Tag: minivan news

Government’s contract with Ruder Finn PR firm expires

The Maldivian government has concluded its contract with international public relations firm Ruder Finn, according to industry publication PR Week.

Head of the agency Nick Leonard told PR Week that the account had concluded upon reaching the end of its time frame.

Ruder Finn was selected in April by the new government to improve the Maldives’ international image, following widespread negative media coverage of February 7’s controversial transfer of power, at a reported cost of £93,000 per month (US$150,000).

Rumours in August that the contract had ended after six months were unconfirmed. Ruder Finn’s Senior Vice President and Ethics Officer Emmanuel Tchividjian at the time referred Minivan News to the government, “as we do not comment publicly on contracts that we have with our clients.”

In July, a small group of protesters gathered outside the PR firm’s London offices to mark Maldives Independence Day, including President Mohamed Waheed’s brother, Naushad Waheed Hassan.

The protest saw placards bearing slogans ‘Islamophobes and dictators’, ‘Ruder Finn: no client too toxic’ and ‘Gold medallists of spin: Ruder Finn’, according to PR Week.

Former International Spokesperson for the President’s Office, Paul Roberts, told Minivan News that a source inside Ruder Finn had revealed that the agency considered President Waheed “a lost cause from a PR point of view”.

“They said that the senior people in Ruder Finn worried that representing the Maldives government had damaged the company’s brand,” Roberts said.

Ruder Finn’s previous work includes the Philip Morris campaign disputing the health hazards of smoking, and publicising the release of the anti-Islamic film ‘Fitna’.

President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad confirmed that Ruder Finn had ceased working with the Maldivian government, but did not elaborate on the reason.

Journalist and climate activist Mark Lynas, formerly Nasheed’s climate advisor, has previously argued that the appointment of a such a large PR agency was counterproductive as it made journalists “doubly suspicious”.

The original request for proposals (RFP) document issued by the MMPRC on April 9 stated that the successful agency would be required to target stakeholders in the UK, USA, Commonwealth countries, “all relevant EU institutions”, academic institutions and NGOs, “arrange 1:1 meetings with influential and open minded potential champions”, and “arrange briefings to build links at various levels with the UK, US, Commonwealth and major European governments.”

The agency will “feed in academic arguments to those identified”, and “determine champions who are willing to speak publicly on Maldives”, in a bid to “Rally an alliance of support for the Maldives”.

Locally, the chosen company will be required to “assist with the roll out of policy and other announcements to media, parliamentarians,government, NGOs and others.”

Minivan News also sought clarification from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) head Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, but he had not responded at time of press.

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Male’ City Council accused of failing in transport matters

Male’ City Council has “failed” to provide services to the citizens of Male’ according to Land Vehicle Registrar of Transport Authority Ibrahim Nazim.

He said the council’s actions did not suit a civilised society, and accused the council of spreading misleading information.

“Male’ City Council has failed when it comes to providing services to the citizens of Male’ and cooperating with the Authority on transport issues,” he told Sun Online.

According to Nazim, five meetings were held with the council on five occasions this year to discuss the issue of putting stickers on illegally parked vehicles.

“I discussed these issues with Male’ City Council on 9 January, 10 January, 11 October, 16 October, and 18 October. Five meetings were held to discuss the issue of stickers alone,” he added.

A recent statement from Male’ City Council said that it was the Transport Authority’s decision to put stickers on illegally parked vehicles without discussing the matter with the council.

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Judge Abdulla case to be appealed by JSC

The Civil Court’s annulment of the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) decision that Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed is guilty of misconduct has been appealed by the JSC.

JSC Media Official Hassan Zaheen said on Tuesday that the decision to appeal the case was made some time ago.

Judge Abdullah was found guilty of misconduct by JSC following a report by DhiTV News, on July 2009, of a comment made by Judge Abdullah about former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government.

The Civil Court annulled the JSC’s decision on 25 July 2012.

It was ruled by Civil Court that evidence presented by JSC’s investigation team on the subject was not sufficient to prove that Judge Abdulla made the comment.

The Court highlighted that JSC did not allow Judge Abdulla the opportunity to present his defence on this case.

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President decides to issue special passport, ID card, to National Award of Honour recipients

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has announced that the government will issue a special passport and identity card to persons who received the National Award of Honour at the Republic Day ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Waheed said that although the government has not to date provided any special privileges to the winners of the award in past years, it was highly important to start doing so as these persons had contributed significant services to the nation.

He detailed that plans were now being made to introduce a special identity card, local media reports. These card holders will be be given priority over the general public when obtaining services from any government office. They would also be issued special passports upon request.

This year, the National Award of Honour was received by three persons: Sheikh Usman Abdulla Umree for his services in the area of religious education, Adam Ali for his services in the area of traditional medicine and Abdulla Mohamed for his services in the areas of architecture and construction.

Thirteen individuals were recognised for achieving the highest academic qualification in the Maldives National Qualifications Framework.

These included members of Waheed’s cabinet: Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed for Doctorate of Philosophy in Criminal Justice System from the University of London in 2008, Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed for Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Policy from Victoria University of Wellington in 2011, as well as Supreme Court Judge Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi for Doctorate in Political Sharia from Al Azhar University, Misr, in 2008.

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American connected to bringing in Christianity books blacklisted from Maldives

An American man has been blacklisted and banned from entering the Maldives after he was linked with a Bangladeshi national who imported books on Christianity into the country.

Maldives Customs said sufficient evidence had been collected by police to connect the American, Kevin Thomas Greenson, with the Bangladeshi, Jathis Biswas, 44.

Jathis Biswas, who arrived in Maldives on 27 September 2012, has also been deported following accusations of spreading other religions in the Maldives.

Customs found 11 books on Christianity in the possession of Jathis Biswas when he entered the country.

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PhD courses to be introduced by National University

PhD programs in law and pedagogy are to be launched by the Maldives National University (MNU) tomorrow.

Chancellor of MNU Fayyaz Ali Manik said the PhD positions will only be available for two or three students in the beginning.

He added that two Maldivian supervisors are available to lead the PhD programs.

The university currently offers a few degree courses, while other colleges in Male’ offer degree and masters course.

Programs in political science are planned to be introduced by the university next year.

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President’s Special Advisor appeals to Indian PM to terminate GMR contract, warns of “rising extremism”

Special Advisor to President Mohamed Waheed and leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Dr Hassan Saeed, has appealed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to terminate the Maldives’ airport development contract with Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

GMR signed a 25 year concession agreement with the former administration to develop and manage Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA). Saeed’s DQP was vocally opposed to the deal while in opposition.

In a self-described “candid” letter to Singh dated September 19, obtained by Minivan News, Saeed claimed that “GMR and India ‘bashing’ is becoming popular politics”, and warned that “as a result, “the Maldives is becoming fertile ground for nationalistic and extremist politicians.”

“I want to warn you now that there is a real danger that the current situation could create the opportunity for these extremist politicians to be elected to prominent positions, including the Presidency and Parliament on an anti-GMR and anti-India platform,” Saeed informed Singh.

“That would not be in the interests of either the Maldives or India. You are well aware of the growing religious extremism in our country,” Saeed stated, in an apparent turnaround from the party’s former position.

Months prior to the downfall of Nasheed’s government in February, Saeed’s DQP published a pamphlet entitled ‘President Nasheed’s devious plot to destroy the Islamic faith of Maldivians’, which accused Nasheed of “working ceaselessly to weaken the Islamic faith of Maldivians, allow space for other religions, and make irreligious and sinful behaviour common.”

Specific allegations in the pamphlet against Nasheed’s administration included “fostering ties with Jews”, “holding discos”, “dancing”, permitting the consumption of alcohol, fraternising with “Christian priests”, characterising the Maldives as “a nest of terrorists and Maldivian scholars as terrorists”, failing to condemn comments by UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay opposing “Shariah punishments like flogging fornicators”, permitting senior female diplomats and party officials to wear skirts, and attending the Miss France 2011 Beauty Queen pageant on the night of the Holy Hajj.

“Nationalism and extremism in India’s backyard is not good for India or our small country,” Saeed informed Prime Minister Singh, in his letter.

Saeed went on to accuse GMR of extensive bribery, including the payment of “millions of dollars to buy MPs to get a parliamentary majority for the then ruling Maldivian Democratic Party”.

He claimed that “politicians and MPs who end up in GMR’s pocket keep silent but no one – with the exception of former President Nasheed and his key associates – have defended the indefensible GMR deal in public.”

“When politicians and legislators are unable to debate openly such important national issues and address them in an appropriate manner the public starts to look for alternative voices,” Saeed claimed.

“I fear that the only viable alternative for them appears to be nationalist and religious leaders, which could turn a bad situation ugly.”

Saeed advised Prime Minister Singh that “due to the negative connotations of the GMR issue, many positive elements of our relationship such as the vast amounts of grants and loans by India to the Maldives go unnoticed.”

Maldivian Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad in late October warned that the Maldives would be unable to pay state salaries for the rest of the year without a further US$25 million loan from the Indian government.

The US$25 million was agreed upon in September 2012 as part of a US$100 million standby credit facility signed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2011.

“Indians and the Indian government may find it difficult to understand the growing anti-Indian sentiments here in the Maldives in spite of the vast amount of aid and loans we receive from you,” Saeed informed Prime Minister Singh, and complained that all bilateral talks with India now “start with and end up on the subject of the GMR issue.”

“As a result many other crucial discussions are delayed or are tied up with GMR. Normally straightforward issues such as simplifying the Indian visa for Maldivians end up being tied into the GMR issue,” Saeed said.

Longstanding opposition

A second pamphlet produced by Saeed’s DQP while it was in opposition criticised GMR as “paving the way for the enslavement of Maldivians in our beloved land”, and warned that “Indian people are especially devious”.

“Maldivians feel our respect is taken for granted, our sovereignty infringed and that India is developing a ‘big brother’ approach to relations with us,” Saeed wrote to Singh on September 19.

“The Indian Foreign Secretary’s visit to our country in February [2012] failed to resolve the political crisis largely because India is no longer seen as a friendly and fair neighbour who could broker an honest and fair deal. It cannot help India’s international reputation to be seen as unable to resolve a crisis in its own backyard.”

Saeed furthermore informed Prime Minister Singh that “the Indian diplomatic corps in the Maldives appears to be so passionate in protecting GMR interests that one often gets confused as to whether they are GMR employees or diplomats representing the Indian government.”

The remarks echoed controversial comments by President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza at an anti-GMR rally on Friday – during which Riza accused Indian High Commissioner D M Mulay of protecting GMR’s interests and being “a traitor and enemy of Maldives and Maldivian people”.

Saeed claimed in his letter that “increasingly Maldivians believe that the unfair treatment of the Maldives by the Commonwealth is connected with GMR and India.”

“It appears to many Maldivians that Indian officials are using international leverage and contacts to influence Commonwealth governments and forcing the way the Maldives is governed, thus impinging on our sovereignty. Some Indian diplomats continuously remind our senior government officials that the Maldives would be removed from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) agenda the moment the GMR issue is resolved,” Saeed claimed.

Growing tensions

For its part, GMR has downplayed its confrontation with the new government. However it admitted last month to India’s Business Standard publication that “public statements and press conferences of some government ministers and coalition party leaders are clearly aimed at arousing public sentiments against GMR and creating undue challenges for us.

“To gain political advantage, some elements of the government itself have started hampering the smooth functioning and development of the airport,” the company added.

The most recent surge of tension follows the company’s forwarding of a US$2.2 million bill to the government’s side of the contract – the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

The negative balance was the result a civil court case filed by Saeed’s DQP during the Nasheed administration, which blocked the company from levying an airport development charge (ADC) as stipulated in its concession agreement.

The Civil Court ruled in the DQP’s favour. Opting to honour the contract, the Nasheed administration instructed the company to deduct the ADC from its concession fees while it sought to appeal the matter.

The new government – which included the DQP – inherited the problem following the downfall of Nasheed’s government on February 7. 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.

“The net result of this is that the Maldivian government now has to pay GMR for running the airport. On this basis it is likely that the Maldivian government will end up paying about MVR 8 billion (US$519 million) to GMR for the duration of the contract,” Saeed wrote.

Saeed concluded his letter to Prime Minister Singh by suggesting that India “assist us in terminating the GMR contract as soon as possible, well before the 2013 presidential election.”

Download the complete letter (English)

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Anti-GMR armada heads to Ibrahim Nasir International Airport for seaborne rally

The anti-GMR campaign took to the seas on Monday afternoon in an effort to increase pressure on the government to “reclaim” Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) from Indian infrastructure giant GMR.

A seaborne armada of about 15 dhonis carrying flags and banners circled the airport as part of an ongoing campaign to annul the contract signed between the former government and GMR to manage and develop a new terminal at INIA.

State Home Minister Abdulla Mohamed told Haveeru that 50,000 people have signed the petition put together by a group of NGOs seeking to annul the agreement and nationalise the airport.

In response to the large number of boats circling the airport, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) increased its seaborne presence to counter the rally, using coastguard vessels to block the entrance to the airport harbour.

MNDF Colonel Abdul Raheem told Minivan News: We had no major concern yesterday, we did not increase our military presence at the airport itself, instead we wanted to make sure that no one [from the protest] could enter the airport area from the sea.”

Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla told Haveeru the protesters had no intention of disembarking at the airport and that the purpose of the rally was to “observe airport operations in the area”.

Last week Sheikh Imran gave the government a six-day ultimatum to annul the GMR agreement (by November 15).

Former Minister of Economic Development Mahmood Razee said recent actions protesting the GMR agreement, such as Monday’s rally, risked putting off future foreign investors.

“This is the largest single investment the Maldives has seen, and if GMR do leave, it means that other investors who have previously expressed interest, or who may look to invest in the future, will be put off,” he warned.

“[Annulling the agreement] will also affect tourism, as the capacity we have to accommodate tourists at the airport is already very limited.

“Any further growth cannot be accommodated with the current airport facilities, and if GMR pull out, the government does not have the money to accommodate tourism growth.”

The demonstrators are calling for the government to terminate the agreement with GMR – a 25-year concession agreement to develop and manage the airport, and overhaul the existing terminal while a new one is constructed on the other side of the island. The agreement represents the largest case of foreign investment in the Maldives.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed, whose government approved the deal in 2010, this month slammed statements over the “reclaiming” of the airport from GMR. Nasheed claimed such comments were “highly irresponsible”, stating that such words from the government could cause irreparable damage to the country.

The present government has continued to press to “re-nationalise” the airport, with the country’s Deputy Tourism Minister confirming to Indian media in September that the administration would not “rule out the possibility of cancelling the award [to GMR]”.

Several other Indian companies operating in the Maldives have expressed concern over political interference that they say is derailing their substantial investments in the country.

Officials involved in the Apex Realty housing development project – a joint venture between developers SG18 and Indian super-conglomerate TATA – told India’s Business Standard publication that the government was attempting to take over the site in Male’ given to the company, with the intention of building a new Supreme Court.

The Adhaalath Party has recently stepped up efforts to oppose the upholding of the airport deal. A number of gatherings in the capital Male’ and a petition sent to the government have all been part of the party’s efforts.

Also against the GMR deal is the government-aligned DQP, whose leader Dr Hassan Saeed serves as special advisor to President Waheed, as well as being his party’s presidential candidate.

Last month, Dr Saeed launched a book concluding that the only option for “reclaiming the airport from GMR” is to invalidate or cancel the concession agreement.

Should the GMR deal be annulled, Sheik Imran has previously predicted there would be “some unrest and damage”, but urged people to come out and support the calls for nationalisation.

According to Imran, his rejection was not based on animosity towards India, as the GMR issue was “only a disagreement between the Maldivian government and a private company”. He expressed his hope that the Indian government would not get involved in the matter.

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Hoarafushi has “returned to normal” after last month’s flooding

Families displaced by last month’s flooding of Hoarafushi have been able to return home following a relief effort by the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).

Twenty-four inhabited islands were reported to have been affected by the heavy rain, with Hoarafushi in Haa Alif Atoll deemed by the NDMC as the most severely affected.

According to Hoarafushi Island Council Chair Ahmed Mauroof, up to 95 houses were flooded in the area, affecting an “estimated 600 people.”

The NDMC has been working to restore normality on the islands since the flooding. Disaster Management Centre Project Officer, Hisan Hassan, said: “Everyone has been returned to their homes, and I have heard from a councillor on the island that it has returned to normal now.

“Some families are still expecting some aid relief, as many foods, electrical and personal items were destroyed in the floods.”

An initial figure of MVR 10 million (US$648,000) had been made available from a contingency component in the national budget to provide relief to the damaged islands.

A government spokesperson confirmed that a report on the damage has been published.

Joint efforts from the island council, the island’s youth, police, the MNDF, officials of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and staff from the nearby Manafaru resort helped to put up sandbags, move furniture and to pump water from clogged up roads.

The floods started with heavy rain in the late afternoon on Monday October 29, causing flooding of up to five feet, according to police. The rains lasted non-stop until dawn on Tuesday.

Other islands affected by the rising waters, including Haa Alif Baarah and Haa Dhall Hanimadhoo were also assisted by the MNDF Northern Area Command.

Speaking to Minivan News last month, Mauroof said: “The cost of damage caused by flooding is expected to rise to millions.

“We formed the task force because our aim is to recover from this as quickly as possible.”

The severe weather had been linked to low pressure from cyclone Nilam, over the Bay of Bengal.

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