Government utilities corporation Fenaka has denied that changes to a sewage project in Addu Atoll were influenced by February’s transfer of political power, according to Sun Online.
UK company Biwater International Ltd signed an agreement with the Southern Utilities Company to improve the supply of drinking water and sewage treatment in South Province.
The Fenaka Corporation has claimed that the decision to remove the sewerage work from Addu, and to halt all the company’s projects in Fuvahmulah, was due to the company’s failure to provide the $27million (MVR415.8 million) originally agreed upon.
It added that the decision to halt the Fuvamulah projects had been made before the change of government.
The Fenaka Corporation was established to take over from the seven utility corporations established during the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed, under its policy of decentralisation.
The athletes strode into the zone stadium at Addu City, proudly sporting their school colors, while being cheered on by public spectators, community leaders and officials.
The Maldives 17th Atoll Inter School Athletics Meet kicked off on Monday night in a colourful ceremony decorated with a spectacular laser show, music and dance. A total of 673 young athletes from 20 different schools across Maldives will be competing in the three-day sports event sponsored by Daily Milk.
As the excitement grows in Addu with athletes fighting to progress in to final rounds, a number of interested schools were reportedly unable to participate due to huge transportation costs.
According to the city council, this event is a “an important step to rehabilitate Addu city’s image”.
Addu, the second most heavily populated area in the Maldives after Male’ and the scene of the SAARC Summit in November 2011, was hit hard during the recent political crisis, as reports of the protests, arrests and arson attacks on public and police property made international headlines.
But beyond the damage to reputation, the city was gripped by a violent social divide, which fragmented the long standing peace and threatened potential economic investments.
However, Mayor Sodiq said in an interview to Minivan News on Sunday that the athletics meet is a the beginning of a mission to restore the social harmony and create a better image for Addu.
“Following the recent political crisis, Addu has suffered social disintegration as the political friction intensified between different groups,” Sodiq observed.
“However, through social events like this, we aim to restore the peace, social harmony and encourage community participation in our city’s development.”
He noted that the athletics meet has already attracted participation from different public spheres. Almost all the 1000 visitors who are currently in Addu for the competition are sharing homes with Addu families.
The business community has provided generous sponsorship to the athletics meet and the ongoing nigh market in the city.
Meanwhile, civil society also played a crucial role: “If TakeCare and Maavahi NGO had not drafted the project proposal to host the athletics meet here, we might not be having this mega event in our city for the fifth time,” the Mayor noted.
The competition was first started in Addu in 1996 and since then it has been held in the souther-most atoll four times.
He added that the event was organised by a joint committee of athletics board officials, civil society and the city council, which was backed by almost 300 energetic youth volunteers.
“This event has provided us a unique opportunity to participate and gain valuable experience in organising a big event like this,” said 18 year-old Ahmed Azaan, young member of the organising team.
“Others in the committee are an old crowd, so working with them, meeting people and doing the preparations – we are learning a lot.”
Dozens of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, including women, were injured in Addu city last night and the party’s headquarters attacked in a brutal police crackdown on demonstrations against President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, sources from Addu have claimed.
Police, however, have denied the allegations.
Speaking to Minivan News, several eye witnesses claimed that “police used unjustifiable and brutal force” to suppress MDP members protesting against Dr Waheed while he attended a ceremony at Muhibbuddhin School in Hithadhoo.
MDP Haruge vandalised
According to a source, the streets outside the school were blocked and heavily guarded by police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers armed with shield and batons, forcing the MDP demonstrators to continue the protest several metres from the school.
“MDP members requested permission to get closer to Muhibbuddin School but were rejected by the police. So they started shouting for Waheed’s resignation near the police barricade,” the source said.
Shiyara Mohamed, a women’s rights activist and wife of Addu City’s Mayor Abdulla Sodig, who also at the demonstrations, observed that it was “mostly women” calling for Waheed’s resignation. They were tear-gassed by the police “without any warning”, she claimed.
“It was just around 100 people and most were women. We were standing near the police barricade and calling for Waheed’s resignation when all of a sudden the Star Force charged from behind us and tear gassed the whole area without any warning,” she claimed.
“Women started screaming and everyone ran away in panic. Many hid inside nearby houses and others were pushed back using batons,” she said.
Another source claimed that “several women who were in the front line were mercilessly beaten with batons and boots,” and subsequently rushed to the hospital with injuries.
Meanwhile, “some youth from the crowd retaliated by throwing anything they could get their hands on,” the source noted, adding that some policemen were also injured in the clashes.
The police allegedly chased several demonstrators back to the MDP Haruge [headquarters] situated just few metres away from the scene, and ransacked the place.
Furthermore, several members inside the Haruge were injured in the attack, the source said.
“They tear gassed Haruge first. Then [police] started vandalising the MDP office. Window glass was shattered with batons; computers and other equipment was smashed against the floor. Chairs were broken. People inside the Haruge were brutally beaten and dragged outside,” a third source from Addu said.
Photos and dramatic footage of the damage to Haruge circulating over the social media show injuries allegedly inflicted by the police during the crackdown, and women being taken to the hospital by ambulance. The MDP Haruge in the capital Male’ was similarly attacked by rogue police during the chaotic events of February 7 which culminated in the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed.
A man's hand injured in the attack
In one image, a woman is also seen on the ground, with what seems to be an injured hand.
Shiyara,who spoke to Minivan News earlier, said that she was the one who took the injured woman to the hospital.
“Apparently, there was something already wrong with her hand – so when the police dragged her outside Haruge by holding that hand, it was fractured,” Shiyara claimed.
Another image also show injuries to a man’s hand, allegedly injured in a baton strike.
In a press statement released last night, police dismissed the allegations as “lies” and said that the police only stopped the demonstrators who attempted to break into the area blocked by the security forces.
Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed meanwhile told local media that 11 cases concerning violence incidents in Addu Atoll on February 8 had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office.
Dr Jameel blamed former President Mohamed Nasheed for leading the attacks, reported Haveeru, stating that “Nasheed and his traitors” inflicted extensive damage on the country over his three years of rule.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan said that anyone who witnessed the damage to police and court buildings first hand would “surely shed tears”.
President Dr. Waheed pledged that he and his government will do everything in their power to bring the criminals behind the Addu incidents to justice.
Addu City Council has voted to suspend cooperating with the government until President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik agrees to hold early elections, Mayor Abdullah Sodiq has confirmed.
The council’s decision to suspend ties with the government comes just hours before Dr Waheed flew to the isolated Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) stronghold on Sunday morning, in his first tour of Addu and Fuvamulah since taking office.
Speaking to Minivan News, Sodiq observed that six members of the city council, compromising all MDP members, boycotted Dr Waheed’s arrival reception at the Gan International Airport adding that “we do not believe Waheed is the legitimate president of our nation.”
Sodiq explained that the councillors had unanimously agreed in a meeting on Saturday night that Dr Waheed “came to power in a coup d’état” – which is said to have forced his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed, elected in 2008, to resign on February 7.
“The councillors decided the current government is illegitimate and called on Dr Waheed to announce early elections in order to revert to a constitutional government elected by the people,” Sodiq explained.
“We have also decided not cooperate with the government until Dr Waheed agrees to hold early elections,” Sodiq added.
Furthermore, referring to the fiery protests that gripped Addu city on February 8 during which police and public property was torched and vandalised, Sodiq asked “How can we work with the authorities who deliberately defamed the council by blaming us for the destruction?”
“Several MDP members and councillors were arrested and beaten up. I was beaten up,” he added, restating that it was “part of a conspiracy to inflict hatred towards MDP” by blaming the party for acts of vandalism.
Asked whether the decision would prompt actions against the council, the mayor responded that the council is “ready to face the challenges”.
“Yes, we will possibly face action from the government. But the council will attempt to deliver its responsibilities unhindered. Mostly, we might face financial obstacles. Salaries and bill payments might be halted by the ministry. But we are ready to face the challenges” Sodiq said.
However, Dr Waheed’s spokesperson Masood Imad today dismissed the mayor’s remarks claiming that the council is “very cooperative” and the government has not been notified of any such decision.
“He [the mayor] might be joking with you. Because [the councillors] are very cooperative and all the arrangements here [in Addu] have been made perfectly,” Imad claimed.
According to reports, Dr Waheed had been “warmly welcomed” by Addu residents, while police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) were seen maintaining the security as pockets of MDP supporters took to the streets calling for Waheed’s resignation and early elections.
Independence remains a sensitive subject for the southern atolls, particularly Addu, which in 1959 led the formation of a short-lived break-away nation called the United Suvadive Republic, together with Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah.
This was crushed in 1962 when Thinadhoo was destroyed on the orders of then-President Ibrahim Nasir, and the island of 4800 depopulated.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik is visiting Addu City and Fuvammulah, reports Haveeru.
Residents of Addu and Hulhumeedhoo “warmly welcomed” President Waheed on arrival, said Haveeru’s correspondent Ahmed Adhshan. “Around 70 opposition members” were also called for his immediate resignation.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed visited Addu City last week.
Minivan News recently reported that Addu, the second-largest population centre in the Maldives after Male and – electorally – a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) stronghold – was facing a violent social divide driven by political uncertainty.
Police, court buildings, vehicles and a police training centre were destroyed on February 8 in the aftermath of a brutal police crackdown on protesters in Male’. Many supporters of the MDP were subsequently taken into custody, prompting a delegation from the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).
Dr Waheed will address residents of the atoll this evening, reports Haveeru.
People who had been awarded land from the now-off limits area around the Equatorial Convention Center (ECC) in Addu will be duly compensated, the Addu Island Council has announced.
Although people had received land plots for development around the ECC, a recent decision has defined that area ‘uninhabited’ in order to preserve it for tourism development.
In 2011, the government approved a regulation allowing for the sale of alcohol on uninhabited areas of inhabited islands. Alcohol is otherwise prohibited on inhabited islands.
A statement from the Addu council’s infrastructure department requested that all construction work in that area, renamed Haiy-dhoo, immediately cease, but stated that investments on houses which were being constructed would be compensated.
According to Haveeru, the now-reserved area consists of 371 land strips, eight of which were under construction.
Land owners of plots in Haiy-dhoo will also be able to apply for flats and housing units under the government’s housing scheme.
The southern-most atoll in the Maldives, Addu has historically been under developed. In the build-up to the 2011 SAARC Summit, which was hosted in Addu, however, the area received huge investments to develop roads, ports, and to build the ECC.
Officials and locals in Addu have expressed enthusiasm for the changes, and are now tasked with maintaining the pre-SAARC momentum.
The Thai fishing vessel Emerald Reefer has been removed from its beached location along the Muli Kolhu Faru reef near the Shangri-La Villingili Island Resort, where it ran aground in late November 2011.
After supporting the vessel for nearly two months, the reef area “looks destroyed” and is unlikely to recover in the near future, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
The Emerald Reefer came to the Maldives in November to purchase locally-caught fish in Addu Atoll, which has only a few narrow channels permitting entry. The reefer is one of only a few large vessels to run aground in the Maldives.
As per Maldivian law, the boat’s owner was allotted 25 days to remove the boat before incurring a fine of RF700,000 (US$45,000) per day that the boat remained grounded.
Transport Minister Adil Saleem previously told Minivan News that the owner had unsuccessfully attempted to remove the vessel, and had left the matter in the hands of an agent in the Maldives.
The Transport Ministry began issuing the fine on December 14, 2011. At that time the Ministry was considering options for removal aimed at protecting the reef, which it believed had been damaged on impact and was incurring further damage as tides rocked the ship along the reef.
Saleem today informed Minivan that the vessel, which is damaged but salvageable and currently floating at a fixed location in Addu, is still under the its owner’s remit. Saleem expected the owner would settle his debts with the Maldivian government before selling or removing his ship from Maldivian waters.
The issue is now being addressed by B&C Transport Services, which assumed responsibility for the vessel after the previous agent told Minivan News he had “given up”.
Company owner Kuwa Mohavay said the ship would return to Thailand with a full load of fish once a propeller had been repaired and its debt to the Maldivian government was settled.
“There are cases with the EPA and the Transport Ministry. We don’t know how much money is owed, but we believe the insurance company will cover most of the costs. We are also holding close negotiations with the government to reduce the fine,” Mohavay said.
He added that the government was keen to help the Thai vessel, “because [the Thai company] are the only people transporting our fish.”
Mohavay said B&C Transport had had positive interactions with the Transport Ministry and the Transport Authority, but felt the EPA had reacted unfairly to the matter.
The EPA assessed the site of the incident with the Coast Guard on Friday, January 6. Director Mohamed Naeem said the damage was substantial.
“The corals have been crushed, with large coral heads dislocated. The reef framework has also been crushed,” he said, noting that the destruction covered an area of approximately 70 meters. He added that parts of the equipment used to salvage the boat remained stuck in the reef.
“I do not believe the damage can be recovered in any short period of time,” he concluded.
Mohavay argued that the only piece of equipment used to salvage the boat was a cable, which had been removed from the reef, and that the boat had “not left any pollution”.
Naeem said the EPA’s assessment with the Coast Guard would be used to determine whether further action could be taken to improve the situation.
Coral reefs are home to a variety of marine life, and are essential for maintaining a healthy degree of biodiversity in Maldivian waters. However, scientists argue that they are being damaged by global warming.
Islanders in the Maldives have pointed out that the once-colorful reefs of their islands are now pale and weak, home only to the lowliest of fish. Residents of Guraidhoo in Male’ Atoll point out that their reef was destroyed when land was reclaimed to build resort Kandooma next door.
A piece of ceiling on the outside of the Equatorial Convention Centre has fallen to the ground, reports Haveeru.
The centre was the venue of the recent SAARC Summit attended by leaders from around the region.
Haveeru spoke to a member of Addu City Council said Amin Construction was working to repair the ceiling.
“It’s an aluminium ceiling and it wasn’t a large part that fell,” the council member told Haveeru.
The government is seeking bids for the management of the Rf150 million (US$10 million) convention centre, and for the construction of a 100-bed hotel at the site.
Addu’s new convention centre, purpose-built for the SAARC Summit, looms out of a deserted patch of swampy marshland in Hithadhoo like some kind of spaceship, thoroughly incongruous with the background.
When Minivan News first visited yesterday, a large crowd of local residents stood by the road leading to the giant building, staring at it dumbfounded as if waiting for extraterrestrials to emerge.
Past the polished lobby, the cavernous chamber inside is warmly lined with wood and resembles a modern concert hall. Opposition media outlets have ungenerously suggested the structure is sinking into the swamp, while assorted government officials were quick to attribute this to political jealousy.
Addu is a fiercely independent atoll, neglected by successive governments following an abortive attempt to secede from the Maldives alongside Huvadhu Atoll and Fuvahmulah as the United Suvadive Republic in 1959. This was brutally crushed in 1962 by then-President Ibrahim Nasir using a gunboat borrowed from Sri Lanka, and the entire island of Havaru Thinadhoo was depopulated and its inhabitants dispersed, killed or imprisoned.
The presence of the British airbase at Gan ensured steady employment, English proficiency and free medical treatment. Even today a disproportionate number of the country’s most successful businessmen are from Addu.
The departure of the RAF in 1976 hit the atoll’s independence hard, and the tourism boom beginning to take hold in other parts of the Maldives was slow to develop in Addu despite the presence of an airport and some of the country’s best dive spots.
President Mohamed Nasheed’s decision to declare Addu Atoll a city prior to the local council elections, the declaration that it would be hosting the SAARC Summit, and the building of the convention centre has played to the atoll’s independent sentiment and given it unprecedented political recognition.
There are 30,000 votes in that sentiment – and an additional 8000 with the opening of the new airport at Fumuvalah, a single-island atoll and the country’s most isolated, surrounded by rough and inhospitable seas.
As a domestic political strategy, SAARC appears to be working. Driving along the link road from Gan to Hithadhoo yesterday, Minivan News observed amid the country flags of SAARC nations an abundance of yellow buildings, the colour of President Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
A local woman, sweeping up weeds with a rake under a large billboard, described her work as a “national duty”. The billboard read: “Thank you President Nasheed, you led us to believe in dreams.”
Development after SAARC
Speaking to Minivan News in between juggling mobile phones, Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem observed that conferencing and event tourism had “huge potential” in the Maldives, given the country’s already “five star personality”. It would shift the Maldives from its reliance on beach and sun tourism, he suggested.
There were, he noted, some “tabloid” opinions about the centre, but said there was already interest in the tender for running the centre post-SAARC and the construction of a nearby hotel from hoteliers around the country and region.
“The infrastructure has been developed and people have been trained to run this kind of event,” he said.
SAARC dignitaries have been staying at the upmarket Shangri-La Villingili resort, while journalists around the world from London to Bangladesh have taken over Equator Village, the former RAF Sergeant’s mess, moaning about the sporadic shuttle bus and opportunistic US$10 taxi fares.
The locals have meanwhile launched a campaign of parades and evening entertainment, with music performances and enough fairy lighting along the link road as to give the place a festive feel. Participation was initially muted, acknowleged one official – “everyone still seems surprised. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”
Among the most successful local operations is the Hubasaana 2011 Arts, Crafts and Food festival, which has set up stalls at major venues and been doing a brisk trade in T-shirts, local handicrafts, and peppery Adduan short-eats and banana-leaf wrapped medicines all made by local producers. Trails of foreign journalists crunching their way through packets of homemade spicy gulha are a common sight.
Stalls have been selling local foods and handicrafts to visitors
SAARC Summit
The key day of the Summit is November 10, the opening ceremony during which SAARC heads of state will give their address. During the two-day Summit all traffic in the atoll will be stalled, divers pulled out of the water, and travel on the link road restricted. Last night checkpoints backed up as police logged the registration of every passing vehicle.
During the presence of the world leaders mobile communications around the centre will be jammed; foreign journalists became flustered after being told they would be unable to take laptops or phones into the convention centre during the opening and closing ceremonies due to tight security.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem told Minivan News the most important objective of the Summit was to improve and promote trade in the region, and remove existing barriers and impediments: “only three percent of trade among SAARC countries is regional.”
“We should adopt SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) as soon as possible,” he said.
Economically, the Maldives is most concerned about developing ferry transport connections with countries in the region, reducing its dependence on air travel, and on the climate change front, “promoting renewable energy investment”.
Naseem also raised the prospect of introducing a human rights mechanism into SAARC, but acknowledged that it was ambitious and that SAARC had “an embedded system.”
There was, however, “a lot of good will on all sides”, he said. SAARC would be a success “even if we can agree on the issues to be solved.”
For Addu, the outcome of SAARC has already been assured.
(0)Dislikes
(0)
