The statistics revealed by the Elections Commission (EC) show that the number of members registered for all major political parties have decreased apart from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) headed by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, which has increased its membership base to 17,533.
The Elections Commission reported political party membership fluctuations over a two week period from September 9.
During this period, 130 new members joined PPM within the 14 days, while the largest party – the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – lost 49 members.
The MDP had 48,516 members at the start of the period, decreasing to 48,483 on September 16, and to 48,467 by Sunday.
Meanwhile PPM had 17,403 members registered at the commission on September 9 which had dropped 19 to 17,384 by September 16, but had increased its membership to 17,533 by Sunday.
The second largest political party in the Maldives, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) led by MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, had 27,065 members registered at the commission as of September 9. However according to the statistics, during last week 87 members registered at the commission had left DRP.
The religious Adhaalath Party led by Sheikh Imran Abdulla had 5804 members registered at the Elections Commission as of September 9 but the number subsequently increased to 5828. Statistics showed that 24 new members joined the Adhaalath Party in the two weeks after September 9.
The Jumhoree Party (JP) led by MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim had 6321 members registered at the Elections Commission as of September 9. According to the statistics 83 new members were registered by September 16.
The Gaumy Ithihaadh Party (GIP) founded by the current President Dr Waheed Hassan Manik had 2513 members registered as of September 9, dropping to 2508 by the end of the reporting period.
The Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) led by Waheed’s Special Advisor Dr Hassan Saeed meanwhile decreased by six members to 2206 by the end of the two weeks..
The Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) has advised President Mohamed Waheed Hassan to terminate the agreement with airport developer GMR “no matter the cost”, but asked the President to ensure public services were not affected.
The move follows a meeting between GMR’s Chairman, G M Rao, and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom at a hospital in India where Gayoom’s wife was being treated, during which Gayoom expressed concerns over the contract on behalf of Maldivian citizens, reports local media.
Attorney General Azima Shakoor also this week asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether the laws of the Maldives could be applied to the government’s agreement with GMR concerning the development of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).
Shakoor and three other cabinet ministers also held a press conference accusing the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) of “negligence” and behaving “irresponsibly” in its handling of the bid under the former government.
On Tuesday, DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told media of the contents of a letter sent by President Waheed to the party, informing it that, while the current agreement was not the most beneficial for the country, any attempt to terminate the agreement would result in a huge financial burden on the government.
According to Thasmeen, Waheed’s letter went on to say that, owing to the economic condition of the Maldives, it would be extremely difficult to make the payment of US$700 million needed to terminate the agreement with GMR.
Waheed further advised that cancelling the agreement may have negative effects on the perception of the Maldives as a favourable destination for foreign investors. It highlighted the President’s concerns about the impact such a move may have on foreign relations, specifically the country’s relationship with India.
President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad said he was not aware such a letter had been sent.
DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom told Minivan News that the party had earlier asked to the government to clarify the legality and validity of the agreement with GMR.
“If the agreement is not legally valid, then that is it. The airport will be back in the hands of the Maldivians. Even if it turns out to be a valid agreement, there is still an exit clause in it,” Mausoom said.
Mausoom said the party calls on the government to investigate whether there was any corruption in making the contract with GMR, and to have the concerned authorities look into any cases that may come up. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is currently investigating the deal.
“DRP holds on to the stand that we want the airport to be nationalised. All this loss is being caused by (former President) Nasheed’s blunder. We do not wish further hardship on the Maldivian people. So we call on the government to go ahead and pay whatever it takes to terminate the agreement with GMR. They must however first ensure that public services will not be adversely affected through this,” Mausoom said.
Dr Mausoom subsequently contacted Minivan News to clarify that the DRP “calls on the government to proceed fast in checking legality of the contract with GMR and to provide an assessment of financial and other costs of terminating the agreement. DRP’s council will then decide on future actions to be taken.”
Mausoom said the DRP’s council would come to a decision on a course of action based on the government’s response to the party’s concerns.
The seven political parties currently in the national unity government – apart from the DRP – held a press briefing on Monday, announcing that they were officially starting work to nationalise the airport.
Explaining DRP’s decision not to participate in the joint press briefing, Mausoom told Minivan News that he felt that “yelling in groups” would not lead to any productive results.
“These parties have just gone in front of cameras and said whatever might get them some media coverage and headlines. They have no common agreement and contradict each other. The things they say in these places are not verified, and often later proved wrong. We aren’t interested in being part of a circus or showing off. As a responsible party, we did not want to participate in the press event,” Mausoom explained.
He further said, “We aim to do things under due procedure, and have called on the government to proceed at speed with the work, through the relevant institutions. Our party works to achieve results with national interest as our priority”.
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said yesterday that he had not ruled out the possibility of current President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan standing in the next general election as a Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate.
“The president, or anyone else, can join PPM if they want, and if they win the [party’s] primary, they will become our presidential candidate,” Gayoom was quoted as saying by Sun Online.
When questioned on elections by Indian newspaper The Hinduduring his recent visit to Sri Lanka, President Waheed himself said he was “contemplating” running for “a second term” in office after coming to power in February. He added at the time that a final decision on the matter would be taken over the next few months.
Waheed is currently leader of the Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP), which has no representation in either the People’ Majlis or local councils and just 898 registered members, according to the latest figures from the Elections Commission (EC).
By comparison, the PPM has 17,298 members with another 1,233 membership forms awaiting processing. The PPM is the minority leading party in the People’s Majlis. PPM spokesman Ahmed Mahlouf was not responding to calls at the time of press regarding Gayoom’s comments.
Under parliamentary rules of procedure, bills to raise or lower taxes and import duties can only be submitted on behalf of the government by an MP of the president’s party.
The GIP has not been invited to this week’s inter-party talks, which seek to reach consensus on how to proceed following the release of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) report on August 30.
President’s Spokesman Masood Imad has said that Waheed will appear at the talks, but in his capacity as leader of the country rather than leader of his party.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Faiz, Deputy CEO of Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and a GIP council member, told Minivan News today that Waheed’s decision regarding his party affiliation was his own to make.
When asked whether he would follow Waheed to the PPM, should he join the party, Faiz responded:
“I am a supporter of Waheed as an individual. My political path will follow any route Waheed’s career takes.”
When speaking with reporters before leaving for India last night, Gayoom is reported as saying that he had yet to rule out his own candidacy for the PPM primary, for which no date has yet been set.
Back in May, the PPM’s Deputy Leader Umar Naseer said that, although anyone could contest the PPM primaries, he did not expect Waheed to stand for a second term. He added that he would back Gayoom should he decide to stand for the nomination.
The former President of 30 years, Gayoom retired from active politics in 2010, becoming Honorary Leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) – the party he founded to contest the country’s first multi-party presidential elections in 2008.
However, after losing the election to Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), divisions within the DRP led Gayoom to form a breakaway party – the PPM.
Following the controversial resignation of Nasheed in February this year – which resulted in former Vice President Waheed taking up the presidency – the MDP have campaigned relentlessly for early elections.
President Waheed maintains that he is bound by the constitution, which mandates that polls be held no earlier than July 2013, as well as stating repeatedly his belief that further legislation is needed to prepare the country for fresh elections.
“We do not have a legal frame work for a coalition government. And, unless we put these basic building blocks of legislation in place, we will face the same problems again,” he told The Hindu last week.
“What’s the point of having an election if you haven’t solved some of these problems?” he asked.
Both the EU and the Commonwealth have urged the current government to schedule elections for this year, although Waheed has expressed his opinion that these institutions have now changed tack.
“Those who have been demanding early elections before the end of the year now realise that it was premature…We have a Constitution. I will uphold that Constitution,” he told The Hindu.
Back in April, the US government pledged US$500,000 (MVR7.7 million) for an elections programme to assist Maldivian institutions in ensuring a free and fair presidential election.
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has today welcomed efforts to resume the stalled all-party talks, despite warning that any agreement on resolving political tensions in the Maldives had been “complicated” by opposition criticism of a draft report of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).
The all-party talks, which were last held back in June, are one track of the international community’s response to the political turmoil in the Maldives, together with the Commonwealth-backed CNI.
DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said today that his party had no objections to resume these all-party talks and subsequent discussions over the possibility of setting early elections.
However, Thasmeen claimed criticisms of the CNI’s findings by former President Mohamed Nasheed’s own representative on the commission threatened to compromise the chances of finding a potential resolution through dialogue.
The DRP is presently one of several parties serving in the coalition government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.
President Waheed announced on Friday (August 24) during an official visit to Sri Lanka that he would be inviting “political parties” to attend fresh all party talks, initially launched to try and resolve an ongoing deadlock in the country surrounding the controversial transfer of power that brought him to office in February.
While welcoming fresh talks, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which alleges that President Waheed came to power in a “coup d’etat”, has raised several concerns over the “conflicting statements” made by the government concerning talks of early elections and discussions on the potential outcomes of the CNI report.
The independence of the CNI’s report into the events surrounding the transfer of power on February 7 was itself today questioned by former President Mohamed Nasheed’s appointee to the commission, Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed.
Saeed alleged that certain information and evidence provided to the CNI had been omitted in a draft report of the body’s findings drawn up by the commission’s co-chair.
“There are significant gaps in the draft and it does not include evidence and statements given to the commission by many people. I believe remaining silent on the unfolding of events would be an injustice to this nation and to the people of the Maldives,” he announced today.
“Taking positions”
DRP Leader Thasmeen contended that Saeed’s comments had potentially compromised the success for all-party talks to resolve the current political tensions, as key players had now begun taking positions on the CNI’s findings before they had even been released.
“One party is now making judgements on the CNI, when the whole idea was to set out potential responses to the CNI before its findings are released,” he said. “Now people are changing their positions on how they will respond to the findings and things will be much more complicated on reaching acceptance on the report.”
Thasmeen contended therefore that “regardless of the CNI’s outcome”, all parties should accept its findings.
In moving forward with all-party talks, Thasmeen claimed that the DRP itself had no objections to the nature of potential topics on the agenda – a consideration that had seen earlier all-party talks stall on a number of occasions.
“Preconditions are not healthy in these talks, but today’s events have made things much more complicated now,” he said.
Thasmeen added at the time of press that he had not yet been made aware of whether a formal invite to the all-party talks from the president had been received by the DRP as he had been away travelling. He added that while the DRP welcomed talks between political representatives “at the highest level”, the party would wait to see who else would be attending the discussions before nominating its own candidate to take part.
The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – a government coalition partner of the DRP – last night announced it would also be accepting President Waheed’s invite to participate in talks.
PPM Leader and former Maldivan President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom told local media that the party’s decision to previously abandon the all-party talks had followed the start of what he claimed were “illegal activities” and protests carried out by the MDP.
PPM Deputy Leader Umar Naseer declined to comment today when contacted by Minivan News about the party’s participation in the talks or its response to the CNI’s findings.
While also welcoming the possibility of fresh talks today, MDP Spokesperson and MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor claimed that President Waheed had continued to be acting “irresponsibly” by giving conflicting statements regarding his support for talks. Ghafoor said this was seen particularly in the manner the president had addressed issues such as discussing early elections and the possible outcomes of the CNI.
“[President Waheed] has said in Colombo that is the opposition who are destabilising the country at present, but it is his own conflicting positions that are doing this,” he alleged.
Ghafoor pointed to claims made by the president in both international and local media during his visit to Sri Lanka over the last week that he said showed conflicting viewpoints with his stated desire to resume the talks. President Waheed and his government in a number of interviews ruled out Commonwealth calls for early elections, as well as maintaining there would be no discussion on the outcome’s of the CNI until its work was completed.
“We would welcome the all-party talks. On August 14 we proposed discussions on three potential outcomes of the CNI. By August 18 we had got a reply from the government, who have since then been giving conflicting statements to the media,” Ghafoor claimed. “[President Waheed] has now called for all parties to join in talks and discuss the previous six point agenda, which includes the issue of early elections. He has also said that early elections are out of the question as the Commonwealth doesn’t understand the present situation.”
Following Saeed’s statement today, the MDP convened an emergency meeting of its National Council, where a resolution expressing concern on the draft CNI report was adopted with unanimous consent. The resolution was proposed by former minister Mohamed Shihab and seconded by MP Mariya Ahmed Didi,
Despite the party’s criticism of the investigation, Ghafoor contended that there remained time to find consensus among the members of the CNI panel concerning the findings before they were released to the public on Thursday (August 30).
“The CNI report should be something that all its members have to agree upon so without MDP’s word, the report would not be authentic,” Ghafoor said. “There is a draft out there that appears to conclude that there was no police mutiny [on February 7], this is just not acceptable given what the public saw,” he claimed.
President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza and Media secretary Masood Imad were not responding to calls by Minivan News at the time of press.
However, speaking to local media following the release of Saeed’s statement today, Abbas claimed that Nasheed’s representative on the CNI panel had “violated” the agreement with the Commonwealth concerning disclosing details of the investigation.
“The Commonwealth agreement Nasheed signed states that a Singaporean judge will reside in CNI. No one must interfere with the work of the commission and also states that everyone must accept the findings of the commission,” he was quoted as saying in newspaper Haveeru. “But the representative from Nasheed sharing the draft report with the public is an indication that Nasheed does not respect any agreement.”
Abbas reportedly added that as a draft report, the CNI members still had room to discuss finalising the findings before their release.
Discussion focus
The previous round of the UN-mediated all-party talks, held at Vice President Waheed Deen’s Bandos Island Resort and Spa in early June, collapsed after parties aligned with the government presented the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with a list of 30 demands.
The list included calls that the MDP “stop practicing black magic and sorcery”, “stop the use of sexual and erotic tools”, and “not walk in groups of more than 10”.
Following the Bandos retreat meeting, Convenor of the All-Party talks, Ahmed Mujuthaba, acknowledged the lack of progress and suggested that “In the end, the most senior political leaders will need to create an atmosphere conducive to discussions, and come together prepared to work in good faith.”
Earlier this month, informal parliament-initiated talks – running parallel to the formal All-Party talks – were deemed to have stalled after participants failed to reach a consensus on resolving wider ongoing political deadlock and the suspension of the People’s Majlis.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) representatives have claimed the international community favours pursuing a settlement with the Maldives government to resolve ongoing political instability before next week’s publication of the Commission of National Inquiry’s (CNI’s) findings.
Observing ongoing dialogue between the international community and local political figures, MDP MP and spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor claimed that the opinions of foreign governments on how to resolve the country’s political deadlock were “now aligned” largely with the stance currently held by the Commonwealth.
While currently travelling, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad told Minivan News by SMS today that there had been no discussions on any settlement with foreign governments regarding potential commitments it would take following the outcome of the CNI.
The CNI was initially established by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to investigate the details of February’s controversial transfer of power.
The Maldivian government said earlier this month that in the interests of not interfering with the work of the CNI, it would not hold any dialogue on the commission’s findings until its report was published.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed this week told local media that talks had been held with “prominent officials” in the respective government’s of Sri Lanka and India about the MDP’s strategy on how to proceed regarding its calls for early elections following the release of the CNI’s findings.
MDP spokesperson Ghafoor said he was unable to add any further details to Nasheed’s comments, claiming the “bigger picture” of ongoing international discussions reflected a mutual commitment to resolve political deadlock through dialogue and commitments to early elections.
He added that through ongoing dialogue with government representatives, its coalition partners, and the country’s political opposition, international opinion now generally favoured the stance taken by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).
“CMAG has reached a binding decision that has called for early elections, an independent investigation into the transfer of power and dialogue between national stakeholders” he said. “This is position we are seeing shared between a number of international partners. “
With just over a week until the CNI releases its findings, Ghafoor alleged that parliamentary representatives within President Waheed’s coalition government had not forwarded any potential resolutions to resolve the stalled political process.
“[The president] must remember that there are ten days to try to come to a resolution and their biggest demand so far is to cease protests, a commitment that we have carried out,” he claimed.
Despite the MDP’s claims of ceasing street protests, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza claimed on Saturday (August 18) that the “harassment” of state officials by opposition party members was continuing.
Abbas told Minivan New that President Waheed was committed to taking part in roadmap talks between government-aligned parties and the MDP to try and overcome the country’s political deadlock, but only when he was confident the opposition had stopped its alleged harassment.
President Waheed also reiterated to local media over the weekend that the government would not discuss any outcome of the CNI until the body concluded its work later this month.
The CNI is scheduled to publish its report by August 29 on the events leading to Dr Waheed assuming the presidency . The report will first be made available to the authorities and to the Prosecutor General (PG). The public will be given access to the findings on August 30.
Abbas stressed that the government was committed to not “intervene” in the inquiry’s work, as it had been set up, and later amended under international pressure, to operate without state interference.
“The outcome will be respected by the country’s various institutions such as the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Human Rights Commission and the Police Integrity Commission,” he said.
Senior representatives from several government-aligned parties were not available for comment when contacted today about their plans following the publication of the CNI report.
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef both had their phones switched off at the time of press.
Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Jabir said he was presently travelling and would contact Minivan News once he returned.
Meanwhile, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Interim Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and MP Ahmed Mahlouf were not answering calls at the time of the press.
Parliament briefly reconvened today despite its ongoing suspension, as both government-aligned and opposition MPs agreed on extending the General Regulations Act until April 2013.
The General Regulations Act – parent legislation for 47 regulations governing a number of government and party political functions – was due to elapse at midnight today creating fears of a potential “legal void”. This was avoided after the act was renewed with cross party support in a brief Majlis session held following discussions between the country’s key political parties in recent days.
However, the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayythithunge Party (DRP) has said that “no party in the country” stood to gain from the continued political deadlock that saw parliament suspended indefinitely last week amidst forced cancellations.
Despite the Majlis suspension, 48 MPs out of 51 present in the chamber voted in favour of extending the regulations contained in the General Regulations Act during this morning’s session. The session was concluded with a vote 15 minutes after commencing.
Both Parliamentary Speaker Adbulla Shahid and his deputy, Ahmed Nazim, were not responding to calls by Minivan News at the time of press following today’s vote.
General regulations
The General Regulations Act was passed prior to the adoption of the new constitution on August 7, 2008 as a parent legislation for over 80 regulations without a statutory basis, or were not formulated under an Act of parliament. These included regulations for political parties, freedom of assembly, criminal justice procedures, companies and finance leasing transactions, insurance, jails and parole, freedom of information and building codes.
Article 271 of the constitution states, “Regulations derive their authority from laws passed by the People’s Majlis pursuant to which they are enacted, and are enforceable pursuant to such lawful authority. Any regulations requiring compliance by citizens must only be enacted pursuant to authority granted by a law enacted by the People’s Majlis.”
The parent act prolonged the lifespan of the regulations for a one year period until new legislation, such as a Criminal Procedures Act, Evidence Act, Freedom of Information Act and Political Parties Act, could be enacted.
The act provided for further extensions based on recommendations by parliament’s Rules Committee. The last extension was approved in December 2011.
Addressing today’s vote, DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef said that the parent act has been renewed every year since the new constitution came into affect to ensure government was able to function correctly – with parliament failing to have to passed certain key legislative requirements.
Despite the approval, Sharref claimed that “any political party” seeking to stall the Majlis from functioning had nothing to gain beyond adding to current public disillusion with the current democratic process in the nation.
“It is not for the good of the nation for any one political party to stall parliament. The parliament must work efficiently, as it is the only place where we as politicians can debate,” he said. “I believe that parliament must find a solution quickly [to the current Majlis deadlock] as there is much disillusion among the public who had believed democracy was designed to solve problems.”
Shareef contended that in the current environment, “many people” in the country appeared to be questioning the direction of democracy in the Maldives.
“I am not sure whether people may have been expecting too much? I wouldn’t like to say. But right now what has democracy brought us? The nation is polarised as it never has been before, where even some families are not speaking due to political divides,” he said.
“Something somewhere appears to have gone terribly wrong with democracy. It is not enhancing welfare or development here.”
When questioned as to the possible solutions to apparent public apathy regarding parliament’s work, Shareef claimed it was the duty of all parties to return to negotiating through the Majlis to try and settle political differences without hindering legislative process.
“All the main parties need to understand that the country is going down the drain right now,” he said. “No one party to stands to gain in the present environment and they need to help find a solution and stop inciting violence, by putting forward an agenda.”
While not naming a specific party, Shareef’s calls to stop “inciting violence”, were made as President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s government – with whom the DRP serves as part of a coalition government – said is would not not consider reconvening talks with opposition leader, former President Mohamed Nasheed until threats of violence ceased.
Nasheed and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which represents country’s only elected opposition, said last week it would not rule out halting ongoing protests to facilitate fresh “high-level talks” with its political rivals. However, the party said it would only do so if it obtained “substantial” commitments from government-aligned parties.
Proposed “Roadmap” talks were launched in February with the stated aim of overcoming the political deadlock resulting from the controversial transfer of power that brought President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan into office. Former President Nasheed and his party continue to allege that Waheed came to power in a “coup d’etat” – and that the government is illegitimate.
MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told Minivan News last week that while the party’s protests which it maintains are “largely peaceful”, were “totally within” the law, it would not be a “big deal” to stop the street demonstrations if it would help secure meaningful talks.
However, Ghafoor claimed that the party was ultimately sceptical over the commitment of government-aligned parties to ensure “substantial” and “worthwhile” dialogue.
“We have always maintained dialogue is the best way to proceed in the current situation,” he claimed. “What we have seen in the last party talks has just been ridiculous demands such as the issues about keeping crows and using black magic. We found out as a party that we are not dealing with serious people.”
The last round of the UN-mediated talks, held at Vice President Waheed Deen’s Bandos Island Resort and Spa in early June, collapsed after parties aligned with the government presented the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with a list of 30 demands.
The list included calls that the MDP “stop practising black magic and sorcery”, “stop the use of sexual and erotic tools”, and “not walk in groups of more than 10”.
MPs of several government-aligned parties have expressed concern over a UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) report calling for freedom of religion, sexual orientation and several other commitments in the Maldives, claiming the document is “biased” and “against the will of the people”.
Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Jabir told Minivan News today that he had “reservations” about the UN’s conclusions, claiming they appeared to single out former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government for alleged human rights abuses, while also contravening the constitution and laws of the Maldives.
Progressive Party of Maldives MP Ahmed Mahlouf also hit out at the report’s conclusions, which he claimed were both “political” and “biased” as a result of the influence of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), according to local media.
UNHRC calls
The UNHRC findings urged Maldivian authorities to guarantee citizens’ right to democracy, permit freedom of religion, reform the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), abolish flogging and the death penalty, and deal with human trafficking, among other recommendations.
A core concern of the committee involved the Maldives’ reservation to Article 18, concerning freedom of religion, the validity of which was questioned by the committee on the basis that it was “not specific, and does not make clear what obligations of human rights compliance the State party has or has not undertaken.”
However, Jabir today contended that the stipulation within the Maldives constitution that the nation was 100 percent Islamic reflected the views of the Maldivian people, with not a single political party in the country having called for religious freedom.
“It is the Maldivian people who have decided that if you are not a Muslim, you are not a Maldivian. There is not one party here calling for this to change,” he said. “Maybe this is not what is practiced in many other countries around the world, but it is what he have decided here by law. It is our sovereign right.”
Aside from calls for freedom of religion, Jabir also said he was concerned about the issue of establishing an independent inquiry into “all human rights violations, including torture” that were allegedly conducted prior to the 2008 election.
He claimed this appeared to single out the 30 year autocratic rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was voted from office during the 2008 presidential elections.
“We have had other presidents in this country before Mr Gayoom and I do not understand why they are not also being focused on. Why only Gayoom’s time? This shows there is bias in this report,” he said. “Before President Gayoom, we had President [Ibrahim] Nasir. It should look at all abuses from the country’s first president onwards.”
Constitutional matter
Jabir added that he had personally been one of the 12 member body who had drawn up the present constitution, that had in turn been approved by the Maldivian people. He claimed that despite the UN calling for freedom of religion and sexual orientation – as well as other commitments designed to address concerns about human trafficking and judicial reform – the organisation was unable to overrule the laws and regulations of a sovereign nation.
“When the UN asks for freedom of religion, this is what former President Nasheed has been trying to promote in the country,” he claimed.
Jabir’s concerns about alleged political bias serving to influence the UNHRC’s conclusion were also raised by the PPM, a party formed last year by former President Gayoom.
PPM MP Mahlouf reportedly told the Sun Online news service yesterday that items raised in the UN report seen to contradict Islam would not be implemented in the Maldives.
He claimed that the findings had been influenced by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and “foreign associates” linked to the party.
“MDP encourages the destruction of our sovereignty and our religious values,” Mahlouf was quoted as telling Sun Online.
Mahlouf reportedly pledged that the PPM would work to stand against allowing any changes relating to the national religion under Maldivian law as a report on how the Maldives will implement the Committee’s recommendations is due to be delivered to the UN during the next twelve months.
Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayythithunge Party (DRP) was not responding to calls today about the report. Both DRP Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef and MP Dr Abdullah Mausoom could also not be reached at the time of press.
Former President Mohamed Nasheed, who has alleged that he was forced to resign from office on February 7 this year in a “coup detat”, had denied advocating for freedom of religion during his time in office. The former president has faced strong criticism from political opponents over his commitments to protecting the nation’s Islamic faith.
However, during a gathering of former opposition political figures, NGOs and other civil society organisations on December 23 last year to “defend Islam”, Nasheed held a counter-rally for those he claimed practised a “tolerant form” of the faith that he contended been traditionally followed in the Maldives.
“We can’t achieve development by going backwards to the Stone Age or being ignorant,” he said back in December, 2011.
The President also called on leaders of political parties to explain their stance on religious issues to the public ahead of a scheduled 2013 presidential election.
“Should we ban music? Should we circumcise girls? Should we allow 9 year-olds to be married; is art and drawing forbidden? Should we be allowed to have concubines? We have to ask is this nation building? Because we won’t allow these things, we are being accused of moving away from religion,” he said at the time.
Nasheed also urged MPs at the time to discuss the inclusion of Sharia punishments in a revised penal code “without calling each other unbelievers.”
The December 23 coalition also raised concerns over calls by United Nations Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay during a visit to the Maldives last year that flogging be abolished as a punishment for extra-marital sex in the country.
Pillay’s comments further fuelled tensions across the nation late last year over concerns about the erection of monuments in Addu Atoll to commemorate the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit that were deemed as “idolatrous” by some.
The Maldives government has called for a cessation of work on the new airport terminal by Indian infrastructure group GMR, over allegations the company has “violated rules and regulations” regarding the construction.
President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza confirmed to Minivan News that the cabinet, acting on information provided by the Transport Ministry, had requested that building work on the new terminal at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) be halted.
“When the government decides that a project be stopped, we will make sure this happens,” he said. “GMR have not discussed the construction with relevant authorities.”
Abbas did not clarify if the alleged violation of rules and regulations by the company was related to previous reports that construction on the project commenced last month without obtaining construction permits from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
Transport and Communications Minister Dr Ahmed Shamheed was not responding to calls at the time of press.
A GMR spokesperson said today that the company itself had received no letter or communications calling for a halt to work.
However, local media has reported that the cabinet opted on Tuesday (July 24) to call for a “temporarily halt” on work on the terminal, over claims GMR had not acquired necessary authorisation and permit approval from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
GMR told Haveeru earlier earlier this month that terminal construction had been approved in an existing master-plan agreed with the government. The company has pledged that it will open by July 2014, “irrespective” of outside issues.
Addressing the matter of GMR’s construction work earlier this month, the government at the time claimed that the permit was “not a huge issue” and was believed to have resulted from an error by contractors presently working on the airport’s construction.
Development plans
The development of the airport – expected by the company to total US$511m in costs – is the largest foreign investment project undertaken in the Maldives’ history and includes commitments to renovate INIA’s existing terminal by September both in terms of operational efficiency and customer services, according to GMR.
With contractors already having begun work on the new structure in June, the administration of President Dr Mohamed Waheed has previously stressed that it would not seek to interfere or “disturb” the project that officially commenced back in November 2010 under the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed.
However, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas previously claimed that the long-term prospects of the construction ultimately depended on GMR validating the legality of their contract – a document that was overseen by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IFC is a member of the World Bank group and the largest global institution focused on private sector in developing countries.
Abbas added that should the (now government party controlled) parliament also decide on nationalising the airport in line with the wishes of certain pro-government parties to take back the project from GMR, then the present administration would have to comply with such a decision.
The government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan comprises a coalition of former opposition parties that represent the majority of elected representatives. The now-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presently has 29 MPs in the Majlis, the largest number of MPs belonging to a single party.
Nationalisation calls
Several pro-government parties – including the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), People’s Alliance (PA) and Jumhoree Party (JP) – advised President Waheed last month that they continued to endorse an agreement signed in June 2010 calling for the airport to be taken back from GMR and nationalised.
The agreement endorsed six main points which included taking legal action to prevent the government’s decision to award the contract to GMR.
Infrastructure giant GMR has said the new terminal at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) will open two years as of yesterday (July 1) “irrespective” of outside issues.
The government has meanwhile pledged to back parliament should it decide on re-nationalising the project.
The development of the airport – expected by the company to total US$511m in costs – is the largest foreign investment project undertaken in the Maldives’ history and includes commitments to renovate INIA’s existing terminal by September both in terms of operational efficiency and customer services, according to GMR.
At the same time, work is also under way on an entirely new terminal structure on the Eastern-side of Hulhule’ island that GMR has claimed will completely transform the country’s foremost transfer hub for local people and international visitors alike.
Work conducted by GMR to reclaim the new terminal ground
Local media outlets were on Saturday updated on the redevelopment of the island and shown around the new terminal site which, when completed, will aim to cater for increases in international traffic predicted in the country up to 2035. The site is also required to bring INIA’s operations in line with international aviation standards.
With contractors already having begun work on the new structure as of last month, the government has stressed that it will not seek to interfere or “disturb” the project that officially commenced back in November 2010 under the administration of former President Mohamed Nasheed. This government commitment was made despite raising concerns over what it claimed are minor issues relating to business regulations on the site.
However, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the long-term prospects of the construction ultimately depended on GMR validating the legality of their contract – a document that was overseen by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IFC is a member of the World Bank group and the largest global institution focused on private sector in developing countries.
Abbas added that should parliament also decide on nationalising the airport in line with the wishes of certain pro-government parties to take back the project from GMR, then the present administration would have to comply with such a decision.
The government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan comprises a coalition of former opposition parties that represent the majority of elected representatives. The now-opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presently has 29 MPs in the Majlis, the largest number of MPs belonging to a single party.
Nationalisation calls
Several pro-government parties – including the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), People’s Alliance (PA) and Jumhoree Party (JP) – advised President Waheed last month that they continued to endorse an agreement signed in June 2010 calling for the airport to be taken back from GMR and nationalised.
The agreement endorsed six main points which included taking legal action to prevent the government’s decision to award the contract to GMR.
GMR’s contract is currently under scrutiny by a committee appointed by President Waheed, which includes the Attorney General, the Finance Minister and the CEO of Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL). The president has previously pledged during a visit to India that he would protect investment from the country in the Maldives.
A delegation from the IFC, which brokered the deal between GMR and the government of Maldives, recently addressed the government’s concerns over the concession agreement in a meeting with senior government officials.
Coalition concerns
When asked whether he believed GMR’s pledge to present the Maldives with a entirely new airport structure by July 1 2014 – in line with a 25 year concession agreement to develop and manage the site – would be met, Abbas claimed that concerns raised by several former opposition parties would need to be addressed.
“The point to note is that during the agreement’s signing, several unlawful points were raised by [former opposition] parties over why the government could not enter the agreement with GMR,” he claimed. “Under the law of the contract [GMR] did not perform sufficient due diligence and they must validate the legality of the contract. If any court of law rules the contract is illegal, the law must be upheld.”
The claims were made after local media reported that GMR had begun construction last month without a Civil Aviation Authority permit needed for work to begin. GMR responding in newspaper Haveeru said that the terminal construction had been approved in an existing master-plan agreed with the government.
Clarifying the report, Abbas claimed that the permit was “not a huge issue” and was believed to have resulted from an error by contractors presently working on the airport’s construction.
Under the law, he stressed that companies were required to undertake an Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) – which had been completed by GMR – as well as meet all other local business regulations.
Abbas claimed that the permit was an issue likely to have resulted due to a contractor error and could be addressed within the space of a week without major delays.
“Normal procedure would be for the cessation of work on the airport while the permit was awaiting approval. This takes about a week. I don’t see any reason for delays,” he said.
Aside from the permit issue, the government also alleged that it wished to resolve an issue over a duty-free law that outlawed duty-free shops at arrival terminals. With alcohol outlawed for consumption or purchase outside of licensed resort properties under Maldivian law, duty free stores within the airport’s arrival area was raised as a legal issue.
“These issues can easily be resolved, we are not looking to disturb the GMR deal,” he claimed. “Larger corporations need good governance, if one company does not meet its obligations everyone else may start looking for loopholes.”
Disturbance
Abbas said the most pressing issue concerning the INIA construction agreement remained the US$25 Airport Development Charge (ADC) outlined by GMR within its original agreement – a practice the infrastructure group contends is commonly used by airport developers around the world to aid the costs of large-scale renovation projects.
“The law does not allow for deduction of the ADC without parliamentary approval,” Abbas said.
The country’s Civil Court had blocked GMR charging the ADC last year on the grounds that it was a tax not approved by parliament. As the ADC was stipulated in the contract, former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration had signed with the airport operator, the government at the time agreed that GMR would deduct the charges from the concession fees due the government, pending appeal.
With the present government having contested these deductions, GMR released a statement back in May proposing a compromise agreement whereby Maldivian nationals would be excluded paying the ADC when departing the airport.
While seeking to maintain an open dialogue with the government, GMR said Saturday that there had been no reply so far in regards to the options it had offered the government in order to find a resolution to the ADC matter.
Business politics
Despite the ongoing issues with the ADC, the infrastructure group said it did not pay too much attention to politics in the country, claiming it instead remained focused on the development of INIA.
“We don’t do politics well at all,” said INIA CEO Andrew Harrison, when questioned by local media about the impact politics was potentially having on the construction.
Speaking during a tour of the new airport structure yesterday, Harrison added that the airport construction was on track at present, and already providing improved returns to the state when compared to earnings before the agreement came into place.
He added that although there was no set deadline in order to reach consensus with the government over the resolution of the ADC charge, long-term delays could have “time and cost implications for the project”.
“Additional improvements”
Aside from contractual obligations to improve tourist processing capacity in the existing terminal, Harrison said that GMR was committed to a number of additional improvements not specified in the original concession agreement.
These improvements include an entirely new outdoor food court for the present terminal including Thai Express, Burger King and Coffee Corner restaurants that would be open to the general public as well as visitors.
He also pointed to other high-profile developments such as the refurbishment of the airport’s domestic terminal and toilets, a new executive lounge and behind the scenes modifications to boost capacity at the site as a reflection of the company’s claims it is going beyond its contractual obligations.
The new terminal meanwhile has been devised to include new shopping complexes, increased seaplane capacity via two new water runways and a considerably larger structure built above an large artificial lagoon.
The construction, comprising of a 70 percent glass structure, has been designed architecturally to play up the appeal of the Maldives’ oceans, whilst being four times the size of the terminal presently used to accommodate airline passengers.
Emergency runway
Addressing concerns raised in local media about the development of the existing runway, Harrison said that GMR had sent proposals to the government for possible construction of an emergency runway.
He stressed the the construction, which would require additional funding support either directly through the government or through the concession agreement, could be used only in case of emergencies should the main airport runway be out of action owing to an accident or emergency.
Harrison claimed that if approved by government, the emergency runway, which would not be ready by the opening of the terminal on July 1, 2014, would not be in full compliance to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations, due to its distance to grounded aircraft.
With the new terminal in place, aircraft would be grounded 212 metres away from the proposed emergency runway, meaning it would not meet recommended international regulations. However, GMR claimed this distance would still be preferable in terms of regulatory requirements to the current space available between INIA’s runway and aircraft parking area.
Beyond the new terminal aiming to meet full ICAO compliance by the time it is open to tourists, the passenger terminal is also expected to meet LEED Silver Certification environmental standards.
The contruction will also include a new VIP terminal to deal with diplomats, heads of state and other high-profile guests, along with a brand new cargo terminal and a Airport Fire and Rescue Building to deal with any potential on-site emergencies.
GMR said that the terminal had been designed by Singapore-based architect Winston Choo, who had devised a structure making the most of natural ocean surroundings while also playing up garden areas and a lagoon equivalent to two football pitches in size.
As part of the terminals proposed aesthetic, distressed wood, granite and coral like materials designed to emulate the feel of high-end resort properties around the country are expected to be used, the company added.
A virtual walk through of the proposed terminal design can be viewed here.
Discussing the ongoing political backlash against the awarding of the contract to GMR back in 2010 on nationalistic grounds, Harrison contended that INIA would remain a Maldivian owned enterprise that would be continuously developed by the company for the duraction of the tender.
“We are just the caretakers here,” he said. “The airport remains and has always been owned by Maldivians.”
Harrison contended that to ensure profitability for its investment in the airport, GMR was itself committed to strengthening the wider Maldivian economy by working with local businesses, industry and contractors.
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