Tag: maldives

Maldivian passport stamped ‘security concern’ in India, says Adhaalath Party

The Adhaalath Party has claimed that Maldivians traveling to India have begun face difficulties while in transit, following an article in ‘The Week’ magazine alleging the involvement of Maldivians in the Mumbai bombings.

Adhaalath contends that the article, which interviewed government officials and labelled Sheikh Illyas and Sheikh Fareed as “hate preachers”, will create “many obstacles” for travelling Maldivians and those living in India.

Today the party produced an image of a Maldivian passport stamped with a warning by Indian immigration that due to security concerns the bearer could only visit to India after two months.

Adhaalath Party noted that it has recently warned that such things would happen because of the interview senior government officials gave to ‘The Week’ magazine.

In the article, Ahmed Muneer, Deputy Commissioner of the Maldives Police, acknowledges that “our radical preachers are enjoying street credibility and radicalisation is visible at the street level. It’s a problem for us, but things would aggravate if the radicals get integrated into Maldivian politics.”

The Adhaalath party claimed that during the interview, “Dr Shaheed said that scholars were delivering lectures with the intention of earning money, and that only a few people attended religious protests because they wanted to go to heaven.”

”As a result of this [article], religious scholars in the Maldives will face many obstacles locally, and it will also affect Maldivian families living in India,” said the Adhaalath Party.

”Due to irresponsible comments by senior officials of the government, tourism in the country will also be affected,” warned the party earlier, accusing the President of “fabricating” statements concerning scholarly freedom in the Maldives.

The Islamic Foundation of the Maldives has also previously raised concerns about the impact of ‘The Week’ article.

“Apart from the threat of being arrested and interrogated by authorities abroad and being kept under surveillance by foreign governments, the government’s action may create obstacles and insecurity for the Muslim religious scholars and the people of Maldives in travelling abroad,” the Foundation said in a recent statement.

“We also call the government to stop stereotyping the people of this country with the hope of getting financial benefits from the enemies of Islam. We also urge the individuals involved in such acts to get repent and return to the Path of Allah,” it added.

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Second crocodile discovery raises enclosure issue

A second crocodile found in as many months within Maldivian waters is currently being held by police as they look for a “safe area” to keep the animals, with one expert suggesting that investment in the creatures’ protection could have mutual benefits for local people and the tourism industry.

Maldives-based marine biologist Verena Wiesbauer Ali has suggested that although crocodiles may remain a rare presence in the Maldives’ tropical atolls, investment in providing them with a safe enclosure in the country could pay off as a popular attraction for wildlife lovers.

The claims were made as police confirmed that a six-foot crocodile was found yesterday near the waters of Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll by a fishing boat crew, following on from the apprehension of a four-foot croc by authorities last month in Thaa Atoll.

The Lhaviyani Atoll crocodile is thought to be the third such creature of its kind to have been captured in Maldivian waters and the second to be discovered this year alone, with one marine biologist calling the appearance of the animals a “surprising” and rare occurrence within the country.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the crocodile was found in local waters at about 2pm yesterday afternoon and was now being kept in the local police station near where it was found in Lhaviyani Atoll, while the police service consulted the environment ministry on the best course of action.

“We will hold the crocodile until we can find a safe area to keep it,” he said. “We will look at ways to keep the animal without having to kill it, which would remain one possible option.”

Shiyam said that it was currently in talks with environment experts about whether there was a growing chance of crocodiles likely to be found in the country’s waters.

“At this moment we are not sure yet [how common they are expected to be],” he added.

Although not professing to be a crocodile expert, Verena Wiesbauer Ali, a marine biologist and environmental consultant for local company Water Solutions, told Minivan News that although species such as saltwater crocodiles were common in India, it was “quite surprising” to find them in the atolls of the Maldives.

Wiesbauer claimed that she believed it would probably be these saltwater crocodiles that have been most recently discovered in the Maldives and although they are rare, the public should be careful.

“It is good that the police have taken the animals. They are of course dangerous, particularly after having potentially travelled such a long way. They could be hungry,” she said. “The best thing for people who come across a crocodile in the Maldives is to get out of the water and call the police.”

According to Wiesbauer, the major issue for police holding the animals will now be to find places to keep the crocodiles while also letting them”live in dignity” – options that she claimed are currently limited in the Maldives.

The last previous reptilian stranger to be found in the Maldives, a nine foot-long crocodile called ‘Kimboo’, is currently kept in the Kudakudhinge Bageecha (children’s park) in Male’, after it was caught by Maldives National Defence Force cadets in 1998.

In July 2010, students at Billabong High School in Male’ launched a campaign to ‘Save Kimboo’, due to the small size of its enclosure and poor treatment.

Kimboo occasionally makes it into local media and even has his own Facebook page calling for his release, but so far nothing has eventuated.

Wiesbauer said that although Kimboo’s cage was kept clean, she believed it was far too small for an animal of its size to now be kept.

The marine biologist said by comparison that all three creatures may therefore benefit from potential government or private investment into a special enclosure within the country that could be of interest as an attraction for local people and tourists.

Wiesbauer claimed that she is already considering putting together proposals for the government to consider the possible development of an enclosure in an area such as Villingili in North Male’ Atoll where huge areas of government land currently remain unused.

“It may be a bit utopian, but we have to think about these creatures welfare now they are here,” she added. “The creatures should not be killed, either they should be protected in an enclosure or they should be exported to zoos in countries like Sri Lanka or India. But who would pay for this service?”

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PA condemns influencing and threatening of judiciary

The People’s Alliance Party (PA) led by Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has today issued a statement condemning attempts to ”influence and threaten the judiciary”, following protests in Male’ and Addu Atoll over the Civil Court’s decision to stop Addu from becoming a city.

The party said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that there were political links in the attempts to block entrance to court, based on reports in the media of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Alhan Fahmy’s comment Alhan stating that Adduans ”would not let courts in Addu open.”

The PA, which is in coalition with the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), accused the MDP of “trying to influence the judiciary and judges.”

The party added that it had sent a letter to the police and Prosecutor General’s Office ”requesting they investigate the attempts to influence the judiciary the attempts to threaten judges.”

”In the recent days, senior officials of the ruling party along with their supporters have committed similar crimes, but it a concern that it never comes to the attention of the concerned authorities,” said the party. ”We believe that it is definitely an attempt to influence the judiciary and threaten the judges.”

Protesters temporarily barred entry to the Justice Building of the Maldives last night, in response to the Civil Court’s ruling that the Addu city criteria were invalid, forcing the Elections Commission (EC) to cancel the local council election in Addu this Saturday.

Today the Department of Judicial Administration said that the court of Hulhudhoo in Addu Atoll was also locked this morning, and had to be opened with the assistance of police.

Local radio station SunFM reported Alhan Fahmy, a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in Addu Atoll, as saying that he ”would not let courts in Addu to be opened.”

Fahmy was present at protests in Addu, SunFM reported, as Adduans expressed fury over the Civil Court ruling.

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Protesters bar entry to courts after Civil Court’s Addu ruling

Protesters temporarily barred entry to the Justice Building of the Maldives last night, in response to the Civil Court’s ruling that the Addu city criteria were invalid, forcing the Elections Commission (EC) to cancel the local council election in Addu this Saturday.

Today the Department of Judicial Administration said that the court of Hulhudhoo in Addu Atoll was also locked this morning, and had to be opened with the assistance of police.

Local radio station SunFM reported Alhan Fahmy, a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in Addu Atoll, as saying that he ”would not let courts in Addu to be opened.”

Fahmy was present at protests in Addu, SunFM reported, as Adduans expressed fury over the Civil Court ruling.

The Judicial Administration Department meanwhile said that it had requested additional security from police following media reports of further protests.

The department said it had informed police to provide security to magistrates, judges and courts and to investigate the attempts to obstruct the work of the courts.

Civil Court Judges Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Hathif Hilmy and Ali Naseer examined the case, which was filed by Hassan Nasir of Annaaru Villa/Addu Atoll Hulhudhoo.

The Court ruled that the criteria established by the Local Government Authority – consisting solely of Home Minister Hassan Afeef – were invalid.

Establishing the criteria required majority of the board, the Court said, as “if a law requires a certain decision to be taken by a particular council or a committee, the decision should be taken by the majority of the council or the committee unless interpreted otherwise.”

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Maldivian President joins calls for Mubarak to step down

President Mohamed Nasheed has joined the first wave of world leaders calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down and “heed the will of the Egyptian people,” after hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets and demanded the end of autocratic rule.

“Egypt is a mature country. It contains many reasonable people who are capable of ruling reasonably,” President Nasheed said, during an interview with the BBC yesterday.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has warned Mubarak that his actions now would determine his legacy.

“Mr Hosni Mubarak: I want to make a very sincere recommendation, a very candid warning… All of us will die and will be questioned over what we left behind,” Erdogan said, in a party speech broadcast in Arabic and reported by Reuters Africa.

“As Muslims, where we all go is a two cubic metre hole,” he said. “Listen to the shouting of the people, the extremely humane demands. Without hesitation, satisfy the people’s desire for change.”

Mubarak has meanwhile offered to step down at the next election, during an appearance on Egypt’s state-run television network.

“In the few months remaining in my current term I will work towards ensuring a peaceful transition of power,” Mubarak said. “I have exhausted my life in serving Egypt and my people. I will die on the soil of Egypt and be judged by history.”

However, demonstrators have called for Mubarak’s immediate departure, given the extraordinary expression of public anger taking place in the country.

Egypt’s opposition leader, Nobel peace laureate Mohamed El Baradei, yesterday noted that demonstrators were increasingly calling for the President to not just resign but be put on trial, and urged him to leave at once “if he wants to save his skin”.

In another development, after initial prevarication US President Barack Obama appears to have withdrawn support for the Egyptian leader, praising the protesters and calling for an immediate transition of power following a 30 minute conversation with Mubarak.

The US has been a key ally of the embattled Egyptian President, pumping US2$billion of aid in the country annually since 1979. Much of this – US$1.3 billion in 2010 – is military aid, mostly Pentagon castoffs, making Egypt the second largest such recipient of US military assistance after Israel. This has seen a good deal of public anger aimed at the US within Egypt.

Mubarak’s other public allies – Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – have been noticeably silent since the protests began.

Remarkably, the Egyptian military appears to have turned on Mubarak, stating publicly on state media that it would not obey orders to use force against the protesters.

“The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper has published a leaked confidential cable between Washington and the US Ambassador to Cairo, Margaret Scobey, sent on December 30, 2008, outlining conversations with an unnamed “activist” concerning “regime change” in Egypt prior to the elections in September 2011.

“According to [the source], the opposition is interested in receiving support from the army and the police for a transitional government prior to the 2011 elections. [The source] asserted that this plan is so sensitive it cannot be written down,” the communication revealed.

“[The source] asserted that Mubarak derives his legitimacy from US support, and therefore charged the US with ‘being responsible’ for Mubarak’s ‘crimes’,” wrote Scobey.

“He accused NGOs working on political and economic reform of living in a ‘fantasy world’, and not recognising that Mubarak – ‘the head of the snake’ – must step aside to enable democracy to take root.”

Scobey, however, did not appear optimistic about the source’s chances of success, describing its goal of replacing the current regime with a parliamentary democracy prior to the 2011 presidential elections as “highly unrealistic”.

“Most opposition parties and independent NGOs work toward achieving tangible, incremental reform within the current political context, even if they may be pessimistic about their chances of success. [The source’s] wholesale rejection of such an approach places him outside this mainstream of opposition politicians and activists,” Scobey wrote.

In his interview with the BBC, President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed called on Western powers “not to fear a democratic Egypt”, because this, he claimed, “is the best guarantor of fundamental liberties and human rights.”

“Suppressing people with extremist views through repressive means only makes them stronger,” he said.

“Fundamental rights and freedoms are human aspirations… things that all of us want. These forces are playing out on the streets of the Middle East today.”

The Maldivian government has asked Maldivians in Egypt to leave the country as protests escalate. Haveeru reported that 107 Maldivian nationals were leaving the country today on an Indian flight va Mumbai, arranged by the government.

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Addu election canceled after Civil Court rules Addu city criteria invalid

The Civil Court has ruled that the government’s criteria to declare Addu a city are invalid, days before the local council elections are due to take place.

Yesterday evening the decision led the Election Commission to cancel the elections in Addu.

Local newspaper Haveeru reported that Civil Court Judges Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Hathif Hilmy and Ali Naseer had examined the case, before ruling that the criteria established by the Local Government Authority – consisting solely of Home Minister Hassan Afeef – were invalid. According to court documents cited by Haveeru, this ruling came from a case filed by Hassan Nasir of Annaaru Villa/Addu Atoll Hulhudhoo.

Establishing the criteria required majority of the board, the Court said, as “if a law requires a certain decision to be taken by a particular council or a committee, the decision should be taken by the majority of the council or the committee unless interpreted otherwise.”

Afeef said he was unable to comment as he had not yet seen the Civil Court’s ruling.

The Civil Court first overturned the President’s declaration of Addu as city last month, citing the technicality that the criteria to establish the definition of a city had not been established as required by the Local Government Authority.

That case was filed by the minority opposition party Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), and strong feelings on the subject among Addu citizens in Male’ and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters led to protests outside the house of DQP Leader Hassan Saeed – himself a prominent Adduan.

In response, President Nasheed appointed Afeef to then-empty Local Government Authority – leaving other positions empty – who hastily published city criteria in the government gazette.

The criteria stated that a region would be considered a city if it had a minimum population of 25,000 people and a GDP of no less than Rf 1 billion. The GDP of Addu in 2010 was more than Rf 2 billion, while the population is almost 30,000, according to the Department of National Planning.

The President then declared Addu a city for the second time, even as the Elections Commission (EC) warned that it could be obligated to repeat the voter registration process in Addu, potentially delaying the local council elections in Addu by two weeks. The EC subsequently decided to continue with the election on February 5, on correction of the procedure.

Minivan News sought response from the Attorney General Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, but had not received any at time of press.

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Island chiefs, magistrates and secretaries on alms list: NSPA

A number of island chiefs, magistrates and secretaries have signed up for alms under the government’s social welfare programme, the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has claimed.

Speaking to Haveeru, NSPA Chairman Ibrahim Waheed observed that “some of the government employees that collect the highest salaries are also registered on the list.”

“According to my knowledge, alms are paid to the poor,” he said.

The recipients were discovered during a review of the alms list, after the government granted those on the list free participation in the Madhana health insurance service.

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Egyptian military to protect protesters ahead of million-strong gathering

The Egyptian army has signaled that it is willing to support the population’s right to protest and announced that it would not use force to put down legitimate demands for democratic reform.

Journalists present in Egypt have noted that the army has popular support from many protesters, unlike the police who have been accused of launching a violent crackdown on the demonstrators – Reuters has reported the deaths of at 138 people.

Hundreds and thousands of demonstrators have meanwhile packed the centre square of Cario and demanded an end to the 30 year regime of President Hosni Mubarak, a figure who’s autocratic excesses have been widely tolerated by Western powers in the interests of regional stability.

In a statement aired on state media, the Mena news agency, the military claimed that “The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people.”

The government has meanwhile cut access to the internet and mobile phone services in a bid to reduce the size of the demonstration, while yesterday authorities revoked the license of news agency Al-Jazeera, shutting its office in Cairo and withdrawing the accreditation of its staff.

“In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people,” the network said, promising that it would continue its coverage.

Egypt’s opposition leader, Nobel peace laureate Mohamed El Baradei, is emerging as a key personality as civil discontent skyrockets. Calling on Mubarak to leave the country “if he wants to save his skin”, El Baradei has observed that demonstrators were increasingly calling for the President to not just resign, but be put on trial for his handing of the demonstrations.

President Mohamed Nasheed spoke to the former UN weapons inspector on Sunday, emphasising that “Maldivians will always support those who are peacefully advocating for political freedom in Egypt.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian economy has ground to a halt as tourism fades and businesses across the country close because of the threat of looters. At the Egyptian National Museum, home to some of humanity’s oldest archaeological artifacts, looters damaged a number of objects including several ancient mummies, before hundreds of Egyptian citizens formed a chain around the museum to protect it.

The military has since secured the museum, placing snipers on the roof and detaining 50 men following subsequent attempts to loot and destroy the artifacts.

Egypt’s most iconic site, the Pyramids of Giza, have been closed to visitors.

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Local involvement key to sustainable development, says President

President Mohamed Nasheed has claimed that the involvement of local people in development was key to ensuring sustainable development in the country.

During a campaign visit to Vilufushi in Thaa Atoll yesterday, Nasheed said developing islands required people to make their opinions heard, which could only be achieved through having an island council “backed by the people.”

As one of the islands most impacted by the 2004 tsunami, Nasheed said promised the government would build houses on the island under both the tsunami housing project and the government’s housing programme.

He also noted the introduction of telemedicine services on the island.

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