President Mohamed Nasheed has appointed Finance Minister Ali Hashim as the acting tourism minister.
Former Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad was appointed Attorney General when former Attorney General Husnu Suood resigned, claiming his job was untenable because of parliamentary obstruction. The appointment is awaiting approval of parliament.
President Nasheed has said he will appoint a new tourism minister shortly.
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(0)The body of a child was discovered in Kamadhoo of Baa Atoll, report the Maldives Police Service.
Police reported that the body was discovered in the sea by islanders and that the boy was dead when he was carried to hospital.
Police are now investigating the case.
Daily newspaper Haveeru reported that the boy was one year and six months old. The newspaper reported that the boy fell into the sea while he was playing near the island’s jetty.
(0)Dislikes(0)Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed has accused parliament of stacking the Supreme Court bench in favour of the two major parties, the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).
Rasheed alleged that out of seven judges appointed for Supreme Court, four were appointed in favor of the DRP and People’s Alliance (PA) coalition, while the other three was appointed by the MDP.
‘’I have seen lately that the work of the parliament is divided by the interests of the two main political parties,’’ said Rasheed in yesterday’s parliament session.
Rasheed also complained that Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Shahid had failed to inform MPs that the issue of cabinet ministers’ reappointment was in committee. He cited article number 128 of the parliament’s law, which says that all committee work must be concluded within seven days time and MPs notified.
“My question is, are the cabinet ministers going to be divided like the Supreme Court judges?” Rasheed asked.
He claimed it was already “very difficult for me when I can’t summon ministers.’’
“Are the [reappointments] taking so long because the [cabinet ministers] are not yet divided equally among you?’’ he asked the chamber. ‘’We should be ashamed to criticise the president while our own actions are like this.’’
Rasheed decried the “lack of sincerity” in the parliament.
“During the appointment of the civil service commission members, there was a person who scored the marks, who was supposed to be listed as the third [appointment], but he was listed as the sixth. Where is the sincerity of the parliament?’’ he claimed. “Is it the president who is still wrong?’’
Rasheed added that his patience “has reached its end”, and that he could not wait “see the parliament swallowed by the two main political parties”.
In the silence following Rasheed’s outburst in the chamber, Rasheed said the MPs were silent “because they know I am speaking the truth about parliament.”
“The parliament’s work is unfair,’’ he added.
Shahid replied that he had informed the chair of the committee [examining the reappointment of cabinet ministers] of the committee’s obligation to disclose information, “and have sent a letter as a reminder.”
‘’I assure all MPs that I would not commit any such act the honorable member has mentioned,” said Shahid.
(0)Dislikes(0)The government claims to be seeking legal advice concerning issues relating to the local council elections scheduled for October.
The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said there were contradictory definitions mentioned in the decentralisation and local council acts.
For instance, Hulhudhoo and Meedhu in Addu Atoll are considered two different islands and have their own island offices, but both are located on the same land mass. Under the decentralisation act, two islands on the same land or in the same lagoon would be considered one island, Zuhair explained.
“But in the local council elections act island offices are [allocated] for every island. As a result, it is now difficult to determine on which islands councils should be established,’’ he said.
Zuhair said the Elections Commission [EC] would try to hold elections on time, regardless to the issues raised.
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said DRP has already presented a bill to the parliament to resolve the issue.
”We will amend the law to provide power to the citizens, and we might as well amend the constitution if necessary,” said Mausoom. ”In the bill it will determine how the local councils should be established in the controversial islands of Addu Atoll and Fuvamulah.”
In May, the parliament passed legislation on local council elections. The bill was initially passed in such a way that any person who lived out of their birthplace was required to travel to their home island.
Article 4 of the first legislation passed said voters would have to be present in their island of birth or registered constituency in order to cast their ballots.
President Mohamed Nasheed vetoed the bill, claiming a large number of people from the atolls living in Male’ or “40 per cent of the population”, would be deprived of the right to vote if he ratified the bill.
President of the Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Adhaalath Party has called on parliament and President Mohamed Nasheed to include a religious scholar in the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives [HRCM], as stipulated in the constitution.
“HRCM is an institute established according to the constitution of the Maldives. The constitution very clearly states how to appoint members for the commission,’’ said a statement issued by the party. “According to the constitution, the Human Rights Commission should consist of people with different skills, [one of which] is that there should be a person educated in the field of Islam.”
The lack of such a person was a “constitutional absence”, the statement said. “Therefore, members are currently being appointed for the commission, we appeal to the president and parliament to focus attention on including persons from different areas in the commission.’’
The party also said it hoped parliament and president would endeavor to keep independent commissions, such as HRCM, free from people of partisan political background.
Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said that the president would give due consideration to the Adhaalath Party’s request.
”I think it is a requirement mentioned in the constitution,” said Zuhair, “and of course the president gives high priority to requirements mentioned in the constitution.”
The parliament last week appointed three members for the HRCM, out of eight names proposed by the president.
The three members appointed for HRCM were Maryam Azra Ahmed of Maafannu Hukuradhige, Jeehaan Mahmood of Dheyliyage in Hinnavaru of Lhaviyani Atoll and Ahmed Thalal of Henveiru Adduge. Former President of HRCM Ahmed Saleem was not approved by the parliament.
(0)Dislikes(0)A policeman crashed who allegedly killed an elderly woman after crashing into her on his motorcycle will appear in court charged with recklessly driving an engine vehicle, according to a report in Haveeru.
52-year-old Shakeela and her grandson were allegedly hit and injured while crossing the road by Shimaz Ahmed of Guleynooranmaage on Villingilli in Gaaf Alif Atoll.
According to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Shakeela died of internal bleeding in the hospital two hours after the incident on March 2. Her grandson suffered head injuries but recovered.
In its report, Haveeru published a picture of Shimaz riding a motorcycle in September 2009 while appearing to talk on a mobile phone.
(0)Dislikes(0)A delegation from the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), led by two former UN Special Rapporteurs, will visit the Maldives September 13-18 to discuss a long-term engagement aimed at strengthening the country’s judiciary.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ICJ had agreed to work with the government on “a sustainable basis” to strengthen the judiciary and incorporate international standards into national law and practice, and build public trust in the legal institution.
The ICJ mission will be led by Dr Param Cumaraswamy and Dr Leandro Despouy. Dr Cumaraswamy was UN Special Rapporteur from 1994 to 2003 and has held roles including President of the Law Association of Asia and Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the International Bar Association.
Dr Despouy was the UN Special Rapporteur from 2003-2009 and was previously the President of the UN Human Rights Commission.
The Foreign Ministry described the pair “as two of the world’s foremost experts on matters pertaining to the judicial sector and the separation and balance of powers between the judiciary and the other branches of government.”
During their visit in September the pair will decide the terms of reference for the ICJ’s engagement, and “gather information about the challenges to judicial independence and integrity, and report back with findings and recommendations.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed said that while the country had taken “important steps” to increase independence and trust in the judiciary through parliament’s appointment of a Supreme Court last week, “Rome wasn’t built in a day and it is important that we, as a country and as a government, think long-term.”
Speaking to Minivan News earlier this month, the President’s member on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), Aishath Velezinee, called for international arbitration of the judiciary, particularly disputes regarding the reappointment of judges under standards she argued were unconstitutional “and would deprive the nation of an honest judiciary.”
“We need an impartial investigation of what is going on. And I believe the Maldives does not have anyone able to conduct an impartial investigation. We need assistance,” she said.
(0)Dislikes(0)The opposition coalition against airport privatisation has announced the four opposition parties – including the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Jumhoree Party (JP), People’s Alliance (PA) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) – will draft a bill governing “operations and rules” at Male’ International Airport.
A statement issued by the coalition said the draft bill would be presented to parliament this week.
“We will not hesitate to take action against those who violated the law in leasing Male’ International Airport, a state asset, to [Indian infrastructure firm] GMR for 25 years,” said the statement.
“We assure the people of the Maldives that we stand steady and go forward on this issue.’’
The opposition parties – which strongly oppose the government’s decision to upgrade the airport under a 25 year management contract to the GMR-Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) consortium – have not yet revealed whether the bill will oppose the deal outright, or restrict its operations in some way.
DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom said the contents of the bill would be disclosed on conclusion of the drafting process, but said he believed the bill’s object “is not to utterly obstruct the leasing of the international airport.”
Leader of the DQP Dr Hassan Saeed refused to comment to Minivan News on the issue.
According to a report in Haveeru, the DQP’s Deputy Leader Dr Mohamed Jameel told the newspaper in a statement that the bill’s objective was to ensure the airport was “managed by the government or a [Maldivian] company assigned by the government. The aim is to prevent [the government] from giving the airport to a foreign party. The bill will specify everything very clearly,” he said.
Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said opposition coalition had proved they had vested interests concerned concerning the lease of the airport, and “have shown they are not working not in the interests of the nation, but rather their own self-interest.”
”When the first announced the proposal and published it locally and internationally, no person expressed concern or protested against it,” said Zuhair. ”Because the government did not receive [acceptable bids], the government requested proposals a second time, this time with the assistance of the World Bank.”
Opposition parties were silent throughout, he said, and expressed disapproval “only when the transaction had reached its final stages.”
Zuhair queried the coalition’s claims that leasing the airport compromised the country’s nationalism: “It is only the management of the Airport that we are handing over to GMR – the water company is operated the same way, and so far no one has complained about that. It just shows how insincere the opposition are being.”
The GMR-MAHB consortium will spend US$373 million upgrading the international airport after winning the controversial bid. Last week it held workshops with airport staff and stakeholders to determine what would be required.
Speaking at the opening of the cavernous Delhi Terminal 3, GMR Manager P Sri Pathi told Maldivian journalists that physical work would begin on the airport towards the end of this year.
(0)Dislikes(0)Former President of the Anti-Corruption-Commission (ACC) Ali Rasheed Umar,who was proposed by President Mohamed Nasheed as the new Auditor General following a vote of no-confidence in Ibrahim Naeem, has been refused by parliament’s finance committee.
Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan said Umar was failed “due to integrity issues.”
“Some questions were raised at the committee regarding issues of integrity,” said Nihan. “There were some claims made against him when he was the President of ACC, and some other issues.’’
Former Auditor General Ahmed Naeem was dismissed by a no-confidence motion in parliament.
Parliament voted to dismiss Auditor General Naeem with 43 in favour and 28 against, after the ACC accused him of corruption for using the government’s money to buy a tie and visit Thulhaidhu in Baa Atoll.
Naeem claimed the charges were an attempt to discredit his office and prevent him from reclaiming the government’s money stored in overseas bank accounts.
“A lot of the government’s money was taken through corrupt [means] and saved in the banks of England, Switzerland, Singapore and Malaysia,” Naeem claimed, demanding a financial audit of current and former government ministers. He was dismissed by the opposition majority parliament several weeks later.
Press secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair was unavailable at time of press.
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