“I think the green movement needs to take a step back and reassess what it is trying to achieve and how,” Mark Lynas, an adviser to President Mohamed Nasheed on sustainable and environmental issues, has told the Ecologist publication.
In an interview for the ecological publication, Lynas, a British journalist and environmental activist, believes that amidst growing controversy in adopting so-called greener technologies, economies like the Maldives require an ‘engineer’ rather than a ‘propagandist’ to succeed.
Talking of his advisory role to President Nasheed, the journalist claims he aims to try and be practical, rather than idealistic, in pursuing green commitments to help the Maldives meet its ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2020.
“When I’m advising the president of the Maldives, I can’t really say to him ‘Our first job is to confront power and smash corporate control’,” Lynas tells the Ecologist. “I have to say to him, ‘OK, let’s look at getting this amount of solar power on these buildings, this amount of wind on the grid in the capital city, let’s work on this kind of building code for energy efficiency’.”
The Maldives has entered its second day of fasting after the holy month of Ramadan began yesterday.
The Islamic Ministry of the Maldives declared that yesterday was the first day of Ramadan and that people should begin fasting, abstaining from eating and drinking between dawn to sundown. Muslims who are ill or travelling are permitted to delay their fast.
Ramadan marks month in which the Quran was revealed to mankind, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
The rituals of month – such as fasting and sexual abstinence – are intended remind those who follow Islam of their duty as a Muslim, by keeping them away from worldly temptations to tame the mind and instill determination.
“Ramadan is an occasion to renew family ties and brotherly relations among Muslims,’’ said President Mohamed Nasheed, requesting that disputes and disagreements people be left behind as people work for the benefit of the country.
The daytime pace of life in Male’ has already slowed, with the capital’s usually vibrant cafe culture shifting to the evening, after sunset. Government offices close at 1:30pm during Ramadan, rather than 4:00pm, and the streets are noticeably quieter.
Interestingly, the popularity (and price) of watermelon surges during Ramadan in the Maldives, with the fruit valued as a ‘break fast’ specialty because of its high water content and easily-absorbed sugars.
The Islamic Ministry will meanwhile hold religious sermons every day after Asr prayer. Special functions will be held on every Friday and Monday evening, when religious scholars will preach on different topics. The Islamic Ministry has said those present will be able to querying the scholars who attend.
State Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed explained that in all Islamic countries it is also prohibited for non-muslims to eat or drink anything on the streets during Ramadan.
”Non-Muslims should respect the month of Ramadan, and our beliefs and culture,” said Shaheem. ”That doesnt mean that they can’t eat in their homes, in their private life.”
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that police would take action against foreigners observed to be eating publicly during the holy month of Ramadan, ”and as for Maldivians, we will send cases to the Prosecutor General’s office and to court. With foreigners also we will take action according to suggestions from the PG.”
President of the Adhaalath Party, Sheikh Hussein Rasheed Ahmed, has posted Ramadan greetings to the president and first lady of the Maldives, as well as the Vice President and his wife, senior state executives, leaders of all the political parties, diplomats from different countries, members of the party and the people of the Maldives.
Vice president of religious NGO Jamiyytahul Salaf, Sheikh Hussein Moosa Fikry has delivered a sermon on how to correctly observe fasting, according to the habits of Prophet Mohamed [PBUH].
Famous religious scholar Sheikh Adam Shameem Bin Ibrahim has also has delivered a sermon related to the holy month of ramdan.
Tourism Minister Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad has been nominated as the new attorney general of the Maldives, according to a senior government official.
Husnu Suood resigned yesterday, taking some responsibility for the constitutional crisis, and urged Speaker Abdulla Shahid to step down as well.
The source told Minivan News that Dr Sawad was ready to take the oath of office pending the missing law on judges, which the administration is waiting for parliament to pass.
‘’As soon as the parliament passes the new law on judges, the new Attorney General will take the oath,’’ said the source.
Dr Sawad was not contactable at time of press.
Meanwhile, the MNDF has blocked the the interim Supreme Court judges from entering the Supreme Court, on advice from the former Attorney General that the interim Chief Justice and judges at the Supreme Court ceased to have any legitimacy following the interim period deadline last Saturday.
When queried why the Supreme Court judges were not allowed to enter to the court, the source replied “that’s because they are not judges.’’
The opposition – and yesterday, the Civil Court – contends that the interim Supreme Court continues to function until a new court is appointed by parliament. The government claims this chapter was annulled after the two year deadline.
The former Attorney General Husnu Suood resigned claiming his position is untenable in the “constitutional void” triggered by parliament’s failure to enact legislation ensuring the continuation of state institutions such as the judiciary.
In his resignation letter, Suood stated that he had resigned because he did not believe that the state could be operated according to the constitution, because he had noted that state institutions had failed to fulfil their responsibilities as obliged by the constitution.
As a consequence, Suood wrote he did not have the opportunity to perform his own duties and responsibilities under article 133 of the constitution, prompting his resignation.
All three arms of state – executive, judiciary and legislature – are now deadlocked.
The crowds thronged at the entrance of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Patients, nurses and visitors all waited impatiently for more than an hour, craning their necks each time a car drove up.
At last he came.
The arrival of Salman Khan, Indian superstar and one of the most bankable stars in the Indian film industry, was greeted with loud cheers.
Dozens of cameras and mobile phones were produced as everyone tried to capture the moment. Khan, dressed in a gray T-shirt sporting a superman logo, smiled at the crowd and flanked by a dozen policemen, made his way to the blood donors’ room.
The crowd was enthralled: “Oh, he looks so handsome!”, “He even moves like he does in the movies!”, “He is taller than I thought!”
Khan inaugurated the blood donation camp, one of the activities of the annual India-Maldives friendship festival 2010. Not just settling for a ribbon-cutting moment, Khan donated his own blood.
Later in the seminar room, Indian High Commissioner Dnyanesshwar Mulay said he hoped that this would herald a new era in the India Maldives friendship “as now we are blood relatives.”
Khan stood up and got as far as “Bismillahirahmaniraheem” before he was mobbed.
Photos and chats were requested – and he obliged. Smiling and gracious, he acknowledged everyone around him.
Khan was then whisked off to Iskandhar School to judge a painting exhibition by the school children. As children painted, Khan moved around signing their paintings and chatting with them. Outside it was pandemonium; the doors of the hall had to be locked to keep the crowds out.
A foreigner who said he was a teacher opened his wallet and showed proof.
“Now let me in, you have let other teachers in, let me in!” he screamed.
A Maldivian journalist threatened “I am going to make this as a breaking news now if you don’t let me in.”
Another journalist threatened to call the police spokesperson and complain.
Tempers flared, but the police inside kept the doors locked. People stuck their faces to the glass door to catch a glimpse of the superstar.
More than a star
Khan said he was pleased to be at the launching of the medical assistance programme in the children’s home on Villingili earlier that the day.
Mr Mulay explained that the medical assistance programme would provide free treatments for the children by Indian doctors.
Speaking at the ceremony, Khan said that he would help “in anyway possible” for similar charitable programmes.
“My number is at the Indian High commission. If my participation is needed for an event like this, all you have to do is call,” he promised. “It’s just a two hour flight to come to the Maldives and help out.”
Khan gained fame in the Maldives ever since he shot to fame with his first movie as a lead man, ‘Maine pyar kiya’ in 1989. His fame was later cemented with his hits ‘Hum aapke hei kaun,’ ‘Karan Arjun,’ ‘Kuch Kuch hota hei’ and recent ones like ‘Partner’ and ‘Wanted.’
His vast acting skills and his buff body are something a lot of Maldivians are familiar with.
But his humanitarian work is less well known here, and this was the first glimpse of it up close for Maldivians.
Khan recently set up his own charity NGO, ‘Being human.’
Asked in an interview about it, he replied “Being human for me is ‘being human’. We all are human beings and I think we don’t do anything human to be human so you have to do something. I mean, God gives you so much and you know eventually you need to start giving it back.”
Salman Khan and President Nasheed at last night's inaugrationOfficial inauguration
The official inauguration of the festival was held last night. President Mohamed Nasheed and First Lady Laila Ali arrived with Salman Khan and Mr Mulay.
There was an audible gasp in the hall at Dharubaruge when people caught sight of Khan.
Once they took their place at the podium, a recitation of Quran started the ceremony.
Khan, clad in a slim greyish-striped shirt, provided the eye candy, there were more gasps as cameras clicked away.
“We live in this country, we breath this air, we earn our livelihood here, so we should contribute positively to the population” said Mr Mulay, highlighting why it was important for Indians to participate.
He said he hoped that the friendship between the two countries will be streangthened. Whenever he mentioned Khan’s name and his activities, a loud cheer went up.
Indian infrastructure giant GMR – which recently won the bid to develop Male International Airport – announced it would give 10 scholarships for the next four years to Maldivian students, and were greeted with loud cheers of approval.
Khan took the mic next and said he was honoured to be in the Maldives, and joked that the GMR group was now going to pay for his education.
“Islam means peace, we should all live in peace,” Khan said, drawing louder cheers.
President Nasheed also spoke, keeping his speech short “as this is no time for politicians.”
“We invited Mr Khan and wanted him here not only for his acting, but for his humanitarian work,” Nasheed said, thanking the famous actor.
Sitting side by side, Khan and President seemed amused at the enthusiasm of the crowd.
What followed next was two hours of entertainment, a fusion of Bharatnatyam and Khatak dance by Indians.
Maldivian dancer Jadu and his group performed a mix of traditional Maldivian dances with a modern take.
The atmosphere revved up a few notches when Khan took to the stage in the middle of a dance by young Indian girls. He matched them step for step, showing off his skills and driving the crowd went wild. He was invited to the stage for a follow up act.
When Jadu and his group performed a medley of his songs, he joined in and did his famous dance moves to songs like ‘Just chill’ and ‘Theyrahee chehra.’
After the President left, Khan followed and left the function.
A superstar was in town, and more than his dancing skills or his apparent talent for improvisation, what was most striking was his graciousness.
Despite being one of the most famous stars in the region, Khan showed no airs or graces. His whole demenour was respectful and obliging to the crowds who turned up to see him, and his apparent willingness to help Maldivians in charity work won the hearts of many.
The India-Maldives Friendship Festival 2010 will continue until August 15, 2010.
July 30-31: Education Fair organised by Times Group will be held at Dharubaruge.
August 3-5: A magic show by Mr Gopinath Muthukad will be held at the Olympus theater.
August 6: An evening of cultural programmes will be held by local artists.
August 12-15: Grande finale of the festival will be held in the evenings by a variety show group from India, together with local artists.
For more information, please contactthe Indian High Commission at Tel/Fax: 332 1824
The following article by Dr Hassan Saeed was originally published in UK newspaper The Guardian.
The British tourists who come to the Maldives’ beaches are unlikely to know about the Foreign Office’s warning this week to steer clear of large political gatherings.
But the country’s two-year-old government is in crisis. The resignation en masse of President Mohamed Nasheed’s cabinet at the end of June created a constitutional crisis, leaving the Maldives without a government for two weeks.
The president then unconstitutionally reappointed his cabinet without reference to parliament. Opposition MPs were arrested and only released after a prolonged appeal to the supreme court – after which the governing party called for demonstrations in an effort to make the judges change their mind.
Many Maldivians rejoiced in 2008 when the country held its first fully democratic presidential election following 30 years of suppression, torture and censorship under President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed came to power carrying the hopes of the nation with him that it could achieve full democracy.
This was followed a year ago by the first democratic elections to the parliament. I was a candidate in the first round of the presidential election, and the votes of my supporters decisively contributed to Nasheed’s majority in the second round.
In the same way that a democratic South Africa sent a signal to the world that Africa was changing, the Maldives sent a signal that the Muslim world was changing. Despite the difficulties democracy faces in places like Afghanistan, the Maldives were a powerful demonstration that such transition could be achieved peacefully. Most crucially this was delivered by Maldivians for Maldivians and not at the behest of American foreign policy.
That, too, sent an important message to many other Muslim countries debating their futures that peaceful campaigns to achieve democracy and human rights could work.
However, the Maldives is now again facing a serious challenge to our hard-won democracy less than two years after Nasheed came to power, because he did not win a parliamentary majority. The Maldives constitution establishes a clear separation of powers between president and parliament, but now Nasheed is attacking the right of parliament to effectively scrutinise the executive in a way that he would no doubt have similarly criticised his predecessor for.
The Maldives parliament should be allowed to do its job. It is debating important issues such as the foreign ownership of our international airport and seeking accountability from members of the president’s cabinet. However, we now see opposition MPs being arrested illegally, the army being deployed on the streets and unrest in the capital, Male’.
Nasheed is a former Amnesty International “prisoner of conscience” – yet he has threatened his own parliament and arrested MPs under laws that he himself opposed when he went through his own struggle.
The international community must now play a key role in supporting the right of the Maldives parliament to hold the executive to account. The European parliament has expressed concern about the situation and it has required the intervention of the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapakse, to bring the two sides together.
William Hague, the British foreign secretary, should intervene: the Maldives are a former British protectorate and last year over 100,000 Britons visited the islands, making Britain the country’s largest tourist market. Nasheed is very close to the Conservative party and was the international guest speaker at their conference last year. The Conservatives have provided him with support in the past, including training activists from his party.
In order to secure continued respect for the president’s role, Nasheed needs to demonstrate full respect for the Maldives’ other institutions. This is the only way to honour the struggle for democracy to which many believed the president had been totally committed.
Two years ago, some in the international community hailed Nasheed as the Mandela of the Maldives because of the way in which he forgave his predecessor, who had tortured and imprisoned him. The tragedy for the Maldives, and for the wider Muslim world, would be for him to take the country backwards to Gayoom’s time.
Dr Hassan Saeed is a former Attorney General and Presidential candidate. He is currently the leader of the opposition-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP).
“Many people were ready for direct action to show the level of their disapproval of corruption,” said President Nasheed today in his weekly radio address. “Government, therefore, is forced to take swift measures, and do whatever possible to find a solution for corruption.”
The President was commenting on the recent political turmoil in Male where senior opposition figures in the Majlis were charged with bribery and treason, and then released by Supreme Court judges. A Criminal Court judge suspended the police prosecutors.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Maldivian Democratic Party, of which Presdient Nasheed is a leading member, staged demonstrations in the capital calling for an end to corruption, and condemning the decisions of the judges.
People’s Alliance party leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom says letters published on a Dhivehi language website contain “fat lies” and that he had never asked a MDP Majlis member to join his political party, reports Haveeru.
Seven letters were sent recently to President Nasheed by MDP Majlis members claiming Yameen and Jumhooree party leader Ibrahim Gasim had tried to bribe them. The letters in PDF format published on the website are two letters signed by Hulhumeedhoo Majlis member Ilyas Labeeb, and five letters signed individually by Madaveli member Mohamed Nazim, Kedhikulhudhoo member Ahmed Eesa, Thinadhoo member Mohamed Gasam, Machangoalhi-South member Mohamed Rasheed and Baarashu member Mohamed Shifaz.
At the end of last month, letters were presented as evidence by the police at the High Court as evidence supporting charges of treason and bribery against Yameen and Gasim, but Haveeru ‘could not confirm if the letters are the same’. The letters on the website claim that Yameen and Gasim offered ‘rewards’ if the MDP Majlis members join the opposition People’s Alliance and Jumhooree Party, according to Haveeru. Mohamed Gasam confirmed the credibility of his letter and said it was sent to the President because of offers he had been receiving from Gasim since February.
Ilyas Labeeb told Haveeru he had not seen the leaked letters, but when the contents of the two letters signed with his name were read out, he confirmed that he had written a letter “to that effect”. President’s Office press secretary Mohamed Zuhair told Haveeru he could not confirm the credibility of the letters. “I have also seen the letters,” said Zuhair. “I cannot say whether the [leaked] letters were the letters sent by the MPs [to the President], since the investigation is underway.”
Under the Constitution and conventions, the President has the power to seek nominations to the Civil Service Commission and submit nominations to the Majlis, said President Nasheed in his weekly radio address. Making nominations for the commission to the Majlis was not its legal role, said the President, and he was returning amendments to the Civil Service Act to the Majlis for reconsideration.
The power of the President to seek and receive nominations to the commission, and select applicants, is removed under an amendment to Article 13 of the Act passed by the Majlis on 22 June. This power would be taken by the Majlis, and the President would have to appoint whoever they selected. The President would not have power of approval, unlike the power of approval given to the Majlis under the original Act.
A secret ballot would be used by the Majlis to appoint the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the commission under an amendment to Article 17 of the Act.
The Majlis would have the power to dismiss members of the commission if their actions are “inappropriate”, or if they are unable or incapable of fulfilling their duties in the view of the Majlis, according to an amendment to Article 15 of the Civil Service Act.
“Would a Rose by any other name still smell as sweet?” wrote Shakespeare. In the case of the Maldives People’s Majlis, call Rose what you like – she will still stink of corruption.
The ‘cash for votes’ scandal has gripped the nation ever since secret telephone recordings between opposition MPs were published on the Internet yesterday afternoon.
In one recording, the deputy speaker of the Majlis Ahmed Nazim discusses with Abdulla Yameen how Gasim Ibrahim took ‘Rose’ to Paradise Island Resort to finalise a Rf1 million deal.
“So Rose is joining Jumhooree [Gasim’s political party] now?” Yameen asks.
“No it’s not that….it is just for these matters,” assures Nazim, before explaining that ‘Maniku’ will complete the deal with Rose for a further Rf2 million. Nazim goes onto say that Gasim “has said everything will be OK… 100 percent and not to worry.”
In another recording, MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed says to Gasim, “I need some cash.”
“Yeah, OK,” replies Gasim before the two MPs discuss how the transaction will be completed.
In the third recording ‘Kutti’ Nasheed explains to Yameen and Nazim how he will “prevent the government from trying to do what it is doing” by moving motions of no-confidence against Finance minister Ali Hashim and Economic Affairs minister Maumood Razee. He reads out a plan to stop “all work on the tax bills submitted by the government to the Majlis.”
Rumours of corruption in the Majlis are nothing new, but never before have the sordid details of MP’s shenanigans been aired in such excruciating detail.
Last week, President Nasheed was being pilloried in sections of the media for being ‘dictatorial,’ following the arrest of Yameen and Gasim for alleged corruption and bribery. Now, significant sections of the community seem keen to lock them up and throw away the key.
“Petty, cheap, revolting, nauseating” – “Have nothing to say except that…I am ashamed. How cheap are our parlimentarians?” – “Thick as thieves. Guilty as sin. Let them hang from the nearest coconut tree!” – a few readers’ comments from Minivan News’ coverage of the scandal.
While many Majlis watchers will not be surprised to hear the tapes involving Yameen, Nazim and Gasim, many people have been shocked to hear that ‘Kutti’ Nasheed is also implicated.
Kutti likes to present himself as an independent MP par excellence, a symbol of integrity who rises above the grubby day-to-day deals of the Majlis. No longer. He has been treating Gasim as his personal ATM. In return, he appears to be chief architect of plans to subvert the government’s tax and privatization initiatives, measures that could damage Gasim’s and Yameen’s extensive business interests.
In his personal blog, Kutti says he simply borrows money from Gasim from time to time and it has no influence on his voting in parliament. Few, if anyone, will believe his excuse.
So far, the corruption allegations appear concentrated on Yameen’s Peoples’ Alliance party, Gasim’s Jumhooree party, and their ‘independent’ supporters in the Majlis. Indeed, President Nasheed said yesterday that the speaker of the Majlis, DRP MP Abdulla Shahid, is “an honourable man.”
How far this scandal spreads is anyone’s guess, but it is likely to lead to both political and cultural change in the Maldives, as people recognise the real damage that corruption can bring to their institutions.
For centuries, Maldivians have pledged their loyalty to rich men, bodun, whose political power and status was measured by the number of their followers. These loyalties often spanned generations, and the practice of honouring the rich and seeking their ‘benevolence’ was deeply entrenched in the Maldivian psyche. The dictatorship and crony capitalism of the previous Gayoom government welded easily with this old cultural tradition. The democratic revolution of President Nasheed’s administration, and the President’s open condemnation of corruption, is demanding new loyalties to the rule of law, honest administration and institutions, and personal integrity.
It’s a painful process for the old cliques who profited so much and enjoyed high social standing, but a welcome change for the young Maldivian population who see an opportunity to compete and prosper without selling their loyalty and bowing to the bodun.
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]
(0)Dislikes
(0)