Category: News in Brief

Hijacked Bolivian ship released

The Bolivian goverment yesterday announced that the vessel MV Elgantine, seized off Hoarafushi island last week by Somali pirates – the first such incident to happen in Maldivian waters – had been released.

The Bolivian International Ship Registry announced that the ship was now continuing on to Iran with its shipment of Brazilian sugar.

After becoming aware of the hijacking, Maldivian and Indian armed forces shadowed the vessel but are not thought to have boarded.

The Maldives agreed to coordinate its anti-piracy activites with Sri Lank last year. The Maldives’ government first expressed concern over the growing piracy threat in 2010 after small vessels containing Somali nationals began washing up on local islands.

The country is situated at a strategic intersection of sea trade routes, and a significant amount of global maritime traffic passes through or near the country’s northern atolls.

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Foreign Media should “check the facts” with Nasheed coverage: Dr Hassan Saeed

Writing for Haveeru today, Dr Hassan Saeed, Special Advisor to President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, has criticised some foreign journalists for failing “to check the facts” when it comes to reporting the claims of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Many newspapers in the USA and UK rightly pride themselves on their record of investigative journalism.

That is why it is disappointing that Mr Nasheed seems able to get away with feeding journalists so many fantasies, distortions, half truths and – there is no other word for it – lies during his recent visit and charm offensive to the US. They wouldn’t let their own politicians off so lightly!

I’m just going to look at one interview to the UK newspaper The Guardian that appeared this week- but this sad example is not unique.

On the 19th March, Male saw unprecedented scenes of violence, vandalism and arson with eight law enforcement officers injured. Demonstrators, led by the MDP, attacked the local TV station VTV studio, with rocks and iron bars causing damage amounting to approximately 1.5 million Rufiyaa to the building and equipment. The Auction Shop area in Male, with an area about 5000 sq ft. was torched and razed to the ground.

What’s Mr Nasheed’s take on this? Well, talking The Guardian, Mr Nasheed refers with a ‘rueful grin’ to a ‘scuffle’ and then adds (with a truly bizarre reference to the disturbances at this time) “I must say … I think some very good music has come out of this.” I can only imagine how this remark feels to the injured and those whose property was destroyed.

Mr. Nasheed then paints a picture which has at its centre the explicit claim that he had to resign or the generals “would resort to using arms”. We in the Maldives all know that Mr Nasheed has now acknowledged that a previous claim that he was forced to resign “at gunpoint” was fantasy. So why repeat it?

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Italian ambassador, former UAE minister meet President Waheed for political updates

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has this week met with foreign dignitaries including Italian Ambassador designated to the Maldives, Fabrizio Pio Arpea and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the UAE, Mohammed Al Shaali.

In two separate meetings held at the President’s office this week, Dr Waheed briefed both dignitaries on the current political situation in the Maldives.

According to the President’s Office website, Dr Waheed’s meeting with Fabrizio Pio Arpea included discussions on the progress of the National Enquiry Commission charged with ascertaining the legitimacy of the present government over allegations that Mohamed Nasheed had been removed from office in a “coup d’etat”.

The following day, the president met with Mohammed Al Shaali to talk about efforts in the Maldives to form a proposed national unity government – a move Dr Waheed claimed was needed to strengthen democracy in the country. The discussions were also reported to have included the issue of financial stability in the Maldives, the President’s Office website added.

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Maldives “protagonists” seeking Indian helping hand: The Hindu

The Maldivian government and former President Mohamed Nasheed are both looking forIndia to play a greater role in helping overcome the country’s ongoing political turmoil, reports Sandeep Dikshit for The Hindu newspaper.

With the Maldives impasse showing no sign of resolution, protagonists from both sides have now approached India for a helping hand.

Some leaders of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) are already in the country and the ousted President Nasheed is expected to arrive after a fortnight for an audience with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior officials.

From the other side, Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdullah in a meeting with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna here on Tuesday said all parties in the Maldives welcomed Indian government’s “facilitation.”

Mr Krishna said India would be happy to help the Maldives tide over its current difficulties but in a reference to some Maldives parties going back on their word in the past, emphasised that New Delhi expected all parties, “including those supporting the government,” to contribute to its efforts to bringing about peace and stability in the Maldives.

At the same time, Mr. Krishna wanted the Maldives government to safeguard Indian commercial interests and maintain an investor friendly climate to continue attracting quality investments. Mr. Abdullah responded by assuring that the current government’s investment policy was unchanged and all existing agreements would be honoured.

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Nasheed awarded honorary fellowship by John Moores University

Dr Farahanaz Faizal yesterday accepted an honorary fellowship on behalf of former President Mohamed Nasheed at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom.

The citation was read by Professor Lord Alton and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nigel Weatherill presented the fellowship.

Nasheed attended the university between 1984 and 1989 and was recognised for “spear-heading the democracy movement in his country.”

Dr Faizal reported, via her Twitter account, that Dr Shaheed accompanied her in addressing the crowded room, being asked many questions on alleged human rights allegations.

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“Not easy to flush the remnants of a dictatorship,” Nasheed tells Daily Show

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a popular US current affairs program that averages two million viewers a night.

As with many of his appearances to promote the Island President, the topic quickly turned to Nasheed’s resignation “under duress” on Feburary 7.

“It is easy to beat a dictator in an election, but it is not easy to flush the remnants of a dictatorship, they come back, and with a vengeance,” Nasheed told Stewart.

“Since the coup the vast majority of people have been out on the streets in support [of us]. We are not seeing many supporters in favour of Gayoom, but he has the police, the military the judiciary and the institutions,” Nasheed said.

“We are asking the US government to impress upon the Maldives government the need to have elections as quickly as possible,” he explained.

“I can only assume our government is doing everything it possibly can to help, because that’s how we roll,” Stewart replied, sardonically.

“I think they got the wrong end of the stick to start with. I hope they are now understanding the ground reality. I met your officials and was encouraged, but they seem to have to ask everyone around the Maldives before they can say anything,” Nasheed observed.

This meant India, suggested Stewart.

“India is very large and influential – but I wonder if it is an intelligent thing to outsource your foreign policy,” Nasheed suggested.

Watch the show

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Indian government commits to $8.4 million renovation of IGMH

The Indian government has announced its intention to finance the complete renovation of the Indira Ghandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’. The work is expected to cost US$8.4 million.

The agreement to renovate was made during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to attend the SAARC summit in November last year.

Representing the Indian government, P.S. Karthigeyan told local newspaper Haveeru: “This is a special project for India. India still sees IGMH as the most important symbol of the good relations between India and Maldives. Even though we say we are going to renovate the hospital, our plan is to almost entirely rebuild it.”

IGMH was a gift from the Indian government to the people of Maldives, first opening in 1995.

It has been a busy week for Maldivian-Indian ties in which both the foreign and defence ministers travelled to meet with their counterparts in India.

President Waheed is also said to be planning a visit to India next month, whilst former President Mohamed Nasheed is to visit soon after returning from the United States.

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Thieves makes hole in roof to enter shop, steal Rf 20,000

Last night thieves have entered ‘Sales Zone’ shop in Maafannu ward, after cutting of the roof and stolen Rf20,000 (US$1300) worth products from the shop.

Police have confirmed the incident in a statement today and have said police was informed about the case at 7:50am this morning.

Police have not disclosed further information of the case.

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MNDF officers given two years of allowances in lump sum

An allowance of military personnel pending for more than two years has been disbursed in a single payment, Haveeru has reported.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem was quoted as saying in the paper that the allowance was given to the officers who have served in one rank for more than two years.

“Every military officer who had served in a single rank for two years is entitled to Rf250 per month in accordance to the change in regulations in 2009. However, that amount had not been paid. The outstanding amount was paid out in a lump sum with last month’s salaries,” Raheem said, according to Haveeru.

The paper also reported that some officers had received over Rf6000 (US$390) in accrued allowances, although a total figure spent on the pay out, or how many officers received the allowances, was not stated.

The officers will continue to receive the allowance on a monthly basis from this month onward, according to the MNDF.

While the allowance owed to military officers had been paid, the pay cut from police personnel and civil servants by the former government had not been paid thus far.

The new government has issued assurances that the amount of the salary deduction will be paid out.

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