Tag: Majlis

Majlis to vote on Chief Justice Faiz, Justice Muthasim dismissal on Sunday

The People’s Majlis is set to vote on the dismissal of Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz and Justice Muthasim Adnan at an extraordinary sitting on Sunday.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called for protests against the vote and issued a three-line-whip calling on its 23 MPs to be present for the vote.

The MDP has declared the Judicature Act amendment reducing the seven-member Supreme Court bench “unconstitutional” and announced it will challenge the move at the Supreme Court.

Faiz and Muthasim’s dismissal appear likely as ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) control 48 seats of the 85-member house.

Parties opposed to the move, the MDP and Jumhooree Party (JP) control 23 and 12 seats respectively.

Judges can be voted out by a two-third majority of MPs present and voting. Faiz and Muthasim have formed the dissenting opinion in several controversial cases, including the Supreme Court’s decision to annul the first round of presidential polls held in September 2013.

MDP divided

MDP chairperson Ali Waheed on Thursday called on the JP to stop “the attempt to bury democracy in the Maldives.”

Meanwhile, opposition leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed in a tweet today said the biggest threat to the Maldivian nation is MPs who accept bribes.

Reliable sources have told Minivan News opposition MPs are being offered MVR2.5 million (US$162,000) each to be absent from the Majlis during the vote.

MDP MP and deputy Speaker Reeko Moosa Manik has said he will abstain from any vote on the Supreme Court bench reduction.

“I do not believe we have to come out in defense of the Chief Justice,” Moosa told newspaper Haveeru on Friday.

Pointing to the apex court’s stripping of three MDP MPs of their seats in the previous Majlis, the decision to annul the first round of presidential polls, and Faiz’s silence on Nasheed’s ouster in February 2012, Moosa said the Supreme Court had caused a lot of damage to MDP.

He had voted for the Judicature Act amendment against a three-whip line, claiming the move would facilitate judicial reform. Moosa has also announced he will contest the MDP primaries for the 2018 presidential polls, and has since accused Nasheed of excessive influence within the party.

MDP MPs Yamin Rasheed, Abdul Bari Abdulla, and Ibrahim Naseer are reportedly out of the country at present.

The MDP’s ‘In Defense of Democracy’ protest is to start at 9:00 am outside the People’s Majlis.

Dissent within PPM?

PPM MP for Kulhudhuffushi Mohamed Nasheed had abstained from the vote on the amendment on Wednesday. Haveeru has since reported of dissent within the PPM regarding the decision to reduce the Supreme Court bench.

When some PPM MPs spoke out against the amendment before it was put to vote, PPM Deputy Leader and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb warned MPs that votes against the amendment would be seen as failure to support the government, Haveeru said.

Adeeb reportedly refused to answer why the government was seeking to reduce the bench.

Nasheed and Malé MP Ahmed Mahloof voted against a three-line whip on the amendment, an anonymous PPM MP told Haveeru.

PPM Parliamentary Group Leader Ahmed Nihan has said “there is no harm” in reducing the Supreme Court bench and described the move as a door to judicial reform.

Speaking to Haveeru, Nihan said: “The constitution does not explicitly state the number of judges on the Supreme Court bench. It doesn’t say whether it’s 13 or seven. There is no legal barrier to reducing the Supreme Court bench.”

The PPM and MDA had pushed the amendment through with 46 votes on Wednesday.

Within hours of its ratification on Thursday, the judicial watchdog Judicial Services Commission (JSC) recommended Faiz and Muthasim’s dismissal.

Article 154 of the Constitution says a judge can only be dismissed if the JSC finds the judge guilty of gross misconduct and incompetence and if a two-third majority of MPs present and voting votes out the judge.

The JSC has declined to reveal any details of Thursday’s meeting, claiming members had decided to keep proceedings confidential until the Majlis vote.

Nihan said he could not challenge the JSC’s decision to dismiss the judges.

“When they say these are the two judges who should be dismissed based on their standards, then we will have to go ahead with it,” he said.

He also expressed surprise at MDP’s opposition to the move, claiming former President Nasheed had called Chief Justice Faiz a liar.

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Parliament reduces Supreme Court bench to five judges

The People’s Majlis has today amended the Judicature Act to reduce the seven-member Supreme Court bench to five judges.

The amendment proposed by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef passed with backing from the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and its ally Maldives Development Alliance (MDA).

46 MPs voted in favor and 19 MPs voted against the amendment.

The MDP had issued a three-line whip against the proposal with opposition leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed claiming the amendment would allow President Abdulla Yameen to stack the bench in his favor.

Shareef himself voted against the amendment.

MDP MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – who has announced intentions to contest in the MDP’s 2018 presidential primary – voted for the amendment.

He previously described the formation of the current Supreme Court bench as a “shameful” political bargain between the MDP and then–opposition parties in 2010.

According to the amended Judicature Act, a Supreme Court judge can only be dismissed if the judicial watchdog body, the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), decides they are unsuitable for the position.

The JSC must then submit names of the judges to be dismissed within three days of the amendment’s enforcement.

Judges can only be dismissed by a two-third-majority vote of the Majlis. The amendment gives the Majlis a period of seven days to dismiss the judges. Judges who fail the vote will remain on the bench.

The PPM and MDA control a combined 48 seats in the 85-member house.

Three judges sit on the ten-member JSC. They are Supreme Court Judge Adam Mohamed, High Court Judge Abdulla Hameed and Superior Court Judge Mohamed Easa Fulhu.

The amendments also propose the establishment of two additional branches of the High Court in the northern and southern regions of the Maldives.

The two new branches can only adjudicate the rulings of the magistrate courts. The nine-member High Court is to be divided among the three branches with three judges in each branch.

The Supreme Court has recently been involved in numerous controversies both in and out of the court room.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court used a ‘suo moto’ proceeding – allowing the Court to act as both the plaintiff and the judge – against the Elections Comission (EC).

EC president Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz were subsequently charged with contempt of court and disobedience to order, being sentenced to six months in jail after the court used testimony given in the People’s Majlis independent commission’s oversight committee.

More recently, the court employed a similar ‘suo moto’ proceeding against the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) after it criticised the judiciary in its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the UN Human Rights Council.

The court charged the HRCM with undermining the constitution and sovereignty of the Maldives by spreading lies about the judiciary.  It said that the UPR submission– based on a 2013 report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Independence of Judges and Lawyers Gabriela Knaul – was “poorly researched”, “irresponsible” and “dangerous”.

Knaul’s report had detailed the pressing need for judicial reform, noting that the five-member transitional Supreme Court had been replaced by a seven-member permanent bench in 2010 with “no legal or constitutional basis”.

June this year also saw Judge Ali Hameed – a sitting judge at the Supreme Court – cleared of a sex tape scandal after three recordings surfaced allegedly showing Ali Hameed engaging in sexual acts with three different woman.

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35 percent of Asian MPs’ human rights cases from Maldives, says IPU

The Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) has revealed that the Maldives accounts for 35 percent of all its human rights cases concerning Asian MPs.

“Maldives has a very high number of MPs (27) with cases before the Committee. Arbitrary detentions and violations of freedom of expression are the most common complaints reported, followed by torture, ill-treatment and other acts of violence,” said the IPU.

The union’s ‘Human Rights Abuses of MPs – 2014′ report – released to mark Human Rights Day (December 10) – shows that Africa and Asia are the most dangerous regions for parliamentarians.

Earlier this year, the union had suggested that the authorities’ response  to the growing number of threats against MPs would represent a test of the Maldives’ democracy.

The union emphasised the “high price parliamentarians are paying to defend fundamental human rights and exercise their right to freedom of expression”.

Despite being the smallest country in Asia, the Maldives made up 27 of 78 parliamentarians from 12 countries in Asia who have cases lodged with the IPU’s human rights committee.

Previous statistics from the IPU show that the global average number of inhabitants per parliamentarian is 146,000. With 85 MPs, the Maldives’ 2014 census shows the country has 1 MP for every 4,014 inhabitants.

In October, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Eva Abdulla – the first Maldivian member of the IPU – met with the committee to raise concerns over the personal safety of parliamentarians and journalists in the Maldives.

At the time, Eva highlighted the lack of thorough investigations in cases of threats and assault, perpetrators not facing trial, the failure of law enforcement, the failure of the parliament to look into cases, and the creation of a culture of intimidation in the Maldives.

In a year in which MDP MP Alhan Fahmy narrowly avoided paralysis following a stabbing, threats against MPs and their families have become commonplace.

In October, the Maldives National Defence Force temporarily offered MPs additional personal security as well as urging Majlis members not to go out at night time unless absolutely necessary.

The IPU’s list of Maldivian cases also included the late Progressive Party of Maldives MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, brutally murdered outside of his home in October 2012.

MDP MP Ali Azim was controversially removed from the Majlis over an issued of decreed debt last year

Cases from around the world

The IPU explained that 311 parliamentarians from 41 countries had cases referred to the IPU Committee in 2014 – a 13 per cent increase from 2013, which saw 270 parliamentarians lodge cases, from 40 countries.

The most common human rights complaints are arbitrary detention, lack of fair trial, violation of freedom of expression and unlawful suspension and loss of parliamentary mandate.

Other dangers faced by parliamentarians include death, torture, threats and arbitrary arrests, explained the IPU

As per the 2014 statistics, the highest number of parliamentarians who have lodged cases at the committee are from Africa with 38 per cent, followed by Asia with 25 per cent.

Middle East and North Africa have 18 percent, while the Americas have 14 percent, and Europe 5 percent.

71 percent of these parliamentarians are from opposition parties, and 89 percent are male.

“These figures are extremely worrying as they show that all over the world MPs face serious harassment and sometimes even death, in a clear attempt to intimidate and silence critical voices and dissent,” said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

“The figures we are presenting today are cases reported to IPU, but there are other abuses that remain beyond our scope, as the Committee can only intervene at the request of the MP concerned, family members, legal representatives, fellow MPs or human rights organisations,” he continued.

The statement reads that the majority of cases have been under the committee’s consideration for less than five years, while 10 percent of the cases are from more than 10 years ago, and another 5 percent date back to the 1990s.

It also notes that 101 new decisions were adopted by the IPU this year, calling on authorities of the relevant countries to “take effective steps towards a satisfactory settlement of the cases”.

Of the 314 cases, 71 are new cases involving parliamentarians from the Maldives, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Iraq, Israel, Oman, Palestine, Venezuela and Zambia.

The Committee also closed cases involving 12 parliamentarians in 2014.


Related to this story

Government’s reaction to death threats is a test of democracy: IPU

Inter-Parliamentary Union requests urgent visit to Maldives

Opposition MP Alhan Fahmy stabbed

MPs urged to stay in at night as MNDF offers personal security

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Majlis approves nominees to Police Integrity Commission, Elections Commission

The People’s Majlis today approved President Abdulla Yameen’s nominees to fill vacancies in the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) and the Elections Commission (EC).

Following evaluation by the independent institutions committee, MPs approved Adam Saeed Moosa to the PIC with 62 votes in favour, two votes against, and two abstentions.

Saeed was a senior official at the PIC. Following approval of his nomination, the president’s second nominee – Fathmath Minhath – was not put to a vote.

Meanwhile, of three nominees to fill two seats on the EC, parliament only approved Amjad Musthafa, from Gaaf Alif Maamendhoo Alivilaage, with 63 votes in favour, one against, and five abstentions.

Former EC Secretary General Asim Abdul Sattar received 23 votes in favour and 47 against while Aishath Hafeez received 22 votes in favour and 47 against.

The committee, however, had awarded Asim the highest marks with 91.4 points following its evaluation.

The five year terms of two current commissioners – Mohamed Farooq and Ali Mohamed Manik – are due to end on November 24.

Amjad’s appointment would still leave three vacancies on the five-member commission. Former EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek and Deputy Chair Ahmed Fayaz were stripped of their seats by the Supreme Court in March this year.

Parliament subsequently approved Ismail Habeeb to the EC to replace a commissioner who resigned due to poor health – ensuring a three-member quorum for the parliamentary polls to be held as scheduled on March 22.

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Parliamentary budget debate concludes

Parliament’s budget debate concluded at yesterday’s sitting after 79 out of 85 MPs shared their thoughts on the record MVR24.3 billion (US$1.5 billion) state budget for 2015.

While opposition MPs criticised higher taxes, deficit spending and alleged discrimination in the allocation of funds, pro-government MPs praised planned capital investments and contended that the budget was balanced.

Speaking at yesterday’s sitting, Majority Leader Ahmed Nihan insisted that funds and development projects in the budget were fairly allocated and denied discriminating against constituencies represented by opposition MPs.

“We won’t see the colour pink in any part of this page,” the parliamentary group leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) said, referring to the party’s colour.

The MVR6.3 billion (US$408 million) allocated for the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) – 24 percent of the budget – would see an unprecedented number of infrastructure projects launched in 2015, he said.

All MPs were invited to request infrastructure projects for their constituencies before the budget was submitted, Nihan noted.

The budget was formulated to fulfil campaign pledges of the PPM, he continued, and President Abdulla Yameen’s administration would deliver during the next four years.

He noted that President Yameen has launched a MVR200 million (US$12.9 million) loan scheme for young entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses.

Other PPM MPs claimed that the budget would bring “revolutionary” changes to the economy and spur growth, noting that recurrent expenditure of MVR15.8 billion (US$1 billion) would be covered by government income or revenue of MVR21.5 billion (US$1.3 billion).

Minority opinion

At Monday’s sitting, however, Minority Leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih questioned whether the MVR21.5 billion revenue forecast in the budget could be realised in full.

The parliamentary group leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) predicted that revenue in 2015 would not exceed MVR16.4 billion (US$1 billion), which would be 16 or 18 percent higher than total revenue collected this year.

However, state expenditure was projected to rise by 40 percent, Solih said, adding that the revenue would not be sufficient to cover recurrent expenditure of MVR15.8 billion and MVR1.3 billion (US$84.3 million) for loan repayment – leading to a deficit of about MVR600 million (US$38.9 million).

While MVR340 million (US$22 million) was forecast in the budget as revenue from introducing a US$10 ‘green tax’ in the last quarter of 2015, Solih noted that the government has decided to lower the amount to US$6 per day and delay implementation to November, which would lead to a revenue shortfall of about MVR300 million (US$19.4 million).

Public debt

Solih further contended that PPM MPs had falsely claimed that the MDP government inherited a national debt of MVR4 billion (US$259 million) from the previous administration in 2008.

“That was domestic debt. The state’s total debt was MVR10 billion [US$648 million] at the time,” he said.

Moreover, the MDP government spent MVR2 billion (US$129.7 million) in 2009 and MVR1.5 billion (US$97 million) in 2010 to settle unpaid bills from the previous government, Solih said.

When the MDP government was ousted in February 2012, Solih said debt had reached MVR21 billion – about MVR3.6 billion a year for three years – which grew to about MVR25 billion (US$1.3 billion) during President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s two years in office.

However, state debt would reach about MVR32 billion (US$2 billion) – 67 percent of GDP – at the end of 2014, Solih noted, which means MVR7 billion (US$453.9 million) has been accumulated in debt during the current administration’s first year in office.

“So instead of pointing fingers at each other let’s all work together to solve this,” he said.

Solih also accused the government of spending millions in excess of the budget approved by parliament for 2014, which was done in violation of public finance laws.

Nihan, however, disputed the figures yesterday and claimed that a national debt of MVR24,000 per capita at the end of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30-year reign had risen to MVR100,000 at the end of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s three years in power.

The state’s expenditure rose dramatically in the aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami, Nihan said, which included repairing damage caused to infrastructure and assist displaced persons.

Instead of apportioning blame for driving up the state’s debt, Nihan said the responsibility of MPs and the government was saving the nation from debt.


Related to this story

Finance minister presents record MVR24.3 billion state budget to parliament

MPs quiz finance minister about revenue raising measures

Public debt to reach MVR31 billion by end of 2014, reveals finance minister

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“The old posters fade, but we do not forget,” says Rilwan’s family

Family members and friends of missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan have papered the walls of the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in Malé today (November 16) with new posters to mark 100 days since the journalist disappeared.

“The old posters fade, but we do not forget,” Rilwan’s sister Fathimath Shehenaz told reporters.

Rilwan was last seen on the Hulhumalé ferry in the early hours of August 8. He is believed to have been abducted at knifepoint at 2 am outside his apartment in Hulhumalé.

The posters of newspaper Haveeru’s August 22 front page carried the question ‘Was it Rilwan who was abducted in Hulhumalé?’ Family members and friends stenciled #PoliceMvFail over the posters.

“Today is the 100th day since he disappeared. But the state, the Maldives Police Services in particular, are yet to answer if it was Rilwan who was abducted in Hulhumalé,” Shehenaz said.

Police had arrested four people over the case in October. One suspect was held in police custody for five weeks, but the Criminal Court transferred him to house arrest this morning.

In a statement today, Rilwan’s mother Aminath Easa condemned the state’s failure to investigate her son’s disappearance and said, “the Maldivian state has failed to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”

“We do not believe the government has protected individuals right to life as per Article 21 of the constitution,” the statement continued.

Detailing the state’s failings in investigating the case, the statement noted:

  • The President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen has refused to comment on the case
  • There is no apparent progress in the Maldives Police Service’s investigation
  • The state has failed to investigate threats of violence and murder against journalists and non-governmental organisations who sought to uncover the truth behind the disappearance
  • Home Minister Umar Naseer’s contradictory statements on the case appear to show the state’s disregard for the case
  • The Majlis threw out a 5000 strong signature petition calling on the parliament to hold law enforcement agencies accountable

The state is obliged to investigate Rilwan’s disappearance and find him, the statement continued, arguing a family must not be reduced to begging the state’s institutions for answers.

“We, Rilwan’s family, will continue to remind the state of its responsibilities and will continue to do all we can to find him.”

Human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network released a report in September implicating radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s disappearance.

Discounting theories of voluntary disappearance and suicide, the investigation – conducted by Glasgow-based Athena Intelligence and Security – concludes the disappearance is likely to have been an abduction.

The report confirmed evidence of possible “hostile surveillance” at the terminal conducted by two known affiliates of Malé based Kuda Henveiru gang.

Former president and opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed in a tweet today said the police “are incapable of finding Rilwan because it has been taken hostage by gangs associated with ISIS [Islamic State in Iraq and Syria].”

Home Minister Umar Naseer has previously acknowledged involvement of criminal gangs in the case.

Rilwan’s family on October 29 accused the police of negligence and have filed a complaint with the Police Integrity Commission (PIC).

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India denies having discussed New Silk Road initiative with China

The Indian government has moved to correct suggestions made in the Maldives’ parliament last week that it had discussed joining China’s New Silk Road initiative.

When asked about the potential impact of the scheme on India-Maldives relations, foreign minister Dunya Maumoon had told MPs that India had also discussed participating during the recent state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinpeng.

In order to clarify the issue, Indian diplomats in Malé have released a statement in which India’s External Affairs Ministry denies such talks having taken place.

“[T]his matter was neither raised, nor discussed, nor is it reflected in any of the outcomes of the visit of President Xi Jinping to India,” the ministry official told Indian media on Thursday (November 6).

“I hope that clarifies that this was neither raised, nor discussed, nor is it reflected in any of the outcome documents available publicly on the visit of President Xi Jinping to India.”

President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jingpeng has received positive responses from President Abdulla Yameen to his calls for the Maldives “to get actively involved” in the creation of a maritime trade route linking China to the east coast of Africa and the Mediterranean.

China’s rising economic presence in the Indian Ocean region has stoked concerns in New Delhi that China is creating a “string of pearls” to encircle India, including Chinese investments in ports and other key projects in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

In response to opposition fears over the impact on neighbouring countries, Dunya told the Majlis that the government always remained mindful of regional security.

“His Excellency Xi Jinping visited India. India very much welcomed his visit and they discussed participating in various initiatives of China and participating in the Silk Route,” said Dunya.

However, the minister made clear that the Maldives, as a sovereign nation, was not compelled to consult with others on foreign policy decisions.

The government decided to participate in the Silk Route initiative as it would promote national interest and benefit the Maldivian people through trade and commerce, she said.

The rise in Sino-Maldivian links over the past three years appears to have coincided with a relative cooling of relations between the Maldives’ and its traditional ally, India.

While Chinese tourists make up around one-third of the one million-plus tourists visiting the Maldives each year, developmental aid is increasingly becoming a key feature of the relationship.

As Chinese companies pledge assistance with major infrastructure projects, Indian companies continue to fall foul of the Maldives’ changing political currents.

President Xi Jinpeng became the first Chinese head of state to visit the Maldives in September, as part of a regional tour which also took in Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and India. A number of agreements, including a preliminary deal to redevelop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), were signed during the stop in Malé.

The new INIA agreement comes as the previous developers, India’s GMR, wait to hear how much they are to receive in damages after a Singapore arbitration court ruled their prematurely terminated contract with the Government of Maldives to have been “valid and binding”.

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Auditor general’s position opened for applications

The President’s Office has this morning called for applications for the auditor general’s post after controversial changes to the Audit Act last week.

Incumbent Niyaz Ibrahim has told local media he will not be applying for the post, intending instead to challenge the constitutionality of the amendments which require the president to reappoint an auditor within one month.

The announcement was published in the government gazette today and will be open until 3pm on Monday, November 10. Forms are available on the President’s Office website.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party is also considering challenging the legality of the amendment, introduced as part of changes to legislation bringing statutes in line with the 2008 Constitution.

Proposing the motion, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Thoriq noted that the Audit Act was passed in 2007 before the ratification of the current Constitution and did not specify the responsibilities, mandate, qualification and ethical standards of the auditor general.

The amendment was passed last week, the same day the auditor general signed a damning report into an alleged US$6 million corruption scandal involving Minister of Tourism and PPM deputy leader Ahmed Adeeb.

Adeeb has labelled the report political motivated, suggesting an attempt to defame him by his political opponents.

Minivan News understands former Deputy Speaker and PPM MP Ahmed Nazim was involved in leaking documents related to the case to online news outlet CNM, which first broke the story of the Anti-Corruption Commission investigating the transactions.

In an interview with Haveeru yesterday, Niyaz denied being influenced by the Dhiggary MP Nazim, stating that their relationship during Nazim’d time as head of the Majlis’ financial committee was not in any way unusual.

Both Niyaz and his family have received death threat since the release of the report.

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Majlis throws out 5055 signature petition on Rilwan’s disappearance

The People’s Majlis on Tuesday threw out a 5055 signature petition which urged the parliament’s National Security Committee to pressure the Maldives Police Services to conduct a speedy and thorough investigation.

In a letter to MP Imthiyaz Fahmy, who sponsored the petition, Majlis Secretary General Ahmed Mohamed said the petition had failed to fulfill requirements outlined in the Majlis standing orders.

Condemning the move, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP said Secretary General Mohamed had later admitted the rejection of the petition was “a mistake” and confirmed it had been submitted according to all procedures.

“We are extremely concerned. The MDP submitted the case to various subcommittees. Ruling party MPs killed the case in every single committee, and have now killed the 5055 signature petition submitted by Rilwan’s family,” Fahmy MP said.

“I don’t know whether they will be looking at it again. But they [Majlis] did admit that what they did was wrong when they threw out the petition. They have completely ignored the law when they issued a letter to me to saying the petition does not meet requirements.”

The Majlis secretariat had said the sponsoring MP had not signed all pages of the petition as Article 200 of Majlis regulations. However, Fahmy pointed out his signature was in fact present on all pages.

Article 199 the Majlis standing orders state a petition can only be submitted on a bill submitted to Majlis, an issue taken up in Majlis, or an issue of public concern.

Fahmy’s urgent motion on Rilwan’s disappearance on August 19 was accepted with bipartisan support.

“When I countered all of their arguments, they at last said it was a mistake. All the required signatures were there. Then, not knowing what to say, they said we will try to proceed. What kind of answer is this?” the Maafannu North MP said.

“The PPM holds a majority in Majlis. Their refusal to look into the issue via Majlis sub committees and rejection of the petition indicates the government’s stand on this issue.”

Despite public outcry, the PPM has largely remained indifferent. Today is the 81st day since the reporter disappeared.

The petition, submitted on September 4, asked MPs to investigate if the police had been negligent in investigating Rilwan’s disappearance and asked MPs to find out if an abduction reported on August 8 in front of Rilwan’s apartment building was connected to his disappearance.

Four men have been arrested over the case, but only one man remains in custody at present. The police have only revealed few details on the investigation.

Home Minister Umar Naseer said he believed Rilwan is alive and promised to return him safe to his family. He has also acknowledged involvement of criminal gangs in the case.

Human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network released a report in September implicating radicalised gangs in Rilwan’s disappearance.

Discounting theories of voluntary disappearance and suicide, the investigation – conducted by Glasgow-based Athena Intelligence and Security – concludes the disappearance is likely to have been an abduction.

The report confirmed evidence of possible “hostile surveillance” at the terminal conducted by two known affiliates of Malé based Kuda Henveiru gang.

The NGO on October 23 accused the police of negligence in investigating the disappearance for their failure to inform the public on progress and failure to confirm if the abduction reported on the night Rilwan went missing was related to his disappearance.

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