Tag: maldives news

India backs early elections

India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai has said the country will back early elections in the Maldives, and pushing for cross-party cooperation and any “necessary constitutional amendments”.

Statements from Mathai were sent to media attached to a document entitled ‘Maldives Elements of a Possible Way Forward’.

“The President [Dr Mohamed Waheed] has come out with a roadmap for an inclusive political process which provides a very good basis for the parties to resolve their differences,” Mathai said.

“Consequent to my discussions, the following formulation was agreed upon by all the parties concerned: ‘In the interests of national reconciliation and to encourage harmony between our citizens, the Government of National Unity will hold discussions with all relevant parties to conduct elections by an early date’,” he said.

“The MDP, on its part, committed itself to encouraging an atmosphere appropriate to the holding of elections. In this context, we understand that their decision to hold a rally tomorrow is being reconsidered,” he added.

“The Government of National Unity will work towards the conditions that will permit such elections to take place including the necessary constitutional amendments. Our understanding is that elections would be held as early as considered feasible by all concerned. This is to be discussed by the parties.”

Mathai said that he had met the leaders of all the main political parties, “including Mohamed Nasheed of the MDP, Abdulla Yameen of the PPM and Thasmeen Ali of the DRP. I also met the Chief Justice and the Speaker of Parliament.

“I reiterated our belief that there is need for a Maldivian-led process for reconciliation and resolving political differences through constitutional means,” he said.

The reaction to the statement from both sides was initially unclear – India’s press conference was to have been held earlier on Thursday afternoon, but was reported delayed due to “new developments”, according to one official. It was later held at 7:00pm.

Meanwhile a press conference due to be held by the MDP this evening was cancelled, while during an earlier meeting with foreign media, Dr Waheed and his newly-appointed political advisor, Dr Hassan Saeed, refrained from committing to early elections and instead reiterated the need for the “right conditions”.

However in a statement on the President’s Office website, linking to the document, Dr Waheed said the roadmap was a “victory” for Maldivians.

“I have an unswerving commitment to the principles of our constitution and a clear vision of how our country can move forward. I am by nature a man who prefers to lead by consensus. This is an opportunity for us to regain the respect of the international community but most importantly continue to build a safe, democratic and prosperous Maldives for all our people,” Dr Waheed said.

“I wish to personally thank the Indian Foreign Secretary for his good offices in facilitating this agreement which has needed all sides to put aside partisan interest for the sake of the country”.

The version of the document on the President’s Office website contained additional paragraphs, including one stating that “the Government of National Unity will ensure the creation of conditions for genuine, free and fair multi-party elections, providing the opportunity for all candidates to compete equally in the elections in 2013. It will strengthen the capacity of the Electoral Commission. It will ensure access of all registered parties and candidates to the media and other means of transmitting positions and platforms and will ensure the political neutrality of the public media. Moreover, it will invite international monitoring of the electoral preparations and the elections.”

Mathai is the second top Indian diplomat dispatched to the Maldives this week, following an earlier visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Special Envoy M Ganapathi.

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President refutes three day ultimatum for MDP to participate in National Unity Government

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik had reportedly given a three day ultimatum to the former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to inform its decision on joining the cabinet as he pushed forward a plan to form a national unity government.

However during a press conference with foreign media at 4:30pm on Thursday afternoon, Dr Waheed adamantly denied giving such an ultimatum, instead saying he would always remain open to MDP’s involvement in his government. However the statement was still available on the President’s Office website as of midnight February 16.

“No we haven’t, I deny that. I am not aware of it. If somebody has, then somebody else is doing this,” he said.

According to the statement – released by the President’s Office on Thursday – Dr Waheed had forwarded a letter to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s President Dr Ibrahim Didi, requesting he inform the party’s decision on joining the national unity government before February 20.

“The President said that at a time when the country is deeply divided, the way forward in achieving national aspirations was through working together and by a fully inclusive government. He, therefore, urged MDP to join the national unity government that he was striving to form,” the statement read.

“The President also stressed the need to resolve the existing political rifts and to find a way forward. In this regard, he said, he hoped that his proposition would bring an end to the long standing divisions that had existed in the country.”

In the letter, President Waheed also stated that he believed that, despite the political differences, “the MDP President would also view the need to complete the reform process. He also stressed that the reform process would take time to complete.”

Therefore, he said, “he hoped that the MDP President would see that the time left till 2013 elections could be an opportunity for the country to address the political problems, identify issues and to work together to complete the reform process.”

Speaking to Minivan News Dr. Waheed’s spokesperson Masood Imad added that if the MDP did not respond to the letter in the given time, “there are ways to work around it” – although he did not specify those ways.

“By the end of the 20th if they dont give an answer they can do it on the 21st or may be later,” Imad observed. “We will not close our doors. As President Waheed had said before, we will welcome MDP with open arms always.”

Dr Waheed has put forward the ultimatum in the face of  pressure from his predecessor former President Mohamed Nasheed from MDP, who has denounced Dr Waheed’s government as illegitimate, claiming that he was forced to resign in a bloodless coup d’etat  on February 7 at the hands of rogue police and military officers.

Dr Waheed has earlier said that he wanted his cabinet – now compromising of mostly opposition members – to “represent all major political parties”, and said he hoped that MDP would be represented. Dr Waheed also said he would “keep posts vacant for them”. However the MDP has so far rejected any participation in Dr Waheed’s government and has called for early elections in the next two months.

India on Thursday evening amended its position on the Maldives and backed calls for early elections.

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Raajje TV disputes legal threat from BBC after airing Hardtalk recording

Local private television channel Raajje TV has disputed claims made by the local media that the BBC has threatened to take legal action against the station, after it released a live telecast of an interview with former President Mohamed Nasheed that was to be shown on the BBC’s Hardtalk Program.

Nasheed recorded the interview in the Raajje TV studio and spoke to Hardtalk presenter Stephen Sackur over the phone.

The interview concerned Nasheed’s allegations that he had been forced to resign and was effectively ousted in to a coup d’état on Tuesday February 7. The show was scheduled to be aired on Thursday night, by Raajje TV, but was live broadcasted during its recording last night.

Local media Haveeru reported that BBC had threatened to take legal action, citing an alleged email forwarded to Raaje TV from Hard Talk producer, Heather Shiels.

In the email Sheils expressed her disappointment over the actions of Raaje TV, which she described as a “clear breach of both contract and copyright and the BBC editorial guidelines,” Haveeru reported.  “We have asked our lawyers to investigate this matter.”

Speaking to Minivan News, Raaje TV Deputy CEO Abdulla Yameen refuted the claims, saying that “nobody from our organisation has received an email from the BBC threatening take legal action against us”.

He said that the local media is reporting the claims because they could not “digest the popularity” Raajje TV has gained recently for the up to date coverage of the intense political unrest in the Maldives.

“Our action [the live telecast] was solely based on the negotiations we had with the BBC,” Yameen said, adding that the channel had not violated any copyright law.

In an earlier edition of Hardtalk aired in December 2010, Nasheed was grilled on his adherence to human rights, the Maldives’ financial condition and its commitment to combating climate change.

Nasheed on Hardtalk part 1/3

Nasheed on Hardtalk part 2/3

Nasheed on Hardtalk 3/3

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Nexbis sues Shahid, while reappointed former controller decides to continue Nexbis agreement

Department of Immigration and Emigration has decided to proceed with the stalled border control system contracted to Malaysia’s Nexbis Limited. Meanwhile, Nexbis has filed a lawsuit at the Civil Court seeking Rf 669 million (US$43 million) in damages from the former Immigration Controller Abdulla Shahid.

The first hearing of the case, scheduled for Wednesday, was cancelled.

According to the lawsuit, Nexbis alleged Shahid refused to proceed with the project despite court approval and spread false information regarding the agreement to the media, tarnishing Nexbis’ global reputation.

Nexbis claims that misleading media coverage adversely affected its global operations – the company suffered a drop in share prices when the Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raised concerns of corruption, costing Nexbix AUD$39.9 million (Rf669 million).

Nexbis has now requested the court to recover the damages and the cost of its lawsuit from Shahid.

Speaking to Minivan News, Shahid refused to be held personally accountable to any decisions of the Immigration Department.

“I don’t have to take personal responsibility. When I was at Immigration I did hear about the case and had requested it to be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office,” Shahid observed.

The 20-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement to upgrade the Maldives’ border control security system, valuing US$39 million (Rf600 million), was signed with Nexbis by Shahid’s predecessor, Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim – who was reappointed to the post last week by President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, following the ousting of former president Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.

The day after the concessionaire contract was signed, ACC announced it had received “a serious complaint” regarding “technical details” of the bid, and issued an injunction pending an investigation into the agreement citing “instances and opportunities” where corruption may have occurred.

Nexbis shares immediately plunged 6.3 percent on the back of the ACC’s announcement. The company subsequently issued a statement claiming that speculation over corruption was “politically motivated” and had “wrought irreparable damage to Nexbis’ reputation and brand name.”

“Nexbis’ shareholders own and manage multi-trillion dollar assets globally and will not jeopardise their reputation for an investment return,” the company said at the time.

Claiming financial loss Nexbis subsequently threatened legal action over the stalled border agreement, prompting the cabinet to resume the project after reviewing the existing agreement with Nexbis to address the concerns raised by the department.

In December 2011, the ACC forwarded a corruption case against Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim, then head of the Center for Disaster Management, and Director General of the Finance Ministry Saamee Ageel to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG). The ACC claimed the pair had abused their authority for undue financial gain in the Nexbis deal.

Meanwhile, the ACC requested the project be re-tendered with the consent of the cabinet. However, the cabinet decided to continue the project with Nexbis after revising the agreement.

ACC attempted gain a legal injunction against the move, but failed as the civil court ruled in January 2012 that ACC cannot order to terminate the Nexbis agreement.

Speaking to Minivan News today Immigration Controller Ibrahim confirmed that the department will continue the border control project as there is no “legal obstruction”.

“I have decided to continue all the works including the border control system project, as there is no legal obstruction,” Ilyas observed.

Ilyas had steadily disputed the claims of corruption and insisted that the project was awarded to Nexbis through a transparent international bidding process.

However, in earlier interviews with Minivan News, Shahid expressed concern over both the cost and necessity of the project, calculating that as tourist arrivals continue to grow Nexbis would earn US$200 million in revenue over the project’s 20-year lifespan.

Comparing Nexbis’ earnings to the government’s estimated revenue of US$10 million, Shahid suggested the government instead maximize its income by operating a system given by a donor country.

“Border control is not something we are unable to comprehend – it is a normal thing all over the world,” Shahid told Minivan News at the time. “There is no stated cost of the equipment Nexbis is installing – we don’t know how much it is costing to install, only how much we have to pay. We need to get everything out in the open.”

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Commonwealth ministers arriving Friday to investigate “facts surrounding transfer of power”

A delegation of Commonwealth ministers will arrive in the Maldives on Friday February 17 to “ascertain the facts surrounding the transfer of power last week in the South Asian state.”

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) decided to send the mission “as soon as possible” following an extraordinary meeting held on February 12 concerning the spiralling political tension in the Maldives.

“This is an important ministerial mission that is to be seen as part of the Commonwealth’s continuing engagement with Maldives,” said Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma. “It should also be viewed in the context of the Commonwealth’s abiding commitment to its fundamental political values.”

The Commonwealth has an increased mandate to involve itself in the internal affairs of its member nations since the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, in October 2011.

According to a statement from the group, the delegation will hold discussions with key interlocutors on circumstances surrounding the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on 7 February 2012.

Before it commences its work, it will be briefed by the Commonwealth Secretariat team that has been in the country since February 6, the statement read.

The CMAG statement issued after the February 12 teleconference stressed the importance of adherence by member countries to the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values, “including constitutional democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights; and in particular, the principle of separation of powers.”

The CMAG ministerial mission will be supported by a Commonwealth Secretariat team led by Amitav Banerji, Director of Political Affairs.

The group will be led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Communications of Trinidad and Tobago, the Surujrattan Rambachan.

He will be accompanied by Dr Dipu Moni, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and Dennis Richardson AO, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has previously said he would be open to an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the rapid change of government, which former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has alleged was a coup d’état.

Germany was the first country to call for an inquiry last week, urging Dr Waheed’s government to “consolidate its legitimacy”, swiftly followed by the UK.

“I have heard calls for an independent inquiry into the events that preceded my assumption of the presidency. I am open to those suggestions – there is no problem with it. I will be completely impartial in any independent investigation,” Dr Waheed said.

“I don’t know the details, or how it can or should be done. I will consult legal advice as soon as we have an attorney general in place. I am sure we will be able to satisfy the call from Britain and Germany.”

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Military holds “camaraderie” walk, renews oath of allegiance

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) early this morning participated in a walk to armed forces held a walk this morning to display unity and camaraderie, reports Haveeru.

Officers renewed their oath of allegiance in Republic Square and then walked around Male’, chanting and waving the national flag, according to the local newspaper.

Haveeru cited a spokesperson as saying that the purpose of the event was “to show that the forces are not be afraid to lay down their lives to protect and defend the nation and religion against external enemies and threats.”

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India’s Foreign Secretary to visit Maldives

India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai is due to fly to the Maldives to resolve escalating political tension in the country.

The Maldives’ former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem welcomed the arrival of Mathi, describing him to the Wall street Journal as a “highly experienced diplomat”.

“It’s very unfortunate that India took a stance on the legitimacy of the government at such an early stage,” said Naseem told the WSJ.

India’s Special Envoy M Ganapathi also visited the Maldives last week, along with many other foreign diplomats seeking to resolve the situation.

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“You are my brother and I will always love you”: Dr Waheed’s brother resigns from UK post, calls for President to follow

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s brother, the Deputy High Commissioner of the Maldives to the UK, has announced his resignation and called for his brother to follow suit.

“I have resigned from my post of Deputy High Commissioner as of now. I have resigned because I cannot serve a regime that has brought down the democratically elected government of my country in a coup d’état,” said Naushad Waheed Hassan to media assembled on the steps of the High Commission in London.

“Some of you may question why I have not resigned before. When the coup was unfolding in the early hours of February 7, my initial reaction was to resign immediately. However, as you all know, the leader of the current regime, Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, is my own brother. So I decided to take time to make my own enquiries before I came to a conclusion. And it is with a heavy heart that I have to say that this is indeed an illegitimate government and I cannot be party to it.”

Minivan News spoke to Naushad this evening, seeking to confirm the report.

“This is not something I have discussed with my brother,” Naushad told Minivan News. “This is my own personal decision. I stood by him. But I after I saw the videos of the torturing, the police brutality, and saw what happened in the atolls, I decided it was not good for me to stay [in the government].”

Naushad said he did not know why his brother had taken the actions that he had.

“From our childhood days, I know he is a nice person. I still believe this. I don’t know why he is favouring Maumoon [Abdul Gayoom]. At this moment I don’t have the details. But I will find out why he took this step. He is someone who has been loved by people for so many years,” he said.

“And I say this to my brother – you are my brother and I will always love you. Do not rob our people of our right to choose our government. Do not be party to this police brutality that is ongoing in the country. Do not join with the people of the autocratic ruler (former) President Gayoom. Do the right thing – resign and hold fresh elections. Let the people of the Maldives decide.”

A staff member in the High Commission described Naushad as “quietly spoken and very friendly. His artwork was up in the commission until this morning so we should have seen it coming. I always noticed that he was happy to talk about his past incarceration [under Gayoom], but he never came across as too bitter.”

The staff member noted that the atmosphere in the High Commission had been a “little terse”, with “differences of opinion between staff that have stronger political, MDP affiliations than others, who see their role in a more purely diplomatic, apolitical sense.”

Maldives Ambassador to UN resigns live on Al Jazeera

Maldives Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, has meanwhile resigned live on Al Jazeera, reading a statement in which he said he was unable to continue his duties due to “certain moral and ethical concerns I had that surrounded the departure of the former President [Nasheed].”

“I listened with much sadness and great pride to the resignation of [President Nasheed] and his decision to step down in the greater interest of the Maldives, bringing to a premature end the maiden term of the first democratically elected leader of the Maldives,” said Ghafoor, one of the Maldives top career diplomats who has also served as defacto non-resident Ambassador to the US.

“The Maldives had yet again shown the world it was able to handle peaceful transfers of power smoothly. I was proud of my President and my country. However the subsequent allegations by the former president – that he was forced to resign – have cast a shadow of doubt on events preceding his announcement,” he stated.

Ghafoor said he accepted Dr Waheed’s government as a legal and legitimate constitutional authority, but said he found himself “in a position that makes it difficult to execute my responsibilities without equivocation based on certain moral and ethical concerns I had that surrounded the departure of the former president.”

“I believe the new president should have the opportunity to have his views and policies served by representatives without reservations or equivocation,” Ghafoor said. “I have therefore conveyed my intention to step down from all my diplomatic postings so that the new president may be better served.”

Ghafoor said that Dr Waheed had accepted his resignation, and had agreed to stay on until a replacement arrived.

“He has also given me leave to speak my conscience in the meantime, and I thank him for that,” Ghafoor said.

Asked by Al Jazeera as to the nature of his “moral and ethical concerns”, Ghafoor reiterated that he had “no reservations about the legitimacy of the current administration.”

“But what has made my conscience troubled is the allegations made by the former President and subsequent events. One concern was the appointment of the current defense minister and police commissioner , who I believe were involved in the negotiations [surrounding Nasheed’s resignation]. This was a troubling event for me.”

Maldives High Commissioner to the UK resigns

Maldives High Commissioner to the UK Dr Farahanaz Faizal also announced her resignation earlier this week.

“They robbed the people of the vote and when I saw the brutality of the police last week, that was the final straw,” she said.

In a letter to the Foreign Minister, Dr Faizal resigned as High Commissioner of the Maldives to the UK and as Ambassador of the Maldives to France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Palestine.

“I regret to let you know that I cannot serve in a government that has toppled the
democratically elected government of Maldives, in a coup d’etat,” she said.

Honorary Consul to the Maldives, David Hardingham, also announced his resignation.

Minivan News sought to contact both Dr Waheed but he had not responded at time of press. Dr Waheed’s acting spokesperson Musood Imad said the President would be holding a press conference on Thursday at 4:30pm.

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Waheed Deen nominated as Vice President

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has nominated philanthropist and owner of Bandos Island Resort Mohamed Waheed Deen as his Vice President.

Parliament approval is required to make the appointment official.

“I have looked around and decided that Deen is the best choice who can work with me closely,” Dr Waheed said. “There may be better qualified people but I want to work with someone close to me and with whom I have full confidence in. I delighted that Mr Deen has agreed to work with me.”

Deen said he had been educated at the state’s expense and that this was an opportunity for him to repay the favor to the nation.

“In 1969, at the age of 16, I was sentenced to jail on charges of a coup. That day I decided to show that I am not a conspirator to a coup. And [decided] to serve the nation,” he said.

He said that he would work sincerely to fulfill the duties tasked to him by President Waheed, and  support his efforts to develop the nation.

“My reason for accepting is that as a person who has been working all these years in different government posts, as well as a businessmen and human rights council member, it is time to serve the nation,” he said.

“When the nation is going in this direction – violence and destruction, innocent people losing their jobs – including Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). I do not want to see that. I want to see everybody treated equally. That is why I accept the post – because I believe the President [Waheed] and I have similar ideas, and that it is possible for me to work with him. As the President reiterated, we would like MDP to join the cabinet. I think there are great leaders among them. I hope to serve the nation and not a party.”

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s party has challenged the legitimacy of the new government, following Nasheed’s resignation allegedly “under duress” on February 7.

Asked for his response to these allegations, Deen responded that it would be “very difficult to make decision [on the government’s legitimacy] 10 minutes after being nominated, as I am not yet the Vice President. I will be the Vice President when the Majlis (Parliament) accepts me, so that is a question I cannot answer.”

Dr Waheed said he would forward Deen’s name for a parliament vote tomorrow morning: “I hope parliament would approve him as the Vice President.”

The President said that he would work closely with the new VP, making a reference to Nasheed’s resignation  as a “bitter result” of not working like that.

Dr Waheed also said that he will support an independent investigation into the reasons surrounding the resignation of his predecessor, adding that he is awaiting legal advice on how to proceed from the newly-appointed Attorney General and opposition-linked lawyer Aishath Azima Shakoor.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Dr Waheed also announced that he was developing a “roadmap” that he would propose to all parties “towards reaching peaceful resolution of the issues we are facing today.”

Dr Waheed also reiterated his desire for the MDP to participate in the cabinet, stating that he was “willing to restructure the cabinet” to accommodate the MDP if required.

The MDP has so far refused to participate in a national unity government as proposed by Dr Waheed, challenging its legitimacy and observing that the majority of the new cabinet appointments are key supporters of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the country for 30 years. Only two of the new appointments (the tourism and and health portfolios) have previously undeclared political affiliations.

In today’s press conference Dr Waheed insisted that he had reserved the decision to nominate the Vice President himself, despite pressure from opposition parties.

Deen’s Background

Deen is well known for his philanthropic works and is praised as “the founding father of local government in the Maldives” for spearheading efforts to introduce local governance through elected councils, before resigning as Atolls Minister in August, 2008.

Following the council elections, Deen established The Institute of Local Governance and Development, a private initiative to support the decentralisation process and promote good governance by providing training programmes, consultation and information to councilors.

Deen continues to support various non government organisations.

Last year, Deen joined in line with several tourism magnates to endorse the Nasheed’s economic reform program criticised by the then-opposition.

The government’s economic reform programme was necessary because “we do not want to keep the gap between rich and poor in this country anymore,” Deen asserted.

“What is the main reason a country becomes impoverished?” he asked. “I believe that one of the main reasons is refusal to tell the people the truth by many successive governments, many kings, until we have come to this point.”

In the Maldives’ long history, Deen continued, the public were indoctrinated to not criticise the government and given to understand that “only a particular group, from a particular family, could rule.”

Deen speculated that “the biggest challenge” the government’s economic reform agenda would face will be “changing people’s mentality.”

“This is the biggest problem facing our country today: [one side says] ‘everything is going right’ [while the other says] ‘nothing is going right,’” he explained. “So we have to educate our people, especially the councils.”

Deen also cautioned against unprincipled opposition to the government: “We could stay angry, hateful and disapproving and say ‘go on, run the government’ but sadly – remember this well – any harm this government suffers, the people will suffer many times over.”

Meanwhile, leader of Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Dr Hassan Saeed has been appointed as the Special Advisor to the President , a post he held during Nasheed’s administration before resigning on the 100th day.

Saeed was the former Attorney General during Gayoom’s administration, and was the first person to file complaints against Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed in 2005, the detention of whom led to protests and ultimately the dramatic events of last week.

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