Category: News in Brief

Five suffer from food poisoning in parliament

One MP and four parliament employees have been taken to hospital after suffering from food poisoning.

Member of Parliament for Hithadhoo-Medhu constituency Mohamed Rasheed had to be removed from the chamber on Wednesday (November 14) after feeling faint.

A female Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) security officer at the parliament was also taken to hospital.

Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Shahid said that the issue will be thoroughly investigated in cooperation with Maldives Food and Drug Authority, police and MNDF.

“The parliament takes issues related to MP’s security and safety very seriously,” he told Sun Online.

Following the food poisoning incident the parliament general committee held an emergency meeting upon the Speaker’s request.

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Construction of 250 new homes in Addu to begin next year

Construction work on 250 new flats is to begin at the start of next year, Addu City Council has revealed.

The first flats are to be built at the Hitadhoo Maakilhi area, and will be part of a bigger government housing project that will eventually see a total of 700 flats in the area.

Councillor Abdulla Thoyyib said that eight high ranking officials from the Chinese National Machinery and Equipment, Import and Export Corporation (CMEC), along with the Deputy Housing Minister, had visited Addu on a survey trip to gather information and explore the site location.

Thoyyib added that the CMEC has completed its initial assessment and finished preparations for the start of the project and CMEC has informed that machinery and equipment will be transported to Addu in January.

“We have designated the area for this purpose as the area is suitable to accommodate a large population and as the flats are populated, other services can be developed.” Thoyyib said speaking to Haveeru.

“They are also extremely happy with the location. Even if 250 flats are initially developed, the ministry has informed that the work on the rest of the flats will also follow. However we haven’t received any details of it yet,” he added.

Only 25 housing units out of 700 have been built so far by the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), despite the project being announced on April 22, 2009 during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration.

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Male’ lagoon polluted by oil spill

Oil has spilled into a lagoon on the north-east side of Male’, contaminating water in the area.

It is believed that the oil came from the area near the foreign ministry building, and has now spread into the sea.

Complaints have been filed with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) requesting them to clean up the spill.

Deputy Director of the EPA Mohamed Ibrahim said their team visited the site to assess the damage following calls about the incident this morning.

“We think some people spilled the oil on purpose. We are very saddened that people can do such irresponsible things,” he said.

Ibrahim added that the relevant authorities have been requested to clean up the oil.

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Male’ City Council accused of failing in transport matters

Male’ City Council has “failed” to provide services to the citizens of Male’ according to Land Vehicle Registrar of Transport Authority Ibrahim Nazim.

He said the council’s actions did not suit a civilised society, and accused the council of spreading misleading information.

“Male’ City Council has failed when it comes to providing services to the citizens of Male’ and cooperating with the Authority on transport issues,” he told Sun Online.

According to Nazim, five meetings were held with the council on five occasions this year to discuss the issue of putting stickers on illegally parked vehicles.

“I discussed these issues with Male’ City Council on 9 January, 10 January, 11 October, 16 October, and 18 October. Five meetings were held to discuss the issue of stickers alone,” he added.

A recent statement from Male’ City Council said that it was the Transport Authority’s decision to put stickers on illegally parked vehicles without discussing the matter with the council.

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Winners of flats under Veshi Fahi Male’ programme announced

The government has published in the government gazette a list of winners of flats in Male’ and Hulhumale’ under category B of the first phase of the Veshi Fahi Male’ housing programme.

Following evaluation of 7,000 application forms, 471 applicants were chosen under category B, reports Haveeru.

According to the Veshi Fahi Male’ office, the list would be finalised after processing complaints. The deadline for submitting complaints is November 29, the office said.

On Sunday, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik attended a ceremony to mark the completion of 1,000 housing units in Hulhumale’ constructed with a preferential loan from China.

President Waheed expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).

The Veshi Fahi Male’ de-congestion programme was a flagship project of the formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) under its manifesto pledge to provide affordable housing.

The project was launched on November 10, 2010 to ease congestion in the capital and develop the Greater Male’ Region, composed of Hulhumale’, Vili-Male’, Thilafushi industrial island and Gulhifalhu.

Approximately 125,000 people are believed to reside in about 16,000 households in Male’; the total number of households in the Maldives is estimated to be 46,000.

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Transport Authority reaches compromise with taxi drivers

Officials from the Transport Authority met taxi and pickup drivers on Monday and reached a compromise over new regulations on fines for illegally parked vehicles.

Sun Online reported that the Transport Authority has decided that stickers would not be issued for vehicles parked in areas that does not inconvenience the public. However, stickers would be placed on vehicles parked in front of hospitals, schools, mosques and private residences.

Transport Authority Chairman Abdul Rasheed Nafiz reportedly told the taxi drivers that designating parking zones was the responsibility of the Male’ City Council.

On the taxi drivers’ complaint over insurance fees (MVR 1000), Nafiz said only parliament could change the amounts specified in law.

Taxi and pickup drivers went on strike and protested on Monday morning following the Transport Ministry’s decision to enforce the new regulations.

The taxi drivers noted that there were no parking zones in the capital for taxis and pickups.

“There is no room to park cars. If we park the car for breakfast, there will be a sticker. There will be a sticker for afternoon and evening, we will have to spend a lot of money,” a taxi driver involved in organising the protest told newspaper Haveeru.

According to the Transport Authority, stickers issued on illegally parked cars will carry a fine of MVR 250 (US$16) for the first, MVR 500 (US$32) for the second and MVR 750 (US$48) for each following sticker.

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Judge Abdulla case to be appealed by JSC

The Civil Court’s annulment of the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) decision that Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed is guilty of misconduct has been appealed by the JSC.

JSC Media Official Hassan Zaheen said on Tuesday that the decision to appeal the case was made some time ago.

Judge Abdullah was found guilty of misconduct by JSC following a report by DhiTV News, on July 2009, of a comment made by Judge Abdullah about former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government.

The Civil Court annulled the JSC’s decision on 25 July 2012.

It was ruled by Civil Court that evidence presented by JSC’s investigation team on the subject was not sufficient to prove that Judge Abdulla made the comment.

The Court highlighted that JSC did not allow Judge Abdulla the opportunity to present his defence on this case.

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Fisheries Ministry asks Majlis committee to determine if fuel subsidy is fundamental right

Parliament’s Finance Committee has decided to summon officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture to a meeting on Wednesday over issuing MVR 100 million (US$6.4 million) allocated as fuel subsidies for fishermen in the 2012 budget, after the ministry asked the committee to determine if the subsidy could be considered a fundamental right.

The Finance Committee on October 17 approved guidelines for providing the fuel subsidy directly to boat owners and informed the Fisheries Ministry of the decision.

However, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim questioned the legality of issuing the subsidy, suggesting that it could be in violation of the Public Finance Act.

Under amendments brought to the Public Finance Act in 2010, “any relief, benefit or subsidy by the state” must be given in accordance with laws passed by the People’s Majlis.

The ruling coalition has sought to reverse the changes voted through while in opposition.

Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shafeeu told local media last week that the subsidies could not be released until the legal issue was resolved but expressed hope that it could be done before Thursday (November 15), leaving one and a half months for the ministry to release funds to 1,053 vessels registered for the subsidy.

Following legal advice from the Attorney General, the Fisheries Ministry asked the Finance Committee to determine if the fuel subsidy could be considered a fundamental or basic right.

Attorney General Azima Shukoor had advised the ministry that the subsidy could be issued without specific enabling legislation if the financial assistance to fishermen was considered a fundamental right.

Azima told newspaper Haveeru that in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling, the subsidy could be issued without a specific law if it is deemed a fundamental right.

At today’s meeting of the Finance Committee, Parliamentary Group Leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), MP Abdulla Yameen, reportedly insisted that a law would be needed to issue the subsidy.

Dhivehi Rayyithung Party (DRP) MP Visam Ali meanwhile suggested that the Fisheries Ministry should consult with the Attorney General’s Office to determine if the fuel subsidy was a fundamental right.

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American connected to bringing in Christianity books blacklisted from Maldives

An American man has been blacklisted and banned from entering the Maldives after he was linked with a Bangladeshi national who imported books on Christianity into the country.

Maldives Customs said sufficient evidence had been collected by police to connect the American, Kevin Thomas Greenson, with the Bangladeshi, Jathis Biswas, 44.

Jathis Biswas, who arrived in Maldives on 27 September 2012, has also been deported following accusations of spreading other religions in the Maldives.

Customs found 11 books on Christianity in the possession of Jathis Biswas when he entered the country.

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