The Criminal Court has sentenced a man to life in jail for the possession of 227.4 grams of cannabis.
The police arrested Mohamed Naif in Hulhumalé in March 2013 near the ferry terminal. On sighting the police at the terminal, Naif had run rom the police and had thrown away a plastic bag containing cannabis, the police told the Criminal Court.
The court has also ordered Naif to pay a fine of MVR100,000 (US$6485) within a month.
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(0)The Jumhooree Party has assigned tickets for all 28 constituencies in which it will contest the upcoming People’s Majlis elections.
After giving tickets for eight sitting MPs and the former Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz last week, the party yesterday announced the candidates selected for the remaining 19 seats.
The JP’s procedure in selecting candidates involves applicants being reviewed by a special committee formed by the party council, which grades them through a set of publicly announced criteria. Applicants with most points receive the ticket – in the case of a draw, the party will reach an agreement through dialogue, with a primary race only becoming necessary should these methods fail to find an acceptable candidate.
The selection of sitting MPs and Riyaz, however, came without a public call for candidates, and were subsequently criticised by party council member Fuad Gasim – particularly as most of these members joined the party very recently.
“I believe a lot of people worked very hard for the country, democracy, and the party during the recent presidential elections. Even if they are MPs I cannot accept them – not being part of that work and now coming to us for tickets when the government changed,” said Fuad.
Meanwhile, the PPM primaries scheduled for tomorrow have been delayed indefinitely. A party official stated that the delay was due to certain decisions that have to be made by the party council.
The party council will screen all 150 candidates applying for the party’s 49 allocated constituencies through a set of criteria before primaries are held.
PPM Secretary General Mohamed Zuhair told local media that these deliberations include making a decision on handing over party tickets to sitting MPs without a primary.
The party’s procedure for selecting candidates have also been subjected to criticism from party members, with supporters in Laamu atoll demonstrating in support of a primary. The protesters accused PPM leadership of planning to give the Maavah constituency to the incumbent MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakr without a primary.
PPM member Simad Adam said that an estimated 240 people were protesting against handing over the ticket to Jamal “on a tray” because of his close ties with President Abdullah Yameen: “The party’s constitution says primaries must be held. There are others who want to contest the seat. We are just asking for a primary.”
Through a deal made within the governing coalition, the PPM will be contesting for 49 seats, the JP for 28 seats, and 8 seats have been reserved for the Maldivian Development Alliance (MDA).
Among the eight, the MDA reserved two for sitting MP s – party leader and Dhaalu Meedhoo MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam, and Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir. Tickets for two seats were won without a primary as only single candidates applied.
Primaries for a further two seats were held on 30 January, though after discovering issues with voter lists, the party will be repeat the primary for Manadhoo constituency tomorrow.
The MDA decided not to contest for Gahdhoo seat, for which the incumbent MP Zahir Adam will contest independently.
(1)Dislikes(0)The Ministry of Health and Gender has restructured and increased doctors’ pay in January.
Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Geela Ali said salaries had been restructured to level foreign and local doctors’ pay. Work hours had been increased along with the salary hike, and doctors will be allowed to see patients at private clinics, she said.
However, doctors have alleged that the revisions to the doctors’ salary structure had decreased pay by as much as MVR10,000 (US$ 648).
Doctors have held meetings with the management of the public Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) over low pay, local media has reported.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have previously expressed concern over the Maldives’ large wage bill.
(0)Dislikes(0)Cases of theft reported to police last month increased by 46 percent compared to January 2013, according to crime statistics from the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
A total of 623 cases of theft were reported to police in January – an average of 20 cases a day – while 427 cases were reported in the same period last year.
Some 51 cases of theft and four cases of robbery have been reported so far in February.
Cases of robbery also rose from 54 in January 2013 to 88 cases last month.
Reported instances of theft had increased dramatically in 2012 compared to the previous year. While 4,734 cases of theft were reported in 2011, the number rose to 6,572 in 2012 – a 38 percent annual increase.
The figure climbed to 6,681 in 2013.
Robbery and theft currently account for roughly 50 percent of crimes reported to police.
Next to theft, the second highest number of cases reported in January 2014 involved drugs.
The number of drug cases filed last month reached 461, which represents a 56 percent hike compared to January 2013, during which police began investigating 295 cases.
The total number of crimes reported to police meanwhile increased by 20 percent compared with January of last year. While 1,742 cases were reported this year, the figure was 1,436 in January 2013.
Apart from theft, robbery, and drugs, other crimes reported in January this year included 100 cases of assault, 40 cases of sexual offences, 21 cases of domestic violence, six cases of counterfeit and forgery, 49 cases of vandalism, 17 cases of bounced cheques, 44 cases of embezzlement, and 150 lost items reported.
Meanwhile, at 189 cases, traffic accidents declined by eight percent last month compared to the same period in 2013.
Falling thieves
In November 2013, two men died after falling from buildings in the capital Malé during attempted robberies.
On November 15, a 29-year-old died of head injuries sustained in a fall from the fifth floor of the Galolhu Muthi residence.
One day later, a 31-year-old fell from the fourth floor of Henveiru Alikurige while attempting to jump on to the roof of a neighbouring house.
His foot reportedly got caught on an outdoor air-conditioning unit, which came loose and fell on his head.
Both thieves fell to their death while attempting to escape after being caught by the residents.
On January 7, a 27-year-old man fell from the fifth floor of Maafanu Mundhooge after a break-in. He survived the fall with minor injuries after landing on a pile of sand.
Three days later, a 32-year-old woman fell from the fourth floor of Manchangoalhi Light Corner during an alleged robbery attempt.
(3)Dislikes(0)Police have recovered MVR200,000 and MVR68,000 worth of goods stolen from a shop in the island of Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll.
Police said that two minors and an 18 year-old man were arrested in connection with the case.
According to the police, the shop was robbed in the early hours of January 31, and was reported to police the same afternoon.
Police stated that a special police investigation team in Baa Atoll had conducted an operation, recovering the money and property, and arresting the suspects.
(0)Dislikes(0)The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will work through the People’s Majlis to strengthen the local government system, reform the judiciary and eliminate barriers to development, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said.
“The People’s Majlis’ aim must be to hold the government accountable and strengthen the government,” Nasheed said at a ceremony for candidates who gained the MDP ticket for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22.
The MDP released official results of the primaries on Saturday. Polls were held to determine candidates for 56 constituencies, while 28 candidates were granted the party ticket without a primary due to a lack of contestants.
Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir had initially gained the MDP ticket uncontested, but the party has called for new applicants after Jabir voted for President Abdulla Yameen’s cabinet on December 30 against a three-whip line.
“When primaries are contsted, it strengthens the party. I hope those who lost the primaries will now back the winning candidates and that the entire party works together to win a majority in the People’s Majlis,” Nasheed said.
Nasheed narrowly lost November’s presidential elections with 48.61 percent of the vote.
The Progressive Party of the Maldives’ (PPM) Abdulla Yameen won 51.39 percent with the backing of the Jumhooree Party (JP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), and the Adhaalath Party (AP).
The MDP will check the government’s administration of public finances to ensure the economy benefits all citizens, and will monitor the government’s respect for individual rights, he said.
MDP primaries
Incumbent MPs made a strong showing in the MDP’s parliamentary primaries between January 24 and 31. The list of winners can be found here (Dhivehi).
Only Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy and Henveiru Dhekunu MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor lost the party tickets.
Alhan has alleged irregularities in the voter registry and declared he will contest the results after losing the seat to Mohamed Nihad- who received 316 votes to the incumbent’s 154. The party has said it found no grounds to call for a revote.
Alhan is currently undergoing surgery in Sri Lanka after he was severely injured in a stab attack last night. His family alleges the attack was premeditated and politically motivated.
Hamid has said he will support winning candidate ‘Rukuma’ Mohamed Abdul Kareem.
The MDP’s primaries have been marred by suggestions of irregularities. The party was forced to call off its first attempt at polls on January 24 due to poor organisation and voter registry issues.
The MDP election committee chair Ibrahim Waheed said the party had received several complaints regarding additions and reductions to the list of eligible voters. But none of the complaints affect the results, he said.
“The MDP’s membership committee assures me the list was publicised. It is not a secret list.”
Elections Commission figures show 43,000 members registered with the MDP, but 57,000 members were eligible to vote in the party’s primaries.
Waheed said the MDP had received over 12,000 new membership forms in December and had decided to proceed with a list of members who had registered with the party by January 10.
Meanwhile, the governing coalition reached a deal last week on reserving a set number of seats for each party. Of the 85 seats, PPM will contest 49, JP will contest 28 and MDA will contest 8 seats.
The PPM has said it will hold primaries on February 7. PPM members in Laamu Atoll Maavah constituency held protests on Friday claiming the party had handed the party ticket to incumbent Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakr without a primary.
Meanwhile, the JP and MDA have also granted party tickets to incumbents without a primary. JP council members have subsequentlyspoken out against the selection process to determine candidates.
(0)Dislikes(0)A fire in Safari Island Resort this morning was controlled by staff before the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) or Police could reach there.
The MNDF said that the fire incident occurred inside a water bungalow in the resort, with the room fully destroyed by the fire before it was controlled.
No injuries were reported during the incident, the MNDF said. The incident was reported at about 4:42am, and an MNDF vessel left Male’ at 5:07am.
(0)Dislikes(0)The religious conservative Adhaalath Party has decided to field parliamentary candidates in 28 constituencies reserved by the governing coalition for the Jumhooree Party (JP), following a breakdown in talks between the parties.
In a press statement today, Adhaalath accused the JP of offering seats with the intention of “exploiting the trust and support of the public for Adhaalath to win as many seats as possible in the election for the Jumhooree Party.”
“The party does not believe now that [fielding candidates for] the 28 seats the Jumhooree Party will be contesting through the Progressive Coalition falls outside the party’s ethical responsibility,” the statement read.
Adhaalath assured its members that it would compete “to the best of our competence and ability” in constituencies the party believes it could win.
An Adhaalath Party council member told Minivan News last week that the party’s members have expressed interest in contesting for 32 constituencies.
He added that Adhaalath’s candidates may be the most qualified, with almost all having educational qualifications at a postgraduate level.
Coalition agreement
The ruling coalition – made up of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the JP and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), led by resort tycoon Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam – meanwhile reached an agreement last week to allocate parliamentary constituencies among the coalition partners.
Of the 85 electoral constituencies, the PPM will contest 49, the JP will contest 28, and the MDA will contest eight seats.
Following its exclusion from the coalition’s parliamentary election plans, PPM Deputy Leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla told the press that the Adhaalath Party was not “an official partner of the Progressive Coalition.”
“So the parties’ idea is to give them what we can from the seats which have been allocated to us,” Raheem said.
The Adhaalath Party began negotiations with coalition parties last week and requested the JP to assign five constituencies for its candidates.
The talks however ended unsuccessfully after the JP refused to cede the Vaikaradhoo and Makunudhoo constituencies in Haa Dhaalu atoll – two seats the Adhaalath Party believed its candidates had the best chance of winning.
“Instead, the [JP] proposed constituencies where the Adhaalath Party’s support is weakest,” today’s press release stated.
The party noted that it had decided to contest the parliamentary elections with the Progressive Coalition to prevent the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party from securing a parliamentary majority.
The Adhaalath Party was prepared to compromise and accept a few constituencies to campaign jointly with the governing coalition, the statement added.
However, if an understanding could not be reached, the party’s intention was to independently contest as many seats as possible, the party stated.
“Despite not reaching an agreement with the Progressive Party of Maldives in the discussions held on this issue so far, if the [PPM] cedes the few constituencies that we have requested, the Adhaalath Party will not compete in the other constituencies that the [PPM] will be contesting for,” the press release concluded.
No deal
In last year’s presidential election, the Adhaalath Party initially endorsed former President Dr Mohamed Waheed before eventually backing JP candidate Gasim Ibrahim, who finished third in the first round of the contentious polls.
In the second round, the party backed PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen without a formal coalition agreement.
Following the unsuccessful talks last week, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim told the press that Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla had refused the JP’s offer of four seats, including three of five constituencies requested by the party.
“[Imran said] ‘no, no, we don’t want those constituencies, we cannot give up certain constituencies.’ So I said thank you very much. What can I do when they did not accept?” Gasim said last Thursday.
The business magnate noted that the JP had “no commitments” to the Adhaalath as the coalition agreement formed ahead of the presidential election no longer existed.
On the same day, Imran tweeted that the party would “not find it easy to make a deal” that did not involve allocating the Makunudhoo, Vaikaradhoo, Komandoo, Inguraidhoo, and Fares-Maathoda constituencies to Adhaalath candidates.
“Adhaalath could only contest the Majlis [election] with the coalition if the coalition concedes areas where Adhaalath has support,” Imran tweeted today.
Meanwhile, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, spokesperson of the Adhaalath Party, took to Facebook yesterday to condemn remarks in the media by senior JP members that he contended “undermined Adhaalath Party’s dignity.”
“Adhaalath does not have to ask the JP to contest for the Majlis,” he wrote.
An unnamed senior JP official told newspaper Haveeru on Friday that the Adhaalath Party had forfeited the opportunity to contest the parliamentary election on coalition tickets.
“Despite not having an official agreement with Adhaalath Party, our leader decided to give seats to the party because he loves Adhaalath. But they wanted too many seats,” the senior member was quoted as saying.
(0)Dislikes(0)Maldivian Democratic Party MP Alhan Fahmy has been flown to Sri Lanka for surgery after being stabbed yesterday evening.
The Feydhoo constituency MP’s brother Azbaan, has told Minivan News Alhan’s condition is “very serious” – he had been in surgery for over three hours as of 4pm today (February 2).
“I think it is an organised political attack, because Alhan doesn’t have any other issues,” said Azbaan. “Somebody is politically unhappy with him, otherwise there is no other reason.”
He noted, however, that his brother had received no intelligence from police of an impending attack prior to yesterday’s incident.
Azbaan was with Alhan at the popular Breakwater cafe in the capital Malé when he was stabbed by his assailant at around 9pm. Police apprehended an 18 year old man at the scene, also finding a knife nearby.
Police have confirmed that a further two men have been arrested in relation to the stabbing. Two of the three now in custody have had their detention period extended to ten days, while the third will appear before judges later this evening.
MDP spokesman Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy described the attack as “very difficult to understand”, though he also suspects an organised attack.
“This is a planned one – I’m sure, I can tell that. The license plates of the motorbikes were changed before they came to the place to attack Alhan – that’s what I heard from sources,” said Inthi.
Inthi expressed dismay at the attack, noting that politicians needed to be free to work without fear, describing yesterday’s attack as a deliberate attempt to murder Alhan.
An official statement from the MDP’s parliamentary group today condemned the attack, expressing concern that “attackers are not hesitant to carry out such attacks in public”.
“This attack shows the loss of public order and justice. The MDP parliamentary group calls for a proper investigation and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.”
Parliamentary group member Hamid Abdul Ghafoor described the continued intimidation of MPs as a “war that had gotten physical”.
Hamid suggested that the country’s recent moves toward democracy have made it more difficult to silence MPs:
“Before, you just disappeared. Now, they have to play outside of the law,” said Hamid, citing the murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali in 2012.
Cases involving Afrasheem, Hamid, and Alhan are currently being monitored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which organised an urgent visit to the Maldives late last year after expressing concerns over the intimidation of MPs.
Last August, Alhan was summoned by police in connection with the alleged blackmailing of Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, using footage of the judge having sex with two foreign women said to be prostitutes.
The MP tweeted a screenshot of a text message he claimed had been sent to his mobile phone by Superintendent of Police Mohamed Riyaz. The text read: “Alhan, will make sure you are fully famed (sic) for blackmailing Justice Ali Hameed. You don’t know who we are.’’
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