Tag: President Mohamed Waheed Hassan

International Herald Tribune talks election dates with President Waheed

The International Herald Tribune has published an exclusive interview on its India Ink blog with President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan discussing his government’s aims for transparent democracy and sustainable initiatives.

“Mohammed Waheed Hassan, president of the Maldives, concluded a five-day state visit to India last week, his first since taking over in February after Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader, stepped down.

Mr Nasheed said he was forced to leave in a coup that was orchestrated by loyalists to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the former dictator.

During his visit to India, Mr Hassan rejected calls from Mr Nasheed and others for early elections, saying that under the constitution, the next elections in Maldives could not be held earlier than July 2013. He also said Indian leaders impressed upon him the importance of all political stakeholders in the Maldives working together to take the democratic process forward.

In an interview, conducted through e-mail, Mr Hassan rejected allegations that he is being influenced by Mr Gayoom and pledged that he would do all he could to preserve the country’s relationship with India,” the paper wrote.

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All party talks agree on order of agenda

The India-sponsored all party talks will continue later this month at a weekend retreat on Bandos Island Resort and Spa, after delegates on Monday agreed to the order of a six point agenda that will conclude with a date being set for early elections.

Convenor of the all-party talks, Ahmed Mujuthaba, told Minivan News he was “quite hopeful” that the talks could be concluded during the next session, which he expected to last at least two days.

Mujuthaba said that the talks, which were timed to avoid clashing as much as possible with individual delegates’ work time, could be extended for a third day if required.

“We have have to schedule these talks for the following week as various parties were not available this weekend. We did not expect an agreement on this today,” he said.

The talks reconvened yesterday amidst claims of optimism from both government and opposition representatives over the importance of the discussions in resolving political upheavals resulting from February’s controversial transfer of power. The last round of talks ended prematurely on May 6.

Despite delegates having previously agreed on an agenda for the discussions, the talks have ended in stalemate on numerous occasions since first proposed. Recent rounds of discussions stalled over concerns about issues such as the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary boycotts and the legality of a recent vote to remove its president and vice president.

The latest round of talks proceeded with consensus of all parties involved, said Mujuthaba.

Mujuthaba said parties had agreed to attend a weekend-long set of talks to try and resolve differences, and had agreed to the agenda for the six areas of discussion. All rounds of the talks have so far been held in two hour blocks.

According to Mujuthaba the order will proceed as follows:

  1. Public order and stability
  2. State budget concerns
  3. Independence of national institutions
  4. Identity and revise any laws
  5. Constitutional amendments
  6. Setting a date for early elections

Both the Commonwealth and European Union support fresh elections being held during 2012. President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said that under the constitution, the earliest date that presidential polls can be held would be July 2013.

“I hope that we may see a conclusion to the talks,” Mujuthaba said.

Breakthrough claims

One of the two MDP representatives for the talks, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, said he believed the most recent session was a “breakthrough” for all participants involved.

“One of the items we wished to see on the agenda was early elections, however other parties like the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) have proposed discussions first on other issues such as political instability, the economy and constitutional amendments,” he claimed. “Our position has always been that they can have any order they want for the agreed agenda.”

Fellow MDP representative Dr Mariyam Zulfa had previously expressed concern that a failure to set a date for elections earlier  into the talks would see significant delays to any decision being made.

Zulfa contended that the MDP  had a “natural interest” in moving the setting of a date for early elections towards the top of the talks’ agenda.

However, Ghafoor said that he remained optimistic over the direction of the talks.

Conceding that “huge problems” lay ahead, Ghafoor said his party was encouraged that any agreement had been reached.

He said that MDP’s protests were likely to be challenged during the talks in the first point on the agenda, political stability. Ghafoor claimed that delegates held varying perceptions on the protests, which the party maintains have been carried out according to its democratic right.

“It is a matter of interpretation over freedom of expressions,” he said. “However, the government do not see it like this.”

Ghafoor also raised concerns about a Housing Ministry request for police to dismantle an MDP protest site at ‘Usfasgandu’ that he claimed raised wider issues over the powers of decentralised government introduced by the former government.

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) representative Ilham Ahmed, and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) representative Ibrahim Shareef were not responding at time of press.

Government commitments

Speaking to Minivan News prior to the latest round of talks, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza claimed the government was committed to the talks, insisting that all parties needed to agree on the direction of any resolution to the present political stalemate.

Abbas added that the MDP would be required to guarantee “peace” and “security” if talks were to continue successfully.

“The government is insistent that all parties should agree on certain things for the talks to continue,” he said. “These things include ensuring stability and calm.”

Abbas criticised protests conducted across the capital of Male’ over the weekend that reportedly saw some demonstrators interrupting a mosque service on Majeedhee Magu.  He said that the demonstrations, which led to clashes between demonstrators and the people inside, were a particular concern.

“Some of these protesters are now attacking mosques. This level of fundamentalism that we have seen over the last two nights is not acceptable,” he claimed.

Clashes between the protesters and some of those inside the mosque led to the arrest of five people, according to police. The unrest is said by an eyewitness to have begun when MDP supporters attempted to disrupt a sermon which Male’ City Council had said was unauthorised.

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All-party talks reconvene amidst optimism on both sides

Representatives from both sides of the political divide have expressed optimism over the continuation of Indian-sponsored all party talks, which reconvene tomorrow after stalling on several previous occasions.

The talks include representatives from nine political parties and are intended to diplomatically resolve the upheavals experienced since February’s controversial transfer of power. Despite agreeing on an agenda for the discussions, the talks have ended in stalemate on numerous occasions since first being proposed.

The discussions were last halted earlier this month after certain government-aligned politicians questioned the legitimacy of the MDP members present following the passing of a no confidence motion by the party’s national council against its president and vice president.

While former MDP president Dr Ibrahim Didi continues to contest his dismissal along with former Vice President Alhan Fahmy, the Elections Commission (EC) has since said that it found “no evidence” that the vote was unconstitutional under basic regulations.

Ahead of the talks reconvening tomorrow, MDP representatives claim they are “optimistic” that the discussions can still lead to the establishment of dates for early elections, along with other agreements on reforming the fractious political landscape. However, the party has expressed concerns over alleged attempts by some participants to stymie the talks without first reaching any meaningful agreements on early elections.

Speaking to Minivan News today, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza claimed the government was committed to the talks, insisting that all parties needed to agree on the direction of any resolution to the present political stalemate.

However, Abbas added that the MDP, which contends it was removed from office by a coup d’etat and replaced with President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s “illegitimate government”, would be required to guarantee “peace” and “security” if talks were to continue successfully.

“The government is insistent that all parties should agree on certain things for the talks to continue,” he said. “These things include ensuring stability and calm.”

Mosque clashes

Abbas criticised protests conducted across the capital of Male’ over the weekend that reportedly saw some demonstrators interrupting a mosque service on Majeedhee Magu.  He said that the demonstrations, which led to clashes between demonstrators and the people inside, were a particular concern going forward for reaching an agreement.

“Some of these protesters are now attacking mosques. This level of fundamentalism that we have seen over the last two nights is not acceptable,” he said.

Clashes between the protesters and some of those inside the mosque led to the arrest of five people, Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said yesterday. The unrest is said by an eyewitness to have begun when MDP supporters attempted to disrupt a sermon which Male’ City Council had said was unauthorised.

Abbas claimed that the talks had previously been stalled after the MDP boycotted President Waheed’s opening address to parliament.  The speech was eventually given during a reconvened Majlis session, amidst heckling from MDP MPs in the chamber.

With the boycott now in the past, Abbas claimed that the MDP would be required to ensure it conducted itself in a “calm and peaceful manner”. He added that the government was ultimately confident that the issues related to the all party talks’ agenda would be resolved going forward.

Former Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa, who is one of two MDP representatives sitting on the talks, said today that she was baffled by demands for the cessation of ongoing protests that had been held regularly across Male’ and the wider atolls since February.

“We have been accused of creating unrest though legal protests that we have been holding, and they have asked us to stop this,” she said. “We are simply expressing our freedom to demonstrate, so it is baffling that we are being accused of creating unrest.”

“Very optimistic”

Zulfa alleged that issues such as stopping protests, as well as the dismissal of its former president and vice president by national council vote, continued to be used as a means to try and deviate from the previously agreed roadmap talks.

However, she claimed the party was “very optimistic” that the talks could realistically lead to setting a date for early elections, as well as ensuring a broad consensus on other democratic reforms.

While having been previously critical of the intentions of other parties towards “cooking up” stalling tactics to block the talks, Dr Zulfa said that a comprehensive agenda for the discussions under mediator Ahmed Mujuthaba had been outlined.

“What we really hope for right now is that all the parties participate in these talks seriously,” she said. “We need to agree on prioritising items on this agenda, otherwise there will be a problem going forward.

Zulfa contended that the MDP itself had a “natural interest” in moving the setting of a date for early elections towards the top of the talks’ agenda.

She claimed that failure to do so in favour of other reforms would only serve to delay attempts to set early elections this year. Early elections during 2012 are backed by the MDP, as well as by international organisations like the Commonwealth and the EU.

“The whole idea of these talks is to iron out the differences we are having [with other parties]. Originally, it was agreed by all parties that early elections should be held. However, the representatives went back to their parties and suddenly they are now not agreeing on this,” she said.

President Waheed’s government has said that the earliest elections can be held under the constitution would be July 2013. The claims are denied by the MDP, which has said that elections could be held this year upon the resignation of the president.

Despite the government’s stance, Zulfa claimed that certain individual party leaders working within the coalition government such as Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and Jumhooree Party (JP) head Gasim Ibrahim were both preparing for fresh polls.

“I am optimistic that these early elections can be achieved. If you look at the individual parties, Mr Thasmeen has maintained he is ready for elections. Gasim Ibrahim has also been talking about himself as a presidential candidate,” she said. “The only party I believe is not ready is the progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – though they are a major power broker right now.”

Zulfa alleged that despite the encouraging level of impartiality shown during the talks by convenor Ahmed Mujuthaba and negotiator Pierre-Yves Monette, discussions needed to be held with each party to assure there was sincerity to reach an eventual agreement.

“We need both the convener and negotiator to sit down individually with all the parties and see if there is any common ground that can be reached, until then they may not be much point in coming together,” she said.

Zulfa alleged that during previous sessions of the all-party talks, representatives for President’s Gaumee Ithihaad (GI) party has said that even in a potential situation where Dr Waheed might opt to resign from his position, they would not allow him to do so.

According to Zulfa, on other occasions delegates in the talks claimed they would not concede to giving the MDP an early election.

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President Waheed could contest elections under PPM ticket: Umar Naseer

Vice President of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Umar Naseer has said that Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan could potentially stand as a presidential candidate for the party.

Speaking to the Haveeru newspaper today, Naseer claimed that although no discussions had taken place with the current president over contesting on a PPM ticket – the door would be open for him to do so along with any other interested candidates.

The comments were made after Naseer was quoted last night in local media claiming President Waheed had confirmed to members of the coalition government that he would not stand for re-election.

Reportedly speaking on private broadcaster DhiTV yesterday, Naseer also said that if the current government aligned itself under one presidential candidate during the next general election, he was confident the coalition would be able to obtain victory within the first round of voting.

Sun Online quoted Naseer as adding, however, that the PPM should get the presidential ticket among coalition parties as it presently holds the largest number of elected representatives in parliament among government-aligned parties.

He was also quoted as pledging that he would back former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a presidential primary contest if the one-time head of state ran for re-election.

“I am considering contesting in the presidential primary. It’s very likely that you will see me. If President Gayoom also decides to contest, I will be right behind him holding the flag,” Naseer was quoted by the Sun Online news agency as saying.

General elections are currently scheduled to be held by July 2013 at the earliest, despite calls from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the organisations like the Commonwealth for fresh polls to be held during 2012.

Gayoom founded the PPM last year after an acrimonious war of words with Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, the current leader of the former opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Thasmeen was initially approved by Gayoom to suceed him as the head of the DRP, the first political party founded by the former president.

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Transport Minister backs MACL, orders GMR to pay US$8.2 million

The Transport Ministry has said the government is “fully behind” an order given by the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) to India-based infrastructure giant GMR, that it pay the sum of US$8.2 million deducted from concession fees for the first quarter of 2012.

GMR took over the management of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) – then called Male’ International Airport – from the government-owned Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) in September 2010.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Minister of Transport Dr Ahmed Shamheed said the government fully backed an MACL order for GMR to return the US$8.2 million it deducted from concession fees for the quarter.

According to a statement released by the MACL earlier this month, the company said it had only received US$525,355 out of an expected US$8.7 million in concession fees for the first quarter of 2012, after GMR deducted the Airport Development Charge (ADC) and insurance surcharge.

The ADC was intended to be a US$25 fee charged to outgoing passengers from January this year, as stipulated in the contract signed with GMR in 2010. The anticipated US$25 million the charge would raise was to go towards the cost of renovating INIA’s infrastructure.

The deductions were made after the Civil Court blocked the India-based company charging an Airport Development Charge (ADC) last year, on the grounds that it was a tax not approved by parliament. As the ADC was stipulated in the contract former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration had signed with the airport operator, the government at the time agreed that GMR would deduct the charges from the concession fees due the government, pending appeal.

The Civil Court case had been filed against the airport by the former opposition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) – now part of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s coalition government.

Parliament’s Finance Committee has meanwhile revealed that the Maldives is facing a skyrocketing budget deficit of 27 percent for 2012, and a parallel 24 percent  increase in expenditure.

Last week, GMR released a statement proposing a compromise to the government whereby Maldivian nationals would be excluded paying the ADC when departing the airport.

MACL stance

MACL Managing Director Mohamed Ibrahim told local media today that MACL’s agreement with GMR under the previous government to deduct the ADC payment was “null and void”. Ibrahim told reporters that the deal was no longer relevant as it had been agreed by a former MACL chairman, and that charges could therefore no longer be deducted from GMR’s concession payment.

“We had informed that the letter from the former Chairman of MACL was now invalid and hence must not be followed. In addition we had also informed that no deductions can be made from the concession fee,” he told local newspaper Haveeru.

Ibrahim was not responding at time of press.

The MACL order was announced the same day that President Mohamed Waheed reportedly assured Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the government would uphold its commitments to foreign investors.

“It is only recently that the Maldives began working with large foreign corporations, and hence the Maldives has not much experience in dealing with large companies. That’s why we are currently trying to iron out some of these issues through mutual dialogue,” President Waheed said.

Transport Minister Dr Shamheed however told Minivan News that the President’s pledge would not affect MACL’s decision to order GMR to pay the deducted US$8.2 million.

“As per the concessions agreement, a fee has to be paid to MACL. That is my understanding,” he said.

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Government says it will “solve” CNI concerns as the MDP braces for “crucial week”

The government has said it will resolve concerns about the impartiality of an investigation into February’s transfer of power, as a four week Commonwealth deadline to enact changes expires later this week.

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the four week deadline to address concerns over the impartiality of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) set by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) last month would be “solved” without the country facing further action.

The now opposition Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), which is calling for early elections to be held in 2012 and a revised CNI with international participation, has meanwhile said that it faces a “crucial week” ahead of the Commonwealth deadline.

On April 16, CMAG said it would consider taking “stronger measures” against the Maldives government if the CNI, set up by President Mohamed Waheed to ascertain the details behind the controversial transfer of power on February 7, was not revised to make the body “credible” and “impartial” in four weeks.  The Maldives has already been suspended from participation in CMAG over concerns about the exact nature of the transfer of power.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed alleged following his resignation from office that he had been forced to step down under “duress” in a “coup d’etat” sponsored by opposition politicians, sections of the military and police and some influential local businessmen.

Strict deadline?

With Commonwealth representatives presently in Male’ to discuss revising the CNI with the government, Abbas Adil Riza claimed that the issues raised by the intergovernmental organisation would be “solved” by the time discussions were concluded.

“I don’t think [the four week deadline] was so strict. There won’t be a situation [with the Commonwealth] once the four week period is up,” he said.

When questioned over the nature of a potential resolution to CMAG’s concerns – such as appointing a foreign presence to the CNI – Abbas said the government was committed to resolving the issues raised by the organisation in recent months.

“We have always said that we welcome Commonwealth assistance on the CNI,” he added.

Since CMAG’s four week deadline to revise the CNI composition was issued, the government has said that it remains committed to remaining a member of the 54 member state intergovernmental organisation.

However, representatives of some political parties in President Waheed’s coalition government have questioned whether the country should remain in the Commonwealth, going as far as to submit bills to parliament to renounce the country’s membership.

Leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and second largest party in the Maldives, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, has publicly stated he would not support the motion to renounce the country’s Commonwealth membership.

“Crucial week”

CMAG’s calls for both early elections and a revised CNI, which have since been backed by the European Union, have been one of the key focuses of an ongoing series of protests by the MDP and its supporters over the last three weeks.

Yesterday, demonstrations said to have been attended by a few thousand MDP supporters were held in the capital Male’ and the island of Fuvahmulah. The party said the demonstrations were in support of the Commonwealth’s stance in resolving the political upheaval through elections in 2012 and an independent CNI.

Responding to the protests, which have been held every Friday for the last few weeks, Abbas said the demonstrations had gone “more or less peacefully”. However, he did express concerns from the government over certain groups of protesters who had been gathering noisily outside the country’s Supreme Court.

“This government will not allow demonstrators to hinder the work of the Supreme Court. This situation is ridiculous,” Abbas said.

Local media has reported that following yesterday’s protests, the Maldives Police Service had forwarded complaints to the Elections Commission about concerns from noise generated through loud speakers during the MDP demonstration.

A mosque in the capital, as well as the Supreme Court, have both reportedly submitted official complaints  about the level of noise generated.

MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that the complaints were not a concern for the party, which he claimed had been exercising its constitutional right to protest against a judiciary and government it did not believed has a legitimate mandate to serve the public.

Ghafoor claimed that despite alleged “sporadic incidence” of police violence against MDP protesters in recent weeks, protests were being conducted much more peacefully in the country.

“We have noticed police have backed off when it comes to using physical force of late. In some cases though, we still believe that police are not acting according to the correct procedures,” he said.

According to Ghafoor, people attending the protests remained “unhappy” about the role security forces played in bringing the present government to power without an “electoral mandate”. He claimed that unhappiness abut the role of certain police officers was reflected in protesters conducting marches past police and military barracks in the capital.

Ghafoor added that the MDP’s Friday protests – now in their third consecutive week of being held – would continue until calls by both CMAG and its own supporters for early elections during 2012 and an internationally backed independent CNI were met.

The MDP said it therefore anticipates a “crucial week” of protesting ahead. These protests are expected to begin on Monday May 14 over a cabinet decision to reclaim the Usfasgandu area of Male’.  The area was leased to the MDP by Male’ City Council (MCC) for use in their political activities.

Two days later, additional protests are expected to be held to coincide with the deadline for the government to have revised the CNI in accordance with CMAG’s calls.

“Anything can happen”

Ghafoor claimed that MDP supporters were presently on “tenterhooks” awaiting the week’s developments, adding that the party was optimistic about obtaining either early elections in 2012 or an independent CNI investigation.

“We are in a position right now where anything could happen at any time,” he said.

With the Commonwealth deadline to amend the CNI expiring on May 16, Ghafoor added that the simplest option for all Maldivian parties to resolve the present dispute would be for President Waheed to resign his presidency. He contended that such a move would then require Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid to call general elections within two months without the need for constitutional reform.

“Right now, [the MDP] see the simplest solution for the current situation would be for Waheed to stand down,” he said.

The government has said that the earliest date it could presently hold elections would be by July 2013 unless amendments were made to the constitution allowing for the incumbent government to be provided a whole five-year term.

Ghafoor said he had tried to forward the proposal for President Waheed to resign at all-party talks that briefly reconvened last week for several hours.

However, the talks once again ended in stalemate a few hours later over concerns about the legitimacy of the MDP following a vote of no-confidence that saw party President Dr Ibrahim Didi and Vice President Alhan Fahmy removed from their respective positions.

Dr Didi has since submitted an official complaint with the Elections Commission (EC) regarding his ouster by the party. The MDP former president claimed at the time that the MDP national Council’s vote was not performed in line with the party’s constitution presently registered with the EC.

For the week ahead, Ghafoor claimed that the MDP would be paying particular attention to the CNI and Commonwealth pressure for amendments to the Commission’s composition.

“For us, the key issues [with the CNI] are that representatives of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom such as Ismail Shafeeu, sit as chair of the Commission. His track record for independence is not good,” he claimed.

Should amendments be made to the CNI, such as appointing international representatives, Ghafoor said he was optimistic about the CNI’s potential findings for the MDP.

“We are confident [that the transfer of power] will be seen as a coup by a truly independent inquiry commission,” he said.

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Government-Commonwealth talks continue over CNI conduct concerns

Talks are continuing between the Government and the Commonwealth over the conduct of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), just a few days before a deadline to make changes to the body expires.

Speaking to journalists yesterday before departing on a visit to India, President Mohamed Waheed Hassan had said that the international community was mainly concerned about how the CNI was presently being conducted. Dr Waheed said that this issue was now being discussed with Commonwealth representatives presently in the Maldives, according to the Sun Online news service.

The CNI, which was formed by President Waheed to ascertain the events behind February’s controversial transfer of power, has been criticised by the Commonwealth over concerns about its impartiality.

On April 16, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (GMAG) set a deadline of four weeks for the government to revise the CNI’s composition and mandate or face “stronger measures” from the 54 member state intergovernmental organisation.

The president also told local media yesterday that he was not expecting to come under pressure from India to hold early elections in the Maldives this year during his visit.  He claimed that the Indian government was one of the first to “recognise” the current administration.

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President establishes two new ministries in healthcare shake-up

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has  abolished the Ministry of Health and Family in favour of two new separate ministerial bodies.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights have both now been established following the abolition of the previous healthcare body.

Under these two new bodies, Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed will retain his post as Minister of Health, while Dhiyana Saeed will head the Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights.

Saeed, former SAARC Secretary General and wife of recently-elected Jumhoree Party (JP) MP for Kaashidhoo, Abdulla Jabir, resigned from her SAARC position after criticising former President Mohamed Nasheed for the arrest of Chief Criminal Court judge, Abdulla Mohamed. Saeed was youngest SAARC Secretary General ever appointed and the first female.

Both new ministers conducted their respective oath of office today in-front of Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Areef, according to the President’s Office.

The ministerial changes were made a week after the government announced the abolition of the country’s Health Service Corporations. President Waheed said the service facilities provided by the corporations would be brought under control of the Ministry of Health.

The decision was taken by the cabinet based on the experiences of previous government health policy over the last three years, the government stated. The government claimed that a number of “challenges” needed to be faced in providing healthcare across the country’s atolls.

Just last month, the government announced that 30 state companies providing provincial health and utility services would be abolished to try and streamline various public services.

Seven health corporations charged with overseeing regional medical services were also dissolved in favour of returning their functions to the Ministry of Health and Family.

The now opposition Maldivan Democratic Party (MDP) criticised the decision as reversing the decentralisation policy that had been undertaken in recent years.

“Maldives’ geographical fragmentation means one central board or company will find it impossible to effectively monitor and deliver services in an equitable manner,” former President Nasheed’s former Policy Undersecretary Aminath Shauna told Minivan News at the time.

Regional hospitals

Mohammed Abdul Samad, temporary manager for Gan Regional Hospital in Addu Atoll, told Minivan News Thursday that he personally welcomed the decision to abolish the Health Service Corperations.

Samad claimed that despite the relative success in recent years of Maldives health policy in areas such as cutting infant mortality rates, the quality of health services had been generally declining.

“We are desperately in need for urgent supplies like certain injections. We have so many pending bills and the government has had to arrange money for us,” he said.

Samad, who said he was temporarily overseeing operations at Gan Regional Hospital, added that he therefore welcomed the decision to have the Ministry of Health oversee the former Health Service Corporations’ work.

He also claimed that the government would be better able to provide more technically-experienced health staff rather businessmen to oversee hospital operations.

Samad added that Gan Regional Hospital presently faced significant problems in paying off debts relating to much needed drug supplies.

He claimed that the Health Ministry faced major challenges in relation to hiring trained medical staff at hospitals around the country. Taking the example of Gan Regional Hospital alone, Samad said the site presently had the need to employ additional specialist staff like a second gynaecologist to meet local patient demand, though added that management were unable to find suitable candidates.

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President reconstitutes six company boards

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has this week reconstituted the boards of six national companies.

The president yesterday announced that the respective boards of Maldives Post Ltd, Felivaru Fisheries Maldives Ltd, and Maldives Road Development Corporation Ltd were being reappointed.

For the Maldives Post Ltd Board of Directors, Badhurunaseer Naseem was appointed as managing director, with Mohamed Nizam taking up the chairman role.

Mohamed Imthiyaz was appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors of Felivaru Fisheries Maldives Ltd. Ali Ahmed was appointed as managing director for the same company.

For the Maldives Road Development Corporation, Aslam Rasheed will take the chairman role, while Ibrahim Nazeem will serve as managing director.

The appointments were announced a day after the president reconstituted the Boards of Directors for Island Aviation Services Ltd, Maldives Ports Ltd and the Housing Development Corporation.

Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem will take up the Chair of the Island Aviation Services Board of Directors. Abdul Haaris will become Managing Director on the same body.

For Maldives Ports Ltd, Abdul Matheen Ahmed will take up the chairman role of the board.

Ali Shareef and Suhail Ahmed will take up the respective roles of Chairman and Managing Director of the Housing Development Corporation’s Board of Directors.

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