Ibrahim Waheed – Minivan News

Star of Mysore interviews Election Commissioner

Ibrahim Waheed wears his many hats lightly, writes Jagdish Prasad in the Star of Mysore evening daily.

He is currently the Election Commissioner of Maldives. He is also the Prem Chand Fellow of the Sahitya Academy in Delhi. In between, he has been a musician with his own band (of course) when he was studying at the International University of Beirut in the late 1970s. He is also an acclaimed poet and a writer. He speaks several languages and best of all; he has travelled from Kerala to Delhi on a motorcycle in 21 days !

Star of Mysore met him at Dhvanyaloka on Bogadi Road here, at a fellowship organised by the Regional Sahitya Academy and The Literary Criterion Centre. Ibrahim Waheed is young, all of 49, portly and like all portly men (and women), light on his feet with a sense of humour.

Ibrahim Waheed begins tongue-in-cheek, “It is refreshing to come here where I am not recognised. In my country I am always recognised. In introducing me, you have labelled me as a writer. Now that is an honour for me… and a problem for you!” (he smiles and gently laughs).

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DRP welcomes electricity subsidies but will continue protests

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will continue its ‘red notice’ protests, despite welcoming changes the government’s new subsidies for electricity charges.

National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) today said that it changed the per unit rate for subsidies for electricity charges, a move intended to people who cannot afford the electricity bill.

According to the changes, charges for 0-100 meter units would be Rf1.50, 101-200 meter units Rf1.70, 201-300 meter units Rf2.15 and 301-400 units Rf2.50, for people receiving subsidies.

Charges for those not identified as eligible for a subsidy will remain at Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 above 601.

NSPA Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said that the subsidied charges were cheaper than 2008 prices.

”No changes were brought to the [normal] charges, but the subsidised rates have changed,” he said.

No changes were made to unsubsidised electricity charges because the government wished to run the State Electric Company (STELCO) without a loss, he said.

He said that the changes in the subsidised rates had no connection with the DRP-led protests.

DRP MP Ahmed Mahloof meanwhile said the protest would begin tonight at 8:45pm, and would start near the tsunami monument.

”Maldivian Democratic Party MDP’s protest outside the Vice President’s house has proved us that climbing gates was not prohibited,” Mahloof said. ”We will climb the gates of Muleeage [the President’s official residence] tonight.”

Mahloof said he had information that the police has planned to use rubber bullets to disperse tonight’s gathering.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan said that DRP welcomed the changes brought to the electricity charges, but ”will continue the protest as we have planned.”

Nihan said that 80 percent of the people ought to receive subsidies for electricity charges.

”The procedure NSPA follows is not very comprehensive,” he said, ”but we welcome the changes they brought.”

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NSPA introduces foster parent and single mother allowances

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has announced that it will introduce allowances for foster parents.

Chairperson of NSPA Ibrahim Waheed said that Rf500 would be provided to registered parents and Rf1000 for registered children every month.

”Any person who has a written document from the court that a person is taking care of a orphan child is admissible,” Waheed said. ”We consider as anyone under the age of eighteen to be a child.”

Waheed said that Rf500 would be provided for each kid a person looked after.

”No matter the number of children one person looks after, we will give Rf 500 per kid,” said Waheed.

Waheed said that the purpose of introducing the foster parent allowances was to encourage people to take care of orphans.

”There are many children in ‘Kudakudhinge Hiya’ [orphanage in Villingili],” he said. “We want to encourage people to take them and look after those kids,” he said.

He said that more than 2000 applicants had already applied, ”but some of them do not have the court warrant,” he said,” so we have asked them to bring it along with the application.”

Moreover, Ibrahim Waheed said that allowances for single mothers will be available from the 15th of this month.

He said that every single mother registered would receive Rf1000 per child under the age of eighteen.

He noted that each mother would receive Rf3000 maximum.

”Even if they had more than three kids, we could only provide Rf3000 each month,” he said. ”Currently the judicial system will provide them with Rf450 every month from the kids’ fathers, so Rf3000 is better than what they can get through the judicial system.”

He said that all single mothers can apply with a court warrant, whether they are widowed or divorced.

NGOs inluding Hand-in-Hand, Rights for All and Care Society said that they did not have enough information on the Forster parent allowance and did not comment.

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NSPA introduces family package

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has introduced a family package with a 50 per cent discount for its Madhana health insurance programme.

According to Haveeru, Ibrahim Waheed, NSPA Chairman, said the government would match the participant’s Rf1,000 if three or more people are included in the insurance scheme.

The package was introduced following complaints from the public over difficulties in paying the Rf2,000 annual charge, said Waheed.

Over 52,700 people have signed up for the Mahana health insurance policy.

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