Tag: parliament

MPs debate motion without notice on Dhiyamigili blackout

A partisan row erupted in parliament today during a debate on a motion without notice proposed by minority opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed condemning a four-day long electricity blackout in Thaa Atoll Dhiyamigili.

Today’s sitting was adjourned at 12:00pm after several MPs of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) objected to the motion as the damaged engine at the Dhiyamigili powerhouse had been repaired and electricity was back on at 4.10am this morning. MP Ali Mohamed, presiding over the sitting in the absence of Speaker Abdulla Shahid, adjourned the sitting after heated rows broke out in the chamber.

Under parliamentary rules, motions without notice could be submitted to open the floor to an impromptu debate on issues of national importance. However because besides offering MPs an opportunity to voice their views, no concrete action results from a motion without notice, MDP MPs argued that such motions were “a waste of Majlis’ time.”

Presenting the motion, MP Riyaz Rasheed urged the people of Dhiyamigili to sue the utility company for compensation as refrigerated foodstuff had been damaged in the island.

Riyaz’s Thaa Atoll colleague, MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa meanwhile alleged that Home Minister Hassan Afeef was behind the blackout and urged the people of Dhiyamigili to “chase out the utility company employees.”

Other MDP MPs however pointed out that MP Riyaz Rasheed’s company Meridian Service was being sued by the State Trading Organisation (STO) to recover over Rf19 million (US$1.4 million) owed for oil released on credit as well as Rf384,198 (US$29,800) as fines for non-payment.

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MPs clash over maritime agreement with Sri Lanka

MPs clashed today over a motion without notice calling on the government to terminate a reported agreement with Sri Lanka to allow its vessels passage across Maldivian waters, raising fears of increased illegal fishing in the country’s economic zone.

The motion was proposed by MP Ali Saleem of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) in the wake of reports in the Sri Lankan media about the maritime agreement and contradictory statements by Fisheries Minister Dr Ibrahim Didi and President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair in the local media yesterday.

“Parliament has to look into what is hidden behind this,” said Saleem in his opening remarks. “Did you know that even if Sri Lankan fishing vessels traveling to the Arabian sea are carrying sharks or fish catch, there is no way to know because of this agreement signed yesterday?”

The motion states that there was room to suspect “the beginning of hidden deals” behind the agreement and asks to clarify which maritime law facilitated the arrangement of vessels informing the Sri Lankan embassy 48 hours in advance to ensure safe passage.

In the ensuing debate, MP ‘Colonel’ Mohamed Nasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) suggested that “it would be better for us to find out accurate information on the matter” if fears of illegal fishing had resulted from misinformation.

DRP MP for Mathiveri Hussein Mohamed called on the government to inform the public  of “measures to protect Maldivian fishing areas and incomes of local fishermen if this [maritime agreement] is going forward.”

DRP MP Ali Arif argued that Maldivian foreign policy should remain “non-aligned” and neutral as “a small authorisation like this” could threaten “hundreds of years of independence.”

“Because the Sri Lankan government authorised many MDP activities in that country before the 2008 election when MDP was formed, I believe this is a gift to them in return for that,” claimed Jumhooree Party (JP) MP Ibrahim Muttalib.

The government’s foreign policy was threatening sovereignty and independence, Muttalib continued: “We heard recently that from now on we will vote the way India wants at the UN. This is slavery, this is enslavement,” he said.

MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz meanwhile concurred with other MPs that the Maldives did not have the capacity to monitor foreign fishing vessels. All MDP MPs agreed with the consensus view that unmonitored illegal fishing posed dangers to the local fishing industry.

DRP MP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali noted that Sri Lankan trawlers had been found fishing illegally in Maldivian waters in the recent past.

“And it is a fact accepted by all our fishermen that our country, our government, does not have the capacity to identify, locate and stop foreign vessels illegally fishing in our seas,” he said, warning that the new maritime agreement would further complicate monitoring of the economic zone.

Thasmeen added that Sri Lankan fishing vessels were known to engage in shark fishing, which results in dwindling fish stocks.

There must be “broad consensus” before such a maritime agreement was signed, the opposition leader said.

MDP MP for Billedhoo Ahmed Hamza however pointed out that previous government in 1982 had acceded to the UN Convention on Law of the Sea, which stipulates that foreign vessels must be granted passage across territorial waters for sea travel.

While the convention allowed “innocent passage,” said Hamza, fishing by such vessels was strictly prohibited.

Hamza urged MPs to continue the debate after seeking official documentation to determine whether the maritime agreement with Sri Lanka was required by the UN convention.

“Why are we concerned about passage across Maldivian waters? [Because] we are talking about at least 424 nautical miles [of territory from the shore],” said DRP MP for Kelaa Dr Abdulla Mausoom.

While innocent passage was not an issue, said Mausoom, “history shows for certain” that Sri Lankan vessels would fish in Maldivian waters as trawlers from the neighbouring country had been detained by the authorities in the past.

MDP MP Ilyas Labeeb meanwhile accused the previous government of “selling the EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone]” to enrich senior officials of the regime.

“We do not want to do anything that could harm Maldivian fishermen,” he said. “Before this government, fishermen got Rf3 or Rf4 for a kilo of fish. Now fishermen are glad that they get Rf20 or Rf30 [for a kilo].”

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MBC to sue Finance Minister for withholding its budget

The Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has declared it will sue Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz for withholding its annual budget approved by the parliament for the year 2011.

The parliament-created MBC and the 100 percent government corporation the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) have been engaged in a long-running tug-of-war for control of the assets of the state broadcaster, formerly Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM).

The government contends that the MBC board is stacked with opposition supporters and that its attempt to gain control of MNBC is effectively a media coup, while MNBC has been criticised for favouring the ruling party. Proponents claim that given the opposition’s influence over private broadcast media the consolidation of media ownership in the hands of a few opposition-leaning MPs, the government has no alternative.

Even the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has waded into the debate at the behest of the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), in support of MBC and an independent state broadcaster.

In a statement issued yesterday the MBC said that the corporation had been unable to pay rent for its office building as well as other bills, and had been fined as a consequence.

“MBC decided to sue the Finance Minister after informing the ministry about all these issues and repeatedly seeking to solve them, but the ministry has failed to explain why the budget was withheld,’’ the statement read. ‘’The MBC has been unable to find a solution to this through the parliament and Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC).’’

The MBC said the court was the last resort after exhausting all other avenues.

Finance Minister Ahmed Inaz told Minivan News that he did not wish to comment on the matter.

The MBC was formed by a law enacted by the parliament, which attempted to force a transfer of MNBC’s assets to the new corporation.

The MBC won its first suit against the government on June 12, with the Civil Court ordering that all the assets and staff including the land of MNBC was to be be transferred to MBC within 20 days.

However, the government claimed that the MNBC was a private TV station and that as long as the MNBC board opposed the transfer of assets and staff it would be violation of the corporation’s rights.

Now the government has appealed the Civil Court’s ruling in High Court on July 6, which ordered the Civil Court’s decision be delayed pending a final ruling.

Meanwhile Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed said last week that staff at the former Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM) could not work with the parliament-approved MBC board.

Responding to a question by a journalist at a forum organised by the Maldives Media Council (MMC) on July 25, Nasheed explained that the MBC Act was intended to transform the corporatised state media into a public broadcaster but the board voted through by opposition MPs was engaged in “political football.”

“Everything went right, but because of those who were chosen for the director’s board, the whole thing turned into political football,” MP Nasheed said.

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Land Act amendments to allow private ownership of land

Parliament began debate today on amendments proposed to the Land Act of 2002 to allow citizens to use land as a commercial asset.

Presenting the draft legislation on behalf of the government, MP Abdul Gafoor Moosa explained that the amendments would allow land to be bought and sold as privately-owned assets.

“In our long history, land was used as a gift given by the government to its supporters,” he said. “After [years of] distributing land like this in Male’, the new generation gets a plot the size of a bed. There is nothing left for tomorrow’s generation.”

The amendments would create a Land and Survey Authority to draw territorial charts, conduct surveys of land use and valuate property, he added, as well as a Registrar of Land to maintain a national registry.

“So those who want to mortgage land will know the value of their land and be able to mortgage it easily,” he said, adding that the new authority would be part of the civil service and answerable to a cabinet minister.

The proposed law would introduce procedures for individuals and married couples to register state-owned land as personal property, Gafoor continued, which would provide “necessary security and protection for everyone.”

The government would also be legally empowered to seize plots that remain unused for five years, said Gafoor, while the current 15 percent tax on estate sales would be abolished.

Speaking in his weekly radio address on June 10, President Mohamed Nasheed argued that the proposed reforms to land transactions would increase the country’s wealth.

The government’s aim was to transfer land titles traditionally held by the state to individuals, said Nasheed, who would be encouraged to use the land as capital to increase their wealth.

Together with the amendments to the Land Act, the government has also proposed a bill on condominiums to create a legal framework to allow individual ownership of real estate or apartments in a single building. An additional bill on mortgages would meanwhile allow apartments to be mortgaged at the bank to obtain loans.

In the parliamentary debate today, MP Ibrahim Rasheed of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) observed that 80 percent of land in the Maldives was state-owned.

Rasheed urged MPs to pass the bill into as quickly as possible “to ensure for the Maldivian people their birth-rights.”

MPs of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), People’s Alliance (PA), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) as well as some Independents however argued that some provisions in the law conflicted with the Decentralisation Act by divesting authority from local councils.

DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed said that articles 86 through 89 of the bill were intended to “steal all the powers [afforded to local councils] in the Decentralisation Act.”

“What they’re trying to do is gift all the land in the country to these MDP people and their supporters,” he said.

Riyaz alleged that the government recently awarded a plot in Male’ to India for a new embassy building in exchange for “buying a few MPs for MDP.”

“I will dare to say this, what can you do about it, you can’t do anything,” he said. “The Maldives will soon become a small province of India, a small town. Our own identity is being taken from us and the whole country is going to become enslaved to them.”

The new administration has “sold all our assets” to India, he added.

PA MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakur meanwhile concurred that the law would disenfranchise councils, recommending that experts be consulted during committee stage before the law is passed.

DRP MP Hassan Latheef suggested that the law should stipulate that councils must be consulted by the Land and Survey Authority before making decisions on land use in the islands.

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Parliament extends regulations without parent legislation for additional six months

Parliament voted 37-13 today to extend by an additional six months regulations without enabling or parent legislation when the new constitution was ratified.

Over 80 regulations and procedural rules in place when the new constitution was ratified in August 2008 has been extended annually since then until enabling legislation – such as a Criminal Procedures Act, a revised Penal Code and a Drug Bill in committee since 2009 – could be passed. The previous extension approved in August 2010 was due to expire on August 5 this year.

Under the motion passed today, the parliamentary Rules Committee will be tasked with supervising the finalisation and passage of the required legislation within the proposed six months period.

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Resolution calling for investigation into alleged US$800 million illegal oil trade sent to committee

A resolution proposed by MP Mohamed Musthafa calling for an official investigation into an alleged US$800 million worth of illegal oil trade involving former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and MP Abdulla Yameen was sent to committee today.

The resolution was approved 52-11 and sent to the national security committee for further review.

In his closing statement, MP Musthafa of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said that MP Yameen’s conceding during the debate last month that US$800 million worth of trade in oil did take place had “fulfilled the main purpose of my resolution.”

MP Yameen, who was chairman of the State Trading Organisation (STO) and long-serving Trade Minister under the previous government, however contended that the sale of oil to Burma was not illegal.

“This was done by forming a company in a country where such matters are most closely monitored,” he said. “That company is audited by STO auditors. An illegal business would not be allowed to operate in Singapore. This was not a secret trade.”

Musthafa however argued that Burma was under UN embargo at the time and “no ship registered at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) could unload cargo at a [Burmese] port.”

As the Maldives was a member of IMO, said Musthafa, trading by sea with Burma would have been a violation of the organisation’s laws.

Musthafa added that the US Treasury Department had labelled one of the Burmese officials involved in the oil trade with STO as “the godfather of heroin.”

“The port of discharge is stated as Maldives,” he continued. “The goods are loaded at Singapore for Maldives, but at sea the ship is diverted to the Burma port.”

Musthafa alleged that there was “serious shipping fraud” involved in the trade.

“The ship owner wants the cargo and he’s told that he’ll have it only when he agrees to a clause in the agreement,” he explained. “The boat operator will say yes because he wants the cargo. The chart agreement states he would have to help ‘a sweet bill of lading.'”

Over 30 shipments went to Burma in 2004 alone, Musthafa claimed, adding that UN reports suggested that US$80 million worth of illegal oil trade at sea occurred daily, involving “corrupt government officials.”

Musthafa challenged Yameen to present 12 kinds of documents to the government to prove his innocence, including shipping documents, bank documents such as LCs (line of credit), board of resolution for forming MOCOM, documents of business transactions, tax receipts to the Singaporean government, purchase and sale contracts, bills of exchange submitted to the banks, account statements and logbooks, cargo manifests and bills of lading of the ships.

Musthafa suggested contacting the United Overseas Bank and Standard Chartered Bank to obtain the documents and seeking Interpol assistance for the investigation.

The Presidential Commission did not have the capacity to investigate fraud on such a scale, he said.

Abdulla Haseen, spokesperson of the commission, told local media last week that evidence gathered so far “suggest links between the trade and convicts serving prison sentences.”

Haseen claimed that attempts were being made to obstruct the investigation in the Maldives, “but given that investigations are being conducted abroad there is little chance for obstruction and thus we’re making progress.”

The commission was being assisted by forensic accountancy firm Grant Thornton, British law firm Lawrence Graham LLP, a Singaporean law firm and several other international organisations, he said.

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PA MP announces decision to leave party following coalition split

MP of the opposition-aligned People’s Alliance (PA) Ahmed Rasheed has announced on MNBC his decision to leave the party “to better serve the public as an independent.”

Rasheed, who spoke to the state broadcaster on Sunday, also said he was open to joining other parties “if it was within the public interest.”

The PA’s acting Secretary General Ahmed Musthafa however told Minivan News today that he was unable to confirm whether Rasheed had left the party: “We don’t believe he has moved. I saw him yesterday,” he said, adding that the party would issue a formal communication on the matter in the next few days.

“Maybe he has been pressured by another party such as the MDP to join, although I don’t think he will,” Musthafa said.

Once Rasheed officially informs parliament of his new status as an independent, his departure from the PA could force the committee composition to be revisited for a third time this session.

While the PA would be entitled to fewer seats, parliamentary rules dictate that Rasheed must be given a seat on at least one committee as an Independent.

MP Ahmed Rasheed represents the constituency of Isdhoo in Laamu Atoll, an area of strong opposition support that voted largely for PA candidates under its former coalition agreement with the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP).

The PA decided decided on July 13 to break the longstanding coalition agreement, after internal strife within the DRP saw the party split into factions loyal to its leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali or the party’s ‘honorary leader’, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Eleven of the DRP’s MPs met with other opposition parties, including the Jumhoree Party (JP), the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and an independent MP to discuss the creation of a new voting bloc, one which could see the DRP’s majority control of parliament reduced to 13-15 MPs.

DRP MP Abdulla Mausoom raised concern following the split that the PA’s decision to break the coalition agreement would upset constituents in Laamu Atoll who “are very loyal to the DRP but voted for the PA tag.”

Z-DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf responded that such islands “voted for the PA because President Gayoom asked them to do it. Even now Zaeem (Gayoom) is with the PA, they are working together. Voters in Laamu didn’t vote for Thasmeen – they voted for Gayoom.”

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Government inviting foreigners to usurp Maldivian businesses, claims MP Muttalib

A business registration bill proposed by the government as part of its economic reform package is “a deceptive ploy” to “open up the country to foreigners”, warns MP Ibrahim Muttalib.

During today’s parliamentary debate, the Jumhooree Party (JP) MP argued that provisions in the legislation allowing foreign businesses to establish branches in the Maldives and requiring at least US$1 million as capital “proves that this bill was drafted to allow foreigners to easily do business in the Maldives.”

“Under this law, a person with US$1 million would be able to easily register a business in this country,” he explained. “Considering the state of the Maldivian people, there won’t be any businessman who has US$1 million at hand. [Foreign businesses] will be able to conduct wholesale business and sell day-to-day necessities.”

Muttalib added that local businesses that trade in footwear and garments “would not have US$1 million, except for a very few people.”

He urged MPs to consider the consequence of foreign businesses entering the footwear, garment and wholesale industry: “What is being done today is part of a neighbouring country’s efforts to open up this country for its citizens,” he said.

“The Indian government proposed opening up the service industry, tourism, travel agencies, construction, health industry, social security, financial industry, maritime travel, air travel and airplane repair under a SAFTA [South Asian Free Trade Association] agreement,” he claimed. “But because all our local industries opposed it the government has decided to do it under a law.”

While the bill specified businesses that could not be conducted by expatriates – such as fisheries, agriculture and selling commodities out of a private residence – all other kinds of businesses were “opened to foreigners” under the proposed law.

“Honourable Speaker, I do not want to live in this country as a third-class citizen,” he said.

Foreign businesses understood that a relatively small amount of capital was enough to “easily bribe officials” and secure investments such as uninhabited islands, Muttalib claimed.

According to the draft legislation, the purpose of the bill is to ensure that businesses, partnerships and cooperative societies operating in the Maldives are registered; specify what kind of businesses must be registered along with procedures for registration; and oblige businesses to submit information to the Registrar of Businesses.

MP Abdulla Mausoom of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) meanwhile expressed concern that allowing foreign businesses to establish branches in the Maldives could pose challenges to local industries.

Mausoom argued that the US$1 million stipulated as a minimum capital investment for foreign businesses was too low: “All around us, whether it’s India, Celyon [Sri Lanka], Singapore, Malaysia or Africa, are looking at the Maldives; [because] their countries are saturated they are ready to do business in Maldives.

“If we open up too easily like this, [foreign] businesses will pose serious challenges to our small businesses,” he said, suggesting more restrictions to protect local industries.

MP “Reeko” Moosa Manik, acting chairperson of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), noted that there were numerous unregistered businesses operating in the Maldives by foreign parties.

“In the woods in some islands, especially [Laamu Atoll], there’s even an immigration department,” he said, adding that he has learned of work visas approved for ten people under the name of one person. “There’s no particular business done by these people, in sum they’re involved in all business.”

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Deputy Speaker Nazim appointed Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader

A new coalition of opposition MPs from the Peoples Alliance (PA), Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)’s Z-Faction, Jumhoory Party (JP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) last night appointed the new group’s leader, deputy leaders, spokesperson and whips.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and PA MP Ahmed Nazim was chosen as the leader of the Opposition Parliamentary Group.

DQP MP Riyaz Rasheed and Z-DRP MP Ilham Ahmed were appointed as deputy leaders of the parliamentary group while Z-DRP MP Ahmed Mahlouf was appointed spokesperson.

Z-DRP MP Hamdhoo Hameed was appointed as the “government watch” and PA MP Abdula Azeez Jamal Abu Bakur, Z-Faction MP Ali Arif, MP Ahmed Nihan, MP Abdul Muhsin, MP Mohamed Rafeeq and independent MP Ibrahim Riza were appointed as whips.

Deputy Leader of DRP Ahmed ‘Mavota’ Shareef meanwhile told Minivan News that the current political situation of the Maldives was very fluid.

“Today everyone needs power and to get that power one might do anything, be it out of the law or within the law,” Shareef said.

Shareef predicted that according to the way things were going, DRP MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali “will not lose the position of minority leader in parliament.”

“We do not support the policy of the government, that is why DRP is here, and we will only support people that support the policy of DRP.”

Announcing the decision to create the new opposition parliamentary group, MP Mahlouf said Thasmeen was also welcome to join the opposition parliamentary group.

Thasmeen did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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