Category: News in Brief

“People should be free to determine their own destiny”: Foreign Minister

People should be free to determine their own destiny, new Foreign Minister Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla said in a statement to mark Commonwealth Day.

“2012 marks the Maldives’ 30th year as a member of the Commonwealth, a landmark that represents our continued desire to share our own unique culture, and to work with the Commonwealth to promote its values: democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all,” Dr Samad said.

“By recognising that culture is important, we place a value on freedom. That is, people should be free to determine their own destiny. While culture is valuable in itself, the meeting of cultures
is equally important. Connecting cultures fosters education and respect for difference, while at the same time encouraging recognition of the bonds and similarities that exist between our
nations.”

Dr Samad said that despite its geographic isolation, “the Maldives continues to accelerate its engagement with the Commonwealth and the international community. Last year it successfully hosted the SAARC summit and continues to punch above its weight in the international arena.”

“Connecting cultures embodies all that the Commonwealth holds important. Politically, the Maldives is evolving and striving to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth,” he added.

The Commonwealth recently suspended the Maldives from its human rights and democracy arm, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), calling for both an independent, internationally-assisted inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the change of government on February 7, and a commitment to early elections before the end of the year.

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Police motorbikes vandalised

Police have said that last night two police motorbikes belonging to two officers working at Specialist Operations Department were vandalised.

Ten other motorbikes were also vandalised last night, according to police.

Police said officers have been receiving threats, while vandalism of property belonging to police officers has increased.

Elements of the police sided with opposition supporters in the ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.

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Attorney General expresses doubt over legality of former govt’s property deals

Attorney General Azima Shukoor has expressed doubt over the legality of the privatisation of state property that took place under the last government.

Talking last night on DhiTV, the Attorney General said that the correct legal processes had not been followed.

“We have noted that when the state properties had been transferred, no detailed list or opening balance sheet had been created. And these properties have been leased to other parties or councils in the absence of any legal guidelines,” Shukoor said.

“That’s why the Auditor General is involved in the process of transference of state property from one entity to another. But that role had been bypassed.”

The Attorney General informed DhiTV that her office, as well as the Anti-Corruption Commission would be investigating. Regarding the GMR airport deal, she said that a decision had not yet been made.

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President Waheed appoints interim utility companies and health services corporations boards

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has dismissed all board members of the seven regional utilities companies and health services corporations, and appointed two seven-member interim boards to oversee all seven utilities and health services companies respectively, the President’s Office has said.

The dismissal was to streamline the companies’ work, said the President Office, and the interim board will revise, strengthen and re-formulate the operating procedures for the companies.

The interim board of the utilities companies consists of: Ibrahim Athif Shakoor (M. Aasthana, Malé), Mohamed Ahmed Didi (M. Honey Dew, Malé), Dr. Abdulla Firaq (Fiyathoshige, Haa Alif Thakandhoo), Mohamed Faiz (Ma. Havana, Malé), Abdul Matheen Mohamed (Naares, Raa Hulhudhuffaru), Shimad Ibrahim (Dhilshaadhuge, Gaaf Alif Dhevvadhoo), and Mohamed Nimal (M. Kokahandhuvaru, Malé).

The interim board of the health services corporations consist of: Ibrahim Mohamed (M. Muleege, Malé), Mohamed Iyad Hameed (M. Moodhoo, Malé), Mohamed Ibrahim Manik (Medhuge, Thaa Guraidhoo), Dr. Abdulla Afeef (Hudhuvilaage, Seenu Meedhoo), Aminath Rasheedha Aboobakr (H. Thiyara, Malé), Ali Shareef Mohamed (Tulipmaage, Haa Alif Hoarafushi), and Hussein Fahmy (M. Fathaha, Malé).

President Waheed also reappointed the Veshi Fahi Malé Programme’s steering committee in February.

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UK and Germany lift travel restrictions to the Maldives

The UK and Germany have lifted all travel restrictions to the Maldives, reports Sun Online.

Speaking to the press at Berlin’s ITB Fair, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb said he had met with UK and German foreign office officials and the media, and had been able to assure safety for tourists in the Maldives.

“Our main message is that Maldives is a safe destination for tourists. We have given them this confidence. In the past three days, I met with senior officials and the media to give them this message and confidence. The results of it have been good. Because of it Germany has lifted travel advisory. So has the UK,” Adeeb told Sun Online.

The ITB Berlin Fair was held from March 7-11. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) revised travel advice to the Maldives on March 8. The UK and Germany issued travel warnings to the capital Malé following the events of February 7, 2012.

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Former President criticises government’s fiscal policy

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has predicted that the people he believes to have been behind his removal from office will soon reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by one third.

Speaking on his tour of Kaafu Kaashidhoo, Nasheed said that the small number of businessmen accused of being behind last month’s coup d’état would resist sharing even a minor portion of their wealth with the people.

He criticised the government for allowing resort owners to pay bed taxes in instalments, contrary to his own administration’s lump sum policy which, he argued, helped fund public services.

Nasheed’s tour also took in Kaafu Gaafaru before his return to Male’ yesterday.

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Country is sailing back towards democracy, claims President Waheed

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan yesterday afternoon stated that the country had changed for the better after having “deviated” from the road to democracy in the past three years.

A press release on the President’s Office website quoted the President as having told the people of Maaun’goodhoo, an island in Shaviyani Atoll, that his government aimed to respect the values of Islam and uphold the rule of law as envisioned in the country’s 2008 constitution.

The statement continued to promise that the President was “chartering a right course to sail our nation’s ship to a safe harbour.”

In a more conciliatory tone, he pleaded with all parties to work together to achieve these ideals.

The visit to Maaun’goodhoo is part of the President’s tour of North Miladhummadulu Atoll during which he will visit eight islands in total.

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Chinese arrivals to Maldives drop but rates hold: TTG Asia

The political shake-up in the Maldives has affected Chinese arrivals – now its biggest source – and triggered concerns in its traditional Europe and Japan markets, but rates appear to be holding, reports Mimi Hudoyo for TTG Asia, from ITB Berlin.

Let’s Go Maldives managing director, Mohamed Riyaz, said his company had seen 12 per cent of its Chinese bookings wiped out: “The Maldives gets between three and five charter flights from China every day, so if we lose one or two flights that means we lose quite a large volume.”

Maldives Marketing & PR Corp deputy director, Ibrahim Asim, said the China market was “quite sensitive about political issues”.

“Buyers (from other markets) at the show have also shown concern, but we have not seen a significant impact from the other markets so far,” he said. “Having said that, we are putting together plans to minimise the impact, and we expect to launch these by the end of this month.”

China is the Maldives largest market in terms of tourist arrivals, at nearly 23 percent.

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