Category: News in Brief

NSC to summon protest organisers

The National Security Committee will summon organisers of the December 23 protest to ‘defend Islam’ for questioning along with security personnel.

The individuals will be summoned on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

The committee decided to summon Abdulla Mohamed, President of Adhaalath Party Sheikh Imran Abdulla, members of the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) activist association organising the counter protest, Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh and Chief of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel.

According to Haveeru, protest organisers will be questioned on their planning process and purposes while security personnel will be asked to describe preparations for the protest and to assess whether the protest can actually be held.

The committee intends to clarify and calm the situation, however today’s meeting was heated, reports Haveeru.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Galolhu-South MP Ahmed Mahloof described the intended protest as a peaceful gathering with no intentions for unrest.

Hulhu-Henveyru MP and transitory chairman of MDP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik said ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) “will be unstoppable” in its protest against claims that it is irreligious.

Some members observed that a dual protest would disrupt the public order, and asked both sides to cancel their demonstrations.

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Dhiraagu launches BlackBerry

Dhiraagu has officially launched BlackBerry services, and now offers customers three BlackBerry Smartphone plans, which can be added to postpaid plans.

At  a press  conference  held  at  Dhiraagu  today Director of Marketing Ahmed  Maumoon said,  “After  a  very  successful  soft‐launch  period  for  thorough  testing  of  the  BES
solution  with  different  customer  groups  we  are  delighted  to  unveil  Dhiraagu  BlackBerry Smartphone Plans with the largest network in the Maldives.”

Maumoon commented that the preliminary soft launch period was proof Dhiraagu’s attention to customer needs and preferences.

In September of this  year, competitor Wataniya launched BlackBerry service in the Maldives. Officials at the time considered it an important step for business in the country, given the service’s reputation for strong security.

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President asks parliament to approve Tholal as Deputy Human Rights Commissioner

President Mohamed Nasheed has requested the parliament approve the appointment of Ahmed Tholal to the position of Deputy Human Rights Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

The President’s Office said the President has sent a letter to the Speaker of the parliament Abdulla Shahid.

HRCM has never had a Deputy Human Rights Commissioner since the establishment of HRCM under the new constitution.

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High Court upholds arrest of police officer charged with rape

The High Court has supported Addu City Court’s order to extend the detention of a police officer arrested on charges of raping a married woman, taking nude photographs of her and letting his friends abuse her.

The arrest warrant was appealed at the High Court after the Addu City Court extended the police officers detention. The High Court said most of the evidences presented against the officer was found on his mobile phone.

The court also said that there was enough evidence to believe that the officer was involved in the incident.

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GMR Chairman to attend groundbreaking of new terminal

Billionaire chairman of Indian infrastructure giant GMR, G M Rao, will attend the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow for the new terminal of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

President Mohamed Nasheed will also attend the ceremony.

The constructing of the new terminal is the Maldives’ single largest foreign investment. GMR has said it intends to complete the terminal in 2014 and then turn Male’ into one of the top five airports in the 1-5 million passenger category.

The company has meanwhile been upgrading the existing facilities in a ‘throw-away’ refurbishment, including upgrades to the baggage belt and security area, lounges, refurbishment of the domestic terminal, new airline offices and a food court.

The opposition has meanwhile maintained a long-running campaign against the airport redevelopment and the government’s 25 year concession agreement with GMR.

Recent controversy has centred around GMR’s proposed US$25 airport development charge for departing passengers, which was recently overturned by the Civil Court in a suit filed by the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), and its eviction of the Alpha MVK duty-free shop, a move approved by the High Court that nonetheless led to protests last week.

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First military wedding to be held at Kalhuthuhkalaa Koshi

Lieutenant Ahmed Waheed will today become the first serviceman to have a military wedding under the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The event will take place this evening at Kalhuthuhkalaa Koshi.

The bride’s name has not been disclosed.

First Lieutenant Abdulla Ali said devising and getting approval for military weddings has been a long time coming, but is pleased that servicemen can now appreciate something commonly provided by national forces around the world.

“The main difference between a military wedding and a normal wedding in the Maldives the honor guard,” Ali said. “The couple will have a ceremony in the court, and then will be received by an honor guard for a reception. There will be a bugle call, and then the couple will pass by a sword team and request permission from the guards. It will be a formal and official event.”

Military weddings are not restricted to certain ranks, reports Haveeru.

Ceremony costs, however, are the responsibility of the serviceman.

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Adhaalath welcomes talks: Shaheem

Adhaalath Party chief spokesperson Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saaed today said the party would accept government requests for talks over “Defend Islam” protest planned for next Friday, December 23.

Shaheem claimed that the government’s lack interest in a dialogue has created negative tension around the protest, Haveeru reports.

“Adhaalath Party will always accept any requests made by the head of state to discuss a state affair. But the government has so far failed to hold such discussions and the failure of this forced the coalition partners of the ruling MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party] to abandon it,” Shaheem was quoted as saying.

Shaheem further said the protest aims to peacefully prevent the arrival of religions other than Islam in the Maldives, and not to invite the Shari’ah-based penalties of stoning, hand cutting and execution.

Ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) this week announced plans to hold a counter-demonstration on December 23 against what appeared to be aggressive requests from Adhaalath at the time.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) is currently attempting a peaceful resolution of the dispute, reports Haveeru.

“We are concerned about losing the peace and harmony in the country. We are negotiating with the organisers of the religious protest and those who are planning to demonstrate against them,” commissioner Mariyam Azra told the local media.

The outcome of HRCM’s negotiations are expected to be released on Monday.

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UNDP and government sign US$8.5 million project to provide freshwater

The Ministry of Housing and Environment and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed a US$8.5 million project to provide “climate smart freshwater solutions” to three densely populated islands.

According to a press release issued by UNDP on Thursday, fresh water will be provided to Ihavandho in Haa Alif atoll, Mahibadhoo in Alif Dhaalu atoll and Gadhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu.

Minister of Housing and Environment Mohamed Aslam said that the three islands were chosen after stringent selection criteria, primarily based on their populations and the severity of water scarcity – however, all the islands face clean water shortages, Aslam said.

The project is funded by the Adaptation Fund of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and will be implemented jointly by the government, UNDP and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The project is undertaken with a “view on country-wide replication and upscaling in the future” press release reads.

“The funds will pay for the establishment of integrated and resilient water supply systems; increase total freshwater storage capacity; and improve the quality of harvested rainwater in the target islands. Similarly, communal rainwater storage schemes will be strengthened, and additional production capacity for desalinated freshwater will be installed to provide backup capacity in times of water stress,” according to the UNDP.

“Artificial groundwater recharge will be enhanced to improve the quality and quantity of water stored in the natural aquifer, and contamination of household effluents will be reduced to prevent damages to the sensitive reef ecosystem”.

Speaking at the project signing ceremony Officer-in-Charge of UNDP, Sanaka Samarasinha said that the “access to water is a fundamental human right, and considering the hardships communities face accessing fresh water in the country, this project will provide clean water to more than 6700 people over the coming months,” said

Undp noted that all the islands in the country do not have a “functioning water supply and distribution network that can ensure sufficient supply of safe freshwater during dry periods” – except Male’, Vilingili and Hulhumale’.

According to the press release, water is scare in the islands due to climate change-induced decline of freshwater resources that is affecting the entire country. It further reads, the key problems pertaining to freshwater security relate to the management of increasingly saline groundwater and increasingly variable rainfall patterns.

“The project will provide a compound solution to a number of critical climate and non-climate-related problems and will be a suitable model for replication on other islands with similar vulnerabilities,” UNDPclaims.

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Customs investigates GMR eviction of Alpha MVKB

Maldives Customs Authority has said it will take “necessary legal actions” against GMR, which it claims illegally attempted to vacate Alpha MVKB Duty-Free shop at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), reports local newspaper Haveeru.

Customs is investigating the case, an unidentified senior official reportedly told Haveeru.

After the attempted eviction on December 5, Customs Director Ismail Nashid told Minivan News that goods at duty free shops fall under Customs’ supervision and the “unsold goods can only be taken out of the shops with their permission”.

However, “GMR took out the goods without notifying us,” a separate Customs official told Haveeru today.

GMR directed Minivan to Customs over the issue. Customs did not respond to Minivan’s inquiries at time of press.

GMR began dismantling the Alpha MVKB Duty Free Shop, which sells alcohol, cigarettes, and watches, after “several notices” to vacate the area were “ignored” by the owners, GMR’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mahika Chandrasena earlier told Minivan News.

MVK has meanwhile decided to protest GMR’s management, in spite of rulings from the High and Civil courts that GMR’s termination of its contract with Alpha MVKB Duty-Free was lawful.

The High Court noted that GMR gave notice on March 1 and, as per the agreement, the contract terminated on March 31. As no party could extend the termination notice, the court concluded that MVK had no right to remain at the airport without approval from GMR. Alpha MVKB was originally leased for 10 years under an agreement between MVK and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), with a one month termination clause, the court noted.

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