Tag: maldives

Leaked Gitmo documents spark police investigation

Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed has said the ministry yesterday asked police to investigate the case of leaked documents concerning Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Dr Shaheed said the documents consisted of unofficial communications to the Maldives government from the US government, and a document sent to the Attorney General’s office by the Foreign Ministry.

Dr Shaheed said the documents included an unofficial letter sent from the US to discuss how a legal framework could be established to bring in the detainees.

”The documents were sent to Parliament’s National Security Committee by an MP,” Said Dr Shaheed. ”MP Ali Waheed was the person who first spoke about these documents.”

Dr Shaheed said that the person who leaked the documents and delivered them to MPs was responsible for the act.

”The Maldivian government has not officially agreed to bring in the detainees,” he said. ”It is just at an early stage and a group of people who do not properly understand the matter are worried and concerned.”

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed said the government’s desire to investigate the case was “stupidity and weakness”, ”as there are more concerning issues than the leaked document.”

Nasheed claimed to have seen the documents, summarising the communication in his blog and identifying it as an official diplomatic document sent by the US government to the Maldivian government.

”The government cannot take action against the person who leaked the documents,” said Nasheed. ”There is a law allowing people to inform others if an unlawful activity was going on inside the area in which he or she works, and according to that law, no action can be taken against that person.”

Nasheed said the letter to the AG from Foreign Ministry revealed that the government has already agreed to bring the Guantanamo Bay detainees in the country, but legal advice was needed on the matter.

”That was an official agreement and they are just pretending to make it an ‘early stage negotiation’,” Nasheed said.

He added that the document from the US government consisted of a list of things it believed had been been agreed by the Maldives, and was requesting confirmation.

”One of the leaked document gives information that the former inmate’s communication will be under surveillance and they cannot leave the Maldives,” Nasheed said.

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that the document was not leaked but was “deliberately stolen”.

Zuhair said anybody who stole the documents has causes “a lot of trouble” for the Maldives, by disrupting diplomatic relationships between countries.

”Now the US government may think that we deliberately leaked the document,” Zuhair said. ”The recipient should be aware that it is unlawful to have a leaked document of the government and should have clarified whether the document was the original before distributing it to everyone.”

Zuhair said the US government had approached the Maldives to handle two detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison.

”One of them was a man born in the West Bank,” he said. ”We do not have the information on the other person yet,”

He said the Maldives would be receiving “numerous benefits” for accepting the two detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Maldives Traveller to host awards ceremony

Maldives tourism magazine and website, Maldives Traveller, will hold an awards ceremony to honour the best resorts in the Maldives.

The Maldives Traveller Awards for Excellence will be judged by reader votes and will include 10 prize categories, recognising the ‘best resort’ and dream island’ as well as those best for honeymoons, wedding ceremonies, spa relaxation, snorkelling, diving, surfing, business and family holidays.

The awards ceremony will be organised by events company Mind-Set and will include a gala dinner and entertainment held in Berlin, Germany, in March 2011.

Publisher of Maldives Traveller, Tropical Paradise, said the awards ceremony would encourage excellence and competition within the Maldivian hospitality industry.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Buruny islanders protesting for new mosque over refurbishment

Islanders of Thaa Atoll Buruny have been protesting since last Thursday demanding the government build a new mosque on the island.

Moosa Abdul Gadir, councilor of Buruny, told Minivan News that the protest began when the Islamic Ministry decided to upgrade an old mosque on the island instead “of building a new one with the Rf4.6 million that the government of Brunei gave the Islamic Ministry.”

”Our people are disheartened because the Islamic Ministry told us last year in October that they would build a new mosque for us with the money from the Brunei government, which would be large enough for 700 people. But later they said would upgrade the existing old mosque,” said Moosa.

Moosa said that 90 percent of the island’s population took part in the protests outside the gate of the island office, wearing white bandanna’s on their head to represent that they were peaceful protesters.

Moosa said that the protest was peaceful, and was proceeding according to the law, but warned that ”humans can only be patient for a certain amount of time.”

He said the Islamic Ministry had not discussed the change in its decision with either the islanders or the island office.

”When the protesters gathered on Thursday they gave a signal that they would build a new mosque,” Moosa said, ”but again now they have disagreed on building it.”

Moosa said there five mosques on the island: one of them which he claimed was large enough for only 10 people and was built near the graveyard, the second was 100 years old, the third “was built for Villifushi people who migrated after the tsunami incident” and the remaining two mosques were “woman mosques”.

”I think the Islamic Ministry is trying to make people hate the government,” he said. ”Why else they would do something like this?”

State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed meanwhile guaranteed that the Islamic Ministry would not make a decision that would make the islanders unhappy.

”They were having a dispute among themselves over whether to build a new mosque or upgrade the old mosque,” Shaheem said. ”That’s why the Ministry was confused. We will do it according to how the people wish.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DRP MPs pay Vice President “a courtesy call”

Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan last night met with senior members of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) at his residence, Hilaaleege.

The meeting sparked a demonstration outside of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, protesting against what they viewed as a political betrayal and calling for the VP’s resignation.

The visit by DRP MPs Ali Waheed, Ilham Ahmed, Ahmed Nihan and Ahmed Mahlouf, as well as party Vice President Umar Naseer, was described by DRP spokesman Ibrahim Shareef as “a courtesy call.”

“They discussed national issues,” he said, but would not reveal further details of the discussion. None of the MPs who participated in the meeting had responded to calls at time of press.

“I think there are issues that of national importance facing the country, but there’s been a breakdown of communication between the government and the opposition,” Shareef suggested. “I think the VP believes the temperature is rising too much at the moment.”

Shareef described Dr Waheed as “cool headed”, and able to create “meaningful dialogue between the government and the DRP. He has no power to decide anything, but he is willing to talk,” he said.

“At the moment MDP’s leaders are not able to even talk to the opposition, and I think the President is trying to find a way forward.”

Mahloof told Minivan News today that President Mohamed Nasheed “was the person who planned the protest outside VPs house.”

However a highly placed source within the government said the president appeared “very unhappy” about the gathering, and dismissed the possibility of such peace talks as “utter tosh”.

“If that was the case other senior people in the government would know about it. I think he wants to join DRP; maybe not sign with the party, but rather use it as a bargaining chip. His intentions are clearly malevolent,” the source said, adding that the VP was also observed last week meeting Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) leader Dr Hassan Saeed.

“He is clearly angry at the dismissal of [fellow party GIP party member] former Economic Minister Mohamed Rasheed. The fact is now that the core MDP supporters are convinced that Waheed is going to run for president in 2013, and are keeping a fair degree of distance.”

The Vice President was not responding to calls today, and Minivan News understands he was not in the office because of illness.

In a previous interview with Minivan News Dr Waheed said be believed there should be “a mechanism for dialogue between the opposition and the government. There is too much polarisation. There are things, of course, we want from the opposition. We want their support to pass the bills in Parliament, and there may be things they want from the government. And that is also to address some of their own concerns. I believe we should be able to engage with all parties.”

Following the meeting the DRP MPs who attended told the press that they would lobby to give the Vice President more powers and a greater role in government.

MDP Spokesman Ahmed Haleem said that Dr Waheed initiated the meeting “because he wants to pass a bill [in parliament] giving himself more power. He thinks he is a president – I think he is totally sick. Twenty years ago he was the first PhD holder in the Maldives and he thinks he is one of the best; now the VP is very close to Nasheed but he cannot digest this.”

Haleem added that “there are a lot of people sick for power in this country – Gasim is also sick for power, but Dr Waheed is one of the best.”

MDP MP Mohamed Mustafa said he doubted Dr Waheed had the popular support to become president, and had accepted the role of Vice President “without bringing a single seat with him. He has become a liability to [MDP] – there is no reason to hold such secret meetings.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

DRP welcomes electricity subsidies but will continue protests

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will continue its ‘red notice’ protests, despite welcoming changes the government’s new subsidies for electricity charges.

National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) today said that it changed the per unit rate for subsidies for electricity charges, a move intended to people who cannot afford the electricity bill.

According to the changes, charges for 0-100 meter units would be Rf1.50, 101-200 meter units Rf1.70, 201-300 meter units Rf2.15 and 301-400 units Rf2.50, for people receiving subsidies.

Charges for those not identified as eligible for a subsidy will remain at Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 above 601.

NSPA Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said that the subsidied charges were cheaper than 2008 prices.

”No changes were brought to the [normal] charges, but the subsidised rates have changed,” he said.

No changes were made to unsubsidised electricity charges because the government wished to run the State Electric Company (STELCO) without a loss, he said.

He said that the changes in the subsidised rates had no connection with the DRP-led protests.

DRP MP Ahmed Mahloof meanwhile said the protest would begin tonight at 8:45pm, and would start near the tsunami monument.

”Maldivian Democratic Party MDP’s protest outside the Vice President’s house has proved us that climbing gates was not prohibited,” Mahloof said. ”We will climb the gates of Muleeage [the President’s official residence] tonight.”

Mahloof said he had information that the police has planned to use rubber bullets to disperse tonight’s gathering.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan said that DRP welcomed the changes brought to the electricity charges, but ”will continue the protest as we have planned.”

Nihan said that 80 percent of the people ought to receive subsidies for electricity charges.

”The procedure NSPA follows is not very comprehensive,” he said, ”but we welcome the changes they brought.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Next SAARC summit to be held in South Province: President

President Mohamed Nasheed said the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting will be held in the South Province.

The president said the summit could take place in both Addu and Fuahmulah Atolls during his weekly radio address last Friday on the Voice of Maldives.

President Nasheed acknowledged it would take a lot of work and preparation to hold the summit in Maldives, but said he was “confident a successful summit could be held in the South Province.”

The president noted this would be the first SAARC summit to be held in the southern hemisphere.

The 16th SAARC Summit was held last month in Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Footage of the Taliban in Paradise: Al Jazeera

Thirteen members of Afghanistan’s parliament, an Afghan governor “and a variety of political parties and armed groups” have held the second in a series of meetings in the Maldives, according to news network Al Jazeera.

Press Secretary at the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, on Thursday confirmed that the peace talks were taking place and all involved in the talks had valid passports and visas.

The Maldives is one of the few countries to provide Afghan nationals a visa on arrival.

“None of the representatives involved are listed in UN or other international travel blacklists,” Zuhair said, noting that the MNDF was aware of the meeting. The Al Jazeera report observed that US and NATO were not represented at the talks and that while it was interested the discussions, Afghan government had not officially endorsed them.

Al Jazeera’s report contained footage of the talks and of man the network said had arrived at the last minute “claiming to be a member of the Taliban.”

The representatives told Al Jazeera that their presence at the meeting, which the Maldivian media speculated was being held at Paradise Island Resort, was not official.

The event was organised by Almayoun Jarir, the son in law of former Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who is one of the three key leaders of the armed opposition in Afghanistan.

Topics of discussion included the need for fresh elections, and the future of foreign troops in the country. The report noted that one of the Afghan MPs who attended was female.

Besides the ease of visa issuance, the Maldives was chosen as the venue for the three day talks “because it is considered neutral ground for all countries [involved]” Al Jazeera said. “It is also an example of what peace can bring to an islamic country.”

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Second round of Taliban peace talks to be held in the Maldives

The Maldives is hosting a second round of talks between Afghan lawmakers and “groups opposed to the Afghan government.”

Press Secretary at the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, confirmed the talks were taking place and said the Maldives government had “no involvement”.

“We cannot disclose the location of the talks, although we can confirm that they are not being held in Male’ or other population centres,” he said.

In late January Al Jazeera reported that a group of seven men allied with the Taliban had met in the Maldives on January 22 to discuss an ambitious plan to bring peace to the war-torn country by offering cash, jobs and incentives to Taliban fighters in exchange for laying down their arms. Taliban fighters are reportedly paid US$10 a day, a considerable sum in an embattled country with 40 percent unemployment.

One of the Taliban’s representatives told Al Jazeera the Maldives was chosen as a venue for the talks because “we feel safe.”

Photos of the meeting at Bandos Island Resort and Spa were later leaked to the press.

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, Siyamak Herawi, later told news agency Reuters the visiting group included “Hekmatyar loyalists along with some former Taliban members who are now sitting in the parliament. It happened in January in the Maldives and they decided to hold more talks,” he said.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is an Afghan Mujahideen leader who was the country’s prime minister from 1993-1994, and is considered by the US to be one of the three main leaders of the Afghan insurgency. He was a key figure in the insurgency against Soviet occupation, reportedly receiving millions in CIA funding, but is now labelled as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ by the US.

The last secret meeting in the Maldives coincided with the International Conference on Afghanistan, held in Lancaster House in London on January 28, where discussions revolved around a national council for peace, reconciliation and reintegration to be set up by the Afghan government.

The programme was to channel development funds towards luring fighters away from the insurgency into alternative livelihoods, with US$140 million in international funding earmarked for the first year.

While many elements of the Maldivian government were oblivious to the first meeting, Zuhair said this time “Maldivian security and intelligence agencies have been fully informed of the talks.”

“All the representatives involved in the talks are holding valid passports and visas. None of the representatives involved are listed in UN or other international travel blacklists,” he said.

“Afghanistan’s stability affects the peace and security of our region. The Government of the Maldives supports efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan,” Zuhair said.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Kosovo thanks Maldives for recognising its independence

President Mohamed Nasheed met Kosovan President Dr Fatmir Sejdui yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, as part of his official visit to Malaysia for the 6th World Islamic Economic Forum.

Dr Sejdui thanked the government of the Maldives for being one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo’s independence.

Maldives extended full diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Kosovo in February 2009.

The country declared its independence in February 2008.

The two presidents also discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and culture.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)