Category: Politics

Dharubaaruge “unlawfully” closed, Housing Ministry claims

The doors to the Dharubaaruge conference centre in Male’ appeared open again this evening after its employees were  sent home earlier today and the building locked.

Minister for Housing and Environment Dr Mohamed Muiz has claimed the centre was  “unlawfully” closed by Male’ City Council amidst a dispute between the two bodies.

Minivan News this evening witnessed the doors to the centre once again open and a police presence outside.

According to the housing minister,  control of the conference centre had recently been transferred from Male’ City Council (MCC) to his ministry.

“As far as we are concerned someone locked the doors and unlawfully asked employees to leave,” said Dr Muiz.

Speaking with Minivan News this afternoon, City Councillor Mohamed Abdul Kareem confirmed that the centre had been locked up, as authorities were expected to make their way to the building.

“We hear they will be breaking the locks and entering the premises, but we don’t know what will happen,” he said.

After hearing reports that police had moved in to forcefully re-open the building, Minivan News witnessed around twenty police officers outside the centre at around 5:30pm.  As they waited outside the open doors, nearby crowds could be heared shouting ‘baaghee’.

The Dharubaaruge conference centre was originally built for the 5th SAARC summit in 1990 and is rented out for events, press conferences and private functions. President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan appeared at an event celebrating high academic achievers just last night.

Kareem said that a letter was received from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) yesterday informing the council that all 17 staff at the centre had been transferred to the Housing Ministry.

“The CSC has taken the staff and may be thinking that the whole premises belong to the Housing Ministry. But it is already handed over to the MCC. I believe our legal team has submitted the case to court,” said Kareem.

The Chairman of the CSC Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, countered this view, arguing that the local government laws allowed for the removal of state land from city councils.

“Institutions and land belonging to central government can be changed by cabinet decision according to the rules.  The cabinet has decided that Dharubaaruge is to move from the MCC to the Housing Ministry,” Fahmy informed Minivan.

He also argued that staff at the conference centre could only be ordered home by the CSC itself: “Staff should not be sent home. This has to be worked out in the courts between the MCC and the Housing Ministry.”

Both sides expressed concern that despite the dispute, the provision of services at the conference centre should not be affected.

Kareem therefore argued that the centre needed to re-opened quickly for pre-booked events. Fahmy added that the CSC always made efforts to ensure that services were not impeded in these situations.

Land tussle

In another tussle over the jurisdiction of land in the capital, the Housing Ministry last week issued a letter to the MCC stating that it intended to claim the area immediately behind Dharubaaruge, known as Usfangandu.

The reasons given by the ministry were that the presence of the new Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) demonstration area on the land violated the regulations concerning the use of public space. The MCC disputed these allegations.

The issue of MCC jurisdiction over the Tsunami monument area also arose recently after the case of the dismantling by security forces of the MDP’s ‘Justice Square’ was submitted to legal process.

A number of justifications for the camp’s removal were posited, but the case was dismissed by the Civil Court on a technicality. The court alleged that MDP interim chairperson Mooosa ‘Reeko’ Manik had exceeded his authority when submitting the case. The case has since been re-submitted by party President Dr Ibrahim Didi.

When asked about any possible connection between the Usfangandu and Dharubaaruge incidents, Dr Muiz said that he believed there was no link.

However, Councillor Kareem believed the two were linked to recent political tensions.

Last week, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) criticised the MCC’s allocation of land for political uses, arguing that the council’s policies violated decentralisation laws.

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MDP Parliamentarians submit no-confidence motion against Speaker Shahid

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group has today passed a no-confidence motion against Abdulla Shahid, Speaker of the People’s Majlis.

The now opposition party said it had moved to pass the current no-confidence motion against Speaker Shahid over allegations that he had been making decisions relating to significant parliamentary issues without discussing them with various political parties.

The party claimed that Shahid had been acting outside of his mandate by deciding to suspend certain parliament regulations, whilst opting to follow others that were to his personal benefit.  The MDP allege the speaker had been doing this without discussing his decisions among any political parties represented inside parliament.

From within the MDP Parliamentary Group, 27 members out of a total of 32 belonging to the group are said to have signed the no-confidence motion.  The party claimed that its members who did not sign the motion had been unavailable to do so at present.

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof could not be contacted at the time of going to press regarding his party’s response to the motion.

Speaker Shahid told Minivan News today that parliament had received the no-confidence motion, though he did not wish to elaborate further at the present time.

‘’I will issue a written statement tomorrow,’’ he said. ‘’I have decided not to say anything before that.’’

The MDP previously called for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker in March 2010, accusing him of siding with the then-opposition parties.

In January last year, there were widespread rumors that MDP, the People’s Alliance Party (PA) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) were planning to forward a no-confidence motion against the speaker.

However, all the parties denied such a collaboration at the time and a no-confidence motion was not forwarded to the parliament.

DRP Parliamentary Group Leader and MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Dr Mausoom has today told the local press that he will make sure the no-confidence motion against Speaker fails in parliament.

He also said there might be a chance that MDP has sided with some of the independent MPs in parliament to pass the no-confidence motion.

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PG expects decision on prosecution of Mohamed Nasheed by next week

Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizz has said that a decision on whether to press charges against former President Mohamed Nasheed over the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed is expected to be made by next week.

Earlier this week, the Maldives Police Service sent the case of the arrest of the chief judge to the PG’s Office. Minivan News reported at the time that under the submitted case, former President Mohamed Nasheed could face charges for his alleged role in the Maldives National Defense Force’s (MNDF) decision to detain Judge Abdulla.

The country’s judges and their conduct became a major focus for Nasheed in the run up to his replacement by Dr Waheed in February.  The former president had raised concerns over allegations of perjury and “increasingly blatant collusion” between senior judicial figures and politicians loyal to his predecessors, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

However, Nasheed himself came under criticism from some international bodies after detaining the chief judge whilst he claimed to be awaiting international assistance from bodies like the UN and the Commonwealth with the judicial reforms.

Speaking briefly by phone today about the Judge Abdulla case and its relation to the former president, PG Muizz said that a decision had yet to be taken on whether to press criminal charges or not.

In addressing the decision-making process concerning the prosecution of a high-profile figure such as a former president of the nation, Muizz said that he would apply the same criteria that was used against any other Maldivian citizen.

MDP response

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), of which Nasheed is a member, has responded to the filing of the case against the former president by claiming the decision was “pure injustice”, representing the “broken” state of the national criminal justice system.

MP Imthiyaz Fahmy commented that it was ironic that Nasheed, who had worked to foster a reputation for championing human rights in the country, could now potentially face prosecution by a judiciary that he himself believed to be guilty of several of cases of corruption.

“This is injustice. Justice is not ensured simply by a judge’s verdict on an issue, it has to be publically accepted that it is justice,” he argued.

“For the last thirty long years, the regime [of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom] tortured and suppressed the people. They systematically tortured the people. Those that were at the helm of torture and corruption are made as clean as ‘pure white cotton’ by the crippled judiciary.”

Charges

According to sources linked to the Judge Abdulla case, the charges levelled against Nasheed relate to the violation of article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives, and for violation of Article 12 clause (a) of Judges Act (Act no 13/2010).

Article 44 of the Maldives Constitution states: “No person shall be arrested or detained for an offence unless the arresting officer observes the offence being committed, or has reasonable and probable grounds or evidence to believe the person has committed an offence or is about to commit an offence, or under the authority of an arrest warrant issued by the court.”

Article 12 clause (a) of the Judges Act states that a judge can be arrested without a court warrant, but only if he is found indulging in a criminal act.

The same article also states that if a judge comes under  suspicion of committing a criminal act or being about to commit a criminal act, they can only be taken into custody with a court warrant obtained from a higher court than that in which the judge presently sits.  This warrant has to be approved by the PG.

A police official confirmed on Sunday – April 15 – that the case regarding the judge’s detention had been submitted to the PG’s Office .

“Today at around 9:30am, we have submitted the case [the arrest of Judge Abdulla] to the prosecutor general. We have completed all the necessary investigations required,” the police official said at the time.

An official from the PG’s Office also confirmed to Minivan News that the charges sent to it by the police were against Nasheed. However, the official refused to explain the exact nature of the charges, stating that the case was still being assessed by their legal team.

Alcohol case

A second case involving Nasheed has also been sent to the PG by the police, involving the confiscation of bottles of alcohol allegedly found at his residence shortly after his presidency ended.

In a press conference, Deputy Head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Sub-Inspector Ismail Fareed, noted that all people questioned regarding the case had cooperated fully.

However, Nasheed maintained that he had no part to play in the confiscated liquor bottles.

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CMAG warns of “stronger measures” against government unless CNI is reformed

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action (CMAG) has said it will consider taking “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives government unless the composition of its Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) is revised in the next four weeks.

During a meeting held in London today that was attended by representatives of both the government and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), CMAG continued to call for fresh elections to be called this year.

The need for long-term measures to strengthen the capacity of the country’s judicial sector, as well as fresh party talks between the country’s most senior political representatives to help resolve the current political situation was also raised.

Following the conclusion of today’s talks, CMAG said its members were critical of the government’s attempts so far to establish an independent enquiry into the exact nature of how President Mohamed Waheed Hassan came to power earlier this year.

The CNI, which is charged by the government with looking into the legality and legitimacy of the transfer of presidential power on February 7, was set up amidst international calls to provide an independent assessment of the legitimacy of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s administration.

The now opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which alleges that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a coup d’état, has refused to work with the CNI claiming it lacks impartiality and had no international representation.

While reiterating its previous calls for presidential elections to be held by the end of this year, CMAG said it was with “deep regret that there had been little progress towards a political understanding in the Maldives” during the last month.

“The Group was of the view that the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), established to assess the events leading to the transfer of power on 7 February 2012, is not independent or impartial, and has failed to gain sufficient support in Maldives,” CMAG said in a statement.

“Ministers urged the Government to review immediately the composition and terms of reference of the Commission to make it genuinely independent, credible and impartial. CMAG reiterated the Commonwealth’s offer to provide assistance in this regard.”

Amidst the concerns said to be held by the CMAG over the independence of the CNI and its ability to conduct an independent enquiry into the change of government back in February, the body also set out a time-line for the government to adhere to in order to enact reforms.

“Further and stronger measures”

“Should the composition and terms of reference of the [CNI] not be amended within four weeks in a manner that is generally acceptable and enhances its credibility, CMAG would be compelled to consider further and stronger measures,” the body concluded.

Aside from continuing to push for the establishment of fresh elections by the end of 2012, CMAG added that it also supported Commonwealth’s assistance in order to “strengthen democratic processes, institutions and culture in the Maldives.”

“In this context, it expressed support for the Commonwealth Secretariat’s technical assistance for strengthening for the long term the capacity of the judicial sector, as agreed with the authorities in Maldives,” CMAG added.

“It also welcomed the Secretary-General’s offer to provide elections-related assistance. The Group further called for the capacity of the Majlis to be strengthened.”

In supporting these stated aims, CMAG additionally welcomed ongoing collaborations between other international parties such as the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The CMAG panel that presided over today’s talks was comprised of Foreign Ministers from member states including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, Sierra Leone,Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago.

The representatives during the course of the talks were updated on the current situation in the Maldives by the Commonwealth Secretary General and his Special Envoy, Sir Donald McKinnon who has visited the country to meet with various representatives from both sides of the political divide.

The Maldives government was represented at the talks by Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor, who presented evidence during the day to the CMAG panel. Dr Farahanaz Faizal also met with the CMAG panel as a representative for former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Azima Shakoor could not be contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press for her reaction to CMAG’s conclusions.

By-election “mandate”

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday ahead of today’s CMAG meeting, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the government felt the success of its coalition partners in three out of four by-elections over the weekend was an indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people.

Abbas therefore called on international bodies such as CMAG to take the results of the weekend’s polls into consideration when reflecting on the need for early presidential elections before the ones already scheduled for 2013.

“It is clear that there is public support in the country for this government and that there are not any problems with its constitutional mandate to be in power. In three out of the four elections held, the coalition won by a clear majority,” he said at the time. “The MDP has continued to call for early elections, though yesterday’s elections show that the public backs the government until early elections can be held in July 2013.”

In a statement released Saturday whilst polling was being conducted, the MDP maintained the by-elections indicated that the country was able to hold “free and fair elections” as soon as possible.

“The MDP has consistently called for early presidential elections in the Maldives to resolve the political deadlock that exists since the unlawful transfer of power on February 7 following police and military backed coup in the Maldives,” stated party spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor .

“Elections today are held at a time when [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom has publicly stated early Presidential elections would not be held in the Maldives citing conditions for elections are not right and also that Elections Commission does not have the capacity to hold early elections in the Maldives.”

CMAG was last month accused by members of President Waheed’s government of showing “bias” towards certain political parties in calling for general elections as early as possible to resolve questions over the administrations legitimacy.

The government later said it was concerned over the “language” used by the Commonwealth in its statement.

The President’s Office said last month said that although it was not for the time being looking to leave the Commonwealth, it added that such a move could be considered if CMAG continued to use similar language in the future.

“If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News at the time.

The government later denied it had made such claims, alleging to local media that the report in Minivan News had been “politically motivated”.

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President announces resumption of fishing subsidies

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said he intends to begin resuming the payment of subsidies to fishermen within days. The President added that he would try to provide fish at better prices by increasing the promotion of pole and line fishing in other countries.

President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza has said that the money was badly needed as the industry was in “real economic trouble,” despite the government coming under pressure to cut state expenditure.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shafeeu said that the subsidy had not been paid at all in 2011. He added that this year’s subsidies this year had not been reserved exclusively for fuel,  with funding being set aside for measures to encourage investment in ice plants – for which there was apparently a high demand.

Shafeeu also spoke of the ministry’s plans, unrelated to these particular subsidies, to improve access to loans to encourage investment in the industry.

“In terms of the economics of the sector, since 2006 we have seen a decline in fish numbers. In terms of total exports, it has gone down. There are many factors – a lot of them to do with management of the budget. Also there are risks due to the world economic crisis,” said Shafeeu.

The local industry is also thought to have been affected by the mass harvesting of fish stocks by foreign vessels in and around Maldivian waters. Traditional pole and line techniques struggle to compete with the more sophisticated technology and less environmentally considerate practices used by some competitors.

Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Ali Solih explained that the proposed subsidies amounted to Rf100 million for the year, and would be disbursed once approval came from the Majlis. He added that the current members of the ministry had been working towards this goal since assuming their posts.

Methods

The use of the traditional pole and line method being encouraged in the president’s speech have been used in the Maldives for millennia and are an important feature of the industry which has long prided itself on its sustainable practices.

The previous government, however, felt it necessary to look into greater opportunities for the use of long line fishing techniques. It argued that, despite the greater risks of harming protected species, the technique offered far greater economic opportunities for a struggling industry.

A research officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture at the time argued that long line fishing vessels did not have to travel as far as pole and line ships, lowering fuel costs and so making operations more viable economically.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, speaking at the opening of the Majlis 2010 session that it was not feasible to burn fuel and engage in pole and line fishing in big vessels.  He claimed at the time that experts had advised him it would be more profitable to use those vessels for group long-line fishing.

Fisheries Minister Shafeeu said that the ministry would seek to continue this policy of providing varied opportunities to local fishermen. He said that pole and line fishing remained the most “prominent” method used in the Maldives, but said that “diversification is something [that is] required”.

A feature of this approach has been seen in the granting of long-line licenses within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) exclusively to Maldivian businesses. In April 2010, foreign licences for long lining were terminated by the government.

The long-line fishing method appears as something of a double edged sword for the industry.  While the method offers the potential for better harvests of species that subsist in deeper waters such as Yellowfin and Bigeye tuna, it is also alleged to potentially  harm the marketability of Maldivian marine produce.

Shafeeu noted that the number of skipjack tuna exports, most commonly caught using the pole and line method had dropped “significantly” although the industry had been able to sustain the numbers of Yellowfin being caught.

Many chains such as Marks and Spencer in the UK place great value on purchasing tuna caught using the traditional economically friendly pole and line method. The marine conservation group Bite Back, in 2010, expressed its belief that the use of long line methods in the Maldives could result in a UK boycott of its tuna products.

Depleted financial stocks

The Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP) last year took the Finance Ministry and the Fisheries Ministry to court over the failure to pay fuel subsidies to fishermen.

In a similar case yesterday, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced its decision to repay money withheld from government employees during the previous government’s attempts at enforcing austerity measures in 2010.

Abbas remarked that due to a Civil Court ruling on this issue, the Rf443.7 million owed to civil servants was now a “legally compulsory payment.”

This financial commitment comes at a time when the government faces a widening budget deficit, argued by Finance Minister Abdullah Jihad to stand at Rf2 billion, based on current rates of spending.

As part of its new austerity measures, the People’s Majlis has been re-examining the Aasandha health care scheme in an attempt to rein in state overspending. Thorig Ali Luthfee of the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) recently told the Majlis’ Financial Committee that the scheme was likely to spend more than double its allocated budget this year, according to Sun Online.

Were the government able to tame this overspend, it could expect to save around Rf500million. Minivan News was unable to contact Finance Minister Jihad or Ahmed Nazim, head of the Majlis’ Financial Committee,  regarding further attempts to cut spending at the time of going to press.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the people’s Majlis earlier this month that a failure to reduce spending could have disastrous consequences for the Maldivian economy if it results in the depletion of its foreign currency reserves.

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Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem reiterates calls for control of mosques to return to Islamic Ministry

Islamic Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has continued to call for the control of Maldivian mosques to be returned to his department from the country’s island councils.

Local media has reported that Sheikh Shaheem used social media this week to reiterate his hopes that the Islamic Ministry would reclaim control of the country’s mosques following the failure of one scholar to obtain permission to speak on the island of Fuvahmulah.  Sheikh Shaheem was unavailable for comment when contacted by Minivan News today.

Local authorities in Fuvahmulah said today that the decision not to grant permission for Sheikh Idhrees Hussain to preach at a mosque in Maadhandu Ward on the island was the result of an administrative oversight rather than a personal “grudge” against the scholar.

However, in referring to the issue of granting permission for Sheikh Idhrees to preach during his visit to Fuvahmulah on Facebook yesterday, Shaheem stated that he hoped the country’s mosques would be soon back under the legal control of the Islamic Ministry.

“This is the result of handing over mosques to Councils. God willing, all mosques in the country will be brought under Islamic Ministry,” Sun Online reported Shaheem as stating on his Facebook page.

In the meantime, the Islamic Affairs Minister said that his department would continue to work with island councils who were presently responsible for local mosques to ensure order in the nation.

Following the failure of Maadhandu Council in Fuvamulah to grant permission for Sheikh Idhrees to preach at the mosque, island officials said that about 15 people gathered at the council’s offices to protest at the decision yesterday. The protest was claimed to have lasted for around 15 minutes.

Ahmed Wafir, a member of Maadhandu Council today told Minivan News that the issue arose after Sheikh Idhrees visited Fuvamulah on a personal trip and wanted to preach in a mosque in Maadhandu Ward without the permission of Maadhandu Council.

“He [the sheikh] apparently asked the Atoll Council instead of Maadhandu Council, and the Atoll Council informed four councils in the island that he had requested for permission to preach in some of the mosques in the island,’’ Wafir said.   He noted that there was a total of eight councils in Fuvamulah representing different wards.

Wafir claimed that the Maadhandu Council President responded at the time that he alone cannot give such permission to the scholar and therefore, a council meeting had to be held to grant the permission to preach. According to the council’s rules, Sheikh Idhrees was then required to send a letter to the council along with a copy of his preaching license.

“Some of the islanders got angry about this and the next day total 15 persons came near Maadhandu Council Office to protest, but after 15 minutes they left,’’ he said.

Wafir claimed that the council knew of Shikeh Idhrees and had previously permitted the scholar to deliver sermons at the local mosque  when he had requested to do so according to the rules.

“It’s not that the council has any grudge against Sheikh Idhrees, but everyone has to follow procedures and rules,’’ he said. “Sheikh Idhrees later changed the schedule and delivered the sermon in another mosque not in Maadhandu.’’

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Gayoom claims “special motive” behind international calls for early elections

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has claimed that international calls for early elections are driven by a “special motive” that poses a direct threat to the Maldives’ sovereignty and religious heritage.

Gayoom, currently the leader of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), alleged that during his 30 year reign, international parties had always been attempting to influence the Maldives because of its 100 percent Muslim status.

The comments were made during a PPM rally on the island of Guraidhoo, Thaa atoll, where people had gathered to celebrate a weekend parliamentary by-election victory for the party.

Reporting from the island, Minivan News’ Hawwa Lubna witnessed hundreds of people in the audience for Gayoom’s address, which was made ahead of a meeting of  the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) today.

The ministerial action group is expected to discuss the controversial transfer of power that brought President Waheed into office on February 7 amongst a number of issues during today’s meeting.

CMAG was last month accused by members of President Waheed’s government of showing “bias” towards certain political parties in calling for general elections as early as possible to resolve questions over the administrations legitimacy.

The Commonwealth has since been supported by both the EU and US in calling for programs to be put in place to facilitate early elections before 2013.

The calls follow allegations by former President Mohamed Nasheed that he was removed from office in a “coup d’etat” on February 7 after sections of the military and police mutinied.

On the back of international pressure for fresh polling, Gayoom has claimed that the PPM – as part of the national unity government bought to power under President Waheed – has been given a public mandate following the weekend’s by elections.

Speaking at Monday night’s rally held to celebrate party candidate Ahmed Shareef’s win in the Thimarafushi parliamentary by-election, Gayoom contended that the “by-elections are the early elections”.

“The results prove PPM has the support of people,” the former president said.

Gayoom therefore argued that there was no room for early elections in the country, adding that the next constitutionally mandated election should be held in 2013.

“We must not not talk about holding an election which the constitution does not allow. However, several foreign parties are calling for this [early elections]. They are talking about it with a special motive,” Gayoom claimed.

“We must protect our sovereignty. We must protect our independence. We must not let anyone [foreigners] to intervene in our internal affairs.”

Gayoom also alleged that “different foreign parties are influencing Maldives because we are a 100 percent Muslim nation” and added that he “knows clearly why the international community is attempting by different means to restore Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s rule.”

“A very reliable person had told me former [President Nasheed’s] government had said that within a year of them coming to power, a church, a Christian church will be built in Maldives. But [Nasheed] could not do it,” Gayoom claimed.

Nasheed’s opponents have repeatedly accused his government of cooperating with “Christian missionaries” and “Jewish parties” to “wipe out Islam” from the Maldives.

Independence

Meanwhile, Gayoom further alleged that even during his 30 year rule, several foreign parties had “offered money” in return for implementing their proposals in Maldives, although he did not articulate on those proposals.

“But I put the nation’s interest first. I put the nation’s independence first. No matter how much money was offered, how many things they proposed to do in return, we did not want to give even the smallest part of our land. We did not want to handover any part of our independence to foreigners.” Gayoom contended.

The comments by Gayoom, who served in office for thirty years before being voted out in the country’s first democratic general election in 2008, mirrored earlier claims by the government that presidential elections were not needed this year – despite international calls to the contrary.

The government said that it believed victory for its coalition partners in the weekend’s two parliamentary by-elections was a clear indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people to remain in power until 2013.

Government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza additionally called on international bodies like CMAG to take the results of the polls into consideration this week when reflecting on the need for fresh national polls.

From a government perspective, Abbas claimed that the two parliamentary and two island council by-elections should be seen as a “vote of confidence” by the public in the national unity government made up of several national parties.

Commonwealth membership

Following CMAG’s calls last month for early elections to be held in the Maldives at the earliest date possible, the government said it was concerned over the “language” used by the commonwealth in its statement.

The President’s Office said that although it was not for the time being looking to leave the Commonwealth, it added that such a move could be considered if CMAG continued to use similar language in the future.

“If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News at the time.

The government later denied it had made such claims, alleging to local media that the report in Minivan News had been “politically motived”.

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PG receives charges against Former President Nasheed in Chief Judge arrest

The Maldives Police Service has today sent the case of the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Mohamed to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Minivan News understands that under the submitted case, Former President Mohamed Nasheed could stand to face charges for his alleged role in ordering the detention of the judge earlier this year.  Any final decision to press charges will then be down to the prosecutor general.

The country’s judges and their conduct became a major focus for former President Nasheed in the run up to him being replaced by Dr Waheed in February, leading to eventual calls for international assistance on the matter.

Nasheed had at the time raised concerns over allegations of perjury and “increasingly blatant collusion” between senior judicial figures and politicians loyal to the former autocratic President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Charges

However, it is the former president who now himself faces criminal charges relating to the detention  of the judge.

According to sources linked to the case, the charges levied against Nasheed relate to the violation of article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives, and for violation of Article 12 clause (a) of Judges Act (Act no 13/2010).

Article 44 of the Maldives Constitution states: “No person shall be arrested or detained for an offence unless the arresting officer observes the offence being committed, or has reasonable and probable grounds or evidence to believe the person has committed an offence or is about to commit an offence, or under the authority of an arrest warrant issued by the court.”

Article 12 clause (a) of the Judges Act states that a judge can be arrested without a court warrant, but only if he is found indulging in a criminal act. The same article also states that if a judge comes under  suspicion of committing a criminal act or being about to commit a criminal act, they can only be taken into custody with a court warrant obtained from a higher court than that of which the judge presently sits on.  This warrant has to be approved by the prosecutor general.

A police official today confirmed that the case regarding the judge’s attention had been submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office today.

“Today at around 9:30 am, we have submitted the case [the arrest of Judge Abdulla] to the prosecutor general. We have completed all the necessary investigations required,” the police official said.

An official from the Prosecutor General’s Office also confirmed to Minivan News that the charges sent to it by police were against Nasheed.  However, the official refused to explain the exact nature of the charges, stating that the case was still being assessed by their legal team.

Spokesperson for Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Imthiyaz Fahmy said that he would not comment on the issue until after a party meeting scheduled to discuss the issue was held

Judge arrest

Judge Abdulla was arrested by the MNDF on January 16 this year, in compliance with a police request. The judge’s whereabouts were not revealed until January 18.  The MNDF had acknowledged receipt but not replied to Supreme Court orders to release the judge.

As Judge Abdulla continued to be held, Prosecutor General (PG) Ahmed Muizz later joined the High Court and Supreme Court in condemning the MNDF’s role in the arrest, requesting that the judge be released.

According to Muizz, police are required to go through the PG’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant from the High Court.

“They haven’t followed the procedures, and the authorities are in breach of law. They could be charged with contempt of the courts,” he said at the time.

However, following the controversial resignation of  former President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7, Judge Abdulla was released that evening after incumbent president Mohamed Waheed Hassan took over the presidency.

A second case involving Nasheed has also been sent to the prosecutor general by the police that involved the confiscation of bottles of alcohol allegedly found at his residence shortly after his presidency ended.

In a press conference, Deputy Head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Sub-Inspector Ismail Fareed, noted that all  people questioned regarding the case had fully cooperated.

However, Nasheed maintained that he had no part to play in the confiscated liquor bottles.

HRCM

Just last month, Nasheed became the first president to be summoned before the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) regarding his role in the arrest of Judge Abdulla.

Nasheed used his testimony to claim that he had been informed at the time by the Home Ministry that the judge allegedly posed a “national threat” – prompting his eventual detention.

The former president additionally claimed that the Home Ministry had communicated with the Defence Ministry on the situation, which in turn led to the decision to arrest the judge after watchdog bodies like the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has raised alleged concerns over his ethical conduct.

“I was told Abdulla Mohamed would not comply with the police’s summons to investigate allegations [against him],” Nasheed later stated at a press conference following the meeting with the HRCM.

“The Home Minister wrote to the Defense Minister that Abdulla Mohamed’s presence in the courts was a threat to national security. And to take necessary steps. And that step, the isolation of Abdulla Mohamed, was what the [Defense] Ministry deemed necessary.”

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CSC announces intention to reimburse deducted wages

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has announced today it is to reimburse money deducted from the earnings of government employees between January to December 2010.

The wage repayments, amounting to Rf443.7 million (US$28.8 million), will be disbursed in monthly instalments over twelve months from July 1 this year, the CSC confirmed in a press release.  This money has not been accounted for in this year’s state budget, the deficit of which has already drawn concern from the International Monetary Fund.

This reduction in civil servant pay was introduced by the previous government in an attempt to manage a financial crisis back in 2009. The initial deduction, agreed between the Finance ministry and the CSC, was only due to last for three months until the government’s income had risen above Rf7billion (US$544 million).

However, after the Finance Ministry refused to restore wages to the previous level, the CSC took the case to the courts.

After the dispute between the government and the CSC was submitted to legal adjudication, the Civil Court ruled that the Finance Ministry did not have the authority to reduce the salaries, a cut of up to 20 percent in some cases. The CSC at the time interpreted this as a decision to restore the deducted salaries, a decision upheld by the High Court in May of last year.

“Hidden political agenda”

At the height of the discord between the two departments in February 2011, the Finance Ministry claimed that certain members of the CSC were using the issue as a cover to attain “a hidden political agenda.”

“The CSC is making it difficult for the government to implement the necessary economic policies [and are therefore] indirectly trying to damage the economy,” the Ministry said in a statement at the time.

“[The CSC’s actions] will result in an increased budget deficit, make it difficult to maintain the value of the rufiyaa against the dollar and will damage the Maldivian economy, affecting each and every citizen of this country.”

The Finance Minister Abdullah Jihad recently announced that he would return the budget for this year to parliament as the current rate of expenditure would leave a deficit of Rf2 billion.  Jihad could not be contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press regarding the impacts the reimbursement might have on state expenditure.

Ahmed Nazim, head of the Parliamentary Financial Committee, was also unavailable for comment.

Concerns over the level of spending on civil servants in the Maldives are well documented. A 2010 World Bank report entitled “how did the Maldives get into this situation?” noted that “the origin of the crisis is very clear… the wage bill for public sector employees grew dramatically in a very short time.”

Increases to the salaries and allowances of government employees between 2006 and 2008 reached 66 percent, “by far the highest increase in compensation over a three year period to government employees of any country in the world,” the report noted. The report showed spending on civil servants’ salaries rising from Rf2billion to nearly Rf5billion between 2007 and 2009.

Pay cuts for civil servants were just one of the many deficit reduction measures suggested by the IMF during its meetings with the government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan earlier this month.

“The expenditure has not been under control since 2009. It has been rising, and we have been [issuing] warnings since then,” Haveeru reported the Chief of the IMF mission in the Maldives, Jonathan Dunn, as telling parliament at the time.

The governments attempts to reduce spending have seen a Finance Committee investigation into the Aasandha health care scheme which accounts for around ten percent of the government’s budget. It has been described by it’s chairman, Ahmed Nazim, as a “hole in the pocket of the government.”

The Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) recently released its figures for March, attributing a significant loss of funds to the goverment’s decision to change the way island lease payments are made. The system changed from a lump sum payment to an instalment method for lease renewals, costing the government around Rf350 million (US $23million) that month. The IMF noted that the current budget figures had not accounted for this loss of revenue.

The government also recently announced significant number of benefits and promotions being awarded within the secuity forces.

The IMF predicted dire consequences if the government’s budgetary imbalances were to cause it to exhaust its foreign reserves.

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