, including his opposition to the sale of the AIA stake and the agreement with Nexbis to install a border control system.
On November 5, Dr Shamheed tweeted that there was “no justification” for the valuation of an asset worth US$150 million for US$13 million.
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What a joke our whole system is ....
1. We get a brand new "first" democratically elected president in 2008. By 2012 it's becoming more and more clear that he is an illiterate when it comes to governing a country. He imagines he is an activist on the road so surrounds himself with pornstars, hippi types & loud mouthed buffoonish ex actors as his star advisors. Result - he forgets the fundamentals of democracy and interferes with the legislature by bribing the darkish fattish sponges and fiddles with the judiciary; arresting a judge & ignoring the PG, high court and even the supreme court. Vice la democratie a la Maldives... Laugh laugh & laugh... And you have in the amen corner the Conservative party & the virgin boy... Laugh laugh & laughhhhh Vive la democratie
2. Would you believe the closed ist democratically elected one when the chips are down wets his diapers and resigns.. Within 24 hours someone twists his arms or is out of a daze and recants on the resignation. Hold yr sides and laugh laugh & laughhhhhhh the conservative party is trying to resuscitate a body in rigorous mortis and red in the face pump pump and pump and we laugh laugh and laughhhhhhh.
3. The grand vizier from Stanford is on a high podium. Clap, clap and clap! So much clapping that all forget but 25% that the grand vizier is on a podium of eeckles
This is the corrected version of 1st.
What a tragic joke all this is turning out to be! all that's left for us is to hold our sides and laugh, laugh and laugh. It's all flatus and no faeces.
1. A "political and an administrative" midget Canary takes the title "1st democratically elected president of Maldives" to the hosannas of 52% of the electorate. The world is holding its breath expectantly; horror of horrors to discover the canary though adept at tweeting and diving sadly was an illiterate when it came to Governing and reading democracy.
It helped little that his most trusted advisors were 2 bit porn stars, hippi types and loud mouthed buffoonish ex actors, milk dry dames- A Field day for the druggies, convicts, gangies con artists n the louts. So what else is left for Yuha & Yona but to hold their sides and laugh?
2. The chosen canary, with feathers preening lectures the masses - his take on democracy. Easy Peasey, lock up the political opponents, bribe the fat, dark sponges, lock up the judiciary - a judge and a gate, spend 10 times more than he earns, sell off the assets 1 by 1 and of course lash with the tongue and let loose the brooms! Democracy from the canary view point. Applauded by the CP no less and the virgin gems. What's left to do but laugh?
3. Then the impossible! The pack of lies come down tumbling on Feb 6th and with wet diapers and soiled papers & empty bottles the canary trots to the nest sans a tweet. Voice gone. 24 hours later the chosen one comes to senses only to see that the canary lyeing naked and all, pointing fingers. In shame he hides his treasures and somehow gets back a throaty croak..Aleleulia yells his creeps. What else can we do but laugh
5. Gremlin sits perched on the viziers head. He is the parting canary's Damocles sword. Gremlin speaks mostly what we learn from songs and dances to programmed canary tunes. All are marvelling, all are wiping the tears n are now laughing. Gremlins fast getting rich n richer.. What else but to laugh?
6. Mulla of Mulla,s time has come he thinks. Reads the democracy notes stolen off the canary and now gives the vizier 6 days to get rid of the gremlin. The vizier now at last but too late sees the canary trick - the cute gremlin rolled in TNT. What a joke! Each clown a bigger clown than the preceding clown. Laugh my countrymen laugh
7. Not to be outdone the Oily one who started with an oily monopoly lets loose the "flip flop" on the Gremlin/TNT struck vizier; and gives 3 days to castrate his decision on Firing.. Or else he would let go of the throne he is supporting on his shoulder. What else but to laugh.
What's provoking the fits of laughter is that each of the clowns imagines he has got the bull by the horns. That they know how to make a country laugh.... Their mission in life it would seem.
All are laughing - all but the old villain who is crying for his paradise lost!
Is this fool aware of anything ? When the coup was going on he says he was watching TV and now he was not aware of the dismissal ? What does this guy do all day ?? LOL !
Shamheed dismissal = bad PR for JP so JP wants him reinstated?
Hogwash! I wonder who is giving PR advice to Qasim.
What's done is done. Regardless of the truth behind what happened, the common folk believe that Shamheed was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. What's more everyone thinks he was taking cookies back to the bully who sent him inside the pantry in the first place.
Reappointing him only shows that the bully can intimidate a few others in his neighborhood. It will not help restore public trust or faith in Qasim.
So what's the real deal then? Why is so much being made out of this issue?
Perhaps there are some permits that AIA needs to start the ball rolling at Gan. Perhaps Shamheed as Transport Minister could make life difficult for AIA and private equity partner Kasa. Perhaps Waheed et. al. knows this very well. Perhaps Qasim still wants to pressure Waheed into reappointing Shamheed to make life difficult for his business rival.
Also agree with T about the complete lack of impact on the voting public due to this issue.
JP = Villa = Qasim.
Alhan is the JP-Villa-Qasim conglomerate's spokesman.
Shamheed is the middle-man who Qasim has chosen to wield the hatchet that might in the future make headlines to overshadow the whole GMR issue altogether.
A real banana republic
Yet, another failed coalition in the making. Perhaps it's time we realize our leaders - maumoon, qasim, nasheed, yameen, thasmeen, adhaalath, Hassan saeed and even waheed- are only out there to ensure they win the ticket to rule this country as maumoon did once upon a time when alll our mouths were shut and eyes were focused on a hypnotic pendulum. It's time to realize we are now in a different day and age. The so called reform movement since the murder of Evan Naseem has deteriorated whatever structure there was before and now we operate politics, economy, military and society in a modern twist of the wild Wild West where practically any respectable leaders is up there primed for an overnight character assassination if the other party wishes , and any corrupt leader can steal from public in broad daylight and yet next day pretend as if nothing happened and sit at the highest seat in parliament convincingly judging others. Sad state of affairs yes, perhaps it's time we realize this country is too small and people too dumb n self absorbed for a democracy to flourish. It's time to give it back to a benevolent dictator if there is one out there and abolish hope of every single damn person with a party in Maldives to fight over the presidency,
This Shamheed guy is a crackpot who needs to stay at Gasim's house and pamper his doors, especially the back door, which Gasim loves so much. Refree Mallah knows only too well how this Gasim man uses back door deals in closing deals!!
What Maldives is sorely in need of is "adl insaaf" touching all aspects of our life. Until such time when the rights of one is felt or seen to be trampled by another Maldives in the present democratic context would know no peace.
Yesteryear in the 30 year rule we had relative peace because the people settled for what they had, helped on by the threat of brute force hanging over their heads and those whose rights perceived to be trampled putting off their claims for a later Judgement day.
Today with the expectations of justice so compelling and the mechanisms hypothetically in place to obtain such redress one would have hoped that we were indeed seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly this is all but an illusion. A politicised public are more interested in serving the interests of cult figures and less worried about concrete issues touching the Maldivian community.
The greatest failing on the part of xPresident Nasheed was his dismal failure to hold MAG and his Government accountable for the long list of accusations that he and his then coalition partners levelled at him both nationally and the world stage. Every opportunity was available to bring charges on MaG & his Govt officers in an equitable, open and transparent manner. The Maldivian public did not see even 1 successful case brought to court and have the satisfaction of seeing justice served, and if guilty in a court of law MAG convicted and sentence passed.
Given the amount of alleged prima fascie charges of corruption, torture and political killings MAG & Co are supposed to have committed in his 30 years of authoritarian rule as President, Nasheed & his coalition partners failed this nation and even MAG & co big time. If indeed the former dictator was guilty, Nasheed's failure to see justice been done, makes him - Nasheed at the very least an accessory after the fact and so a "partner" to MAG's crimes; after the fact!. The sceptic, the cynic would say that Nasheed, Reeko, Maria & Co withheld justice for their own ulterior motives.
When President Waheed took over he was faced with a Crisis of incredible proportions. That He and his team weathered the storm and won the recognition of the world speaks volumes for the sheer potential of the President & his young team of technocrats. However once again for narrow political considerations he chose to give JUSTICE a back seat.
If he had staked his reputation, his future, by delivering justice to the Maldivian public he would have indeed heralded a new era to the Maldives, and the 2013 election could well have been wrapped up then and there. Instead no sooner he had won the world's recognition and critical acclaim on his handling of CoNI, he descended into narrow self promoting politics. Ultimately probably sealing his fate of being a 1/2 term president; just like Nasheed failing to live up to his considerable potential - victim of his own narrow ambitions.
President Waheed was internationally acclaimed for the institution of the Commission of nAtional Inquiry. The commissioners work barring Gaha Saeed's work won the praise of ALL independent observers. If only President Waheed had constituted a similar Commission with the help of Commonwealth and the United Nations to investigate the excesses of Nasheed in his 3 years orgy of power with the sole intension of justice being done then all the hot issues including the GMR contract would have been open for everyone to see.
However President Waheed's interest was trying to prolong his political relevance at the expense of his nations interest thus giving a huge blow to his image as a statesman as opposed to narrow minded politician. An independent Commission, with international help - a truth, healing & justice commission investigating the abuse of power & corruption in Nasheeds term would have answered many questions - thus guaranteeing justice to Nasheed and justice to Maldives.
Maldives is a small nation with unique realities. A beautifully homogenous population of less than 400,000 people Geographically blessed, making the population a collection of related families, small enough to know each other in ones locality by name. The resources of sun sand & sea makes Maldives a potentially rich nation and the level of literacy and love for pursuing education gives Maldivians the potential to embrace freedom and justice as propounded in their sacred texts and paradoxically best practiced in the industrialised West.
Oh! For somebody out there to realise that the first step to our dignity and happiness lies in embracing JUSTICE and with that would follow what Maldives so crave PEACE!
I see such a person in our very own brilliant Tsk Tsk!
Very much in the mould of the Leader of the Parliamentary Commission for Independent Commissions Kutti Nasheed - a brilliant, articulate, educated son of Maldives hopefully, in enough touch with the people of Maldives to deliver Justice to a justice craved people of Maldives, in a Democratic Islamic republic. Only then could we have PEACE!
Peace! 🙂
@T on Thu, 15th Nov 2012 11:46 AM
"Very much in the mould of the Leader of the Parliamentary Commission for Independent Commissions Kutti Nasheed – a brilliant, articulate, educated son of Maldives hopefully, in enough touch with the people of Maldives..."
Awfully sorry to barge in like this into your euphoric eulogy, but isn't this Nasheed the very same chap that was in need of "some cash" from the very tycoon in the middle of this episode? Has the cash flow line run dry?
I'm confused now about whose fingers are exactly in whose cookie jars!
Alhan is being implanted in JP by Anni to break the coalition .
Alhan is a virus and coalition parties must take a precautionary measures in dealing with the virus.
The enemy's coalition is breaking apart. Excellent.
@ Ahmed bin Addu
Heh he hee we r indeed enjoying all that's good in a Democracy even though still a bit shaky. Don't u think that's swell? Anyway what we solely need is some intellectual types like Nasheed, Tsk Tsk. Don't worry too much about a few bucks that everyone needs so long as its not swindling somebody. Let's as a nation spend our energy to set in place the checks and balances that would guarantee nobody gets away with the kitty and blue murder like the just dethroned wannabe Emperror did.
@ mody
Agent Alhan is a dash good plot. Anyhow he is very much in the same mould as the yellow Emperror. One can't help notice that every time the man opens his mouth it's like he has set a time bomb go ticking tic toc toc
@ Tsk Tsk
I trust interesting times are ahead and I'm looking forward with relish at the prospects of your pen and wit working overtime. I so wish you had your own blog detailing your hopes and details of the tribulations that you foresee hurtling towards our own little nation.
Yummy yummy yum what don't we have these days. Wine, women nascent treason on uninhabited islands. An explosive mix that's guaranteed to make you forget who actually you are.
I do hope that's not too cryptic for your tastes. 🙂