Tag: maldives news

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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MBC assumes control of state media assets

Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has assumed control over the state media assets– Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM), a week after its headquarters were forcibly taken over by rogue police and military amid the intense political unrest of February 7, when former President Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign in what he calls a coup.

MBC assumed control over the state media, following President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s decision in favour of the transfer.

Until recently, the parliament-created state broadcaster MBC had been engaged in a long running tug-of-war with state-owned Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) for control over the state media assets that was re- branded by the company as MNBC One and Raaje Radio.

Despite a court order in favour of MBC, the government continued to run the stations under MNBC  claiming that MBC was stacked with opposition-linked members planning a “media coup”.

However, speaking to the press on Wednesday, Chairman of MBC Ibrahim Umar Manik expressed his commitment to run the state media with “impartiality” and within legal bounds.

“As stated in the law, we will operate the two stations as a public broadcaster by bringing independent news, information and programme,” Manik said.

Meanwhile, in a statement released today, Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) welcomed move, saying that the association expects MBC will remain independent and prioritise the “nation’s interest”.

The statement also reads that an independent editorial board needs to be established to ensure unbiased and fair reporting expected of a public broadcaster.

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Comment: International community’s inaction may lead to carnage

The Maldives is beautiful. It is an archipelago of 1200 islands with pristine beaches, blue lagoons and thousands of coconut palms. It is one of the world’s most exclusive tourist destinations. It is a honeymooners’ haven and diver’s paradise. It is a hideaway for over-exposed celebrities and a sanctuary for the stressed. A string of islands nature intended as a playground for the rich and famous. Somewhere where Western billionaires come to have spa treatments underwater and the famous can relax without being photographed. A picture postcard.

Well, here’s a news flash. The Maldives is home to 300,000 people. They may not appear in the photographs, they may not be serving you your cocktails, they may not be cleaning your $4500 a night room, they may not be serving you the $1000 dinner on your golden plate under the full-moon, and the hands massaging your body in the spa under the palm tree may not be theirs, but they exist. They live, they talk, they walk, they feel, and they have the same silly notions about human rights, justice, equality and the rule of law as any other people in the world.

Last week, the Maldivian government was overthrown; its first democratically elected president held at gunpoint and forced to write a letter of resignation. It has been reported that ‘tourists barely put down their cocktails’ on the beaches of their exclusive holiday resorts just a few waves of the ocean away, so far removed is the tourism industry from the reality that Maldives is for Maldivian people.

Despite the tourists, and the rest of the world, being kept in deliberate ignorance, video evidence exists of the coup right from the planning stages to its successful execution. The only missing footage, so far, is that of the deposed president sitting down to write the letter. Everything else, from the violent take over of the state broadcaster by armed ‘policemen’, the beleagured president trying to control military and police personnel who were involved in the coup, coup leaders commanding the defecting officers, extreme brutality by the police against the public in the aftermath of the coup – it is all there, if you want to see it. ‘Want’ being the keyword here.

The ‘international community’ has not wanted to do so. British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had only months before described the deposed Maldivian President Nasheed as his ‘new best friend’, refused to lend him any support.

India, the supposed leader of democracy in South Asia, was the first to congratulate the new government and pledge its allegiance to its leader Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

Sri Lanka, despite Nasheed’s ill-judged support of President Mahinda Rajapaksa while the intenational community condemned him for alleged human rights abuses, followed suit.

It would come as no surprise for any observer of China’s recent foreign policy decisins that Beijing had no qualms over the legitimacy of the new government in declaring its willingness to carry on with business as usual.

Australia, home to many Maldivians and supposedly a close friend, found the Maldivian situation to be fodder for political jokes; the violence that its people endured in the aftermath of the coup nothing but material for double-entendres to be lobbed between parliamentarians on opposite sides.

And, of course, given the manner in which the United States has sought to spread democracy in the world in the last decade, it should come as no surprise that it finds no room to exercise its soft power in assisting Maldivians establish the truth about how their democracy was derailed last week.

The international community is making a huge mistake in ignoring the current crisis in the Maldives. The foremost reason being that the Maldives is incapable of conducting its own independent investigation into the events of the day as the international community is recommending. Like a small community in which twelve impartial people cannot be found for a jury in a trial where everybody has a stake in the verdict, there can be no tribunal of truth held in the Maldives where the majority is not biased one way or another.

The United States and others have rejected the deposed president and his supporters’ calls for new elections on the basis that there are no institutions capable of holding a fair and free one. What makes it, and the rest of the international community, then think that there can be an independent institution capable of conducting an impartial enquiry into the facts of 7 February? If any of the international teams that have been so active in the Maldives in the last week have done any homework at all, they know the biggest impediment to consolidation of democracy in the Maldives has been failure of the so-called independent institutions have been unable to free themselves from political influence.

It is not just the Maldivian people that the international community is betraying by leaving them to their own fate. It is also the ideals of democracy they have espoused so stridently, not to mention violently, for the last decade. By refusing to help the Maldivian people establish the truth of how its first democratically elected president was deposed, it is allowing the burial without ceremony of the role that anti-democratic forces – including radical Islamists – have played in bringing the fledgling Maldivian democracy to its knees.

It is also turning its back on a valuable opportunity to increase its own knowledge of how Islamists can radicalise not just a small Muslim community, but an entire population. Available evidence shows that without a clear pact made with Islamists, the coup could not have been successfully planned or executed. By refusing to help join Maldivians’ efforts to establish the truth of the events of 7 February and the conspiracies that led up to it, the international community is doing what it does best: ignore a threat until it escalates to the point where there is carnage on the streets and thousands of lives are lost.

The most significant characteristic of the days that have followed 7 February in the Maldives is the deafening silence of the Islamists. They helped incite hatred and anger towards Nasheed when he was the legitimate president; they were the loudest and the most vocal of his critics. In the week that has followed his ousting, they have been ominously silent. And, judging from how they have conducted their operations in the Maldives for the last decade, the silence is not due to pious reflection and quiet contemplation of God’s greatness. It is a silence of anticipation, the calm before the storm. The conspirators who financed the coup have done a deal with them, and they are waiting in silence because they are sure their grand chance is about to come. That is, the chance to impose Sharia rule in the country, the chance to crackdown on the women and turn them into inferior human beings and citizens, the chance to bring the Maldives back to the early days of ‘pure’ Islam and turn it into the newest region of the Islamic Caliphate that bin Laden envisioned.

Unfortunately, we live in a world of realist international politics where until a state’s own ‘national interest’ is threatened or one’s own self-interest is at risk, there is no ‘legitimate’ reason to act. As long as the anti-democratic activities in the Maldives pose no geostrategic threat to the ‘international community’, as long as foreign investment in the Maldives is safe, as long as tourists can keep sipping their cocktails under the palm trees, and as long as Maldivian blood does not spill on the pristine white beaches that the rich and famous lounge about on, paradise is not lost. Until then what prevails will be accepted as what passes as ‘democracy’ these days – government for the rich by the rich.

Azra Naseem holds a doctorate in International Relations.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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HRCM condemns attacks against demonstrators as Male’ gears up for “huge” rally

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has condemned police for carrying out acts of violence against civilians participating in a demonstration organised by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on February 8. HRCM has also condemned acts carried out against police property in the southern islands of Addu City Gan, Fuvahmulah, Raa atoll Dhuvaafaru, and Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll Thinadhoo, among others.

“We highlight the fact that a lot of civilians and police officers have inflicted injuries of varying degrees during the demonstrations organised by the MDP, which became a confrontation between police and protesters,” a statement read. “With regard to the demonstration, this commission is in the process of investigating the matters under its mandate.”

Regarding the destruction in the Maldives’ south, the commission has requested the public “not to repeat such actions in the future.” The commission’s statement did not address allegations that residents on those islands have been beaten and arrested without charges following the events of February 8.

Addressing police forces and the public, the commission requested both parties to safely support the rights beholden in Article 32 of the constitution, which provides for the freedom of assembly.

“We also advise the police to maintain their actions to standards that would not lose the public trust on the police service and we call the public to support and assist the police in executing their duties,” reads the statement.

The European Union Heads of Mission (HoMs) to the Maldives, based in Colombo, have further warned that provocation of or use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies in the Maldives during the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally scheduled for Friday, February 17 “would be completely unacceptable at this point.”

Former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned on February 7 under conditions his government has called a “coup d’état.” Video footage of events that day indicate that he left office under military pressure while a rogue faction of the police service turned against the military and MDP supporters in the streets of capital Male’.

In the days following the change of power, security officials have allegedly beaten and detained MDP members and supporters in various parts of the archipelago.

“There must be an end to violence and no political retribution,” the HoMs stated today.

In January the MDP’s National Committee selected February 17 for a political rally to address judicial reform. Previously, rumors maintained that islanders would be coming to Male’ for the event. Rather than deter the public, last week’s dramatic change of power appears to have further motivated the Maldivian population.

“It’s going to be huge, the biggest ever on Male’,” said MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy. “People are in fear to some extent because of the police, but they are still willing to come out,” he added.

Addu resident Mohamed Yooshau pointed out that half of the Maldives 350,000 citizens do not live on Male’. “We elected [Nasheed], and when we woke up the next day it was like Male’ had brought down our president,” he said, adding that “the concept of a democracy is having a say.”

Although the political situation has changed, Fahmy said Friday’s rally “will stay on track” with its calls for judicial reform.

Squeezed by growing public and international pressure, and adjusting to the new leadership of commissioner Abdulla Riyaz who has been criticised for his lack of experience, the police are attempting to maintain a strict order.

“Police will take necessary actions, responding according to intelligence and our understanding of the motives behind public actions,” said police media official Ahmed Shiyam.

He did not specify if security forces are taking unique measures to secure Male’ during the upcoming demonstrations.

The face of public security has however been tainted by recent aggressive behavior towards members of the public.

One individual who requested anonymity reports being verbally harassed by police officers while walking on the street the day after Nasheed’s resignation.

“One of my friends was wearing a yellow tee shirt [MDP party color] by chance, not for any political reason, and these cops say, ‘Miaathun nah eves kameh nuvaane,’ or ‘these people can’t do anything’, but in a rude way,” said the source.

Within an hour of that incident, police attacked a non-violent MDP demonstration outside of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), sending over 50 individuals to the hospital and MDP party chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik to Sri Lanka for medical treatment.

This week, demonstrators have begun mocking police as the paid servants of Maamigili MP and Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, who also owns the Villa Hotels chain. Prior to the official re-opening of MDP’s camp (haruge) yesterday, gathering party members taunted two police officers driving by at separate times with cries of “Villa police! Lari lari lari!” A lari is a fraction of the Maldivian currency rufiya, akin to a US cent.

While some police officers have told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that they regret the negative impact the actions of a reported few has had on their image, police Media Official Ahmed Shiyam today stated that “police are well-trained for anything that comes along and will act professionally.”

When asked whether the public should be more mindful, Shiyam said, “there’s no need for that. We know who is doing this, and it’s not all of the MDP nor is it always MDP who are harassing the police.”

Meanwhile, Friday’s rally will be preceded by a Silent White Movement on Thursday afternoon, calling for peace during protests and for justice for those security officials who have committed violations in the line of duty.

“Our concern is the current injustice that we are facing today as Maldivians, for not having the right to gather in peace and to raise our voice for freedom of speech,” reads the movement’s statement on its Facebook page.

“We demand the government to do a thorough investigation with the help of the international community, and seek the root cause of violence created among the civilians of this country. We believe this is a civil movement that supports justice and non- violation of human rights in the norms of international standards.”

Participants are requested to wear white or change their Facebook profile pictures to white color blocks in support. Approximately 2,000 people have confirmed their attendance.

A spokesperson from the movement emphasised that all members of the public of any party or organisation are welcome to join the event.

A separate demonstration calling for prompt elections has teamed up with the movement. To avoid any confrontation with the Gaumee Itthihaad party, which is today protesting against violent acts carried out by MDP members last week, the elections group is coordinating its efforts with the Silent White Movement’s event tomorrow.

The party of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, Gaumee Itthihaad currently has approximately 2,600 members- 400 short of the 3,000 members required for registration and only 0.007 percent of the Maldives population.

Silent White Movement observed that demonstrations in the Maldives have a rocky track record, due in part to still-young democracy. Noting that protesting first began after prison guards killed Evan Naseem in 2003, the source said “it began as violent but after the new government came to power in 2008 protest became peaceful. But around 2010 protests became violent again with the opposition, probably because they had a political motive.”

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