Tag: president yameen

Bill proposed to raise disability benefits to MVR5,000 a month

MP Ibrahim Muttalib has submitted an amendment to the Disabilities Act to raise the monthly allowance provided to persons with special needs from MVR2,000 (US$150) to MVR5,000 (US$324).

The MP for Fares-Maathoda – who failed to win re-election in last month’s polls – stated in the draft legislation (Dhivehi) that its purpose was to provide financial assistance to families with persons with special needs to seek medical treatment overseas.

While treatment for disabled persons was covered in the government’s ‘Aasandha’ health insurance scheme, Muttalib stated that securing Aasandha in hospitals abroad was difficult for families.

The first reading of the bill took place at today’s sitting of parliament, after which the amendments will be tabled for a preliminary debate.

The Disabilities Act (Dhivehi) was passed in July 2010 to provide financial assistance and protect the rights of persons with special needs whilst a national registry was compiled in 2011 with more than 4,000 active members.

Citing a 2010 report by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives and the UNDP, the US State Department’s 2013 Human Rights Report on the Maldives noted that “most schools accepted only children with very limited to moderate disabilities and not those with more serious disabilities.”

“Children with disabilities had virtually no access or transition to secondary-level education. Only three psychiatrists, two of them foreign, worked in the country, and they primarily worked on drug rehabilitation. No mental health care was available in Male. There also was a lack of quality residential care,” the report stated.

State benefits

Meanwhile, in March, the government raised the old age pensions from MVR2,300 to MVR5,000 a month to fulfil a campaign pledge by President Abdulla Yameen and the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

While the government insists that enough funds to provide the increased benefits could be generated by investing in pension funds and financial instruments, critics have argued that, with a MVR1.3 billion (US$84.3 million) deficit budget, the move will plunge the country further into debt.

“These are loans, and taking loans is acceptable to invest in to increasing productivity. But this is not such an investment, this is something the government is spending. Eventually people will have to bear the burden of this,” former Economic Development Minister Mahmud Razee told Minivan News last month.

A World Bank report at the end of 2013 urged the government to reduce spending in order reduce the “unsustainable” public debt which currently stands at 81 percent of GDP, and could rise to 96 percent by 2015.

“Maldives is spending beyond its means and financing the budget risks affecting the real economy,” the report said.

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President reveals vision for foreign investment at Hulhumalé project launch

President Abdulla Yameen inaugurated a project yesterday for the construction of 3,000 housing units in Hulhumalé by a joint venture company, Sealife Global Inc – formed by two Dubai companies with a local partner.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, President Yameen said his administration’s vision was to develop a “youth village” in Hulhumalé with a population of 50,000 people.

“The youth village will not involve only housing [projects]. It will also include other projects related to the youth village such as the creation of light industries to provide job opportunities, as well as arrangements for food and beverages required by modern youth and restaurant facilities for [fast food],” he said.

Yameen said he hoped the government would be able to realise this vision during its five-year term.

During the launch, Yameen also outlined his vision for “freeholds” for foreign investors who will feel the Maldives to be a “second home” in which to conduct long-term projects.

The vision for the youth city meanwhile includes a “technopolis park” as well as entertainment and sports facilities, he said, in addition to facilities for the tourism and fisheries industries.

The government would also prioritise the inclusion of housing projects in Malé and Hulhumalé as the corporate social responsibility (CSR) component when leasing islands for resort development, Yameen said.

Hulhumalé will become “a paradise on earth” for migrants from across the country, he said.

The construction of a bridge between Malé and Hulhumalé would further open up economic opportunities in the reclaimed island city, Yameen said.

In February, Economic Development Minister Mohamed Saeed pledged to complete the bridge project in two years.

Plans of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) for the second phase of Hulhumalé development were also being revised to achieve the new administration’s goals, Yameen said, which included providing affordable housing to residents of the capital without adequate shelter.

“Any government upon assuming office will attempt to make the best use of a country’s resources. Everything is subject to change. Charts will change when they are redrawn,” he said.

The 243 flats – ranging from one to four bedroom apartments – to be constructed in the first phase of the new project will be targeted to mid to high-income families, explained Sealife Global’s Managing Director Ahmed Moosa.

The six towers or 10 to 12-storey buildings will include other facilities and services such as a swimming pool and gymnasium, he added. The joint venture company would also construct a 12-storey office complex on the site.

“Adventurous path”

Addressing foreign guests in English, President Yameen said he was pleased to “see you actively engaged in our socio-economic development.”

“I hope this project is going to be rewarding in terms of both profitability as well as catering to the need of the Maldivian people,” he added.

The government was committed to “improving the well-being of Maldivian youth,” he continued, adding that youth were presently deprived of the “opportunity to be gainfully employed and also the opportunity of shelter.”

The government therefore welcomes any project that caters to these “dual needs,” he said.

“We are embarking on a very adventurous path at this point in time,” he said, noting that economic development was essential for maintaining the current environment of peace and stability.

“What we would like to confirm for the foreign investors who come to the Maldives is that foreign investors should feel that Maldives is your second home here,” he said, adding that “a landmark law” will be passed in the next Majlis to strengthen the foreign investment regime.

“We are going to open up the Maldives in a huge way to foreign investors. Our thirst cannot be quenched. The opportunity to foreign investors is going to be enormous. So have faith and trust in us,” Yameen said.

Legislation will also be proposed to the next parliament to create special economic zones, he continued, which would be “likened to cities in Dubai or the Emirates” and “the [business] environment we have in Singapore.”

The new laws would enable investors to have “freeholds” in the country and allow investors “to engage in really, really long gestative projects,” he said.

Yameen assured foreign investors that “your money is safe with us.”

“So I reach out to proprietors and investors in Dubai, in Abu Dhabi, in Qatar and also the Emirates – please, here you have an island, here you have a country where you can invest and where you can be content with your investments,” he said.

“We are embarking on an era of growth,” he said, adding that 52 percent of the country’s population was comprised of young people.

Yameen noted that Hulhumale’ was a vision of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

“He wanted to find breathing space for the overly congested people in Malé. Nobody at that time would have thought that Hulhumalé is going to be the city it is now. There is tremendous opportunity in Maldives and there is tremendous love in us for the Arab-Muslim entrepreneurs. So please come and invest in the Maldives,” he entreated.

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Former chief of defence forces nominated for ambassador to Pakistan

Former Chief of Defence Forces Major General (Retired) Moosa Ali Jaleel has been nominated by President Abdulla Yameen as the next High Commissioner of Maldives to Pakistan.

Jaleel’s name was sent to parliament today, which approves presidential appointees to diplomatic posts following a vetting process.

Jaleel had signed for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives in January.

After 32 years of service, the chief of defence forces under former President Mohamed Nasheed retired from the military in the wake of the controversial transfer of presidential power in February 2012.

In January 2013, Jaleel told parliament’s Government Oversight Committee that he believed former President Nasheed had “resigned under duress.”

Jaleel was among senior officers of the military facing charges over the controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012.

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President Yameen grants clemency to 169 convicts

President Abdulla Yameen has granted clemency yesterday to 169 convicts serving banishment, house arrest, or jail sentences.

According to the President’s Office, Yameen granted pardons or commuted sentences in accordance with Article 29 of the Clemency Act.

Some 116 individuals were released on parole with conditions following consideration of “age, health, type of medical treatment, time and circumstance, compassion, and behaviour,” the President’s Office revealed in a statement.

Convicts sentenced for drug abuse would be required to complete rehabilitation programmes, the statement noted.

Moreover, released inmates would be returned to jail to serve out the remainder of their sentences if they violate parole or commit a crime.

Persons convicted of murder, a crime with a punishment (hadd) prescribed in Islamic Shariah, terrorism, child sexual abuse, sexual assault or rape, and homosexuality were not among the 169 released convicts, the President’s Office said.

“In addition to the above-mentioned [exceptions], sentences were commuted based on records from the Maldives Police Service without including persons who could pose a threat to society’s safety and security,” the statement read.

It added that President Yameen had announced his intention to release prisoners at a campaign rally in Fuvahmulah last month.

Home Minister Umar Naseer told Minivan News in the wake of President Yameen’s announcement that the release of inmates would not present any difficulties to ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking.

“It will not be a hindrance because the present Clemency Act prevents serious offenders from being released. Furthermore, this process will be monitored by the Home Ministry,” he said.

President Yameen also commuted the sentences of 24 inmates in January while his predecessor Dr Mohamed Waheed released 39 convicts during his last days in office.

Article 115 of the constitution states that the president has the authority “to grant pardons or reductions of sentence as provided by law, to persons convicted of a criminal offence who have no further right of appeal.”

On January 9, police cleared or expunged criminal records of 1,023 young persons who were arrested for various criminal offences, as part of the government’s pledge to facilitate youth employment.

“Political stunt”

Following President Yameen’s announcement last month, opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy described the move as “a very irresponsible political stunt”.

“This is a stunt they are pulling off as elections approach – an act without any form or structure. This is a stunt like they used to pull during the Gayoom administration – as every election nears, they’ll let out numerous prisoners and the streets will be teeming with drug abusers,” the Maafanu North MP said.

Fahmy also defended the release of convicts under the MDP government’s ‘Second Chance Programme,’ which he stressed was “a structured effort, under which applicable prisoners were released under parole to be under the guardianship of a family member.”

“They were given training in various skills and were provided with employment opportunities. They were monitored constantly and were taken back in when there is a risk of re-offending crimes.”

“Yameen and the people around him were those who most criticised our ‘Second Chance Programme’. And now look at what they are attempting to do. This clemency plan has no structure and will prove detrimental to the society,” he said.

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed – who served as Home Minister during the Waheed administration – shut down the ‘Second Chance Programme’ in March 2012, alleging that the MDP government had used it to “release unqualified criminals under political influence and without any clear procedure”.

In July 2012, Jameel blamed a “surge in crime” partly on the ‘Second Chance Programme’, claiming that over 200 convicted criminals released under the scheme had been returned to prison for re-offending.

Jameel also published a comment piece in newspaper Haveeru in September 2011 criticising the programme and emphasising the importance of granting clemency in accordance with the Clemency Act.

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Fishermen invited to register for MVR10,000 allowance on April 1

Application forms will be available on April 1 for fishermen to register in the government’s scheme to provide MVR10,000 (US$648) during lean months, President Abdulla Yameen said last night.

Addressing supporters in Gaaf Dhaalu Thinadhoo at a rally held to celebrate the Progressive Coalition’s victory in the parliamentary polls, President Yameen said the allowance will be released to fishermen before the end of May “when all the calculations and documentation are done.”

Marinas for fishermen would meanwhile be complete by the end of the year, Yameen said.

A MVR10,000 allowance to fishermen “regardless of catch” during lean months was a campaign pledge of candidate Yameen and the now-ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).

In an interview with Minivan News in January, Fisheries Minister Dr Mohamed Shainy explained that the allowance will be provided through an insurance scheme.

“If you look at the skipjack fishing statistics for last year, you will see three or four months which are very difficult for the fishermen. The real goal of this is sustainability,” he said.

“So the aim of the government is to ensure that even during these difficult months fishermen stay in the industry. For that reason, during those few months we want to give a payment so that they can do their basic necessities, so they can fulfil their daily obligations towards their family. The MVR10,000 scheme is a top-up system.”

He stressed that the MVR10,000 was not a subsidy as the productivity of the fisheries industry has been increasing since the downturn in 2004.

“So now we need to make the industry stand alone and be more vibrant and shock-proof to absorb these shocks. We need to devise a way to get people’s minds set on the idea that they can work in the industry. The real reason is the sustainability of the fishermen in the industry to keep them in the field during this low season,” he said.

Cheaper diesel

According to the President’s Office, President Yameen also said that discussions were ongoing between the State Trading Organisation (STO) and the Indian government to arrange the supply of petroleum products.

When the talks are concluded, Yameen said the price of oil would fall during the next two months.

Duing Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s visit to the Maldives last month, an agreement was reached to supply diesel, petrol, and aviation fuels “on favourable terms” from the Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of India’s state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Following President Yameen’s state visit to India in January – his first official overseas trip since assuming office in November – senior government figures described Indo-Maldives ties as being “as strong as they were during [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom’s time in power”.

Meanwhile, in his speech last night, President Yameen reportedly said that the government has undertaken efforts to attract foreign investors to the country, which would create jobs for unemployed youth.

Among the projects in the pipeline for Thinadhoo that President Yameen announced last night included road construction, land reclamation, construction of a sports arena, and broadening tourism.

With the prevailing political stability and the mandate given to the current administration by the public in the presidential and parliamentary polls, Yameen said he believed that the government could commence mega-projects and transform the Maldives to “this region’s Singapore.”

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Coalition to field separate candidates for Majlis speaker position

President Abdulla Yameen yesterday announced that his Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) will forward its own candidate for the position of speaker of the People’s Majlis.

The move follows Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim’s claim earlier this week that he had the full backing of his coalition partners to stand for nomination to the chair.

Parliament should be an institution that “sincerely and responsibly” fulfils the duty bestowed by the public, Yameen told supporters yesterday.

“For this reason, our party wants the speaker’s post in the next People’s Majlis,” he said during a rally held last night to celebrate the Progressive Coalition’s garnering of a 53 seat majority in Saturday’s Majlis elections.

Notably absent from the event were leaders of the JP – the winner of 15 of the coalition’s seats – with party Secretary General Dr Mohamed Saud telling CNM that the party had not attended as it had not been made aware of the agenda.

Complaints from within the JP immediately after polling, regarding PPM-affiliated candidates having stood as independents in constituencies reserved for the JP, appeared to have been justified today as local media reported that two of the five successful independent candidates had signed for the ruling party.

Following his loss to an independent candidate last weekend, JP MP for Lhaviyani Naifaru, Ahmed Mohamed, accused the PPM of attempting to “destroy” its coalition partner.

Differences of opinion among coalition partners should be settled through dialogue, President Yameen said during yesterday’s rally, suggesting that the coalition had lost 15 seats as a result of members of coalition parties contesting as independents.

“This wasn’t the fault of the people. It was a mistake made by our parties,” he said, noting that coalition leaders had “repeatedly urged” party members to vote for the coalition’s official candidate.

Senior members of the JP, including Secretary General Dr Saud and Deputy Leader Ameen Ibrahim, told Minivan News today that they were unwilling to comment on political issues on behalf of the party.

The addition of two members would bring the PPM’s parliamentary group for the 18th Majlis – scheduled to hold its first session in late May/early June – to 35 of the chamber’s 85 seats.

The third coalition partner – the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), which is more closely allied with the PPM – took five seats on Saturday.

Local media yesterday, however, reported Ahmed Mahloof as saying that both he and fellow re-elected PPM MP Ahmed Nihan had pledged to support Gasim’s candidacy for speaker while negotiating during the 2013 presidential election.

Mahloof suggested that the nomination of a PPM candidate would be likely to cause a rift within the Progressive Coalition, and would be a decision he would find difficult to support.

Neither Mahloof nor Nihan were responding to calls at the time of press. PPM leaders have told local media that no official coalition discussion on nominations to the speaker’s chair have been held.

Adding further uncertainty to Gasim’s attempts to become speaker, reports published in the Gasim-owned Vnews media outlet today that the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – winner of 26 seats – had decided to support Gasim’s nomination to the chair have been denied.

“He’s capable, but there are many others in the parliament who are capable, we have not yet decided,” MDP Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Solih told Minivan News.

The election of the new speaker – a position currently held by the MDP’s Abdulla Shahid – is scheduled to take place through a secret ballot of MPs at the first sitting of the new session.

Majlis regulations note that the speaker “shall be the highest authority of the People’s Majlis responsible for the conduction of all matters pertaining to the People’s Majlis including the administration, the sittings and the committees of the People’s Majlis in accordance with the Constitution and the Regulations.”

The speaker is also charges with preserving “order and decorum” within the Majlis, as well as observance of the institution’s regulations.

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Majlis elections: “Maldivians have said yes to President Yameen’s strong leadership” – Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon has described the Progressive Coalition’s victory in the Majlis elections as vote of confidence in President Abdulla Yameen as well as a signal to foreign powers to stay out of the country’s affairs.

“Maldivians have said yes to President Yameen’s strong leadership,” said Dunya.

She also interpreted the coalition victory as a sign of voters’ faith in the leadership of her father, former President and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – President Yameen’s half-brother.

Fellow cabinet member, Tourism Minsiter Ahmed Adeeb, reiterated Dunya’s comments during a press conference held today, adding that opposition MPs would now be unable to further “obstruct” the government’s efforts.

“This shows that the ideology of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the policies of President Abdulla Yameen has the full support of the people as well as the extent of support for [Progressive Coalition partners] Honourable Gasim Ibrahim and Honourable Ahmed Siyam Mohamed,” said Adeeb.

Dunya’s press statement came as the results of the elections to the 18th People’s Majlis are being finalised. Preliminary reports suggest a clear victory for the PPM and its allies – the Elections Commission is expected to announce the preliminary results in the coming hours.

“I wish to congratulate the people of Maldives for their belief in the value of democracy. The world should not underestimate the perseverance of Maldivians. I also wish to congratulate the Elections Commission for holding the elections in an efficient, free, fair, and transparent manner,” she stated.

Dunya served as the State Minister for Foreign Affairs under former President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, and was a key figure in defending the legitimacy of Dr Waheed’s cabinet in the international community following former President Nasheed’s allegations of coup d’état following his February 2012 exit from power.

Dunya further said “yes to the Government’s foreign policy that is aimed at building national resilience of the Maldives; and yes to the Government’s firm stand of helping Maldivians to shape their own destiny.”

“The Elections also shows that Maldivians have said a resounding ‘NO’ to the efforts of some to invite foreign interference in domestic politics through a number of statements issued telling Maldivians how to organise our own affairs”.

“I wish to congratulate the people of Maldives for their belief in the value of democracy. The world should not underestimate the perseverance of Maldivians. I also wish to congratulate the Elections Commission for holding the elections in an efficient, free, fair, and transparent manner”.

The foreign minister’s praise of the Maldivian people – whom she stated have shown  “tremendous determination” to resist attempts to cause “internal disharmony by inviting international pressure” – echoed statements issued earlier this month.

On March 3 – after the European Union and civil society groups had voiced concern over the actions of the Supreme Court – Dunya requested that international communities refrain from comment which “undermine” the Maldivian judicial system.

International concern at that time had come in response to court’s pursuit of contempt of court charges against the Elections Commission (EC) over comments made  in a privileged parliamentary committee regarding the annulment of last year’s presidential election first round.

The Supreme Court accused the EC of contempt, claiming it had criticised the verdict which had annulled the first round of presidential elections held in September 2013, as well as disobeying a Supreme Court order by dissolving eight political parties last month.

The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the senior members of the Elections Commission just weeks before the parliamentary elections – a decision roundly condemned by the international community.

“We request our international partners to support us. We request you to contribute constructively in overcoming our challenges. We urge you not to undermine our judicial system,” said Dunya during the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

“We call on all to respect our institutions, young though they may be. And we urge you to base your partnership with us on dialogue and cooperation, not on judgment and retribution,” she added.

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President promises Hithadhoo hospital construction

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has stated that the construction of a new 100-bed hospital in Hithadhoo, Addu City will be begin this year, according to local media Sun Online.

The announcement was made at a Progressive Party of Maldives event in Hithadhoo last night (March 18).

Sun Online quoted President Yameen as saying “Construction of a 100-bed hospital in Hithadhoo will also begin, God willing, within this year.” According to their report the new hospital will be funded by aid from a foreign government.

According to the report, President Yameen also highlighted a number of other construction projects underway, including a new operation theatre in Hithadhoo Regional Hospital.

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President Yameen inaugurates land reclamation project in Meedhoo

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom inaugurated a land reclamation project on the island of Meedhoo in Dhaalu atoll on Sunday.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Yameen said he visited the island with a gift for its residents, noting that the people of Meedhoo have been waiting for over 20 years for such development projects.

President Yameen asserted that the Maldives could be developed using available resources, according to the President’s Office.

Yameen urged the people of Meedhoo to utilise the reclaimed land for economic and social purposes.

The current administration would endeavour to ease economic difficulties faced by the public, he added.

The project was awarded to the Nederland’s Boskalis International company to reclaim 17.5 hectares of land and set up 485 metres of revetment in Meedhoo.

Boskalis has also been contracted by the government to reclaim land in Baa Eydhafushi, Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo, and Kaafu Thulusdhoo.

President Yameen also pledged to make ambulance services available across the country before the end of August. He noted that the project would be funded from savings made from the state budget through cost-cutting and economising.

The Meedhoo constituency is represented in parliament by MP Ahmed ‘Sun’ Siyam Mohamed, leader of the Maldives Development Alliance, a coalition partner of the ruling Progressive party of Maldives.

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