Tag: minivan news

Maldivians detained in Pakistan now released

Two Maldivians detained at a jail in Pakistan have been released, the foreign ministry has revealed.

An official from foreign ministry has said that the families are now trying to bring them back to Male.

The Maldivian High Commission in Pakistan earlier revealed that the two detained in Rawalpindi, Pakistan are Nadal Rasheed of Henveiru Dhoohimerige and Hussain Naaz of Maafannu Madan.

The reason behind their arrest has yet to be officially revealed, however Haveeru has reported that they were arrested in connection with a drugs case.

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President appoints Spokesperson Riza as Minister of State for Finance and Treasury

Former President Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza has been appointed as the Minister of State for Finance and Treasury.

The position of spokesperson has now been assigned to ahmed Thaufeeg, Adivsor of Political Affairs at the President’s Office. The President’s Office gave no indication for the change.

Earlier this month, Riza sparked a diplomatic incident following an outburst aimed at the Indian High Commissioner in Maldives.

Speaking at an anti-GMR rally, Riza claimed that the commissioner was a “traitor and enemy of Maldives and Maldivian people. We don’t want these kind of diplomats on our soil”.

The comments prompted the government to disassociate itself from Riza’s remarks.

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Global ITF affiliates respond to calls for solidarity with MPWU members

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) affiliates have responded to a call for solidarity with members of the Maldives Port Workers Union (MPWU) over the alleged infringement of employee rights.

Earlier this year MPWU reported violations of their rights by employer Maldives Ports Limited (MPL). These included the dismissal of several workers and union leaders.

The ITF is now calling for President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik to instruct the management of state-owned MPL to enter into dialogue with the union in order for the problems to be addressed.

Recently, the President’s Office sent a letter to ITF claiming to have taken steps to address the issue, however it was labelled as “not convincing” by an ITF spokesperson.

President of MPWU Ibrahim Khaleel recently confirmed that a meeting had taken place with the President to discuss the dispute, however there is concern from the MPWU that the assurances made have yet to be put into practice.

Speaking to Minivan News earlier this month he said: “The president said that he would address the issue, however two weeks have passed and there has been no sign of negotiation and I have had no contact with the President’s Office.”

Unions from other countries including Germany, Liberia, Mauritius and Mexico have sent out protest letters and messages of solidarity.

Stephen Cotton, ITF acting general secretary said: “The ITF will go ahead with its campaign to mobilise its affiliates worldwide to pressure the Maldivian government so that its starts an immediate dialogue with the MPWU.

  1. “This should be aimed at resolving the dispute by reinstating the dismissed union office bearers and activists, recognising the union and negotiating to establish decent wages and working conditions in the ports.”
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Government informs diplomats of decision to take action on airport issue

The government has informed diplomats regarding its decision to “take action” on issues related to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA).

Government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza mentioned that the GMR contract was discussed, but did not give any further details.

A senior official of the President’s Office said that the information was shared with diplomats during a teleconference held by Riza and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon on Tuesday.

“They were informed that the contract results in serious losses to the state, and that the government has decided to take action on this issue,” the official said.

Rumours have been circulating social networking sites over the last week that the government plans to annul its contract with GMR at a cabinet meeting this Tuesday (November 27).

Minivan News obtained a personal letter sent by GMR Chairman G M Rao to President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, proposing an amendment to the Airport Service Charge exempting Maldivian nationals from having to pay the fee.

The letter notes that there has been no correspondence from the President’s Office regarding the proposal prior to sending the letter.

No information has been disclosed by the government regarding the GMR contract. However, anti-GMR parties said after meeting with the President, he had assured the government’s decision on GMR will be “as per people’s wishes”.

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UN defends role in Maldives, emphasises “political impartiality”

The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator has issued a statement defending the UN’s activity in the Maldives and reiterating its “strict impartiality toward political parties”.

The statement follows a recent accusation from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) that while “the IPU, CMAG, Canada, the Human Rights Committee, the EU and certain international NGOs such as Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights have expressed varying degrees of alarm at the Maldives’ backsliding on democracy and human rights, others including the UN Resident Coordinator and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have remained shamefully silent.”

“Since February’s overthrow of the Maldives’ democratically-elected government, key parts of the international community have remained silent regarding the widespread human rights violations taking place,” the party’s spokesperson, MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, said in a statement.

“To remain silent in the face of injustice is to be an accomplice to that injustice,” he added.

In a statement released on Sunday, the UN said it “continues to be concerned that the current situation in the country may have an impact on the country’s development”, and noted examples of the international organisation’s activities in the Maldives.

“As a trusted partner, the UN has spoken repeatedly in public and in private over the course of several years and three governments on democracy, development, and human rights. Most recently, the Secretary-General spoke of the need for political dialogue, national reconciliation, and respect for the constitution. He called on all parties to exercise maximum cooperation and restraint,” the UN stated.

“The High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs have engaged robustly and provided considerable support over the years on human rights, which has been further strengthened by the recent deployment of a human rights adviser,” the statement noted.

“The UN team in Maldives, led by the Resident Coordinator, works as part of the larger UN strategy focusing on development, human rights and support to democracy. Our primary and overriding interest is to work for the development of the country and the betterment of the lives of its people. It does this on the basis of a programme of cooperation signed with the government in the interest of the people of the Maldives. We do our work with national institutions in government and civil society, the private sector, and directly with communities.

“The UN team has been deeply engaged in building national capacity, and in urging and assisting Maldivians to take the lead in overcoming deep rooted national challenges. We will continue to provide support and advocate vigorously a renewed focus for development that builds on the gains of the past, and focuses on the needs of the country,” the organisation stated.

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No response from government over ADC amendment proposal, reveals letter from Rao to Waheed

Chairman of Indian infrastructure giant GMR, G M Rao, has reiterated the airport developer’s proposal to exempt Maldivians from paying the contentious airport development charge (ADC), in a personal letter to President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

Rao’s letter, dated November 21 and obtained by Minivan News, proposes that an increased fee of US$28 be levied from all international departing foreign passengers, in order to compensate for an ADC exemption for Maldivian passport holders.

Rao’s letter, sent on November 21, states the importance of the ADC and that the current non-levying of the ADC was benefiting international foreign passengers rather than the government.

“The ADC significantly contributes to the cash flows of [GMR Male International Airport] and undoubtedly, in turn significantly benefits the GoM and the Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) by way of concession fee payments.

“The said non-levy of ADC and Insurance Surcharge (IS) has resulted (at the costs of GMIAL and eventually MACL/GoM) in an entirely unintended benefit to the international foreign passengers who are enjoying and would enjoy in future as well, the enhanced facilities and privileges at the airport without commensurate payment,” the letter reads.

Following a Civil Court case filed in 2011 by the then-opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) blocking GMR from levying ADC from international foreign passengers, GMR – under instruction from a letter sent by MACL – has been deducting ADC revenue from concession fees due the government.

Following the removal of ADC, the government has received a succession of bills from the airport developer throughout 2012.

In the first quarter of 2012 the government received US$525,355 of an expected US$8.7 million, after the deduction of the ADC. That was followed by a US$1.5 million bill for the second quarter, after the ADC payable eclipsed the revenue due the government.

Combined with the third quarter payment due, the government now owes the airport developer US$3.7 million.

According to Rao, the proposal exempting Maldivian passport holders from ADC and instead charging all international departing foreign passengers from INIA an increased ADC fee, is out of “deference to the Maldivian public sentiments” and to “ensure the unintended financial loss to GMIAL, MACL or GoM is contained”.

So far however, Rao states that has been no correspondence from the President’s Office regarding the proposal prior to the sending of the letter.

Minivan tried to contact the President’s Office, but there was no response at time of press.

MACL’s report “ridden with calculation errors”.

A further report addressed to President Waheed, entitled: ‘Concession Agreement dated 28th June 2010 relating to INIA, Male – purported report submitted by MACL regarding benefits to Maldives’, goes on to provide “accurate” and “factual” information relating to the benefits to the Maldives that the GMR-Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Consortium envisages.

Commenting on MACL’s recently prepared report that implies airport concession will have a negative impact on the Maldives, the GMR report claims it is “ridden with calculation errors” of which are “not only highly misleading but are full with errors and oversight”.

“It is estimated that over the concession period, GMR-MAHB will pay more than MRF 32.5 bilion to MACL as concession fee and MRF 12.5 billion as Passenger Service Chards (PSC) to the government.

“MACL report claims that if MACL operate the airport, they will make a profit of MRF 60 billion. However, once the errors in their report are corrected it will show that they will make a profit of MRF 18 billion only.

“The report also claims that when GMR-MAHB is operating the airport, MACL will make only MRF 21 billion. However, once the errors are corrected it will show that MACL will receive a concession fee of MRF 32.5 billion from GMR- MAHB,” GMR’s report claims.

Recently there has been mounting pressure from parties within the Maldives calling for the government to annul the agreement with Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

According to rumours circulating on social media sites, the government will allegedly cancel the GMR contact at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Tweets were being circulated speculating that a Chinese intermediary was prepared to pay for the contract termination and take over the airport development.

However asked to confirm or deny these rumours, Economics Minister Ahmed Mohamed said he was “unaware of any such action”.

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JP Legal Committee member files Supreme Court case to cancel seats of DRP MPs Nashiz and Azim

The Jumhoree Party’s Police and Legal Committee member Mohamed Haleem Ali has filed a case at the Supreme Court asking it to rule Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs Ali Azim and Mohamed Nashiz unfit to stay in their elected seats following the Bank of Maldives’ foreclosure on their loans.

“The civil court’s ruling number 935 of 2009 asks them to pay back the debts to BML. They didn’t. So I have submitted this case in accordance with subclause one of Article 73(c) and 74 of the constitution,” Haleem stated.

Subclause 1 of Article 73 of the Constitution of the Maldives states that a candidate for membership or a sitting member of the parliament would be disqualified if he has a decreed debt which is not being paid as per court rulings.

Article 74 states that any question concerning the qualifications or removal of a member of the People’s Majlis shall be determined by the Supreme Court.

MPs Nashiz and Azim have been in parliament since the 2009 election, the same year in which the civil court order them to pay the BML debts.

Asked why Haleem was submitting the case nearly three years into the debt case, after the Civil Court had Thursday ruled BML could sell the mortgaged property in lieu of payment by the guarantors, he replied: “Their seats would have been lost after the first month’s failure to pay as per the court order anyway. They are only able to sit in there because the Supreme Court has so far not ruled on the matter.”

The Supreme Court has confirmed that the case submission has been registered at the court. However, a court official said that the court has not yet made a decision on whether or not to accept the case.

JP concerned Haleem acted without consulting party

JP Spokesperson Moosa Rameez said the party had no role in filing the case against the DRP MPs.

“In fact, we are very concerned that Haleem submitted the case without any consultation whatsoever with the party. He’s not an ordinary member of the party, he sits on one of our committees. He ought to have discussed this within the party first. We only learned about it when it was covered in local media,” Rameez said.

Haleem responded saying that he had submitted the case in his personal capacity, and that he felt no need to consult with the party on personal decisions.

“As a party, JP would never wish loss or harm on anyone. I have no comment on the party’s position. However, I did this as an individual, for the betterment of the society. I am a lawyer by profession and felt it was time to take the initiative to bring this to the Supreme Court’s attention,” Haleem stated.

All parties are picking on us as we are the most popular party: DRP

DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom declined from commenting on the case in court, stating that everyone has the right to submit cases to courts, and to defend themselves in whatever way possible.

“I do know, however, that all parties are picking on DRP now. This is because DRP is currently the most promising party for the 2013 elections. Everyone from MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party], PPM [Progressive Party of Maldives] to all the presidential candidates are feeling threatened by DRP due to our popularity,” Mausoom added.

MP Azim has previously alleged that the case of BML debts being scheduled to coincide with the voting on secret balloting during no confidence motions is politically motivated. Azim further alleged that President Mohamed Waheed had tried to intimidate him, asking him to vote in a particular way, offering to cancel the court hearings in return.

Azim had been promptly summoned back to court after he subsequently voted in favour of secret balloting.

DRP Leader Thasmeen Ali declined from commenting on these allegations, stating that he had “not yet discussed the matter in detail” with Azim.

“Now it’s the Supreme Court that will come to a decision on the parliament seat. I believe the court will rule on this in the correct manner in which it should be done,” Thasmeen stated.

Minivan News tried contacting DRP MPs Mohamed Nashiz and Ali Azim. Nashiz was not responding to calls while Azim’s phone was switched off.

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Comment: Master or puppet?

This article first appeared on DhivehiSitee. Republished with permission.

The Maldives does not have a leader and is currently under the control of an unidentified shadowy ‘group of leaders’, according to… the President. It is an astonishing statement for any leader to make.

There is much to suggest Waheed is as helpless as implied by his public whingeing. He does not, for instance, seem to have any authority to keep his own house in order. There are several examples.

Very early on in his presidency Waheed’s Special Advisor Hassan Saeed was secretly recorded describing Waheed as: “politically the weakest person in the Maldives.”

In the United States, decorated Army General Stanely McChrystal had to resign after his aides were reported mocking Vice President Joe Biden. In the Maldives, Saeed, with his Jekyll and Hyde personality, remains in position.

Same with Abbas Adil Riza, the President’s Spokesperson. Riza’s ‘emotional outburst’ against the Indian High Commissioner left Waheed with diplomatic egg on his face. Yet, Riza remains authorised to speak for the President.

Would Waheed get rid of them if he had a choice? Judging from how quickly he fired his Transport Minister and Human Rights Minister, the answer is ‘yes.’ Abbas and Saeed made Waheed look an even bigger fool than did Shamheed and Dhiyana.

Waheed is a man particularly fond of his reputation. He recently wrote:

If he had a choice, it is unlikely Abbas and Saeed would ever be gainfully employed again, let alone be his closest aides.

When Waheed fired Shamheed and Jamsheed, supporters cheered the President’s ‘decisiveness’. But firing them exhausted the extent of Waheed’s authority. This is why: after February 7, like generals divvying up the spoils of a war, each party in the so-called Unity Government claimed for itself ‘slots’ in the Cabinet.

This dodgy power-sharing agreement is what has come to be known as the Coalition Government and appears to be the cabal of equal leaders Waheed was referring to.

Under the new system, cabinet portfolios can only be given to individuals nominated by a particular party. If a close aide or a cabinet minister offends the President beyond his tolerance, he is free to fire them (depending on which party’s nominee it is). But he cannot hire the replacement. Only Party Greats have the authority to do so.

Party Greats, the elected leaders and leading personalities of various parties in Waheed’s Unity Government, are also beyond Waheed’s influence. This applies regardless of how often they mock, patronise or harm Waheed’s presidency.

Among these petty generals, Sheikh Imran Abdulla stands out. Imran is currently heading one of the stupidest political campaigns in history—a ‘Jihad’ to take back the ‘Maldivian Airport for Maldivians’. For God’s sake.

Imran is the President of the Islamist Adhaalath Party and runs a lucrative Rent-a-Sheikh business. That is, in exchange for the right sort of political or financial returns, he agrees to bring his religious ideology to bear on whatever issue is causing headaches for his paymasters.

In the last two weeks, Imran has given the President not one but two ultimatums. Currently, the President has until the end of the month to fulfil Imran’s demands, or else.

Even under such circumstances, Waheed poses for pictures with leaders and nationalistic paraphernalia of Imran’s ‘Airport Jihadists’.

Hard to believe any President would willingly look such a fool.

Maldives Police Service also seems well beyond the reach of Waheed’s leadership. In the early hours of last Friday the 16th, it ran what has been named an  ‘Intel-led Drug Bust Operation’ resulting in the arrest of two MPs and several senior members of MDP. It involved scores of officers swimming onto a desert island in the dark to ambush the targets at a weekend getaway.

Police found a hefty stash of alcohol on the island, and kept the arrested in handcuffs for hours. Family members are alleging they were badly beaten up in custody.

Waheed appeared as ambushed by police behaviour as were the targets of their Operation. Commissioner of Police Riyaz Abdulla said:

Such operations are not carried out by Police after informing the President or the Home Minister. This institution does not have any political influence.

For a president with any real authority, there would have been at least a courtesy call from the police, not a flippant explanation like Riyaz’s.

Is the President a puppet? Not according to…the President. In the same letter cited above, he wrote:

Nasheed accuses me of being a puppet of the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. This is an accusation I reject.

There is currently a no confidence motion pending against Waheed in the Parliament. Last monday, MPs were due to decide whether or not the impeachment vote could be kept secret. The general opinion seems to be that if MPs are allowed to vote secretly, they will choose to get rid of Waheed.

MPs were ambushed in Operation Alcohol just two days before the vote. With the desert island debacle still fresh in everybody’s minds, the motion to put the impeachment to a secret vote failed narrowly.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has said it is difficult not to see the arrests as politically motivated. It really does not take a conspiracy theorist to link the arrests with the no confidence motion.

If Waheed is pulling the strings, then he ordered the arrests. And, if the arrested MPs’ families are telling the truth, he also ordered them humiliated, intimidated and beaten up. No puppet can pull strings like that.

There are more ways to see Waheed than suggested by Waheed. He is neither puppet no master but the curtain behind which the show was planned. He was the fig-leaf that gave the appearance of legitimacy to a coup. In return for ‘ascendency to the Presidency’, Waheed promised he will not resign until 2013, not matter what. Even if it means looking like a right puppet.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Afrasheem’s murder “carefully planned”: Home Minister

The probe into the murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali on October 1 has revealed that youth are being increasingly used in crimes, Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has said.

Speaking at a ceremony held on Thulusdhoo in at Kaafu Atoll, Dr Jameel said that individuals who offer alcohol, drugs and money to young people to kill cannot remain hidden.

“It is difficult for us to believe and for our minds to think about it. The investigation has revealed that the murder had been carefully planned. This is a matter of concern,” Jameel said.

Jameel claimed that Afrasheem’s murderer has been found and that culprits behind the crime will be revealed soon.

Speaking about issues in the Maldives, Jameel claimed that 90 percent of crimes are related to drugs, and that not enough attention has been given to substance abuse in the last three years.

According to Jameel, all illegal acts are related to alcohol and that those who dare mention it are being criticised. He further stated that there have been no prosecutions made in alcohol related cases in the last three years.

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