Tag: jumhoory party

US dollar exchange rate could hit MVR 20 by year’s end, warns JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim

Local business tycoon, media owner, MP,  Jumhoree Party (JP) leader and member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), Gasim Ibrahim, has warned that the dollar exchange rate of the Maldivian rufiya may rise to MVR 20 by the end of the year – a 25 percent increase.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Gasim told local media that the main reason for the Maldivian currency to go down was “selling Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to GMR, selling the shares of Dhiraagu, and the Maldives Water and Sewerage Company.’’

Gasim claimed the three companies were now taking US$2 billion dollars out of the country annually.

At the press conference, Gasim – who also operates domestic airline Villa Air, under the FlyMe brand  – alleged the former government had not awarded the airport to GMR in a way that would benefit the citizens, and expressed concern over increased fuel prices and landing fees.

Gasim’s comments follow GMR’s suspension of Villa Air’s credit facility due to unpaid bills of MVR 17 million (US$1.1 million) for fuel, ground handling and passenger service fees, according to local media reports on Saturday.

His concern over currency devaluation follows the former government’s managed float of the rufiya within a 20 percent band of the pegged rate of MVR 12.85.

In April last year, then-Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz explained that the government decided to change the fixed exchange rate to a “managed float” to shape government policy towards increasing the value of the rufiya and ultimately bring the exchange rate down to MVR 10 – an oft-repeated pledge of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The worsening balance of payments deficit could not be plugged without allowing the market to set the exchange rate, Inaz continued, adding that through lowering the fiscal deficit and spurring private sector job growth “a path would open up for us to reach the lower band (MVR 10.28).”

“My estimate is that it will take about three months for the market to stabilise and reach a balanced [exchange] rate,” he said.

Following this decision of the former government the then opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), which has since divided into two factions, held protests in the streets of Male’ against the decision.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) however praised the Maldives’ decision to effectively devalue its currency as a  “bold step by the authorities [representing] an important move toward restoring external sustainability.”

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Gasim calls for “jihad” against “Nasheed’s antics”: local media

Leader of the government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP), resort tycoon MP Gasim Ibrahim, has accusing former President Mohamed Nasheed of leading a “coup” against the Maldivian state, and called for a “jihad” to protect Maldivian society from “Nasheed’s antics”, local media has reported.

Speaking at the JP’s fourth anniversary ceremony yesterday, local newspaper Haveeru reported Gasim as saying the nation had fallen “victim” to Nasheed and his supporters, whom he accused of conducting “terrorist acts”.

“The time has come to undertake a Jihad in the name of Allah to protect our religion, culture and nation. Such a sacrifice must be made to restore peace and stability in the nation,” Gasim was quoted as saying.

MDP Spokesperson, MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, claimed Gasim’s calls for “jihad” were of “very serious” concern to the nation.

Gasim’s statement highlighted the “growing jihadist spirit” among senior government politicians linked to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, whom he accused of promoting “extremist hate speech” against their political opposition.

“What we are seeing are some of Gayoom’s generals trying to stoke a jihadist sense of nationalism,” Ghafoor claimed. “This is a product of Gayoom’s rule.”

Gasim was not responding to calls at time of press.

JP Spokesperson Moosa Ramiz meanwhile said he had been asked to forward questions from media to the party’s president, Dr Ibrahim Didi. Dr Didi was not answering calls at time of press.

“Jihadist rhetoric”

Ghafoor contended that politically-motivated calls for “jihad”  had to be taken seriously, given that Gasim was not only a key financier of the December 23 coalition that criticised the Nasheed administration for “un-Islamic” policies such as diplomatic relations with Israel, but also the Vice Chairman of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI).

“Gasim is the main financier of the [religiously conservative] Adhaalath Party that came into the MDP’s coalition government [elected in 2008] through him,“ Ghafoor claimed. “We cannot take such comments from him with a grain of salt, given that he was one of the chief thugs of Gayoom’s regime.”

As well as leading the Jumhoree Party, Gasim is both a member of parliament and its representative on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) – the judicial watchdog recently accused by the UN Human Rights Committee of being “seriously compromised”.

During the Maldives recent defence of its human rights record in Geneva, a panel member also raised the “troubling role of the judiciary at the centre of many of these [recent] developments.”

“The judiciary – which is admittedly in serious need of training and qualifications – is yet seemingly playing a role leading to the falling of governments,” he observed.

Gasim was also accused by the MDP of supporting the Adhaalath Party’s February 2010 protests against new regulations permitting the sale of alcohol and pork to foreign nationals at licensed hotels of more than 100 beds, on islands designated as ‘inhabited’ in the Maldives.

According to customs records for 2011, Gasim’s Villa Hotels chain – including the Royal, Paradise, Sun, and Holiday Island resorts, in 2011 imported approximately 121,234.51 litres of beer, 2048 litres of whiskey, 3684 litres of vodka and 219.96 kilograms of pork sausages, among other commodities restricted to islands classified as ‘uninhabited’ in the Maldives.

Political use of Islam

Ghafoor also raised concerns about rhetoric of present Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel, whose Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) this year published a pamphlet whilst in opposition entitled “President Nasheed’s devious plot to destroy the Islamic faith of Maldivians.”

Ghafoor alleged that allegations within the document – denied vehemently by Nasheed, and which leading to the controversial arrest of two senior DQP members including Dr Jameel – amounted to a work of extremist “hate speech”. The repeated dismissal of Dr Jameel’s case by Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, and the subsequently arrest and on the judge by Nasheed’s government on charges including political collusion, led to the downfall of the Nasheed administration in a police and military mutiny on February 7.

Ghafoor rejected the JP’s allegations that the MDP’s ongoing protests in the capital during the last few weeks – which have escalated at points into violent confrontations with police – were perceived as “acts of terrorism” by the public.

“This is something [our political opponents] have always thrown at us, to brand the MDP and its supporters as terrorists,” he said. “Though they brand us as un-Islamic, we have won election despite these sort of allegations,” he said. “I would also say that Nasheed has received numerous international awards, including the James Lawson Award for Achievement in the Practice of Nonviolent Action. We are an exemplary case of providing a peaceful political transition despite the country’s coup-ridden past. “

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“Crime is more important than party” says PPM, after suspected cop killer is revealed to be member

The crime is more important than the political party the criminal is from, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has said during a press conference, after it was revealed that the suspect arrested in connection to the murder of Lance Corporal Adam Haleem murder is a registered member of the party.

In the wake of police officer’s murder, government-aligned parties including PPM and cabinet ministers have vociferously blamed the ousted former President Mohamed Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for the murder, claiming that MDP’s ongoing protests against the police in the capital Male’ provoked the attack on Kaashidhoo island.

The MDP have held consecutive demonstrations since the controversial resignation of former President Nasheed on February 7, who contends that he was forced to do so “under duress” amid a police and military-backed coup.

The protests often have led to multiple arrests and violent clashes between the security forces and protesters, with rising concerns of police brutality, torture and human rights violations.

However, in response to the accusations, the MDP released a photo of the arrested suspect Mohamed Samaah, 22, and a screenshot of the Elections Commission’s party registry showing him listed as a member of the PPM.

Local media reports said that Samaah, from Suvaasaage of Kaashidhoo, has a multiple criminal records including drug, assault and theft.

PPM’s Council Member Ahmed Saleem today contended at a press conference that “Party is not important. What’s important is the crime committed by the criminal,” after a reporter asked him to verify the claim.

“We have also heard people say that he is from PPM. But we have not checked if it’s true. The reality is that MDP members have been registered under other parties by mistake,” Saleem added.

“But, whatever party [the suspect] is from, no police officer or citizen should be attacked,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the MDP has also alleged that the suspect was a key supporter of Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdullah Jabir, who won the Kaashidoo constituency in the recent by-election with official endorsement from PPM.

The MDP  today released another photo with the suspect allegedly standing next to Jabir, while JP leader Gasim Ibrahim is seen nearby giving a speech.

Jabir’s wife Dhiyana Saeed, the newly-appointed Minister for Gender and Human Rights, is also pictured in the image.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Jabir rejected any possible links between the suspect and his party, accusing the MDP and media sources including Minivan News of propagating false rumours.

“This suspect has nothing to do with the JP,” he said.

Conversely Jabir said that the suspect had actually been working with MDP candidates at local elections, as well as being mentioned in a police report at the time for attacking a member of the JP’s own campaign personnel.

“There is evidence of this and reports of the incident with the Kashidoo police.  Anyone can check this,” he added.

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“That was yesterday”: JP Jabir explains u-turn on Health Minister issue

Jumhoree Party (JP) Deputy Leader Abdulla Jabir, after yesterday calling for the removal of the newly confirmed Health Minister Dr Ahmed Jamsheed, has today described him as “the perfect minister”, pledging his party’s full support to the cabinet member.

Speaking with Sun Online yesterday, Jabir was quoted as having said that the Health Ministry ‘slot’ had been assigned to JP and that, following Jamsheed’s refusal to sign with the party, it would consider proposing a no-confidence motion against him.

However, when contacted by Minivan News today regarding this issue, Jabir was in full support of the “highly qualified” Jamsheed.

“Jamsheed is a suitable person and we will support him”, said Jabir. “This is a coalition partner government and we have come to an understanding.”

Jabir made no attempt to disown the previous day’s comments – which included a threat to reconsider the JP’s position in the unity government – saying only, “that was yesterday”.

When asked about the issue of the cabinet ‘slots’, Jabir told Minivan News that this was no longer an issue and that the JP was happy to work with its coalition partners.

President spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was similarly confident in the security of the government-aligned group.

“There is no chance that the JP will pull out of the coalition,” he said.

When asked about the allocation of certain ministries to certain parties, Abbas said that he wished to make no comment about the matter.

Yesterday

Jamsheed’s appointment was approved in the Majlis yesterday alongside three other cabinet posts. The ratifications became necessary after two new ministries had been created by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

The cabinet changes entailed the division of the ‘Ministry of Health and Family’ into the ‘Ministry of Health’ and the ‘Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights’.

The ‘Ministry of Housing and Environment’ has now become the ‘Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure’ and the ‘Ministry of Environment and Energy’.

The approval for these posts was delayed after they failed to gain the approval in the government accountability committee. Yesterday’s vote was conducted on the full floor of the house.

Committee member Alhan Fahmy, who joined the JP at the start of June, sided with the opposition MDP members in blocking three of the four nominees .

The final nominee for the post of Minister of Gender – JP member Dhiyana Saeed – was approved by the committee after Fahmy abstained from this round of voting.

Speaking with local newspaper Haveeru before yesterday’s vote, Fahmy said he would again withhold his support for the candidates.

“I will not vote for them because I have doubts about the legitimacy of this government. I won’t vote because the Commission of National Inquiry has not issued a definitive statement. Because from my investigation, it seems this government had come to power from a coup,” Fahmy explained to Haveeru.

The JP’s Council had agreed last month that its leaders would forward the name of Dr Ibrahim Didi to the President for the position of Health Minister.

Didi joined the JP at the start of June after an acrimonious departure from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Formerly the President of the MDP, Didi was elected, unopposed, to the newly created post of President of the JP shortly after having joined the party.

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EC to investigate claims 2500 MDP members transferred to JP without their knowledge

The Elections Commission (EC) will investigate claims by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that more than 2500 MDP members were found to have been unknowingly deregistered from the party and registered with government-allied parties – mostly the Jumhoree Party (JP) – without their knowledge.

Elections Commissioner President Fuad Thaufeeq confirmed that an MDP official yesterday met with the EC and made the complaint. The commission has asked the MDP to send all the names and ID card details of the persons unregistered.

‘’After we get the names and ID card details we can check how many forms have been forwarded to the commission under their names, whose fingerprints were on the forms, and from which political party we received the forms,’’ Fuad explained.

He said the MDP has not yet sent the information requested, and that the commission will commence the investigation as soon as the information was received.

‘’If it requires police assistance for the investigation we will ask the police,’’ he added.

MDP Elections Committee Chair Ibrahim Waheed has claimed that more than MDP 2500 have unknowingly been transferred from party to the party of local business tycoon, MP Gasim Ibrahim.

Waheed said the issue was noticed when MDP members who turned out to vote in the MDP internal elections over the weekend complained that their names were not on the list of eligible voters.

According to Waheed, more than 2500 complaints were received over the same issue from the islands as well as from Male’.

When the Elections Committee looked into the matter, it discovered that most of the names were registered with different political parties, most of them with Gasim’s Jumhoree Party, he said.

Waheed said the MDP Membership and Complaints Committee will hold a meeting soon to discuss the issue.

The MDP’s President Dr Ibrahim Didi and Vice President MP Alhan Fahmy were recently voted out of their positions in a near-unanimous no-confidence motion by the party’s National Council. Soon afterwards, the pair joined the JP were immediately promoted to the party’s leadership in parallel positions.

Local media reported that during a press conference last week, Dr Didi accused the MDP of “undemocratic acts” and accused his former party of subverting political freedom.

Internal elections

Two-thirds of the MDP’s 48,181-strong membership base turned out to vote in the party’s single-candidate internal elections, held over the weekend to determine its presidential candidate.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed ran unopposed in the party’s election of its presidential candidate, however the party’s regulations require any candidate to receive at least 10 percent of the party’s vote to secure the nomination.

Following the final count of the 258 ballot boxes, Nasheed recorded 31,798 votes in favour to 269 against his being the party’s presidential candidate.

Chairperson candidate Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik had 29,044 votes in favour to 2160 against, while Deputy Chairperson candidate Ali Shiyam had 563 in favour to 7 against.

The MDP has maintained calls for early elections following its ousting from power on February 7, with Nasheed resigning during a police and military mutiny under what he subsequently claimed was duress. The party has held regular demonstrations since that time calling for early elections.

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Government silent over Maldives bankruptcy claims

The government has refused to comment on claims made in local media by leader of the coalition-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP) that the Maldives was now bankrupt and already unable to pay some civil servants.

JP Leader and MP Gasim Ibrahim claimed that despite government efforts, the Maldives was now bankrupt and unable to pay some civil servants after steady economic decline within the nation, according to newspaper Haveeru.

Just last month, Parliament’s Financial Committee revealed that expected revenue for 2012 had plunged 23 percent, whilst spending was set to increase by almost 24 percent.

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza today said that he was unaware of the bankruptcy comments linked to Gasim and could not comment on the matter, referring Minivan News to Minister of Finance and Treasury Abdulla Jihad.

Both Jihad and Economic Development Minister Ahmed Mohamed were not responding to calls by Minivan News at the time of press.

Although the country’s Civil Service Commission (CSC) said that it had been involved in discussions with the Minister of Finance to try and overcome economic concerns, Chairman Mohamed Fahmy Hassan said that there had as yet been no issue with payments to staff.

“As of last month, all payments have been made in full, however it is the Finance Ministry who would know about the current situation,” he said.

Speaking to Minivan News on Saturday, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem said despite some reports circulating to the contrary, he was not aware of any problems with payments to military officers.

Spending review

In attempts to counter its present spending shortfall, the government has unveiled proposals such as a revision to the country’s import duties and Goods and Services Tax (GST) to alleviate its financial difficulties.

The proposals have come under criticism from former finance chiefs serving under the previous government, who allege that such changes “do not make sense”.

Whilst committed to reducing state expenditure, Jihad recently announced his aim to avoid cutting the salaries of civil servants in order to tackle the nation’s budget deficit, seeking to make savings in other areas of expenditure first.

“Civil servants are the lowest ranking of all government employees. We will try to cut all non-wage expenditure by 15 percent. Salaries will be considered after this,” he said at the time.

Despite this pledge, Jihad added that a review of public salaries was set to be conducted by a pay review board that would also focus on independent commissions in order to reach an agreement on the necessary reductions.

Civil Service salaries

Between 2004 and 2009, the country’s fiscal deficit increased exponentially on the back of a 400 percent increase in the government’s wage bill.

The year’s 2007 to 2009 included the most significant largesse as the World Bank found wage expenditure to have increased from Rf 2 billion to almost Rf 5 billion even as revenues began to recede.

According to statistics from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the number of permanent civil servants has more than halved between 2006 and June 2011.  There has been some contention in the past, however, that the transfer of many civil servants to state owned companies under the previous government masked the true figures.

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) published figures for May that estimated the government will spend Rf2.6billion (US$168 million) on salaries and wages in 2012.

Maldives Bankrupt?

JP Leader Gasim – himself a former finance minister – claimed the Maldives had already been bankrupted after steady economic declines in recent years. He said that the evidence of the country’s troubled economy may not be immediately apparent, but would be seen in the “near future” as the state lacked the “necessary finance” to settle debts, according to Haveeru.

Gasim was reported as saying that “pointing fingers and blaming others” would not provide the country with an economic solution, calling instead for parliament to pass bills to alleviate the economic situation. The nature of these bills were not specified in local media.

Gasim’s phone was today switched off, while JP presidential candidate Ibrahim Didi was not responding to calls.

However speaking to local media, the JP leader added that the “actions of some” had negatively impacted on the nation’s economy, pointing to what he claimed were calls for a boycott of the Maldivian tourism industry.

Gasim, Maldives Vice President Waheed Deen and Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) MP Abdulla Jabir are among a number of figures associated with the present coalition government that are included in a list of resort owners included in the Maldives Tourism Advisory (MTA).

The advisory, established by the Friends of Maldives NGO, has a website utilising a ‘traffic light’ system recommending guests avoid resorts alleged by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to be directly linked in bringing about February’s controversial transfer of power.

Travel associations in the country have in turn criticised the MTA, expressing “serious concern” over what it alleged was a “concerted international campaign against several of the country’s resort operators.

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Dr Didi and Alhan join Jumhooree Party, back Gasim as President

Additional reporting by Musliha Hassan

Former President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Dr Ibrahim Didi and former Vice President Alhan Fahmy today signed up with the Jumhoory Party (JP) of local business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim.

Former MDP Secretary General Hassan Shah also signed for JP today.

Speaking at the signing ceremony this morning, Alhan Fahmy claimed Gasim Ibrahim’s “experience and service to the country” made him the most capable candidate to rule the country under the current situation.

Beyond his resort interests, Gasim owns television station VTV, is an MP, and a member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). VTV was shown on the state broadcaster after it was stormed by police and opposition demonstrators on February 7, while Gasim and several other then-opposition leaders gathered in police headquarters.

Dr Didi and Alhan Fahmy were removed from the MDP leadership posts in a no-confidence vote supported by 95 percent of the MDP’s National Congress on April 30, after the pair were accused of making statements contradictory to the party’s official line concerning February 7.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Gasim stated that former president Nasheed resigned after realising that he would no longer be able to rule the country.

“At some point the police and the military declined to obey his orders. If that is a coup, then it is a coup,” he said.

Gasim further alleged that Nasheed had given illegal orders to the police and military, and arrested people unconstitutionally and refused to release them – a reference to the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed.

Gasim also said that Nasheed, who had resigned with the realisation that he had failed, was now trying to “hoodwink” people into thinking he had been ousted by a coup. He described Nasheed’s actions as poisoning the people.

Gasim said that Nasheed “should be arrested” by now and that with “the help of the constitution”, the current administration would arrest him.

Speaking at the ceremony, former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Dr Ibrahim Didi said today he had opened a new page in his political career and looked forward to working for the nation on a JP platform.

” The message that I want to give to my friends and my relatives, is that from the day my political career began, I have been working in the best interest of the nation,” Didi said.

” Unfortunately, all the doors had been closed in [the MDP], and today, I am joining Jumhooree Party because I believe that this platform has all the doors opened for me,” he added.

He said that he did not find any substantial reason to believe that the ousting of former president Mohamed Nasheed had been a coup, and that if JP started mocking people and harassing Islam, he would leave immediately.

Speaking in the ceremony, former Vice President of MDP, MP Alhan Fahmy said that the country would not be able to recover if people were to follow in Nasheed or [former president] Gayoom.

He further alleged that both Nasheed and Gayoom, with the help of their close friends and family, wanted to establish a system in which they could stay in power without limitations.

” I want to say to the young people of the country, those that create and build ideologies. That is, we wont be able to steer our nation to the destinations that we want, if we are to blindly follow a few individuals,” he said.

Fahmy joined Didi in claiming that the controversial transfer of power was not a coup and that it was legitimate.

Also in the ceremony, former Secretary General of MDP, Hassan Shah, claimed that all MDP members knew how to do was gather in a place and protest.

Minivan News tried contacting Fahmy and Didi, but they did not respond at time of press.

Local newspaper Haveeru earlier reported that both Didi and Fahmy insisted on retaining the Presidential and Vice-Presidential positions within their new party, which required an amendment to JP regulations.

Didi and Fahmy were removed from their posts in the MDP after being accused of making statements in contradiction of the party’s official line, concerning the the events that led to the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.

A motion of no confidence was supported by 95 percent of the MDP’s National Congress on April 30. Both men disputed the legitimacy of the process which led to their ousting.

Dr Didi filed a complaint with the Elections Commission (EC), which was later dismissed, whilst Fahmy staged a sparsely attended ‘free MDP’ rally, protesting against what he alleged was the negative influence of Nasheed on the party.

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Former SAARC Secretary General calls for new law to dissolve political parties

Former SAARC Secretary General Dhiyana Saeed – also a former Attorney General – has called on parliament to enact a law to dissolve political parties.

Her comments have been widely reported in local media and were reiterated in a statement from the Jumhoree Party (JP), of which she is a member.

According to International Convent on Civil and Political Rights, there was opportunity to narrow the role of political parties, Saeed reportedly stated, during a recent address on Gaafaru island accompanying President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Saeed claimed the Council of Europe had guidelines on the prohibition and dissolution of political parties, and that there were situations in which a political party could be dissolved.

Parliament currently does not have the authority to dissolve a political party, the JP noted. However Saeed suggested that the  law should be drafted in such a way that a court of law, preferably the Supreme Court, could declare that the party was in situation where it has to be dissolved.

Speaking to Minivan News, Saeed said that the new law needed to specify in which situations a political party could be dissolved, suggesting that using violence and unrest as a method to achieve the goal of the party was one such reason.

”I can allege that MDP is using violence and unrest as a method to achieve their goals, the events of arson and vandalism and the attack on police officers are more like organised crimes,” she claimed. ”If anyone looks at the video footage they can see who did it and which color bands they were wearing on their head.”

She said if such a law was enacted, MDP could take the current government to court and that if they could prove that the government changed following a police and military coup, then the MDP could ask the court to dissolve the party in government.

Her comments come following criticism aimed by the government at the behavior of the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which it has accused of violent protests and in several instances, terrorism.

The MDP last week condemned acts of violence against police, “recognising that there is a high level of public animosity towards police officers with regards to their involvement in the February 7 coup, overthrowing the first democratically elected Government in the Maldives, and their subsequent brutal crackdown on unarmed civilians. However, MDP strongly urges all members of the public to express themselves through peaceful protest.”

Saeed did not refer to the MDP specifically, but did claim to Haveeru that MDP members had broken into her house one evening and tried to attack her, before fleeing when they saw the police.

Saeed was formerly an MDP member but she resigned following comments in protest over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, the culmination of a long-running judicial crisis.

The government’s rejection of court orders to release the judge could “only be solved by the people”, said Saeed at the time on VTV, a channel owned by JP MP and leader Gasim Ibrahim, but added this should be through the parliament “and not by coming out on the roads”.

Nasheed’s government expressed outrage over Saeed’s television appearance, arguing that her position as SAARC Secretary General demanded her political impartiality in the internal affairs of all SAARC nations – including her own.

Saeed subsequently resigned from the prestigious SAARC post – becoming not only the first female and youngest person to head SAARC, but also holding the shortest term.

“I am first and foremost a Maldivian citizen. It is my right [to comment] on whatever happens in my country, and I will not give away that right. As a lawyer I am also a member of the Maldivian bar,” she told Minivan News at the time.

“[The Chief Judge’s detention] is a violation of individual human rights, a violation of the independence of the judiciary, and the violation of the constitution,” she stated.

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Rival parties request Male’ space after council grants MDP Tsunami Monument area

Rival political parties have requested private protest areas around the capital after Male’ City Council allowed the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)  to keep a camp at the Tsunami Monument area to until June.

The Jumhoory Party (JP), led by MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim, has sent a letter to the Mayor of Male’, ‘Maizan’ Ali Manik ,requesting he give the party vacant land near the State Trading Organization (STO) for a year.

A statement on the official JP website said that the letter was sent by Party Spokesperson Moosa Rameez.

The statement noted that the Tsunami Monument area had been given to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), where the party has since setup a protest camp.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has said it has requested that Male’ City Council provide it the Artificial Beach for one year and eight months in order to conduct their own activities.

Speaking to local media, Abdul Raheem Abdulla of the PPM said that there was no reason that the council should not give the Artificial Beach to the party because it had already given the Tsunami Monument area to MDP.

The JP statement also confirmed that the PPM sent a letter requesting it be given the Artificial Beach area.

Three days ago, Male City Council extended the duration given to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to continue its protest at the tsunami monument area.

The council first gave the area to MDP until the end of March, but then extended this period after a request from the party.

Male’ City Mayor ‘Maizan’ Ali Manik today told Minivan News that the council has received the letters.

”The council will now decide on the matter,” he said.

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