Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Abdulla Yameen has proposed that the Committee on Independent Institutions investigate allegations of sexual harassment against a member of the Elections Commission (EC).
Following a staff protest at the EC in March, a complaint was lodged with the oversight committee that some members were acting in breach of existing laws and regulations. A female employee of the EC who had attended a related committee meeting in June stated then that a member would take hold of her hand while she was serving drinks.
Chair of the committee Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed shared details of the issue. He stated that Yameen was referring to a matter where a female employee had stated that when she served coffee to a particular EC member, he would “take hold of [her] wrist and do something.”
Stating that the accused member had been summoned and questioned on the matter previously, Nasheed clarified that the issue was not an actual complaint filed by any staff member of EC.
Nasheed stated that after reviewing the responses the committee had at the time decided that it was not an issue that needed further attention.
However Yameen said that the matter should be reviewed under the clause regarding Personal Relations of Employees. He proposed that the employee who had made the allegation be summoned to committee to clarify more details of the matter.
Yameen raised the issue the day after the President of the Civil Service Commission Mohamed Fahmy was voted out of his post under sexual harassment allegations.
All PPM MPs who participated had voted against the removal of Fahmy.
Speaking at the debate on Fahmy’s removal, PPM MP Shifaq Mufeed said “We might be faced with an unrecoverable loss if we remove Fahmy, as he is a member of both the CSC and the JSC (Judicial Services Commission). If we remove Fahmy, there may come planned false allegations against other members of independent commissions.”
Elections Commission Vice President Ahmed Fayaz said that he had no knowledge of the matter.
“I have never received a complaint as such from any staff member about any EC members. Nor do I have any knowledge of such a complaint being even officially lodged, verbally or written, at either our commission, the police, gender ministry or anywhere else,” he added.
Minivan News tried contacting Yameen at the time of press, but he was not responding to calls at the time of press.
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There is sexual harassment and then there's actual sexual harassment. It's a very degrading form of behaviour and should never be allowed. However, I'm afraid that in this instance, the honourable member Yaameen is trying to make a mockery of the process that kicked out Fahmy.
Clearly PPM did not want Fahmy to lose his job and as a result, will try to portray the process that kicked him out as something of a joke. Taking the wrist of someone serving coffee and running one's hand over a woman's abdomen are certainly not comparable!
As ever, the political class are trying to make a mockery of a very serious issue.
Slippery slope?
Yaamin, the guy who controls most of the gangs in male. the guy who owns most of the shops in male with his stolen money. shops like Pop Joy, L club and so many other buildings.
Dont know why we all give a blinds eye. this country would actually find peace if these guys perish from the face of the earth...including maumoon. Hope that happens soon....and may they burn in hell for eternity
Yameen is certainly trying out something in a very spiteful and revengeful manner, obviously rankling at his party's failed id to protect Fahmy
If maumoon and anni are gone and then only this country will have peace. Both these dictators have ruined the country and our social values.
FIRST OF ALL... WHY IS SHE SERVING COFFEE? CANT THAT GUY MAKE HIS OWN COFFEE?! IT IS COMMON PRACTICE IN MORDIS TO ASK FEMALE EMPLOYS TO DO SUCH WORK. NEVER DO THEY ASK A GUY TO MAKE COFFEE FOR THEM. APPARENTLY IT IS A PACKAGE DEAL. TO HARASS AND MAKE EM WORK LIKE A WIFE OF SOME AFGHAN WAR LORD OR LOCAL SALAFI BOY. THIS SEXISM NEEDS TO END. AND WITHOUT CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING AND CHANGE IS SOCIETYZ ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN AND WOMEN'S ISSUES; SEXUAL HARASSMENT WILL KEEP ON TAKING A BACK SEAT. I HOPE YAAMEEN IS NOT TRYING TAKE AWAY THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE BY MAKING IT A POLITICAL GAME. #ACKFUDHAALATH
Birth pangs of a Democracy?
1. A president who kidnaps judges?
2. A mutiny that pulls the rug off the feet of a President.
3. Selling off state assets in a hurry to avoid Parlimentary oversight?
4. A delusional Speaker who effectively declares that the MP,s are not subject to the same laws at all times as the rest of the country?
5. A parliment that takes on itself judicial powers pronouncing the guilt of a citizen?
6. A judiciary with some with gr8 education and even convicted criminals if we are to believe Velezinee?
Perhaps Yaaamin is bringing into the attention of the country using parody the can of worms that the Parliment Committtees has just opened pronouncing Fahmy guilty of sexual harassment. It is all the more dubious given that another independent Commission looking at the facts of the case had come to the conclusion that there wasn't sufficient evidence at their disposal to either give a guilty verdict or exonerate the defendent .
As has been said in the debate the Independent Commitee members are wide open to politically motivated accusations of wrongdoing or even blackmail. We know how proficient some people are in the art of cooking up charges against public figures and even uploading doctored u tube videos. This is a very serious turn of events where the judiciary is neatly side-stepped where it seems to point to a matter for the courts to establish if a citizen is guilty or not .
I ask myself why can't we take lessons from the impeccable example of Waheed post feb 2012. He has diligently refrained from either interfering in the judiciary and the legislature. In a Democracy it's essential these 3 equal arms of the state are allowed to function Independant of each other. It's preposterous that a Citizen is effectively pronounced guilty and even worst he is not accorded an appeal.
The bottom line is a citizen is pronounced guilty and the whole nation sees him to be guilty as a result without an appeal whilst due process entitled to him as a citizen has taken a back seat.
The argument that the Parlimentary Commitee with oversight just decided the non suitability of an officer of a Independant Commission is shortsighted and open again to political manipulations. The suitability is decided at the confirmation. Once the Parliment has confirmed a person it stands to reason that he has been selected based on confirmation of his suitability. I would have thought after that a serious breach of the laws would be decided by the courts. Then the Commitee meets examines and puts to the floor the findings of due process accorded to the functionary.
We have the example of Bill Clintons impeachment. Given the political climate everyone knew what could have happened. Did they quickly vote him unsuitable without according him due process.
After coming this far lets not adulterate the good fruit juice with cheap essence of juice. If we cannot get it right why not get advice from our Western Partners.
It's paramount that we get our baby Democracy RIGHT. Without justice been seen to be served we would neither have Democracy nor peace. WE SORELY NEED BOTH. 🙂
As for stroking the hand or abdomen or - stroking the hair etc most Maldivians would recognise that it COULD be different sign posts on the same road.
Do we all accept our coffees, or trays after stroking the shapely or hairy sands that serve it.
🙂
Hamden has always been like this. Even when he was in FISB, he was corrupt as hell. He mistreated his staff. And who is talking about that OIL 800 million dollars now? This is the kind of gangster the country can do without! As for all his shops, Pop Joy has some insiders in every state body. Find out! Very shady characters there also. How about Jagiya Nazim and his Namira corruptions? All Yameen. Maldivian youth. Wake up! Show him out
I know why Yamin is going after Election Comission. He wants to hide the story why someone close to him is not brought home to court when Athama Maal is brought back! In our language it is called debogerry
Yameen is a dangerous man. Don't say coments about him. He will send his gangsters to injure you.
Dismiss all members of Elections. Better people are working hard there. Make them members. People like Habeeb, Sereena, Tolal, Iruvai Asif, Mussad.
Even when Tolal said to Fuaad he had full instructions from a certain party Fuaad did not listen. That is why Yaameen is saying all this.
Can we also look into ex - Mrs. Fuwad Thoufeeq (Adduge Fathimath Riza's case)
respectable responsible senior citizens never harassed the girls/female employees in their ministries and offices even when they served the country for several decades. people like Fahmee should learn from gentlemean like Ibrahim Shihab and Abdulla Hameed.
Remove all members. Appoint Tolal, Habib and Serena. Then Yamin will also be happy. Got it?