Tag: maldives

In democracy, we must welcome people with varying ideologies: Gayoom

Former President and leader of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has stated that a democracy is a system in which people are free to work with their personal political ideologies, and that in such a system people with varying ideas must be welcomed.

Speaking at a campaign event of PPM’s parliamentary candidate for Villin’gili constituency Saudh Hussain, Gayoom expressed concerns that residents of some islands harassed contestants campaigning for the party’s coalition.

“Since we are in a democracy, we must welcome people with different ideologies. We have to listen to what they have to say. It is a completely different matter whether you accept what they have to say or not,” Gayoom said.

Gayoom further said that it is very important to acquire a majority in the next parliament, stating that the reason for this is that the current government is led by the coalition.

He opined that failure to garner a majority would cause difficulties in fulfilling party manifesto.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Gasim asserts importance of Majlis majority for the Maldives’ development

Jumhooree Party leader and resort tycoon Gasim Ibrahim has stated that, in order to lift the Maldives out of its current situation and to ascertain it has a better future, President Abdulla Yameen needs to be given his five years of governance.

Speaking at a campaign event of the Progressive Coalition’s Villin’gili constituency candidate Saudh Hussain, Gasim said that everyone needed to cooperate to provide Yameen with a five year term to make right the current situation of the country.

Gasim added that this will be made possible by ensuring that there is a Progressive Coalition majority in the upcoming 18th parliament, adding that Maldives will find itself in severe hardship if the majority cannot be achieved.

Speaking of the past ten years, Gasim claimed that the development had failed to go according to plan.

“The first five years were spent in establishing democracy within political chaos. In other words, it was spent in the establishment of reasonable norms and democracy within a peaceful environment. However, not much thought was given to economical matters within these five years, and not much was achieved on that front,” Gasim stated.

“The last five years were spent to bring economical stability within democratic norms, but even that failed to go according to plan,” he continued.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

IGMH dialysis unit to be expanded

In an attempt to broaden services at the dialysis unit in capital city Malé’s state owned Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the management has decided to expand the unit to twice its current size.

IGMH Deputy CEO Mohamed Habeeb told local media that after expansion, the unit will be able to attend to 20 patients at a time.

“As there is such a high demand for dialysis services, we are having to provide these services around the clock. Some patients have to spend about five hours in dialysis,” said Habeeb.

“Currently we have 11 beds in the Dialysis Unit, which will be increased to 20 after the expansion,” he said.

He further revealed that MVR2 million (US$130,000) is estimated to be spent on the project.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Vandals attack campaign offices of Majlis speaker

Speaker of the People’s Majlis and MP for Keyodhoo constituency Abdulla Shahid has today condemned an attack on his office, following the news that two campaign offices had been vandalised in the early hours of the morning.

“It was more than damage, it was an attempt to intimidate,” Shahid told Minivan News, declaring that he “would not back down” in the face of “intimidation”.

Police have confirmed that two attacks that took place in the early hours of this morning (March 13).

Speaking with Minivan News, Shahid confirmed that he was awoken at around 4am by supporters saying that there had “been some damage to the office”.

“It looked like it had been a big piece of rock damaging the class panel, and caused considerable damage,” explained Shahid.

A police statement reveals that as well as vandalism carried out at Shahid’s campaign hall, the campaign offices of Machchangoalhi Dhekunu constituency candidate Hassan Mamdhooh.

Shahid is campaigning for the 18th Majlis on a Maldivian Democratic Party ticket, while Mamdhooh is running as an independent.

The police said they are investigating the matter, but that no suspects have been arrested.

Shahid suggested that the perpetrators were intending to “intimidate the public. They want to send a message to the people that politics is violent, politics is not safe, a message to the public to lay off politics.”

Earlier this week, Shahid’s name appeared on a letter sent to the chief justice and attorney general, stating that the recent dismissal of the president and vice president of the Elections Commission (EC) was contrary to the constitutional procedures which reserved such powers for the Majlis.

The letter – also signed by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim – was based on legal advice from the parliament’s consul general after an analysis of the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Currently, the vacant seats in the EC are being filled in an effort to keep the parliamentary elections timely. So far, parliament has approved Ismail Habeeb Abdul Raheem to replace former commission member Ibrahim ‘Ogaru’ Waheed.

When asked about the parliamentary elections, Shahid remarked: “I’m hoping against hope that it will happen,”  adding that any more delays in the elections “will destroy the democratic process of the country”.

He finished by stating that the political system will only work when there is a “peaceful environment” in which it can flourish.


Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

“Huge support” for halal certification, says Islamic Ministry

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ has claimed that the new halal certification program for local fish products is receiving “huge support” from local fish processing companies, the ministry has said yesterday.

Denying reports published in local news outlet Haveeru of a lack of support for the programme , the ministry said that issuing halal certificates for five different products from ‘Felivaru’ company is in it’s final stages.

The ministry also stated that “famous Maldivian fish processing companies such as MIFCO” are also in the process of submitting necessary documentation in order to acquire the halal certificate

Training of halal assurance officers to inspect factories has begun, and ministry teams have made visits to “successful” halal industry countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

The Haveeru article in question – published yesterday – quoted Permanent Secretary of the Islamic Ministry Mohamed Didi as saying that Felivaru was the only company to have shown an interest in acquiring the certification.

Didi was reported as saying that the reason for this could be that such a certificate is not important for their export markets.

According to the article, a team from the ministry had travelled to the Felivaru fish processing factory to check if the process and ingredients used are ‘halal’, with Didi saying that certification would open doors to export Maldivian fish products to middle-eastern markets and would increase the value of such products.

After the EU declined to extend duty-free status on Maldivian fish exports last November, the government has been seeking alternative markets for Maldivian fish products.

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon at the time said the decision was connected to Maldives’ reservations towards freedom of religion and other conventions before noting that the Maldives is “not running out of friends in the international community”.

Since then, the government has said it is analysing new markets for such as middle-eastern and Malaysian markets for Maldives fish exports.

Earlier this week, Vice President of the Maldives National Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Ismail Asif said that Maldivian fishermen intended to stage a protest against the EU’s trade policies.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Ministry’s ‘Fiqh Academy’ issued a fatwa this week stating that kosher meals, while halal, are inadvisable in Shariah. The ruling suggested that the import of such goods would “introduce and spread such a religious slogan of the Jews into an Islamic country like the Maldives”.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

MDA Leader ‘Sun’ Shiyam denies alcohol smuggling charges in court

Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) leader Ahmed ‘Sun’ Shiyam has denied the charges of alcohol possession before the Criminal Court.

The prominent businessman and MP for Dhaalu Meedhoo constituency was allegedly with the illegal bottle of liquor by customs official on his arrival airport on his arrival in Malé in March 2012.

Lawyers from the Prosecutor General’s Office told the court that when customs officers searched his luggage, officers discovered the bottle inside before running tests on its contents. The PG’s Office announced it was pressing charges against Shiyam for possession of alcohol and smuggling alcohol into the country.

Shiyam denied the charges and his lawyer requested that the court give him more time to research the case before the next hearing on April 10.

Newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported that Shiyam was brought to court by police in compliance with an arrest warrant issued after the MP had failed to comply with the court summons.

According to Haveeru, Shiyam was kept in the guest area of the court – unlike other suspects brought to court – and unlike other MPs under the same circumstances.

Online newspaper Sun Online – run by a company owned by Shiyam – today quoted Shiyam’s legal team saying that it was a set-up to destroy the MP’s reputation.

His legal team told Sun that Shiyam was the owner of many resorts and there was no reason Shiyam should try to bring in an alcohol bottle from abroad. Shiyam was not hiding from the courts and will fully obey all laws, Sun was informed.

The Criminal Court last week ordered the police to arrest and summon both Shiyam and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) former Special Envoy to President Mohamed Nasheed, Ibrahim Hussein Zaki.

Zaki is facing trial after he was arrested from the island of Hondaidhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll while he was allegedly in possession of cannabis and alcohol in November 2012.

The speedy prosecution of MDP members in relation to the Hondaidhoo incident – in comparison to delays in the Shiyam case – was highlighted by Nasheed last October as his party filed a no-confidence motion against then Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz.

On October 31, 2013, the Criminal Court sentenced MDP MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor to six months for contempt of court after he refused to comply with court summons – though the charge was later overturned in the High Court.

On February 20, MDP MP Abdulla Jabir was sentenced by the Criminal Court to one year for refusing to provide a urine sample to police to run a drug test.

Both Hamed and Jabir’s prosecution were in relation to the November 2012 Hondaidhoo raid.

Police have informed the court today that they were unable to arrest Zaki as he was abroad.

The penalty for alcohol possession in the penal code is either a fine of between MVR1,000 to MVR3,000 or imprisonment, banishment, or house arrest for up to three years.

Shiyam’s MDA formed an alliance with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in August, 2013, to back the eventual winner of the presidential election, Abdulla Yameen.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

EC dismissals: PPM urges appointment of new commissioners ahead of Majlis polls

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has proposed that a parliamentary meeting be held to appoint members to replace recently dismissed Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek and Vice President Ahmed Fayaz.

The Supreme Court’s decision to remove the pair has been rejected by parliament’s independent institutions oversight committee which decided on Monday that the two members remained in their posts.

PPM Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader Moosa Zameer told local media that the party wished to abide by the constitutional provision that the EC should consist of five members.

Zameer further asserted that the party believes there is sufficient time to appoint persons to the remaining two seats ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for March 22.

“We can hold the elections even with three members in the Elections Commission. However, the constitution says there must be five members in the commission and we want to hold the elections in accordance with the constitutional terms,” Zameer is quoted as saying.

“There is nothing stopping us from doing so, is there?”

However, Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid decided on Wednesday to not hold any further parliament meetings ahead of the upcoming election, claiming that he had discussed decision with leaders of the political parties.

Zameer nevertheless called on the oversight committee to review the names submitted by the President, and for the parliament to vote on the matter at the earliest opportunity.

“If the parliament cooperates, then this will not prove to be a difficult task,” Zameer stated.

PPM’s Zameer and MP Ahmed Nihan were not responding to calls at the time of press.

Meanwhile, President Abdulla Yameen on Wednesday nominated four persons to posts in the EC, submitting their names to parliament.

The names sent were Mohamed Zahid, Mohamed Shakeel, Ahmed Sulaiman, and Fathimath Muna.

While the parliament committee maintains that the posts held by Fuwad and Fayaz are not vacant, a replacement for the fifth commission seat has been unanimously approved by the parliament.

The position was previously filled by ‘Ogaru’ Mohamed Waheed who had resigned due to ill health during last year’s presidential election. The new appointee is president’s nominee Ismail Habeeb.

Likes(1)Dislikes(0)

Islamic Minister states MVR 35 million deposited in the Hajj Corporation to date

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has stated that to date, MVR35 million has been deposited in the accounts of the Maldives Hajj Corporation.

Speaking at the launching of PPM Parliamentary Candidate Ahmed Nihan’s campaign, Minister Shaheem stated that the “large amount of money deposited in the corporation in such a short period of time shows the level of trust that the citizens have in the corporation”.

The minister further revealed that both the previous and the incumbent administrations have provided financial aid to the corporation, detailing that the Yameen administration has so far provided MVR5 million.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Road construction work commences in Gaaf Alif Atoll Villin’gili

The government has begun work on road construction in the island of Villin’gili in Gaaf Alif Atoll on Tuesday.

The project is handled by Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC) and was inaugurated by Villin’gili’s former Council President Saudh Hussain and MRDC Chairperson.

The MRDC stated that 50 kilometers of road will be constructed on the island, making up a total of 15 roads.

The government has further contracted the MRDC to build roads on seven other islands.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)