Tag: President Waheed

Harbour construction project begins in Gemanafushi

The Maldives Transport and Construction Company (MTCC) has begun a 10-month harbour construction project on the island of Gemanafushi in Gaafu Alif Atoll.

The project aims to reconstruct a 304 metre long and 91 metre wide harbour in place of the old habour, which is in ruin and insufficient for use, local media reported.

President of Gemanafushi Council Asim Mohamed told local media that work on the project begun on January 24, adding that MTCC were given 10 months to complete the project.

Asim thanked president Waheed for starting the project soon after making a promise to do so on a recent visit to the island.

“When President Waheed visited this island a while ago, he promised that a new harbour would be constructed here. Within a short period of time, work on what will be one the best harbours in the Maldives has begun here.

“I thank President Waheed in my own name, as well as on behalf of the people of this island”, Asim was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

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Is President Waheed in control, asks Eurasia Review

Looking at the developments in the Maldives, one gets the feeling that President (by accident as some prefer to call him) Waheed does not appear to be in control of the events, writes Dr. S Chandrasekharan for the Eurasia Review.

In a moment of frustration he is said to have remarked that “Everybody runs the State as they please”, and this has been widely reported in the press.

He is aware of the remarks of his own adviser Dr. Hassan Saeed who said that President Waheed is “politically the weakest person in the country” and yet Saeed is merrily carrying on and some suspect that he may even join hands with Waheed to contest the next presidential elections in 2013.

President Waheed’s own official spokesperson Abbas Adil Raza broke all diplomatic protocol and openly called the Indian High Commissioner as a “traitor and enemy of the Maldives and the Maldivian people” over the controversy surrounding the GMR agreement. Though he tried to distance himself away, it took a while for him to remove Raza from the post of official spokesperson, only to be given a ministerial post later.

Relations with India appear to be reaching rock bottom. Following the cancellation of the GMR agreement, the Indian Foreign Secretary summoned the Maldivian High Commissioner in Delhi and expressed India’s deep regret at that the unilateral move and had also warned that the decision will have a negative impact on bilateral relations.

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President withdraws nominee to Police Integrity Commission

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has withdrawn the nomination of former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohamed Rishwan to the Police Integrity Commission (PIC).

The nominee was sent to parliament after former chair of the PIC, Shahinda Ismail, resigned from the post in October citing the oversight body’s failure to hold the police accountable.

A letter informing the People’s Majlis of the president’s decision to withdraw the nomination was read out at the beginning of the sitting of parliament yesterday (December 31, 2012)

While reasons for the withdrawal were not specified in the letter, parliament’s secretary general said that the Independent Institutions Committee had requested the President to withdraw Rishwan’s name.

The committee noted that there were pending cases involving Rishwan. In October 2011, the PIC found that Rishwan had ordered subordinates to cut the hair of a number of youth in police custody while he was serving as deputy commissioner in July 2010.

Following its investigation, the PIC asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to press charges against the former deputy commissioner.

Rishwan retired from the police service in July 2011.

Special operation

In July 2010, police and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) arrested almost 60 people, including children, in a joint special operation launched to curb the rise in gang violence.

Many arrested at the time claimed that their mobile phones and personal belongings were confiscated and were not returned when they were released.

Almost everyone arrested in the operation was released without any charges.

A number of those arrested claimed they were mistreated and abused in custody, including being forced to remove their clothes, blindfolded and beaten.

“I was arrested while I was on the way to Dharumavantha School to get a document,” one of those arrested told Minivan News at the time. “While I was waiting near the traffic lights on Sosun magu, two policemen and two MNDF officers told me to be freeze, came up behind me and handcuffed me and my friend.”

“I asked them on what charges they were arresting me, and where they were taking me, and they said they needed me to clarify some information.”

He said the officers pushed him into a police bus and blindfolded him with his hands tied with clips.

“They took me to a place and removed my silver ear-rings, my bracelets, necklace and sunglasses,” he claimed. “Then they took me to a place and removed the blindfold on my eye, and ordered me to remove my clothes. I refused, but I had no other choice so I did, and they told me to bend over. They harassed me verbally and physically.”

He claimed the officers involved were covering their faces.

“After checking me they blindfolded me again, and then took me to somewhere else. I asked them where they were taking me, they said that I should speak only when I am spoken to,” he said. “They pushed me into another room, where they trimmed my hair. When I tried to refuse, they hit and beat me.”

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President vetos state wage policy bill

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has vetoed the bill on state wage policy passed by parliament on December 17.

According to the President’s Office, President Waheed “detailed the 10 main issues noted by the Attorney General regarding the bill” in a letter to the Speaker of the People’s Majlis.

Under article 91(a) of the constitution, the President has 15 days to either ratify or “return for reconsideration” any bill or amendment passed by parliament.

However, 91(b) states that “a majority of the total membership of the People’s Majlis” can override a presidential veto.

The wage policy legislation was passed with 46 votes in favour, two against and two absentions.

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President ratifies amendment to Public Finance Act

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik on Tuesday (December 25) ratified the second amendment to the Public Finance Act passed by parliament on December 17.

The amendment stipulates that the state budget must be submitted to parliament at least two months before the end of the year.

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“Be strong”: President Waheed’s brother tells former President Nasheed

Naushad Waheed, former Deputy High Commissioner to the UK and brother of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, has urged former President Mohamed Nasheed to “be strong” in a public message published yesterday (December 21).

The message came after Nasheed was prevented from the leaving the country to visit his ill father in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Be strong. Waheed will know you will be very sad when he stops you travelling [on] this trip,” he wrote.

While in jail under the autocratic rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Naushad noted that Gayoom had refused to allow him to attend his mother’s funeral.

“So Waheed is following all the footsteps from Golhaboa [derogatory term for Gayoom]. Revenge is the only word for them. Be strong,” Naushad wrote.

Naushad, a famous artist, was first arrested in 1999 following publication of a cartoon in a magazine called Hukuru. Two years later, he was arrested for criticism of the Gayoom administration and found guilty of treason.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Naushad became Deputy High Commissioner to the UK following Gayoom’s defeat in the October 2008 presidential election.

He later resigned from the post following the transfer of presidential power on February 7 and called on his brother to follow suit.

Meanwhile, President Waheed met former President Gayoom at Muleeage on Wednesday night. Gayoom told local media that “nothing special” was discussed and that the meeting was “just a friendly visit.”

Gayoom reportedly claimed that the pair were “old friends.” PPM Deputy Leader Umar Naseer meanwhile said the party’s interim leader and figurehead met President Waheed “frequently” for “lunch or dinner.”

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Government agreed to waive taxes for Nexbis, reveals Parliament’s Finance Committee

The Maldivian government agreed to waive taxes for Nexbis as part of the controversial border control agreement signed with the Malaysia-based mobile security provider, parliament’s Finance Committee has revealed.

The People’s Majlis secretariat explained in a statement yesterday (December 11) that the committee has sent a letter to President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik noting the findings of an inquiry to determine the possible financial burden on the state due to the Nexbis deal.

“The Finance Committee told the President that the ties and cooperation between state institutions necessary for the border control system was non-existent,” the Majlis press release read.

The Finance Ministry meanwhile informed the public accounts oversight committee on November 13 that it has yet to receive a copy of the border control agreement.

The committee observed that the government had “not considered” that tax exemption was within the legislative powers of parliament.

Moreover, the committee noted that “no government department has to date” initiated any effort to approve waiving taxes for the Malaysian company.

The Finance Committee also informed the President that the relevant government authorities lacked “authentic and valid information” of the border control project.

The committee further noted that the relevant authorities did not offer “adequate cooperation” in providing information for the inquiry.

In a letter to the Finance Committee on November 1, the Immigration Department explained that the border control system agreement was signed before the Business Profit Tax (BPT) came into effect.

However, the government agreed to exempt Nexbis from the tax with a final decision to be made by the Finance Ministry, the Immigration Department said.

Nexbis deal

Speaking at a rally last month, parliament’s Minority Leader MP Abdulla Yameen called on the government to “immediately” terminate the agreement with Nexbis and contended that the project was detrimental to the state.

The parliamentary group leader of the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) also criticised the government’s “hesitancy” to cancel the agreement despite the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC’s) findings of alleged corruption in the deal.

Local media meanwhile reported that the Finance Committee had decided during a closed-door session last month to instruct the executive to halt the project.

The decision would however have to be approved through a vote on the Majlis floor following consideration of a report by the committee.

In September, the ACC informed the committee that the deal would cost the Maldives MVR 2.5 billion (US$162 million) in potential lost revenue over the lifetime of the contract.

Following its investigation into alleged corruption in awarding of the contract to Nexbis, the ACC requested the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) press criminal charges against former Controller of Immigration Ilyas Hussain, brother-in-law of President Waheed.

Almost a year after the case was forwarded to the PGO however, no charges have been pressed against the former immigration chief to date.

The ACC alleged that Ilyas Hussain had abused his authority for undue financial gain.

Ilyas – a senior member of Dr Waheed’s Gaumee Ihtihad Party (GIP) – was transferred from the post under former President Mohamed Nasheed when the corruption allegations first surfaced.

His successor Abdulla Shahid expressed concern with both the cost and necessity of the project, calculating that with continued growth in tourist numbers, Nexbis would be earning US$200 million in revenue over the 20-year lifespan of the agreement.

Following Dr Waheed’s swearing-in as president on February 7, Ilyas was reappointed controller of immigration. He was however replaced in May with Dr Mohamed Ali and appointed State Minister for Defence.

Former President Nasheed meanwhile alleged in a rally last month that Dr Waheed’s GIP’s Deputy Leader Mohamed ‘Nazaki’ Zaki was complicit in any alleged corrupt dealings in his role as Ambassador to Malaysia.

“Before the [border control] system was established, before there was even a contract in effect, I later heard that equipment was kept in some warehouses in Male’,” he said, claiming that the warehouses were owned by Nazaki Zaki.

Nasheed added that he “agreed completely with Yameen” that the allegations should be investigated.

The border control system is now up and running at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), after a Supreme Court ruling in September in favour of Nexbis ended almost two years of efforts by the ACC to block the project.

Under the ‘build operate and transfer’ (BOT) agreement with Nexbis, the government is obliged to pay the security firm US$2 for every foreign passenger processed and US$15 for every work permit for the 20 year lifespan of the contract. Nexbis remains responsible for the upgrading, servicing and administration of the system.

Nexbis has continued to dismiss accusations of corruption within its deal with the Maldives government. The mobile security solutions vendor last year threatened to take legal action against any party in the Maldives alleging that the company was involved in corruption. Nexbis claimed at the time that the speculation over corruption in the deal was “politically motivated” and had “wrought irreparable damage to its reputation and brand name.”

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Winners of flats under Veshi Fahi Male’ programme announced

The government has published in the government gazette a list of winners of flats in Male’ and Hulhumale’ under category B of the first phase of the Veshi Fahi Male’ housing programme.

Following evaluation of 7,000 application forms, 471 applicants were chosen under category B, reports Haveeru.

According to the Veshi Fahi Male’ office, the list would be finalised after processing complaints. The deadline for submitting complaints is November 29, the office said.

On Sunday, President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik attended a ceremony to mark the completion of 1,000 housing units in Hulhumale’ constructed with a preferential loan from China.

President Waheed expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).

The Veshi Fahi Male’ de-congestion programme was a flagship project of the formerly ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) under its manifesto pledge to provide affordable housing.

The project was launched on November 10, 2010 to ease congestion in the capital and develop the Greater Male’ Region, composed of Hulhumale’, Vili-Male’, Thilafushi industrial island and Gulhifalhu.

Approximately 125,000 people are believed to reside in about 16,000 households in Male’; the total number of households in the Maldives is estimated to be 46,000.

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Dismissal of Transport Minister “cowardly act”, says JP official

The Jumhore Party (JP) has said that it is “investigating and very closely looking into the abrupt removal of the party’s only cabinet member, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Honourable Dr Ahmed Shamheed.”

In a statement on Thursday night, the government-aligned JP said it would take “necessary action” following an inquiry, expressing “serious concern” with statements in the media by officials from the President’s Office regarding the reasons for Shamheed’s dismissal.

An unnamed JP official alleged to Villa TV (VTV) – owned by JP Leader and MP for Maamigili Gasim Ibrahim – that Dr Shamheed was sacked because of his opposition to the recently concluded sale of a 30 percent stake in the Addu International Airport Company Ltd (AIA) to tourism pioneer ‘Champa’ Hussain Afeef.

JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim had alleged corruption in the deal and claimed the valuation of the 30 percent stake was too low.

The JP senior official meanwhile told VTV that Shamheed was removed to allow Champa Afeef to control the airport project, claiming that the “cowardly” act of sacking the JP minister was intended to divert media and public attention from the Addu airport controversy.

Dr Shamheed was sacked immediately after an agreement was signed to extend the lease of the Maamigili airport – owned by JP Leader Gasim’s Villa Company – for 99 years.

The JP however noted that the decision was unanimously approved by the government’s Economic Committee on November 1. In addition to Shamheed, the Economic Committee consists of Minister of Finance Abdulla Jihad and Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shafeeu, Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Environment Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb.

Government Spokesperson Abbas Adil  Riza told Minivan News on Thursday that despite Shamheed’s dismissal, the decision to extend the lease had “not yet” been reversed.

Abbas had tweeted that the cabinet seat would be reserved for JP, the third largest party in terms of membership in the ruling coalition.

Meanwhile, in a press conference today, MP Gasim Ibrahim said that he did not believe President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik could have been unaware of the ministerial economic committee’s decision to extend the lease, which was finalised at a meeting at the President’s Office on November 1.

For President Waheed to be unaware of a decision “approved by half the cabinet” was “a joke”, he said.

Gasim said Villa has spent more than MVR 1.4 billion (US$90 million) on developing the airport at Maamigili in addition to more than MVR 500 million spent for the island’s development.

The airport was leased by the government for an annual rent of US$24,000, the Maamigili MP revealed.

Dr Shamheed meanwhile told Sun Online following his dismissal that he believed he was sacked for differences of opinion with the President on a number of issues, including his opposition to the sale of the AIA stake and the agreement with Nexbis to install a border control system.

On November 5, Dr Shamheed tweeted that there was “no justification” for the valuation of an asset worth US$150 million for US$13 million.

He also criticised the sale of the AIA stake as “irresponsible”.

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