President Mohamed Nasheed today appointed Rugiyya Ahmed Didi as Undersecretary at the President’s Office.
Didi previously served as the Deputy Undersecretary at the President’s Office.
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(0)Tag: maldives news
Maldives to withdraw reservations on women’s rights treaty
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced the government’s intention to withdraw the reservations of the Maldives to the UN Woman’s Rights Treaty.
The Ministry has informed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that the Maldives will shortly be withdrawing the controversial national reservation, which limits key aspects of the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The reservation restricts the application of Article 7(a) of CEDAW, under which state parties commit “to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right: (a) to vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies.”
Under the 1998 Constitution, women were banned from running for president. Article 109 of the new Constitution of 2008 does not include any restrictions based on gender under “qualifications for election as President”.
Aishath Zahir, Deputy Additional Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “this withdrawal is reinforcing the Constitution,” and “it reinforces our obligations under international law.”
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women had repeatedly asked the Maldives to withdraw this reservation, since it was contrary to the purpose of the Convention of Women’s Rights and went against the principle of the equality of women and men.
The withdrawal of the restriction on Article 7(a) is a necessary official notification from the Maldivian government to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the statement claimed. This is being done so that “the new reality is fully reflected in international law.”
Because under the new Constitution parliament must approve any changes in the legislature, it is necessary for the government to submit a procedural bill to the Majlis seeking approval.
“As soon as it’s passed by the Majlis we will lodge our instrument of withdrawal to the UN,” said Zahir.
The Bill has been prepared by the Department of Gender and Family in the Ministry of Health and will soon be considered by the People’s Majlis.
Minister of Foreign Affaris Dr Ahmed Shaheed said the reservation was “a relic of a time in the Maldives when women were openly and explicitly discriminated against even within our primary legal framework.”
He added that this withdrawal makes explicitly clear that “everyone is entitled to the same rights and freedoms…without discrimination of any kind, including based on gender”.
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(0)Dislikes(0)Cabinet ratifies accession of Afghanistan to SAFTA
The Cabinet decided yesterday to ratify the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) protocol of accession of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
The protocol was originally signed by all member states of SAARC in August 2008 in Colombo to enable the accession of Afghanistan to the SAFTA agreement.
Afghanistan joined the SAARC in April 2007, during the 14th SAARC summit held in New Dehli.
Cabinet members also discussed their December 2009 decision on the measures to be taken on islands leased for resort development, which are behind schedule. Members decided to defer the implementation of these measures until the passage of bills concerning the issue, which are currently being considered by the People’s Majlis.
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(0)Dislikes(0)President Nasheed meets with UNDP regional Director
President Mohamed Nasheed met with UNDP Regional Director at the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Ligia Elizondo yesterday morning at the President’s Office.
President Nasheed and Elizondo discussed the UNDP projects in the Maldives. The president said that due to issues with project management, completion of a number of development projects had been delayed.
President Nasheed noted the importance of having a central project management office and sought technical assistance from UNDP to strengthen project management, project monitoring and ensuring projects would be to the greatest benefit to the people of the Maldives.
Elizondo assured the president that the UNDP would continue their assistance to the government of the Maldives and offered further assistance and advise to the government on development projects and their implementation.
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(0)Dislikes(0)Government “will not allow Maldives to become a Taliban playground”: Shaheed
When Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed was asked by TV Maldives whether the country was in danger of becoming a safe haven for terrorists, he answered with “a flat no” and said “the government would not allow the Maldives to become a playground for the Taliban.”
On the weekend of 22 January, a group of Afghan MPs, “a government official” and seven people linked to the Taliban met in the Maldives for secret talks. At the time, Al-Jazeera reported that one of the Taliban’s representatives claimed the destination was chosen because “we feel safe.”
Photographs of the meeting have surfaced showing the Afghan MPs with another group gathered at the Bandos Resort conference centre.
A spokesman for the resort confirmed a group guests including Afghan MPs stayed at the resort and used the conference facilities, but noted it had no way of knowing whether the group was linked to the Taliban or not.
“We don’t go in [to the conference centre] when there is a meeting going on,” the spokesman explained.
Dr Shaheed said that the government was “fully aware of [the meeting] before it happened,” and at the time tried to determine whether to stop the meeting or allow it and see what was going on. He added that there was also no legal reason for denying them entry into the country.
“If they were complying with the UN resolution 1267, we had to allow them in,” he said.
Dr Shaheed is referring to the travel ban imposed in 2002 by the UN Security Council which bans “Osama bin Laden, members of the Al-Qaida organisation and the Taliban and other individuals associated with them” from entering or transiting through the territories of UN Member States.
Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said the group “weren’t technically Taliban; there was one group from the Afghan government and another group who were sympathetic to the Taliban.”
Zuhair added the Maldivian government wants to focus on “reintegration and reconciliation.”
Dr Shaheed said that if there proves to be an “official affiliation between a foreign government [and the Taliban]”, the Maldives will protest to that government.
He added that the Maldivian government “are on our guard” and there is an ongoing investigation “examining who was here” and “whether there was anyone in that group who wasn’t meant to be here.”
He also said the government is “not too pleased about this” and is “very watchful” for these types of meetings taking place within the country.
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(0)Dislikes(0)Alcohol licenses to be issued to hotels on inhabited islands
Hotels with more than 100 beds will be allowed to sell alcohol on inhabited islands – such as Male’ – according to new regulations approved by the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.
In addition to tourist hotels, bars at the airport departure terminal will be authorised to sell alcohol. Diplomats at the ambassador level will also be eligible for liquor permits.
The illegal imports law 4/75 authorises the ministry to formulate such regulations. The new law applies to both alcohol and pork products, and will go into effect from 1 March.
The new regulations for liquor licenses were proposed in November 2009, but were withdrawn shortly afterwards due to public outcry and opposition from the Islamic Ministry.
State Minister of Trade Adhil Saleem said a hotel seeking to acquire a liquor license under the new regulations would be required to follow the government’s “strict rules” on the sale of alcohol.
Hotels will not be allowed to have a bar that is visible from the outside, and it must only serve foreigners. Furthermore, the alcohol can only be sold and consumed in designated areas of the hotel.
Maldivians cannot be employed at the bar and all employees of the bar must be registered with the economic development ministry and undergo a police check. Security cameras must be installed in both the serving area and storerooms, and back-up recordings kept.
Moreover, an inventory of the alcohol in storage and daily sales must be maintained and made available to police on request.
Saleem believes a side effect of the new license regulations will be “the proper disposal of empty liquor bottles”.
“Now, it’s not an issue if you find an empty bottle of liquor on the streets of inhabited islands,” he said, suggesting that with the new licenses establishments must dispose of bottles properly.
Sim Mohamed from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said the changes in alcohol licensing would have little effect on the tourism industry, “as most people travelling to Malé do so for business, or stay only for the day.”
Mauroof Zakir, spokesperson for a coalition of NGOs against the sale of alcohol on inhabited islands said the issue is intrinsically a serious one.
“Maybe the government thinks it’s only a few people with beards who want to stop this,” he said. “The government is doing what it likes without considering what the people might want.”
He said the Islamic Foundation and the coalition of NGOs “will not support this and will take action against it, within the law.”
Regulations at a glance:
a) alcohol and pork cannot be served outside the bar area, for instance from mini-bars in hotel rooms
b) Maldivians cannot be employed at the bar, while all employees must be registered at the ministry after a police clearance
c) the bar should not be visible from outside and should be located at a place that is not easily visible to those who visit the hotel
d) the hotel should have a separate warehouse to store pork and liquor items and it should have proper security
e) a daily inventory must be kept, including the amount in storage and the amount served
f) the inventory should be made available to police upon request
g) only expatriates registered at the ministry after a police clearance should be allowed to store and remove items from the warehouse
h) there must be a CCTV at the warehouse
i) only those with foreign passports can be served at the bar and Maldivians with foreign passports cannot be served
j) the security guard at the bar must check passports before entry
k) the hotel must establish a private security system approved by police
l) it will be illegal to remove pork and liquor items from the bar or selling it outside the hotel
m) inebriated customers should not be served before they regain sobriety nor should they be allowed to leave the hotel
n) the hotel must establish a breath-testing mechanism approved by police for patrons before they leave the bar
o) cameras must be installed if police request it and CCTV camera footage must be kept for a month
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(0)Dislikes(0)Lawyer suspended from court by Judge Abdulla Mohamed
Lawyer Imthiyaz Fahmy, also an MP for the Maldivian Democratic Party, has been found in contempt of court and suspended for six months by Senior Judge at the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.
Fahmy was defending a man who had been accused of throwing an egg at a DRP supporter in their campaign office next to the former president’s wife’s house Enderimaagu.
Fahmy says before he began with the case, he noticed the defendant’s name was misspelled and his address was not on the charge document.
“The charge document should say who it’s against,” he said.
Fahmy said that due to procedural methods, he felt he needed to correct the matter before beginning the case, and asked the judge if this mistake could be rectified.
“The judge was taken by surprise,” said Fahmy, “and asked the prosecutor to correct the document in court. This is not how a criminal case is conducted.”
Judge Mohamed said Fahmy “did not cooperate with the court” and “just wanted to play.” He added that Fahmy “was not being serious” and was “arguing” with him and the attorney.
Fahmy said he was then asked to leave the courtroom by Judge Mohamed, while his client was told to remain there. Fahmy claims his client later told him that he had been asked to give his statement before another judge in his absence.
The next day, Fahmy found out through the media that he had been suspended.
“I wasn’t even informed,” he said. “I went to the court for the document on my suspension, but was denied [the document].”
Judge Mohamed says Fahmy cannot attend the court on the same case again.
Fahmy said he was “not surprised by the judge’s misconduct in court,” and he intends to make an appeal against Judge Mohamed’s decision to the High Court and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
The commission confirmed that Judge Mohamed is currently under investigation for issues relating to conduct.
The case Fahmy would have been defending has been dismissed.
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(0)Dislikes(0)New ambassador of Slovak Republic meets President Nasheed
The new ambassador of Slovak Republic to the Maldives, Marián Tomášik, has presented his credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed at a ceremony held at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.
The president and new ambassador discussed bilateral relations and the strengthening of ties between the two countries. Enhancing tourism cooperation between the two nations was a priority.
President Nasheed also mentioned the Maldives seeking membership of the UN Human Rights Council, and sought support of the Slovak Republic in achieving candidature. The president said human rights was the main agenda of the democratic reforms in the Maldives.
Ambassador Tomášik assured the president of his “full commitment” for further strengthening relations between both countries.
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(0)Dislikes(0)President tells IMF economic reforms will continue
President Mohamed Nasheed has informed the IMF that the government will continue its program to reduce public sector expenditure.
He met with the IMF’s Deputy Director for the Asia Pacific Region, Dr Kalpana Kochhar, at the President’s Office yesterday.
President Nasheed noted that the government has an agreement with the Civil Service Commission to reduce salaries due to the “extraordinary economic circumstances facing the country.”
The president also discussed the proposed taxation reforms which is being considered by the People’s Majlis.
Dr Kochhar assured the president of the IMF’s support for the government’s manifesto program.
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