Category: News in Brief

“Maldives’ moral authority wasted, reputation tarnished”: former diplomat Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed

The Maldives’ most senior diplomat prior to his resignation after February 7, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, has spoken to the media for the first time since tendering his resignation from the post of Maldives’ Ambassador to the Unite Nations live on Al-Jazeera.

In an interview with Haveeru, Abdul Ghafoor said that the country’s image has been tarnished by recent events and that the moral authority built up over the years has been wasted.

“A sound foreign policy perfected through the years enabled us to establish a voice internationally, much louder than our diminutive size,” Ghafoor told Haveeru.

“We showed the maturity to change a thirty year old governance system without a civil war or much unrest. That truly gained the respect of much larger developed nations. We secured a moral authority and political influence over our international partners when we, a small island nation changed a government through legitimate means” .

“With Maldives’ domestic feats suddenly we were seen in whole different light. We had the potential to play a bridging role between Islamic States and Western countries. We had the ability to talk to both sides, and usually they listened.”

Abdul Ghafoor went on to detail his view of the current investment climate in the Maldives, arguing that the unpredictable situation in the country meant the situation is an unnattractive one for foreign investors: “The policies adopted now could be much different in one and a half years time.”

The former diplomat also questioned the government’s claims to have been accepted by the international community.

“It is a diplomatic norm to congratulate any head of State when the office is assumed. How many States congratulated President Waheed on his assumption of office? Most countries stated that they would work with Waheed’s government while stressing early polls and probe into the regime change,” Ghafoor told Haveeru.

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Waheed digging in heels by sacrificing powers to appease the coalition partners: Eurasia Review

For an observer from outside it looks that a “battle royal” is going on between the Government, its security forces and the civil service including the judiciary on one side and the opposition led by the ousted former President Mohamed Nasheed on the other, writes Dr S Chandrasekharan.

Added to this is the excessive enthusiasm of the security forces shown on behalf of the government and this has only made the law and order situation worse. One girl from opposition who was affected in an offensive of the Police termed the behaviour of the security forces as “animalistic.”

The opposition is still able to muster a crowd of 5000 anytime to oppose the government policies. The forces faced stiff opposition when the structures made by the MDP in the meeting ground at Usfasgandu were being dismantled and the High court order stopping the demolition came too late!

On the economic front, Maldives is the only country in this region that has not seen an increase in tourist arrivals this year. Inflation on an average is about 15.99 percent and the budget deficit is projected to go up by 27 percent of the GDP. In order to please certain sections the government is forced to subsidise and there is also an increase in capital expenditure on government institutions. There is also a drop in government income by 23 percent. The most recent case is the attempt to placate the media by giving government notifications and announcements which the President says is necessary for the media to survive!

President Waheed is digging his heels. He made the most shocking statement that he does not have to resign even if it is proved that there was a “coup” unless his involvement in the coup was established. If Nasheed’s ouster was found to be illegal even then he can continue as the “Maldivian laws ” do not permit any change! So he says. What a stand for Stanfordian who has seen many UN jobs? Apparently he is enjoying the power which he would not be doing but for a quirk of circumstances!

Clearly, President Waheed has consolidated his position. But this has been possible only because as one observer said, by sacrificing his powers to appease the coalition partners, who have but for a few hiccups appear to stay in contact so far. But this may not last long. Gayoom is still seen to be guiding the country from behind. The current approach of the government to use religious paranoia and the security forces to break the rallies has the foot prints of Gayoom!

Setting a date for early elections is the last priority though India wanted this to be given top priority. President Waheed and more than he, Gayoom’s daughter Dunya has repeatedly said that elections cannot be held without constitutional amendments. The earliest date will be July 2013 and whatever India may want or say privately, President Waheed as advised by Gayoom is not going to hold the elections anytime sooner.

Gayoom claimed a month ago that “international calls for early elections have grown faint” and was not an issue anymore!

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President meets UN Secretary General in Rio

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has met with United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the sidelines of the Rio +20 summit.

The President’s Office reports Waheed received assurance from Ban that the Maldives can count on the support of the UN as it pursues enhanced democracy and a low-carbon economy.

Waheed explained the recent reforms to the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) which is charged with investigating the event that brought him to the presidency. He also thanked the Secretary General for the help the UN has played in consolidation democracy in the Maldives.

“This ends rumors that the international community doesn’t recognise this government”, President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza told Haveeru.

In a statement released at the beginning of the month, Ban’s office released a statement offering his commendation to all parties for the successful reformation of the CNI.

“The Secretary-General again urges all parties to resume immediately their political dialogue, both within and outside of Parliament, in order to find a mutually agreeable way forward on the basis of the Constitution and without jeopardizing the democratic gains achieved thus far in the Maldives,” read the statement.

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Government not consulted prior to release of timeline: CNI

The Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) formed by President Mohamed Waheed to investigate the controversial transfer of power in February told press last week that the government was not consulted prior to the release of its timeline of events on June 6.

At a CNI press conference on Thursday, Dr Fawaz Shareef explained that the timeline was based on information collected as of the first week of June and the CNI “would not hesitate” to make changes to the timeline if new evidence emerges.

Dr Ibrahim Yasir said the commission was receiving a lot of comments after making the timeline publicly available on the CNI website.

Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed, former President Mohamed Nasheed’s representative on the commission, said there were a number of reports have been released on the events of February 7 and all publicly available information should be considered in forming a comprehensive timeline.

Following the release of the CNI timeline, the formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) contended that the facts included in the CNI version was sufficient to prove Dr Waheed’s involvement in the alleged “coup d’etat” and establish that President Nasheed was forced to resign under duress.

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MP Hassan Adil reportedly to leave MDP

MP Hassan Adil is set to announce his decision to leave the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) over the next week, according to local media reports.

Sun Online today quoted Adil as saying he was “not at all happy” with how the MDP was presently being run and was considering switching his allegiance to an unspecified party.

Adil, who as acquitted of child abuse charges by the Criminal Court back in March over a lack of evidence, would become the fourth MP to leave the party since February’s controversial transfer of power.

MPs Alhan Fahmy, Abdulla Abdul Raheem and Shifag ‘Histo’ Mufeed have all transferred to other parties in recent months.

MP Adil originally joined the MDP from the then-opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP).

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Resolution submitted to prevent state funds being used to pay PR company

A resolution has been submitted in the People’s Majlis that would prevent state funds being used to pay PR company Ruder Finn for the work it has been doing on behalf of the government, reports Haveeru.

The New York based company has entered into a three month deal with the current government, thought to be worth US$150,000 per month, to “improve the image” of the Maldives.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Rasheed proposed the topic for discussion in parliament, arguing that the budget was could not accommodate this expenditure whilst other programs were being cut or scaled back.

“The government is pressuring private hospitals to give up Aasandha. Budget to renew and restore mosques are penniless. This year’s budget had allocated funds for these activities,” Rasheed is reported to have said.

“The resolution was sent as these projects had been halted and money is being spent upon other activities (to improve the image of Maldives) which have not previously been accommodated in the budget.”

Estimates of this year’s budget deficit have been as high as 27 percent of the country’s GDP with the Finance Minister pledging to cut back on all non-wage government spending by 15 percent.

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Twelve brothels shut down: Home Ministry

Twelve brothels have been shut down in an operation launched by police after President Mohamed Waheed assumed office in February, the Home Ministry has revealed.

In a press release last week, the Home Ministry expressed concern with the extent of prostitution in the Maldives and the involvement of locals in operating the clandestine enterprises.

The press statement did not however name the establishments that have been raided by police and closed down in recent months.

Efforts were underway to amend the relevant laws to impose harsher punishments on those involved in prostitution and operating brothels, the Home Ministry statement added.

In May this year, the Islamic Ministry announced that it was formulating rules and guidelines for registering and operating alternative medicine centres, spas and beauty salons to prevent the use of such establishments as a front for prostitution.

Shutting down spas and massage parlors doubling as brothels was a key demand of a ‘mega protest’ on December 23 organised by eight political parties and religious NGOs to ‘Defend Islam’ against the allegedly liberal policies of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) government.

Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla had claimed during the December 23 demonstration that there were over 60 brothels in the Male’ alone, double the number of mosques in the capital.

Briefing press on the first 100 days of the Waheed administration on May 20, Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed claimed the ministry possessed a list of suspected brothels in inhabited islands, “most of which have already been shut down.”

“There are still suspected places on the list [in operation],” he added.

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Kodey councillor loses seat after being sentenced for contempt of court

Gaaf Alif Kodey Councillor Ahmed Abbas of the Jumhoree Party (JP) has lost his seat on the island council after being sentenced to four months imprisonment for contempt of court.

The Kodey magistrate court sentenced Abbas on June 19 after he refused to comply with three court summons and appear at court in relation to two ongoing cases.

Under the landmark Decentralisation Act of 2010, councillors convicted of a criminal offence are to be stripped of their seats.

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Juvenile court to use DNA evidence in murder case of alleged sorcerer

The state has been granted the opportunity to use DNA evidence in order to determine the guilt of the third juvenile charged with the murder of 76 year old Ali ‘Ayyubey’ Hassan, reports Haveeru.

Ayyubey was murdered on January 8, suffering multiple stab wounds in an uninhabited house on Kudahuvadhoo island.

It was reported at the time that the victim had been accused of using sorcery on a 37 year-old woman, whose body had been found floating in Kudahuvadhoo lagoon later the month before.

Six people were charged, three of them underage. Of these, two have pleaded guilty whilst the third denies involvement.

An official of the juvenile court has requested one month for the DNA evidence to be testedabroad, reports Haveeru.

Members of Ayyubey’s family have requested the death penalty for those found guilty of the murder.

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