Tag: MDP

MDP submits case of police brutality against MPs to IPU

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has submitted a case alleging police brutality against their parliamentarians to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The case has been filed with the IPU’s committee on the human rights of the parliamentarians, in the ongoing 126th IPU Assembly held at Kampala, Uganda.

MP Eva Abdullah, one of the delegates representing the Maldives in the conference earlier said that MDP would submit the case of police brutality that took place between February 7-8.

She had also said that apart from the police brutality that took place in February, she would also highlight ongoing police brutality against ordinary citizens in Male’.

The delegates participating in the IPU Assembly include Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Shahid, MDP MP Eva Abdullah, MDP MP and the party spokesperson Imtiyaz Fahmy, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Yusuf Naseem and MP Ali Arif from Progressive party of the Maldives (PPM).

Speaking to Minivan News, MDP Spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the MDP has been communicating with the IPU regarding the ongoing political situation.

“We have been regularly sending updates to the IPU. Eva and Imthiyaz who are the two delegates representing the MDP will speak on behalf of MDP.” Hamid said.

Local Newspaper Haveeru News reported that the case filed by MP Eva Abdullah has been scheduled for discussion on Sunday.

It also reported that IPU has invited the Maldivian government to participate in the discussions. Spokesperson of the President’s Office, Abbas Adil Riza, will set to represent the government in the discussions.

IPU delegates have visited the Maldives twice since the transfer of power that took place in the Maldives on February 7.

The organisation last visited the Maldives on March 17. MDP MPs prevented President Mohamed Waheed Hassan from giving his presidential address on the opening session of parliament on March 1.

During the visit, Martin Chungong, Director of Programmes for the IPU, told the gathered media that it was vital for parliament to preserve its integrity by continuing to function correctly as well as calling on all parties to avoid inciting or committing acts of violence during the session amidst the “political stand-off”.

The IPU is the world organisation of parliaments and was established in 1889. It works to foster coordination and exchange between representative institutions across the globe. The IPU also offers technical support to affiliated nations. The Maldives has been affiliated with the organization since 2005.

The IPU assembly is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the IPU on political issues. It brings together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action. The IPU assembly takes place once in every year.

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Three former ministers and wives attacked

Three of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s ministers and their wives were attacked yesterday midnight around midnight, reports Haveeru. A council member of the Progressive Party of the Maldives, Ahmed ‘Maaz’ Saleem, was also attacked an hour earlier.

According to Haveeru, those attacked included Hassan Latheef, the former minister of human resources, youth and sports, Hassan Afeef, the former minister of home affairs and Mohamed Shihab, the former minister of home affairs, and later Nasheed’s political advisor.

The attack happened at  around 12:30am near the KAM hotel, while the ministers were on their way home after the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally held at Artificial Beach. Hassan Latheef and Mohamed Shihab were with their wives on separate motorcycle, while Hassan Afeef was riding another motorcycle when the attack happened.

In an interview with local media, Shihab said that all the ministers and their wives suffered minor injuries. He also alleged that the attackers included members of Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

President Waheed expressed his disappointment with the attacks on the ministers on his official twitter account.

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Disagreement on house rules post-coup leaves parliament in limbo, claims MDP

The ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will reject amendments to house rules to allow the government to submit bills through any party, the party has said in a statement on Wednesday.

Article 71 of the parliamentary rules of procedure states the government can only submit bills, including tax bills, to the parliament through the party it represents.

However, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s Gaumee Ithihad (GI) does not have representation in the Majlis. Waheed, the former vice-president, took power after MDP’s President Mohamed Nasheed resigned on February 7. The MDP claims Nasheed was ousted in a coup d’état.

Nasheed’s deposition has raised questions over MDP’s status in parliament. According to MDP’s statement, parliamentary group leader Ibrahim Mohamed ‘Ibu’ Solih has written to Speaker Abdulla Shahid stressing that the MDP was elected for a five-year term and the administration continued to belong to the MDP, despite the transfer of power.

“The Majlis is in limbo,” MDP spokesperson and Malé MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor told Minivan News. “MDP has been elected for a five-year term. In the middle of the term Shahid is trying to make us out to be the opposition. He is attempting to bring about a coup within parliament.”

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim had told local media Haveeru that house rules needed to be amended to allow Waheed’s administration to submit bills before Majlis reconvenes. He also said any bills submitted by Nasheed’s administration are now void and have to be submitted again.

“From the moment when President Waheed addressed the assembly, the new government has now been accepted by the Parliament. In my view, the bills submitted by the former government have now been rendered void. Hence the bills must be resubmitted,” Nazim said.

The MDP attempted to prevent Dr Waheed from delivering a constitutionally-mandated presidential address and obstruct the Majlis from reconvening on March 1 and March 19.

Waheed narrowly managed to deliver a shortened presidential address on March 19, over loud heckling from MDP MPs.

With MDP’s refusal to allow amendments to the house rules, the MDP and the coalition of parties backing Dr Waheed will now go “head to head” on the matter when Majlis reconvenes on Monday, Gafoor said.

Nazim also said the Majlis has to decide on opposition response to the president’s address. According to article 25 of the Majlis rules of procedure, the largest political party opposing the president’s party in Majlis must respond to the presidential address.

Ibu has said the MDP will not issue a rebuttal to Dr Waheed’s address as the party continues to question Waheed’s legitimacy and the constitutionality of the March 19 Majlis opening session.

“As long as the MDP continues to be the elected administration, the MDP parliamentary group does not have to respond to the presidential address,” the party’s statement read.

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Immigration Department reminds foreigners not to interfere in politics

Assistant Controller of the Immigration Department Ibrahim Ashraf has reiterated the strict penalties for foreign nationals who engage in political protests whilst in the Maldives.

Police have begun an investigation, in conjunction with the immigration department, into suggestions that foreigners were involved in the protest that accompanied the opening of the Majlis on March 19. Minivan News was unable to contact the police for a comment on this investigation at the time of press.

Ashraf revealed that one of the suspects had already departed the country of his own accord.

Whilst being unaware of any specific instances of foreign involvement in the protests mentioned, MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor reaffirmed his party’s commitment to encompassing what he regards as global discontent into peaceful protests.

“We will be encouraging [foreign] participation. Out protests will go beyond borders. We are part of a global village and we have been violated. We will invite NGOs [to protest] and even tourists,” said Ghafoor.

“We want their voice with our cause. Peaceful protesters need to find a mechanism to lend their voice,” he continued.

Ashraf drew attention to the stipulations clearly detailed on the Immigration Department’s website which mentions the potential for immediate removal if foreigners are, “found participating in any unlawful activity or even the intention to participate or initiate an unlawful activity.” It also mentions penalties for those “suspected of disrupting the religious or political harmony.”

“Any foreigner on any sort of visa is not permitted to engage in political activity,” said Ashraf, “this is common for every country.”

Regarding the “strict” measures referred to in other media reports, the Assistant Controller said that this can involve permanent deportation or simply removal without deportation, depending on the gravity of the offence.

When asked to respond to these legal issues regarding the participation of foreigners in politics, Ghafoor responded “we might have to reconsider these restrictive laws.”

German national Patrick Crilly was taken into police custody earlier this month after photographing the police attempting to disperse a protest outside the Bank of Maldives (BML) using high-powered hoses.

He later explained that his detention was supposedly on the grounds of refusing to obey a police order, although he denies being given one. Crilly, a medical intern on a visa run from Sri Lanka, was detained for two and a half hours before being released without charge. The police denied that he had been officially arrested.

In 2006, an individual identifying himself as Michael Lord-Castle and four associates were deported from the Maldives for life after suspected involvement in political activity.

His controversial security-cum-fraud-investigation group, Global Protection Committee (GPC), was spotted on the streets of Male’ during the build up to the Maldivian Democratic Party’s planned assembly for constitutional change.

Lord-Castle originally signed a statement saying he had been invited by the MDP, a fact he later denied.

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Parties to fight vigorously to win the by-elections on 14 April

Four by-elections announced by the Elections Commission will take place on April 14, with two seats in parliament and two island council seats being contested.

These include elections of councilors for the vacant seat in both Thaa Atoll Gaadhiffushi Island council and Haa Dhaal Atoll Kumundhoo island council, and the election of MPs for the parliament seats of Thaa Atoll Thimarafushi Constituency (formerly held by MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa) and Kaafu Atoll Kaashidhoo Constituency (formerly held by Independent MP Ismail Abdul Hameed).

The two MPs were unseated after the Supreme Court recently upheld court sentences against the pair, and disqualified them.

Former MDP MP Musthafa was unseated after Supreme Court on February 20 ruled in favor of a case lodged by the Interim Vice President of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Umar Naseer, in which the court had found that Musthafa had an unpaid debt. Musthafa owed US$500,000 to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).

According to the Maldives Constitution, an MP with a legally proven unpaid debt who is found to be not paying the debt regularly will be disqualified as an MP.

Former Independent MP Hameed lost his seat after he was found guilty of a corruption case during his tenure in Male Municipality as a Director.

Hameed was found guilty of using his position as then Director of Male Municipality to buy a barge for the waste management unit, claiming that it had been received when it had not, and paying the remaining 50 percent of the bill to the company concerned.

The Criminal Court sentenced Hameed to to one and a half years banishment. According to the constitution, an elected MP loses his seat if the MP is found guilty of a criminal offence, and if the sentence counts to more than a year.

Political parties including the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoree Party (JP) and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have announced that their candidates will be contesting in the by-elections.

Two parties, the MDP and PPM, have fielded candidates for all four elections while DRP and JP have each fielded a candidate in one election.

However, PPM after fielding their candidate Mohamed Waheed for the Kaashidhoo constituency parliamentary seat, former lawyer of Ex President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom , decided to support the JP candidate for the seat, business tycoon Abdulla Jabir, amid reports of internal conflict within the party over the decision.

The ‘out of favor’ candidate of PPM openly called in a PPM rally held recently that he would not support JP candidate Jabir, whilst the PPM’s leadership, including former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, stated that PPM had fully backed Jabir for the sake of the “national interest”.

The unseated MP for Thimarafushi Constituency, Musthafa, has decided to re-run in the election for the same seat he lost, while PPM fielded former People’s Alliance (PA) and Elections Commission’s Secretary General Ahmed Shareef.

Two other parties had also filed their candidacy to the elections commission, which included the a lost candidate in the primary held by MDP to decide to whom the party ticket would be given.

The second candidate, prominent lawyer Abdullah Shair, who filed his candidacy as an independent, was rejected by the elections commission citing that he had not submitted the required documents within the specified time period. Shair has filed a case in High Court asking the court to order the Elections Commission to accept his candidacy.

Three candidates are contesting the island council by-election of Haa Dhaal Atoll Kumundhoo island. They are Abdul Hameed Abdul Kareem from DRP, Aishath Hassan from MDP and Mohamed Shaafee from PPM.

Two candidates are contesting the island council by-election of Thaa Atoll Gaadhiffushi island: Hussain Shiyaau from PPM and Mohamed Irushaad from MDP.

Both the MDP and the PPM have expressed confidence in winning the elections and are heavily campaigning for the seats.

DRP and other coalition partners of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan have backed the PPM candidate for the Thimarafushi Constituency parliamentary seat, and backed JP Candidate Abdullah Jaabir for Kaashidhoo Constituency Parliamentary seat.

The Elections Commission has also announced a by-election for the Noonu atoll Maafaru Island Council after the MDP Councilor Anwar Abdul Ghanee lost his seat after he was removed from the Party.

According to the law, a councilor loses his seat if he is removed from the party in which he had been elected.

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MDP’s Lonuziyaaraiy Kolhu case continues

Further specifics of the government’s case against the Madivian Democratic Party (MDP) emerged duing the continuation of the Lonuziyaaraiy Kolhu case yesterday.

As the hearings neared their conclusion, the state was given the opportunity to defend itself against the charges levelled against it following the dismantling of the ‘Justice Square’ camp on Monday March 19.

Deputy Solicitor General of Attorney General’s (AG) Office Ahmed Usham, presented video and pictoral evidence to the court which, he argued, proves illegal activity was occurring on the site.

He also told the court that the MDP had breached the terms of the lease agreement with the council, utilising space beyond the boundaries of the agreed upon Tsunami Monument area. This claim was contested by the MDP.

Usham also suggested that the lease was made on the condition that the camp’s activities remained legal, did not disturb the local residents, and were respectful of prayer times; conditions that he argued were breached.

Finally, the government representative suggested that Male’ City Council’s (MCC) lease of the area for political purposes was in contravention of the decentralisation regulation which prohibits the use of public space for political purposes.

The MDP maintains that the seizure cannot be legal if it was not supported by a court order. They also pointed out that the alleged discovery of alcohol in the area had not yet been proven in court.

The case is scheduled to continue on Thursday.

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HRCM questions former Defence Minister over arrest of Chief Judge

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has summoned former Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim for questioning over the arrest of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Tholath said he told the commission that the information about the arrest of the judge could not be revealed to HRCM as the matter concerned national security.

Tholhath told Minivan News that he had informed the commission that he would only answer questions related to human rights violations.

Tholhath was accompanied to the commission by  lawyer Nooruban Fahmy, the sister of MDP Deputy Leader and MP Alhan Fahmy.

President of HRCM, Mariyam Azra, recently told Minivan News that the commission was hoping to conclude the investigation before next month.

On March 4, Police summoned  Tholhath for questioning over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s arrest of Abdulla Mohamed.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) on the evening of Monday, January 16, in compliance with a police request.

The judge’s whereabouts were not revealed until January 18. The MNDF acknowledged receipt but did not comply with Supreme Court orders to release the judge.

Opposition political parties held a series of protests which culminated on the morning of February 7 with police joining opposition demonstrators in an assault on the MNDF’s headquarters, and the resignation of Nasheed – allegedly under duress – and the handover of the presidency to Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Last week, Former President Mohamed Nasheed was also summoned before HRCM, in connection to his role in the controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed earlier this year.

The former president attributed the initial arrest call to his Defence Ministry, on the grounds of “protecting” national security relating to alleged ethical concerns about the judge.

On the day Nasheed resigned, Judge Abdulla was brought Male’ and released from his detention.

The first complaints against Abdulla Mohamed filed in July 2005 by then Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed included allegations of misogyny, sexual deviancy, and throwing out an assault case despite the confession of the accused.

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the judicial watchdog, eventually formed a complaints committee to investigate the cases against Judge Abdulla in December 2009, which met 44 times but had failed to present a single report as of March 2011.

The JSC eventually concluded an investigation into politically-contentious comments made by Judge Abdulla Mohamed on DhiTV, but the report was never released after the judge sought a Civil Court injunction against his further investigation in September 2011.

Then-Home Minister Hassan Afeef subsequently accused the judge of “taking the entire criminal justice system in his fist”, listing 14 cases of obstruction of police duty including withholding warrants for up to four days, ordering police to conduct unlawful investigations and disregarding decisions by higher courts.

Afeef accused the judge of “deliberately” holding up cases involving opposition figures, barring media from corruption trials, ordering the release of suspects detained for serious crimes “without a single hearing”, and maintaining “suspicious ties” with family members of convicts sentenced for dangerous crimes.

The judge also released a murder suspect “in the name of holding ministers accountable”, who went on to kill another victim.

Then Vice President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan opposed the judge’s detention, stating on his blog that “I am ashamed and totally devastated by the fact that this is happening in a government in which I am the elected Vice President.”

Nasheed’s government requested assistance from the international community to reform the judiciary. Observing that judicial reform “really should come from the Judicial Services Commission (JSC)”, then Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said the commission’s shortcoming are “now an issue of national security.”

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Revision of schoolbooks is politicising children: former Education Minister

Former Education Minister and former Chancellor of the Maldives National University, Dr Musthafa Luthfy, has condemned the Ministry of Education’s decision to revise the Social Studies textbook for grade 7 students.

The Education Development Center (EDC), which is run under the Education ministry, last week issued a circular ordering primary schools to amend the unit on the government and include the information regarding the recent power transfer that took place in the country.

The statement that the EDC has asked to include reads: “President Nasheed resigned on 7 February 2012 after three years and two months in office. Hence, according to the constitution, Vice-president Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn in as president.”

Speaking to Minivan News, Dr Luthfy alleged that the government is allowing young school children to become involved in the intense political debate over the legitimacy of Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s government. He also raised suspicions that the decision may be due to some ‘political essence’ in the matter.

Dr Luthfy instead insisted the government be patient on the issue as it was highly sensitive and subject to controversy.

Dr Luthfy was previously a member of Dr Waheed’s Gaumee Ithihaad (GI) party, and is currently the Chair of the Maldivian Democractic Party (MDP)’s Select Committee on Education.

“We are asking the government to be patient as this a very controversial issue. This decision shows their impatience. What they are really doing is allowing young children to get involved in the ongoing political debate. That is not good. The book [after inclusion of the revised statement] reads as if nothing serious has happened and that the president just resigned, and the vice president succeeded in assuming presidency. But what is really happening is a bigger issue than that,” he said.

Dr Luthfy said that children would obviously be aware of the political crisis and that what they would read in the books was far too simplified and contradictory.

“A large proportion of people are questioning the legitimacy of the government. The parents of these children are already involved in the debate. It is being talked about on almost every corner, in shops, restaurants and everywhere. What the children read in the books is written down too simply. It is very contradicting for them,” Dr Luthfy said.

“I believe the state has an obligation to provide true and relevant information. Why can’t we have a little patience before writing down such a controversial issue? Aren’t we letting the children into this debate?” he questioned. “Our concern is not about changing what is already written in the books, but the involvement of children in the debates.”

“[The education ministry] could have written this at a later stage after a proper investigation of the power transfer.  They can’t change history, history will continue. What has happened cannot be concealed.”

The MDP had earlier released a statement condemning the Education Ministry’s decision. The statement said that that it was irresponsible of the education ministry to change the text books especially following a coup d’état, and without proper investigation it was misleading to include such a statement.

Speaking to Minivan News, Head of the Curriculum Division of the EDC, Dr Naashia Mohamed, said the EDC had a panel for each of the subjects taught in school and similarly, the panel responsible for the Social Studies subject had drafted the phrase to be included in the text book.

Asked about the comments made by Dr Musthafa Luthfy, she refused to comment.

State Minister of Education Imad Solih said he did not believe that all the details of what happened on February 7 had to be included in the textbook.

“I personally don’t believe that everything that happened has to be included in the book. The Social Studies textbook speaks about the President, so it is obvious that Dr Waheed is the president. It is the reality,” Solih said.

He also said that it was clear that President Nasheed had resigned, but the question being debated was whether it was forced or voluntary.

“Until a decision is made, Dr Waheed is still the president, and if anything changes that fact, they would bring the necessary changes,” he said.

Responding to Musthafa Luthfy’s comments on bringing school children into the debate, Solih acknowledged that there may be children at that age group who would discuss the issue, but he said that he saw it as a “secondary issue”.

Solih also said that the teachers were not investigators and were instead mandated to teach in line with a specific curriculum and guidelines, so they would teach from the curriculum.

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No negotiation on release of “criminals”: President’s Office

Spokesperson of the President’s Office, Abbas Adil Riza has said that the government welcomes Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s decision to come to the negotiation table to discuss on the proposed roadmap and holding of an early election, in a press conference on Sunday.

“MDP has said that they are ready to join the talks and we welcome that. We are ready to negotiate on terms that would bring peace and stability in the country,” said Riza said in his opening statement.

However, Riza said that MDP should “stop acts of terrorism” and “vandalism of public property”. Riza said that the government would not tolerate such acts and will not negotiate over the release of suspected criminals  behind the attacks on public property during MDP protests.

“The government will not negotiate in releasing those arrested and charged for terrorism, will not let them be considered political prisoners,” Riza said.

Highlighting the All Party Peace Talks, which were initiated by the government to implement a roadmap to bring necessary institutional reforms and pave way for an early election, Riza claimed that the MDP has two main conditions.

“One is to announce a date to hold the early elections and second is to withdraw charges against those who have been arrested in the protests,” he said.

Abbas claimed the government was open to negotiation of the first proposition but would not negotiate on releasing those arrested and withdrawing the charges.

”MDP is asking us to release those arrested for damaging public property and vandalism, but we cannot, and will not do it as our criminal justice system does not allow it,” Riza stated. “The government won’t agree on illegal and unlawful terms such as releasing criminals.”

Asked by a journalist on what basis Riza had accused the MDP of the recent acts of vandalism, Riza said that the MDP had openly called for such actions in their political gatherings.

“We are saying that the MDP is calling for terrorism because they have openly called at the podium to incite violence and has encouraged the acts of terrorism,” he alleged.

“They called to damage public property, arson attacks, they discuss the methods of how to attack the police, they teach techniques of confronting the police, and these things are clearly forbidden by the terrorism prohibition act. These acts clearly satisfy the conditions to be considered as acts of terrorism,” Riza said.

Speaking to Minivan, MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy denied the allegations of terrorism against the party.

“That is a very unfair remark Abbas has made. If they are calling us terrorists, they are basically saying that the citizens of this country are terrorists. We are the largest political party in terms of membership and support base. We have the most number of MPs representing in the parliament as a single party.

“Those in the protests are people voicing their concerns, so if they are calling us terrorists, then they are labeling the people of the country as terrorists,” Fahmy said.

“If anyone looks rationally into what is happening in this country, it will be clear that they are the real terrorists,” he continued.

“They brought this coup, they raided the state broadcaster like terrorists, they set fire to the MDP  haruge (headquarters) and they even raided the Raalhugandu Area where we had peaceful protests. So who are the real terrorists?” questioned Fahmy.

Regarding Riza’s statement on MDP negotiating the release of suspects, Fahmy said, “The MDP is not asking to release criminals. We were asking for the release of those who have been arrested unfairly. There are people who are under police custody who have not indulged in any form of violence. They are not criminals.”

Fahmy also reiterated that MDP is a peaceful democratic party and that they will always be open to negotiate on issues. He also said that because MDP had decided to negotiate with the government did not mean that their stand has changed.

Instead he said that the stand of the party is very clear: “to make sure that any government ruling over the country is in power legitimately.”

The current government is not legitimate and the public wants an early election, he stated.

The MDP earlier condemned the recent attacks on police.

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