Police have arrested a man in Laamu atoll Mathimaradhu in relation to drug trafficking.
Police claimed that Hassan ‘Achan’ Yoosuf was a major player in the drug trade for Laamu Atoll, and believed to control more than 50% of the drug trade in the atoll.
Sub-Inspector Ahmed Azhan of the Drug Investigation Department said police have been keeping tabs on Yoosuf for “quite some time now.”
Police said when Yoosuf was apprehended he tried to dispose of some packets that were in his possession, which were later confirmed to be 50 grams of narcotics.
Azhan said that Yoosuf’s arrest was a huge step forward in the fight against drugs.
A bill to amend the financial regulations to require parliamentary approval before the government obtains foreign loans was debated at parliament yesterday.
Presenting the legislation, Maafanu West MP Abdullah Abdul Raheem of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), said he was proposing the amendments to “modernise” the financial regulations.
“My purposes [for proposing the bill] include securing economic independence for Maldivians,” he said.
He added amendments were needed for the financial regulations passed in 2006 as it gave powers to the government that contravened the spirit of the constitution.
The regulations needed to be changed in accordance with article 250 of the constitution, he said, which states “Any transfer, sale, lease, release, mortgage (to any person) or destruction of, any property or assets owned by the state, and any such other agreement, shall only be entered into in accordance with law.”
Abdullah said it was an “injustice” to obtain loans under a regulation first made in 1976, adding it was not his intention to restrict powers of the president.
The mid-term budget for 2010 currently being reviewed by a parliamentary committee includes Rf384 million (US$29 million) in foreign loan assistance proposed to plug a Rf4.6 billion (US$357 million) deficit.
The bill proposes amending the regulations to require the president to submit plans to secure loans either for the government or state-owned enterprises for parliamentary approval.
Moreover, the sale or lease of government property and providing subsidies or assistance must be conducted in accordance with a law to be passed by parliament.
During the ensuing debate, MPs disagreed with the extent of parliamentary oversight and powers over the government, with some arguing such laws encroached on the authority of the executive.
Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy said there was a contradiction between the proposed amendments and what the MP said was its purpose.
The constitution gave the president powers to formulate and implement monetary and fiscal policies.
“We have to set aside having the People’s Majlis decide everything in our thinking,” he said, adding MPs should not interfere with setting policy and implementation as it was contrary to the presidential system of governance.
Alhan said the president did not have to secure parliamentary approval to obtain loans to plug the budget deficit and MPs were not financial experts.
Moreover, he said, the article in the constitution did not deal with loans and foreign assistance.
Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim, sole representative of the Republican Party and former finance minister, said the amendment was urgently needed for the future of the nation.
Article 97 of the constitution clearly states that the executive shall not obtain or receive any money or property by loan or otherwise except pursuant to a law enacted by the People’s Majlis, Gasim said.
Referring to the sale of the majority stake in the state telecommunication company, Dhiraagu, Gasim criticised the government’s policy of privatising state-owned enterprises without consultation with the people’s representatives.
He urged MPs to approve the amendments to ensure that future generations do not inherit a “hollow shell” of an indebted nation.
Hithadhoo North MP Mohamed Aslam of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party said the amendments would impede the functioning of the government.
Submitting loans required by government companies to parliament every time funds were needed would create difficulties and slow down the proceedings of parliament, he said.
Vili-Maafanu MP Ahmed Nihan of the DRP said the amendments were required to ensure that the government does not exploit loopholes in the regulations in obtaining loans that would indebt the people.
An Indian worker residing in Male’ has been arrested in possession of alcohol.
According to Sub-Inspector Ahmed Azhan of the Drug Investigation Department, a raid was conducted on a suspected alcohol brewing and distribution operation. The Indian man, only known as Shibu, was found with 65 bottles of alcohol that police have identified as vodka.
Police are now working to identify the man as he had no passport or other means of identification on him, and believe him to be in the country illegally.
A recent survey conducted by various travel magazines has found 80% of respondents feel that prices in the Maldives are too high.
According to Miadhu, 140 tourists were questioned over seven days as part of the survey. Many claimed they they would rather experience the true beauty of the Maldives and experience local cuisine rather than pay top dollar for imported food and sit in a room with expensive decorations.
While the development of mid-range tourist resorts has been considered, the influence of the upscale tourism sector remains strong in the country.
The number of swine flu cases in the Maldives has climbed to 32 after seven more people, including a pilgrim returning from Hajj, tested positive yesterday.
The 27-year-old man was the first Hajj pilgrim to test positive for swine flu.
This establishes infection in Haa Alif Baarah, Hoarafushi, Thuraakunu, Dhaal Rinbidhoo, Faaf Nilandhoo and a resort island being developed in Thaa atoll, according to the health ministry.
The virus has now been detected in all regions of the country apart from seven atolls. With nine cases reported, the Male’ region has the highest incidence of swine flu, followed by five in Raa atoll, and two each from Shaviyani, Noonu, Meemu and Dhaal atolls.
Baa, Lhaviyani, Alif Alif, Vaavu, Faafu, Thaa and Gnaviyani atolls have one confirmed case each.
The number of Influenza A cases in the country currently stands at 65.
The swine flu alert is currently at level four with infection being transmitted within the general community but limited to some islands, atoll or province, the health ministry said.
Under level four, the ministry advises travelers to take precautionary measures and defer “non-essential travel, especially for those who are at higher risk of severe illness and when onward travel may result in quarantine”.
A 65-year-old man from Raa atoll Inguraidhoo who died on 18 November became the first casualty of swine flu in the Maldives.
He was the first victim not to have traveled abroad. In a statement to parliament, Health Minister Dr Aiminath Jameel said the victim was believed to have contracted the virus on a visit to Male’ to see off pilgrims to Mecca.
Prior to his death, the six people infected with the virus had traveled abroad and were released after treatment.
The number of deaths from swine flu worldwide has risen to 9,596 deaths in over 200 countries.
Parliament has narrowly rejected a bill outlawing the sale of alcohol in inhabited islands, airports and other places frequented by Maldivians.
Of the 57 MPs in attendance, 28 voted against proceeding with the legislation, while 23 voted in favour and six abstained.
Several MPs from the two main parties vociferously raised points of order when independent MP Muttalib, who proposed the legislation, in his closing statement after the debate, told DRP MP Ali Azim to repent for his remarks and called on the authorities to take action against him.
Azim had argued against the legislation, claiming it was not a “sensible” or “necessary” law.
However Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim did not allow any points of order, leading to pandemonium in the chamber. The sitting was temporarily called off after almost every MP walked out in protest and quorum was lost.
Muttalib also accused MDP MP Mariya Ahmed Didi of opposing the bill because of her “close association” with the Holiday Inn in Male’, and accused MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa of defrauding pilgrims to “steal their money”.
After the sitting resumed at 11am, Muttalib said MPs would have to “bear responsibility” when the government authorised sale of alcohol in hotels in Male’.
A number of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party-People’s Alliance coalition (DRP-PA) MPs joined several independents and all the MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in either abstaining or voting against the bill.
Among the MPs who opposed the legislation were Thohdhoo MP Ali Waheed, Galolhu South MP Ahmed Mahlouf, Vili-Maafanu MP Ahmed Nihan, Mid-Henveiru MP Ali Azim, Villigili MP Mohamed Ramiz, Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy of the DRP and Maavashu MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abukaburu and Isdhoo MP Ahmed Rasheed Ibrahim from the People’s Alliance.
Mid-Henveiru MP Ali Azim
Unconstitutional
During the debate, several MPs argued the bill was unconstitutional as it would indirectly authorise the sale of alcohol.
Article 10(b) of the constitution states no law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be made or enacted in the Maldives.
Machangaoalhi North MP Mariya Ahmed Didi, chairperson of MDP, argued tourist resorts should also be considered inhabited islands.
“The constitution states all Maldivians have equal protection under the law. Therefore, if we are to give protection to people in inhabited islands, we must provide it to people in resorts,” she said, adding resort workers spend most of the year living in the resorts.
Ungoofaru MP Dr Afrashim Ali of the DRP, a religious scholar, said MPs were mistaken when they argued a law was not needed to ban a practice forbidden in Islam, as it was necessary to devise regulations to protect Maldivian society from social ills such as alcohol.
He added flaws and imperfections in the bill could be remedied at committee stage.
His DRP colleague, Mid-Henveiru MP Ali Azim said MPs should consider whether such a law was needed and whether it would protect Islam in the country.
“My thinking on this is very different. We have to consider who we are trying to forbid alcohol to. We are trying to make it illegal for expatriates and foreigners who visit the Maldives. I don’t think this is a reason we should make it illegal,” he said.
With the economy reliant on the tourism industry, he continued, it did not make sense to outlaw the sale of alcohol only in parts of the country as this would not prevent Maldivians gaining access to it.
Azim said the bill was backed by “the Jews” as part of a long-term plan to weaken the country and introduce other religions.
Meanwhile People’s Alliance MP Abdul Azeez spoke in favour of the bill and urged MPs to send it to committee, but voted against it.
“Unacceptable”
Speaking to Minivan News today, Mauroof Zakir, spokesperson for the coalition of NGOs and associations campaigning against the sale of alcohol in inhabited islands, said the reasons given by MPs for rejecting the bill were “unacceptable”.
“We agree that there are problems with the bill, but throwing it out doesn’t solve anything,” he said. “While [parliament] has the power to send it to committee and cut and trim it, the things they said were intended to mislead the public.”
The coalition was considering proposing another bill, he said, and planned to stage protests and employ civil disobedience if the government enforced the revised regulations on the sale of alcohol.
Last month, the government revised the regulations on the import and use of alcohol to revoke over 800 liquor permits issued to expatriates in favour of authorising hotels to serve foreigners under strict supervision.
The Economic Development Ministry argued lax monitoring of the liquor permits had resulted in a black market for alcohol in the capital Male’.
But, the Ministry’s revised regulations were withdrawn following public pressure before it could be enforced and were sent to a parliamentary committee for consultation.
Under the regulations, tourist hotels in inhabited islands with more than 100 beds would be authorised to sell alcohol to foreigners, but the hotel bar should not be visible from outside or employ Maldivians.
Further, an inventory of the alcohol in storage and daily sales has to be maintained and made available to police on request, while the storage room has to be monitored by CCTV cameras.
Alcohol could not be kept at mini-bars in the hotel rooms and expatriate employees at the bar would be subject to police clearance.
Zakir said the coalition would begin work “immediately” on filing a case at the Supreme Court to abolish regulations made 50 years ago that gave authority to the Economic Development Ministry to allow the import and use of alcohol.
Following today’s vote, he said, the coalition expected the revised regulations to be enforced.
The Maldives has been crowned ‘the easiest country in which to pay tax’ for the second year running by the World Bank’s Doing Business in 2010 report, ahead of Qatar and Hong Kong.
The report measures the regulatory environment of most of the world’s economies, scoring them on factors such as the ease of starting a business, obtain construction permits, get credit and enforce contracts.
Overall the Maldives was ranked 87th out of 183 countries in the survey, a fall of 16 places on last year largely attributable to the increased difficulty of starting a new business (37th to 49th in 2010) and employ workers (6th to 41st in 2010).
Gaining credit within the country, trading across borders and closing a business continued to be major impediments to private economic development, the report indicated.
“The regulatory environment for businesses can influence how well firms cope with the economic crisis and are able to seize opportunities when recovery begins,” the report said.
Where business regulation is transparent and efficient, it is easier for firms to reorient themselves and for new firms to start up. Efficient court and bankruptcy procedures help ensure that assets can be reallocated quickly. And strong property rights and investor protections can help establish the basis for trust when investors start investing again.”
The World Bank report also revealed that despite possessing a multi-billion dollar tourist industry, the economically-troubled Maldives has the world’s third-lowest total commercial tax rate of 9.1 per cent behind Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.
Two bills on taxation have passed committee stage and are to be put before parliament for a vote, including one on corporate taxation and another on administrative framework structures. Next year’s budget relies heavily on taxation, although the legislation has not yet been passed.
President Mohamed Nasheed galvanised thousands of environmentalists at a 350.org rally in Copenhagen yesterday, vowing to persevere until a politically binding climate change treaty was attained.
“I refuse to believe that a better world isn’t possible,” said 42-year-old Nasheed at Klimaforum, the global civil society counterpart of the official UN conference.
“I have three words to say to the doubters and deniers. Three words with which to win this battle. Just three words are all I need. You may already have heard them. Three-Five-Oh,” he said.
World leaders will meet in the Danish capital this week at the historic UN climate change conference to thrash out a successor to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
But, the two years of negotiations have reached a virtual impasse as the developed and developing world remain at loggerheads over who should shoulder the lion’s share of emissions cuts.
Over on 350.org, Bill McKibben, the man behind the campaign, wrote that Nasheed was the first head of state to arrive in Copenhagen and “he drove the crowd into a frenzy…with a thousand people on their feet chanting ‘3-5-0’”.
The 350 campaign is lobbying for cuts in atmospheric carbon to the safe levels of 350ppm, a figure cited by James Hansen, the head of the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Current levels stand at around 387ppm.
In October, Nasheed demonstrated his commitment to the campaign by diving into a lagoon with 11 of his ministers to hold the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting.
The laws of physics, said Nasheed, could not be argued with. “You cannot cut a deal with Mother Nature, and we don’t intend to try. That is why, in March, the Maldives announced plans to become the first carbon neutral country in the world.”
In March, the president unveiled plans to make the Indian Ocean archipelago carbon neutral within a decade by switching to 100 per cent renewable energy and offsetting aviation pollution, primarily generated by tourists flying to one of the country’s luxury resorts.
Addressing yesterday’s rally, Nasheed said going carbon neutral was not simply a question of taking the moral high ground but was also economically prudent.
“Countries that have the foresight to green their economies today,will be the winners of tomorrow,” he said. “These pioneering countries will free themselves from the unpredictable price of foreign oil. They will capitalise on the new, green economy of the future.”
Looking back over history as well as his own experience, Nasheed said he believed in the power of peaceful protest.
“From the civil rights movement, to Gandhi’s Quit India campaign; non-violent protest can create change. Protest worked in the struggle for democracy in the Maldives,” he said.
Last year, Nasheed, the leader of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party unseated Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the country’s first democratic elections. A former journalist, Nasheed was jailed by the former regime for his political writings on numerous occasions.
Recounting this period, he said, “We sat in those cells because we had deliberately broken the unjust laws of dictatorship. We had spoken out for a cause in which we believed. That cause was freedom and democracy.”
While the former government had “guns, bombs and tanks”, the opposition only had the “power of our words, and the moral clarity of our cause.”
“My message to you is to continue the protests. Continue after Copenhagen. Continue despite the odds. And eventually, together, we will reached that crucial number: Three-five-oh,” he said.
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