Tag: Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Two more MPs-elect switch to Progressive Party of Maldives

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP-elect for Thaa Thimarafushi, Mohamed Musthafa, along with independent MP-elect for Haa Alif Dhidhoo, Abdul Latheef Mohamed, have joined the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

The new signings brings the number of PPM MPs in the 18th People’s Majlis to 37, and the number of Progressive Coalition MPs to 57 with five from the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and 15 from the Jumhooree Party (JP).

Abdul Latheef Mohamed defeated incumbent JP MP Ahmed Sameer in the March 22 polls with 40 percent of the vote while Musthafa won against incumbent PPM MP Ahmed Shareef Adam with a margin of nine votes.

Musthafa and Abdul Latheef signed their membership forms in the presence of PPM leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, at a ceremony this afternoon in Nasandhuraa Palace Hotel.

Gayoom later tweeted: “PPM now has 37 seats in Majlis n our Coalition 57- a two-thirds majority. What an impressive achievement!”

President Abdulla Yameen, Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb, and Defence Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim were also in attendance.

Musthafa told the press at the ceremony that he believed the government could develop the nation in the current climate of peace and stability.

Musthafa tweeted yesterday that he could not remain in parliament “making idle chatter” to the detriment of his constituents.

His first priority as an MP was the nation, followed by the constituency, and then political party, Musthafa tweeted.

“I’m MP elected to represent Thimarafushi [and] Veymando constituents. I will fight for them disregarding the politics they stand for,” he tweeted on March 24.

Speaker’s post

Meanwhile, of the five independent MPs-elect, three have now signed for the ruling PPM – including Naifaru MP-elect Ahmed Shiyam and Mahibadhoo MP-elect Mohamed Thoriq ‘Tom’.

Today’s signings follow friction in the coalition over the post of speaker of parliament. In the wake of JP leader Gasim Ibrahim’s announcement that he would seek the post, the PPM declared that it would nominate one of its MPs for speaker.

Following the polls, Gasim accused coalition party members of costing his party almost a third of the seats it had contested.

Other disgruntled JP candidates accused the PPM of attempting to “destroy” its coalition partner, suggesting that PPM members masquerading as independents actively campaigned against Gasim’s party.

With the addition of two more MPs-elect, the PPM and coalition partner MDA are presently just one vote short of the 43 simple majority without the JP.

Aside from the two remaining independents and the Adhaalath Party MP-elect for Haa Dhaal Makunudhoo, Anara Naeem, the opposition MDP has 25 MPs-elect.

Speaking to Minivan News today, MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the coalition was “obviously split on the question of the speaker.”

“They are not making a secret out of it,” he observed.

Hamid said Musthafa’s defection was “widely anticipated by a lot of MDP members”.

“We are currently in a settling down period. Obviously there will be candidates whose independence is compromised. What happens in this country is that their [candidates] capability to stand independently is compromised and they bow to coercion and pressure” he said.

“Another one bites the bite,” he added.

Hamid also suggested that the MDP’s primaries to select parliamentary candidates were “obviously flawed.”

“This doesn’t lend much credibility to the process. There was a lot of ‘branch stacking’ – a process where parties get candidates to sign for another party to influence their primary votes,” he explained.

Musthafa won the MDP primary for the Thimarafushi constituency against lawyer Abdulla Shairu, a member of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s legal team.

MP Musthafa

Musthafa was elected to the 17th People’s Majlis on an MDP ticket after beating Gassan Maumoon, son of former President Gayoom.

The High Court however annulled the results of two ballot boxes and ordered a revote after Gassan alleged widespread intimidation and irregularities in the poll.

The presiding judge in the three-judge High Court panel was Judge Ali Hameed, who was subsequently appointed to the Supreme Court bench.

Upon winning the revote, Musthafa described Gayoom as “the most brutal leader in the past 100 years.” He went on to severely criticise the former president in parliamentary debates.

In July 2010, Musthafa was arrested together with Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim for allegedly bribing MPs and a Civil Court judge.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed however ordered police to release the pair, ruling that there were no reasonable grounds to grant an extension of pre-trial detention.

The pair were accused of offering US$6,000 as well as a return ticket for an overseas trip to a civil court judge to allegedly influence an ongoing case.

In March 2011, a phone conversation between Musthafa and Nazim surfaced in social media, implicating the MDP MP in secret deals with then-Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

Musthafa is heard claiming in the leaked recording that Thasmeen offered financial assistance to his campaign in 2009.

On February 20, 2012 – less than two weeks after the controversial transfer of presidential power – the Supreme Court stripped MP Musthafa of his seat over a decreed debt.

Musthafa lost the subsequent by-election in the Thimarafushi constituency to PPM candidate Shareef.

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Week in review: March 22 – 29

The week began with 302 candidates and 189,000 voters taking part in the Maldives’ second multiparty Majlis elections.

After polling proceeded without notable incident, preliminary results quickly showed that the governing Progressive Coalition had secured a clear victory – later confirmed as a 53 seat majority in the 85 seat legislature.

President Abdulla Yameen – whose Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) took 33 seats – interpreted the result as a ‘yes’ to peace and stability and a chance to pick up where his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s ‘golden 30 years’ had left off.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon – daughter of former President Gayoom – saw the result as a rejection of “foreign interference” and a show of support for her father and uncle’s leadership.

Coalition ally the Maldives Development Alliance noted that the result – in which it took five seats – as a sign of public confidence in the relatively young party. Despite being upbeat about his party’s 15-seat haul, Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim accused his coalition allies of fielding independent candidates in violation of pre-election agreements.

While Yameen acknowledged that vote splitting may have detracted from the size of the coalition win, the immediate effects appeared to have benefited his party, with two of the five successful ‘independent’ candidates switching to the PPM before the official results had been announced.

A further source of discord within the coalition loomed large after Gasim threw his hat into the ring for the Majlis speaker’s position this week. Though Gasim told local media he had the coalition’s full backing, the PPM subsequently announced its intention to field its own candidate.

The impact of the defeat on the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – who won just 26 of the 85 seats for which it fielded candidates – looks likely to be a period of restructuring, with former President Mohamed Nasheed calling for new leaders to step forward.

All observers of the elections – partisans and neutrals alike – expressed concern at the ‘money politics’ involved, with both the MDP and Adhaalath parties blaming such practices for their own poor performances.

Despite the foreign minister’s prior comments, both the EU and the Commonwealth observer missions focused on the negative impact the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Elections Commissioners had upon the electoral environment.

Government business

Amendments to the Decentralisation Act, which would resurrect previous previously thwarted plans for streamlined local governance, were this week introduced on behalf of the government.

The resuscitation of the Nasheed administration’s attempts to transform the country’s energy sector also continued with the outlining of the Accelerating Sustainable Private Investments in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) programme.

The government’s transformation of the island of Meedhoo appeared not have gone to plan, however, after a recently initiated reclamation project was halted due to its potential environmental and health impacts.

The Immigration Department revealed the success of a recent repatriation programme for illegal migrant workers, while employees on the Vilu Reef resort were also given their marching orders after having taken part in strikes.

In the courts, the decision to uphold a prior ruling saw the return of a five-month-old child to it’s German mother, while the Criminal Court heard the final disturbing details in the 2010 murder of Mariyam Sheereen.

The Tiny Hearts of Maldives NGO this week held their annual camp in Malé’s IGMH, providing expert care for children with congenital heart defects. Meanwhile, in Addu, investigations have begun in the events that led to a death during childbirth at Hithadhoo Regional Hospital.

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Coalition leaders urge independent candidates to withdraw

Leaders of the ruling Progressive Coalition have urged members of coalition parties running as independents in the upcoming parliamentary elections to withdraw their candidacies.

Speaking at a campaign event in Malé on Thursday night, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom expressed “regret” with coalition supporters contesting as independents.

The vote being split among pro-government candidates could see “candidates we don’t want” finishing top, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader warned.

Gayoom called on independent candidates to drop out of the race and endorse the coalition’s official candidates.

He went on to thank independent candidates who have recently endorsed PPM contestants ahead of the polls scheduled for March 22.

Former PPM youth wing leader, Ibrahim Nazim – who was contesting as an independent in the mid-Henveiru constituency – endorsed PPM candidate Aishath Leeza last week.

The three parties in the Progressive Coalition – PPM, Jumhooree Party (JP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) – reached an agreement to allocate constituencies among the coalition partners with the PPM contesting 50 seats, JP contesting 28 seats, and the MDA contesting seven seats.

First-past-the-post

Speaking at Thursday’s night campaign event for PPM Hithadhoo North candidate Al Ibrahim, Home Minister Umar Naseer – who was dismissed from the now-ruling party in April 2013 – said that members of coalition parties were contesting as independents in 64 constituencies.

Such candidates were claiming to represent their parties despite the coalition fielding a candidate from a different party, Naseer said.

He warned that candidates from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) could benefit in cases where the vote was divided among pro-government candidates.

In the first-past-the-post Majlis elections, candidates would not need to secure 50 percent of the vote to be elected.

Meanwhile, in a campaign rally in Alif Dhaalu Dhagethi last night, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim reportedly accused independent candidate Ahmed Thoriq ‘Tom’ – a national team football player –  in the Alif Dhaal Mahibadhoo constituency of falsely claiming to represent the PPM.

The Mahibadhoo constituency was reserved for the PPM in the coalition seat allocation deal.

Gasim said he visited the island this weekend with two PPM council members – MPs Ahmed Nihan and Ahmed Mahloof – to explain to PPM supporters that Tom was not campaigning on behalf of the party.

The business magnate and former presidential candidate said he was confident that the PPM would not field candidates in constituencies ceded to the JP.

In the wake of January’s local council election, President Abdulla Yameen told the press that party members who contested as independents cost the ruling coalition a number of seats.

President Yameen claimed that 85 percent of independent candidates for local councils were PPM members.

PPM members decided to contest as independent candidates in constituencies reserved for the JP, Yameen explained, despite instructions from the party.

“Similarly, a JP member contested as an independent for the Addu atoll mid-constituency where our candidate got the ticket and contested,” he added.

Two sides of the scale

Returning to a central theme of last year’s presidential campaign in his speech Thursday night, former President Gayoom said voters were offered a choice between stability and defending Islam on the one hand and drugs and anti-Islamic behaviour on the other.

Referring to the MDP’s slogan of “vote for the scale of justice,” Gayoom said voters must choose which side of the scale to support.

On the PPM’s side was protecting Islam, the rights of citizens and the nation’s independence and sovereignty as well as progress, development, peace and consolidating democracy, he contended.

The main opposition party has meanwhile been campaigning on a platform of judicial reform, empowering local councils, and government accountability.

In his speech last night, Gasim expressed confidence that the JP would secure 25 seats from the 28 constituencies the party was contesting.

While JP MPs would back the PPM-led coalition government for the next five years, Gasim said the party could not accept unlawful actions from the government.

“If things are done against the law or by deceiving the public, we are going to have to the push the necessary button. That is the responsibility of Majlis members as stated in the constitution,” Gasim reportedly said.

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Vote Yameen for “safety of the Ummah,” says Gasim

Jumhoree Party (JP) Leader Gasim Ibrahim has called on his supporters to vote for Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen in Saturday’s run-off polls, claiming this would protect the country’s independence, sovereignty, and Islamic faith.

Speaking at a press conference last night with the PPM candidate and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom following the JP council’s decision to endorse Yameen, Gasim said there was no need for much campaigning as “right and wrong” would be clear to the public.

The JP followed the “same principles” as 2008 when it decided to back the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate against the incumbent based on similarities between the party’s manifestos, Gasim said, while the JP and PPM policies shared more in common in 2013.

“We have to undertake efforts [to overcome] the challenges faced by police, military and the judiciary, to save them from undeserved allegations made against them by certain groups, to maintain the independence of this Ummah [Islamic community] and nation, and for the protection of our religion and motherland,” Gasim said.

The business tycoon urged citizens to vote for Yameen “for the safety of the Ummah and its future”.

Gasim praised Gayoom as “the father of democracy” and expressed confidence that Yameen’s presidency would proceed under his guidance.

The JP presidential candidate finished third with 23.37 percent (48,131 votes) in the November 9 revote and announced the following day that the party’s council had decided not to back either candidate.

However, both the MDP and PPM sought Gasim’s endorsement this week. Following a meeting with former President Gayoom, Gasim told the press that he would ask the council to reconsider its decision, which voted yesterday to back the PPM candidate.

PPM candidate Yameen (29.73 percent) is due to face MDP candidate Mohamed Nasheed (46.93 percent) in the run-off election on November 16.

Despite citing the protection of Islam and sovereignty as the reason for backing Yameen, Gasim had told the press following a meeting with MDP MPs Abdulla Shahid and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday night that the MDP candidate had dispelled “doubts and suspicions concerning Islam.”

Nasheed had “cleared up misconceptions” concerning the MDP’s stance on religion, Gasim said.

Gasim had also said in a Television Maldives (TVM) programme on October 14 that a survey of his supporters showed that 60 percent would not vote for Yameen even if he endorsed the PPM candidate.

Islam and the nation

PPM President Gayoom meanwhile told the press that the choice on Saturday was between “the holy religion of Islam and the beloved Maldivian nation on the one hand and its opposite ways on the other.”

“The PPM’s motto is ‘Nation First’ so we want the Maldives to remain a 100 percent Muslim nation, for the country’s independence and sovereignty to be fully protected, for the citizens to have their rights, for a sound democracy to be established in the country and for the people to have social and economic development through it,” Gayoom said.

The introduction of other religions could lead to “loss of peace and security, bloodshed, division and discord,” he warned, adding that threats to the country’s sovereignty must also be avoided.

Saturday’s election would decide among the competing ideologies and set the course of the nation “for the next five years and beyond,” he added.

The PPM leader also expressed gratitude to President Dr Mohamed Waheed “for his sacrifice to the nation after making a very difficult decision” to stay in the post after November 11.

The decision was legal despite both domestic and international criticism, Gayoom said, contending that the Supreme Court ruling for the government to continue in a state of necessity was based on “a principle accepted by the world, a principle of international jurisprudence.”

Gayoom praised the Supreme Court Justices for “upholding the constitution” and displaying “courage and determination” in the face off “severe criticism and threats.”

Coalition agreement

Gayoom revealed that the PPM council gave him a mandate at an emergency meeting yesterday to negotiate a coalition agreement with the JP ahead of the second round.

While both Gayoom and Gasim had said that the JP decided to back PPM without any conditions or demands, newspaper Haveeru reported today that the PPM agreed to give a 33 percent stake in its government to the JP.

The PPM has also reportedly promised the Islamic Ministry and Education Ministry to the Adhaalath Party, while other parties such as coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance would have a stake in the coalition government.

Gayoom also revealed that the PPM and JP reached an understanding to contest the upcoming local council and parliamentary elections through a coalition.

PPM candidate Yameen meanwhile thanked Gasim for his “historic decision” and assured the JP leader that he would not regret the endorsement.

As all political parties except MDP were now behind PPM, Yameen expressed confidence of winning the election with 55 percent of the vote.

PPM vice presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said the party would form a national unity government that would not discriminate against citizens of different political ideologies.

Meanwhile, speaking in multiple campaign events in Male’ last night, former President Nasheed said the PPM would not have signed the voter lists if the JP decided to back his candidacy and expressed relief at having avoided forming a coalition.

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Gayoom urges authorities to expedite justice in ‘politically motivated’ Afrasheem murder

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has this week said there could be no doubt that the murder of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Dr Afrasheem Ali was a politically motivated attack, while calling for justice to be expedited against his alleged attackers.

No individual has yet been convicted of the killing of Afrasheem, who was found dead on the staircase of his home in Male’ on October 1, 2012.

A total of seven individuals are potentially facing charges in connection to the MP’s murder, with the trial of key suspect Hussein Humam currently ongoing at the Criminal Court.

Humam had initially denied charges against him in court.

He later confessed to the crime at a hearing held in May, according to a statement read out by prosecutors in the court. State prosecutors read out the statement, which was said to have been given by Humam at one of the initial hearings. The suspect retracted his confession a month later, claiming that he had been coerced by police at the time.

Humam’s father has also written to the Criminal Court and the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives accusing police of conducting psychological abuse against the suspect, and exerting coercion to make him confess to a crime he did not commit.

One year later

Speaking Wednesday (October 2) at a rally to mark a year since Dr Afrasheem’s death, Gayoom was quoted in local newspaper Haveeru as saying that society remained in a state of fear as a result of the MP’s “politically motivated” killing.

“This was a clear message to our nation. It means that anyone who dares to speak up will suffer the same fate,” said the country’s one-time autocratic ruler, who was in power for 30 years until the Maldives’ first multi-party democratic elections in 2008.

Police have meanwhile confirmed this week that cases had been filed with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) against Azleef Rauf, Shaahin Mohamed, Adam Salaah and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chair ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik in connection to the murder.

Despite not a single trial related to the murder having yet been concluded, PPM MP Ahmed Nihan confirmed that former President Gayoom had claimed there was a political motive to Afrasheem’s attack.

However, Nihan said Gayoom had not identified any one party or culprit in particular for the crime.

“[Gayoom] said the murder of Afrasheem was connected to politics and that such attacks should be eliminated and solved or they will begin to be copied by the public,” he said.

Nihan said that like Gayoom, he believed that since police had begun their investigations into the attack, they had uncovered enough evidence to suggest the murder had been carried out for political reasons.

He claimed that the PPM had purposefully avoided “finger pointing” of any particular party, but criticised politicians within the opposition MDP for making statements in an attempt to undermine the credibility of the police investigation into the case.

Nihan said that the country’s MPs had a responsibility to minimise doubt among the public concerning the conduct of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) in investigating the murder, adding it was important society have faith in law enforcement officials to solve the case.

Police investigation

The Maldives Police Services (MPS) announced in October 2012 that the FBI were extending assistance in the investigation of the MPs murder.

By December, Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz stated during a press conference that the murder of Afrasheem had been carried out with a political motive, and that the culprits were to be paid MVR 4 million (US$ 260,000).

Riyaz had at the time dismissed claims that the murder was linked to religious fundamentalists, stating “no evidence has been gathered which suggests this murder had a religious motive.”

Soon after the murder police arrested two MDP activists – Mariyam Naifa and Ali Hashim ‘Smith’ – in connection with the attack. Both suspects were later released without charge.

The MDP later accused the government of attempting to frame the party with “politically-motivated arrests” of its members. In November 2012, former President Mohamed Nasheed accused the government of negligence in its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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“Elections Commission unprepared” says former President Gayoom

Maldives former 30 year autocratic leader, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the Elections Commission (EC) has not prepared itself to the necessary standards to hold the presidential election scheduled for September 7.

Previously, Gayoom’s party Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has raised several concerns over the EC that include the involvement of Indian IT specialists handling its database, the wife of the Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek being an outspoken Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporter, and “politicised tweets” by the commission’s Legal Director Haneefa Khalid.

In an interview given to Minivan News this week, Thowfeek revealed that the PPM had requested access to the commission’s IT section.

The PPM denied the accusation but did reiterate their concern over expat IT experts working in the commission.

“We are still quite uncertain and unsure why these people are here at this time,” said PPM MP Ahmed Nihan.

Thowfeek meanwhile told the local media this week that the commission’s internet server was continuously being attacked by hackers from both within the country and outside.

“Our server is continuously being attacked… For that reason, our IT team is continuously monitoring the server and blocking these attacks round the clock.  I assure that our data is still safe and protected. There are no imminent threats of a security breach,” Fuwad told Haveeru.

Gayoom – who was on his way to Gaaf Dhaal Atoll to campaign for PPM’s Presidential Candidate Abdulla Yameen – told the media shortly before departing on Wednesday that it was critical that the EC address the issues raised by political parties.

The former president elaborated that the stability of the country relied heavily upon the freedom and fairness of the upcoming presidential elections, and that therefore it was imperative for the EC to carry out its duties in an open and transparent manner.

“We are seeing problems within the framework they have established. Other parties have even noted that. We are not, by any means, saying that they are doing things wrong. But instead, we are saying that we don’t see the Elections Commission making necessary arrangements for the presidential elections in an adequate and proper way,” Gayoom said.

Gayoom, who faced defeat at the hands of Mohamed Nasheed –  now the opposition MDP’s Presidential Candidate – in the 2008 presidential elections,  said that despite the days leading up to the elections being few, there “is still time to make amends”.

Speaking about PPM’s Presidential Candidate Yameen – also Gayoom’s half brother – the former president said that he had high hopes that Yameen would secure an election victory from the first round without needing to go into a run-off election.

Should the party not be able to win the election in the first round, Gayoom expressed confidence that PPM would still secure the election victory with the support of political parties who would ally with the PPM.

“We want to win this election in a way that will benefit the whole country, even if it means forming a coalition with other political parties. We are a party that had previously worked with other parties,” Gayoom said.

Thowfeek today defended the commission against Gayoom’s claims, contending that the it was “fully prepared” to hold next month’s poll.

“If he had said this in 2008, yes, we may have not been very prepared. But I don’t think anyone has the chance to say that now. In 2008, the interim Elections Commission was formed and the Elections were held in the next month. But it is not the case now,” Thowfeek said.

Thowfeek also reiterated that the commission had successfully held the local council elections in 2010, which was far more complex than a presidential election.

“Unlike the local council elections, in a presidential election, only one common ballot paper is used throughout the country. In 2010, there were separate ballot papers for 19 atoll councils, 2 city councils, and for all island councils,” Thowfeek explained.

He also said that, like any other institution, the EC would also examine matters that could be reformed but assured that it had no serious concerns regarding the facilitation of September’s poll in a free and fair manner.

He added that the commission was addressing the issues raised by the PPM and said that it would hold a presentation session with all political parties regarding the IT system in use.

“With all the resources we have, I think we are doing exceptionally well. We will continue to address issues raised regarding the elections.”

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Ibrahim ‘Sandhaanu’ Moosa Luthfee signs for PPM

Ibrahim ‘Sandhaanu’ Moosa Luthfee has signed up as a member of the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), currently led by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Luthfee signed for the PPM last night after the party inaugurated a campaign post in Male’ with its election coalition partner, the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), local media has reported.

Sun Online pictured Luthfee handing over his membership form in person to the former president after singing for the party.

Luthfee was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gayoom administration for publishing an anti-government newspaper before fleeing the country in 2005 when he was taken to Sri Lanka for medical treatment.

He was granted clemency by Gayoom’s successor, former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Luthfee has since become an outspoken critic of Nasheed, accusing the former president of having “hijacked the system”, according to Sun Online.

In September 2012, Luthfee was appointed as an advisor to President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan after returning to the Maldives from self-imposed exile in Switzerland.

The government confirmed in May this year that he had been dismissed from the advisor role after failing to show up for work for a number of months after having taken leave.

President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad told Minivan News at the time that the decision had been taken to terminate Luthfee’s advisory role – stated in local media to be a salaried position with a monthly wage of MVR 32,000 (US$2,075) – after he was found not to have returned to work for a significant period of time.

Masood was unable to clarify if Luthfee had continued to receive wages during the period of leave, but expressed his personal belief that this would be unlikely.

“This is a bureaucratic issue and I think that it is normal to dismiss someone if they don’t come to work for four months or whatever,” he said. “In such a case, If I overstay my leave, I believe I would not be continued to be paid if I did not return to work. We haven’t been on top of this matter, but I’m sure payments would have been stopped through the bureaucratic system we have.”

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DRP denies holding coalition talks with President Waheed’s election rivals

The government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has rejected allegations it ever considered forming a coalition to back a candidate other than President Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Local media quoted senior figures in the Jumhoree Party (JP) of accusing DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali of unsuccessfully trying to become the running mate of its presidential candidate MP Gasim Ibrahim, before opting to side with the incumbent in May this year.

JP candidate Gasim, one of the country’s highest-profile business figures, has since formed his own coalition with the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) after they both defected from President Waheed’s ‘Forward with the nation’ coalition in July.

“Last minute” decision

DRP Spokesperson Ibrahim Shareef today categorically denied that discussions had ever been held over backing any other candidate for this year’s election, claiming the decision to stand in a coalition with President Waheed has been made by the party’s council at the “last minute”.

“We were originally trying to run on our own [as a party] right up to the last minute,” he said. “However, it was decided to sacrifice [the party’s] ambitions for the sake of the nation.”

Shareef claimed that in comparison to the three other candidates preparing to contest this year’s election, President Waheed was not promising policies that could not be delivered under the current economy.

He accused Gasim, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen and opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate former President Mohamed Nasheed of being “very unrealistic” with their campaign promises.

“We are careful to make promises within the resources we have available and within the budget,” Shareef added.

Both the PPM and MDP have previously accused President Waheed of making development pledges outside the approved budget, while also alleging he had been using state resources to campaign for his own Gaumee Ihthihad Party (GIP).

According to Shareef, the ‘Forward with the nation’ also faced notable challenges in terms of limited party financing compared to other parties, accusing both the AP and DQP of defecting to Gasim’s coalition simply to secure an increased campaign budget.

“They went to the person who has money, while we are concerned with running an effective campaign,” he added.

Shareef said this year’s election was very much a “money game” that had affected the wider campaign atmosphere in the country, notably in how individual candidates were being portrayed in the media.

He expressed particular concern at the role the country’s media – often owned and controlled by political parties and business men – played in the electoral process.

Shareef argued that with media in the Maldives controlled by just a few powerful figures, it was difficult in the country’s fledgling democracy to effectively explain a candidate’s individual stand to the “ordinary public” and therefore allow them to make an informed decision and hold public figures to account.

On the campaign trail

A source in President Waheed’s campaign team told Minivan News that the defection of the AP and DQP from the ‘Forward with the nation’ coalition had required little change to the coalition’s campaign strategy, and that the party’s internal polling data suggested this had had a negligible impact on the coalition’s election chances.

The source said the departure of the AP in particular had actually increased the party’s support among the under 35 demographic.

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Gasim in “better position” than Yameen for election victory, JP claims

The Jumhoree Party (JP), led by business tycoon and MP Gasim Ibrahim, has this week expressed confidence it will finish above the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in the first round of the upcoming presidential election – before securing a second round victory.

Speaking following the launch of the JP’s election manifesto, the party’s Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal said indicators like internal policy research had reaffirmed its supporters’ belief that MP Gasim was in a “better position” than PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen to secure the presidency.

The comments were made following the launch of the JP’s election manifesto, which places an emphasis on pre-school and university education, as well as introducing a so-called “holistic” taxation policy extending to individuals and businesses.

The PPM, formed by former autocratic President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has meanwhile maintained that MP Yameen and former President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), remain the only two candidates capable of winning the election – accusing Gasim of having to buy support in order to compete with them.

‘Jumhoree coalition’

Despite the claims, the JP has been working to consolidate its support base ahead of September’s poll, with the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) last month leaving a coalition with President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP) to instead back Gasim.

With voting expected to commence a month today, MP Gasim has claimed in local media that the JP had over 30,000 members when including applications waiting to be approved by the country’s Election Commission (EC).

JP Policy Secretary Ajmal said the membership numbers were reflective of campaign visits to islands across the country in recent months, which highlighted that Gasim was seen as a “man of the people” ahead of the election.

He added that the addition of other high-profile politicians like one time PPM Deputy Leader Umar Naseer to the JP further highlighted the growing support for Gasim’s candidacy.

Alongside this support, Ajmal said he remained confident that the focus of the JP manifesto on issues such as tax reform would directly address key voter concerns about the current state of the economy.

Among these proposed reforms is a “holistic” approach to tax that would extend taxation beyond the Tourism Goods and Services Tax (T-GST) and general GST introduced and expanded under the former government to include capital gains tax and income tax.

“With taxation, we hope to take a holistic approach to the bare minimum policy of tax we have with T-GST and GST,” Ajmal said.

He added that a JP government would also work to comply with International Monetary Funds (IMF) recommendations to balance the nation’s budget deficit. The IMF earlier this year expressed concern that without raising revenue and cutting expenditures, the Maldives risked exhausting its international reserves and sparking an economic crisis.

Ajmal said that while there were many ways to try and curb the budget deficit, the JP would favour what he called a “optimistic approach”.

“There is not a problem with raising revenue in the Maldives, the problem is in fact related to a lack of infrastructure,” he said. “The wealthy are not being taxed properly and there is an issue with the distribution of wealth in the nation.”

Ajmal claimed that with an estimated 60 to 70 percent of national income now being spent by the government on recurrent expenditure, the JP in government would look to curb the amount of borrowing undertaken by the state.

He claimed one solution would be reducing the state’s reliance on treasury bills by securing “low interest” development loans to try and reduce outgoing payments on national borrowing.  The spokesperson was not drawn on whether cuts would need to be made to the country’s civil service.

The JP meanwhile pledged that it would not be increasing the size of the country’s civil service as part of aims to curb recurrent expenditure to about 40 percent, focusing instead on investment in local infrastructure to try and raise revenue through the private sector.

With the JP presently serving within the coalition government of President Waheed following the controversial transfer of power in February 2012, Ajmal said he believed voters saw Gasim as an “individual” candidate, and not someone who would continue the economic policies of the present administration.

“Mr Gasim has always supported all governments, apart from the previous administration when he was betrayed by [former President] Mohamed Nasheed. We as a party are always concerned for the people,” he said. “We believe that voters don’t see us as part of the current government.”

Ajmal said that the party believed Gasim was an individual who voters would understand did not have the powers alone to affect the financial policy of the present government.

“Mr Gasim has supplied some US$10 million to US$12 million though the Villa Foundation on philanthropic matters,” he said.

Ajmal claimed that the ‘Jumhoree coalition’ backing Gasim election had now allowed the JP to position themselves as the “main alternative” to former President Nasheed for all voters wishing to oppose him.

JP coalition “no threat”: PPM

Ajmal’s claims were rejected by PPM MP Ahmed Nihan, who today dismissed any notion that the coalition backing Gasim’s presidency could pose a threat to his own party’s election campaign.

He added that the PPM was certain the presidency would be won by either its own candidate in Yameen or former President Nasheed.

Addressing the members of the ‘Jumhoree coalition’ backing Gasim, Nihan accused the religious conservative Adhalaath Party in particular of having “disintegrated” and no longer resembling the political party it was formed as in 2005.

“In 2005, soon after the election, [the AP] has huge support , but soon after they sold their beliefs to many parties including the MDP,” he alleged.

“Maybe tomorrow they will come knocking on our door,” Nihan added of the party.

As a further contrast to the JP, Nihan argued that only the PPM and MDP had supporters and activists working across islands all over the country that were fully “engaged” in election campaigning and making banners, sometimes at their own expense.

He claimed that during the party’s recent campaign tours, the PPM had not seen any similar support for Gasim, the JP or his coalition.

“[The JP] does not have campaigners all over the country. Gasim has had to pay people to work for him, where as we do not have to pay for support,” Nihan said.

Flying the flag

Taking the example of his own constituency in Vilimale’, Nihan claimed that Gasim had brought supporters across from the southerly Addu Atoll to come and put up banners “bought from China”, 60 percent of which he alleged had been put up across the one island.

The flags are said to have been set up in such significant quantities that one Vilimale’ resident told Minivan News: “On some roads, I can’t see the sky.”

Similar displays of flags and party colours have in recent months begun appearing across the capital of Male’, even resulting in a so-called ‘paint war’ between rival PPM and MDP supporters in June.

However, Nihan claimed that majority of flags and banners produced by the PPM had been handmade by local supporters, reflecting what he said highlighted the overriding popularity of the party in Maldivian politics.

“On [Vilimale’] we don’t see the support for Gasim, but the flags are certainly there,” he said.

Nihan agreed that Gasim did have “loyal” support in parts of the country, but said it would not be enough to challenge for a top two place during national polls.

“I express my gratitude to Gasim as a philanthropist, but his coalition partners will not provide the level of support we have,” he said. “He is spending millions on his campaign.”

Nihan was also critical of the JP’s proposed reforms to taxation, arguing that Gasim as both a parliamentarian and party leader had not previously advocated for increased taxation.

He accepted that before the foundation of the PPM, the majority of the party’s MPs – then belonging to the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) before a bitter split – had ultimately supported the introduction of taxation despite initial reservations.

Nihan said that the party’s initial reservations were based on the timing of introducing such taxation starting from 2011, adding that PPM candidate Yameen did support the introduction of tax despite wishing the matter had been handled differently.

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