The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)’s ‘Crafty Government’ protest, which was scheduled for last night was cancelled due to bad weather.
Local radio station SunFM reported that the protest was cancelled because there was a lot of equipment that was going to be used, and also because less people were expected to be attending if the weather was unsuitable.
The radio station also reported that former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was scheduled to be take part in the event.
The opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) will be holding a “Crafty Government” protest at the Artificial Beach tonight, after two protests were cancelled over the weekend due to rain.
Deputy leader and spokesperson of DRP Ibrahim ‘Mavota’ Shareef said the protest will begin at 9pm.
“The objective of this gathering is to protest against the government for misleading and deceiving the people,’’ Shareef said.
The ‘Crafty Government’ protest tonight is sanctioned by the party’s council, unlike the ‘Government for Sale’ protest announced last week by Deputy Leaders Umar Naseer and Ahmed Ilham and MP Ahmed Mahrouf that last week led to speculation that the party was facing internal factional difficulties.
The issue was taken to the party’s council, which voted in favour of placing Umar Naseer before the party’s disciplinary committee. In a subsequent press conference, Naseer predicted this would lead to his dismissal from the party’s leadership.
Mahlouf and Ilham questioned at the time why they had not also been asked to appear before the disciplinary committee. Naseer’s rescheduled protest was to clash with the council-sanctioned protest on Saturday, but both were ultimately postponed because of the rain.
Shareef said today that Ilham, Naseer and Mahrouf would be allowed to join the protest.
“It is open to everyone, all our supporters can join,’’ he said.
Ilham told Minivan News today that all three would join the “Crafty Government” protest this evening.
“We fully support the event and we will be present there,’’ Ilham said. “But we might not be delivering a speech at the event as the microphones are reserved.’’
Miadhu meanwhile reported DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen as accusing the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of trying to split the ranks of the DRP.
“MDP is attempting to divide DRP’s leadership as the ruling party stands to benefit from a weakened opposition,” he claimed.
Umar Naseer meanwhile last week questioned Thasmeen’s “sincerity”, alleging that “some of our senior officials are known to be involved in secret deals with the government.’’
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) was to hold two concurrent protests this evening after the ‘For Sale’ protest organised by the party’s Deputy Leader Umar Naseer for Friday was delayed due to weather.
However continuing poor weather led to the cancellation of both protests, which would have coincided at the Artificial Beach this evening at 9pm.
Naseer told Minivan News that both protests “were planned to take place as one.”
The outspoken and uncompromising critic of the government’s privatisation of state assets issued a press statement this week announcing the ‘For Sale’ protest, without the apparent approval of the party’s secretariat.
The party’s council voted 16-11 in favour of bringing Naseer before the party’s disciplinary committee over the matter, leading Naseer on Wednesday to publicly question the sincerity of DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, and allege that senior officials in the party “are known to be involved in secret deals with the government.”
In support of Naseer, DRP MPs Ilham Ahmed and Ahmed Mahlouf condemned the council’s decision as characteristic of a “dictatorship.”
The DRP Council meanwhile announced a protest for this evening at 9pm at the Artifical Beach, coinciding with Umar Naseer’s protest until the cancellation of both.
Factional rumblings within the DRP became noticeable during its last congress, when the party voted against holding primary elections to determine the party’s presidential candidate, and instead opted for the leader to automatically become the candidate. Thasmeen was then elected to leadership unopposed, after prior public endorsement by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Naseer, who had resigned from and attempted to disband his own Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) to pursue higher political ambitions, was a vocal critic of the decision to not hold primaries.
Following the congress Faathin Hameed, one of the DRP’s formative members and niece of the former President, told Minivan News that the voting itself was suspect because delegates “were bought before they even got [to Male’].”
“There were a lot of complaints from the islands lodged directly at the DRP office,” Faathin told Minivan News in March. “I made a point of writing to the committee in charge of the congress, headed by the [Parliamentary] Speaker Abdulla Shahid, reporting the complaints I was receiving and requesting action in order to ensure a transparent, free and fair democratic process.”
Faathin claimed the DRP’s “failure to fund its grass-root groups” had made the party dependent on outside financial support at the island-level, which had resulted in delegations from Male’ travelling to went to the islands “to ‘assist’ in holding the elections – teams sent by people with vested interests.”
Among the complaints shown to Minivan News were allegations from party members that they had been deliberately excluded from participating in island-level meetings, that island-level meetings were not announced or held in secrecy, that agendas were not announced in advance, and that candidates were not given the opportunity to put themselves forward. There were also disputes over vote counting.
Despite apparent tension over the issue of holding primaries, the party continued to insisted it was united even as a subsequent court case related to US$100,000 in debts was levelled at then-DRP leader elect Thasmeen by Abdulla Yameen, the former President’s half-brother and leader of the DRP’s coalition partner the People’s Alliance (PA).
Yameen contended at the time that that court case was “a civil case with no bearing on a political arrangement”.
Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) will launch a protest against the government’s alleged sale of state assets and property tomorrow night at 9pm at the artificial beach.
According to DRP Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, the purpose of the protest, dubbed “For Sale”, was to “raise our voices against the government’s policy of leasing state assets.”
“This government has sold important state assets such as the international airport, schools and other state assets,’’ he claimed, adding that he did not believe the government would listen before police were forced to use tear gas against protestors.
‘’But we are not going to take it that far on the first night,’’ he added.
“Peace talks”
Umar, along with MPs Ilham Ahmed, Ali Arif and Ahmed Mahlouf submitted a resolution to the DRP council to terminate discussions with the government “until the president gets inside the chart.”
The resolution states that the government routinely disregards both the constitution and legislation passed by parliament.
It also claims that the government secretly and publicly attempted to bribe DRP MPs.
If the DRP council adopts the resolution, the main opposition party will not engage in any discussions with the government until it adheres to the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation Act and amendments brought to the Public Finance Act.
Last month, parliament overruled a presidential veto and passed the amendments requiring the government to seek parliamentary approval for any sale or lease of state assets.
Spokesperson for the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group, MP Mohamed Shifaz, argued meanwhile that privatisation and public-private partnerships were the stated policy of the government.
‘’MDP does not have to follow the policy of DRP, they are just afraid that the people may witness the benefits of the privatisation policy’s success,’’ said Shifaz. ‘’DRP is troubling the government instead of making it accountable.’’
Shifaz explained that people protested when the government announced plans to privatise Giyasuddeen School last year.
“But today people complain that there are no seats in Giyasuddeen School because so many people enrolled their kids there after it was privatised,’’ Shifaz said. ‘’Because it was us doing it, DRP was against, if it was done by someone among them, they would have cooperated and supported it.’’
An ongoing strike at Kurumba Maldives resort near Male’ has prompted management to move the island’s guests to other resorts run by the Universal Group, while other visitors have chosen to leave the country.
More than 150 Maldivian and expatriate staff are on strike after complaining of poor staff facilities, low wages, unfair distribution of service charges and discrimination between local and foreign staff.
Assistant Human Resources Manager Ibrahim Hassan told Minivan News that no staff were currently working at the resort, as “almost all” were now involved in the strike action. Nearly 250 guests had been relocated to other resorts or had cut short their holidays and left the country, he said.
“At the moment [the strikers] are very calm. They are standing in front of the Human Resources [office] and not coming out of the staff area,” Ibrahim said.
“Yesterday it became serious when they came out of the staff area and threatened senior management. Some senior managers have [subsequently] left the island.”
A third meeting between staff and management yesterday failed to resolve the deadlock, he noted. No staff member had yet been dismissed, he added.
Police have meanwhile arrived on the island to monitor the situation. Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said a police team was sent after police received reports that management were being threatened.
A staff member on strike told Minivan News that the workers decided to continue the strike after management “did not give us an adequate answer” by the workers’ deadline of 4:00pm yesterday.
“Nobody is on duty and guests have complained about the poor services, so the management decided to transfer all the guests to other resorts,” he said.
Striking staff complain to senior managers
During the last meeting resort management had given the staff a written reply to their demands, promising the construction of a new staff accommodation block in September and the formation of a staff committee representing various departments.
“We have four main concerns: wages, service charge [payments], food and accommodation,” he said. “For food and accommodation they gave a pleasant answer. But regarding wages and the service charge, they could not give an adequate answer – they said they were revising the salaries but did not know when they could increase them.”
When staff said the response was inadequate, management replied they were unable to alter the decision, he said.
“That response caused outrage among staff and some of the senior management officials were forced to leave the island,’’ he added. “Police came to the island to control the situation.’’
The staff claimed they would strike until management fulfilled their demands, he said.
Sim Mohamed Ibrahim from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) described the industrial action at Kurumba as “a clear reflection of what little protection is provided to investors and businesses under the present laws pertaining to the conduct of business in the country.”
“The reality of the situation is that an investment of millions of dollars can be crippled andheld at ransom within a few hours by its own employees, whose grievances may or may not be real,” Sim said, adding that this situation had recently occurred in several resorts.
“The situation in Kurumba is a case in point. On Sunday August 22 the resort occupancy [percentage] was in the 80’s. Towards evening that day occupancy had fallen to less than 20% percent,” Sim said. “Tourists, tour operators and senior management have been too terrified to remain in the resort, and today the resort is empty.”
“There should be no ground for any party to reduce visitors and businesses in this country to a state of fear and terror, whoever may be at fault. The government must provide tourists and investors with adequate protection,” Sim said.
The Universal-run resort near Male’ is one of the oldest private resort islands in the Maldives, reopening as a five-star luxury resort in 2004 following renovation.
The head office of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) suffered almost Rf 1 million in damage in an alleged arson attack last night, according to managing operator Ibrahim Manik.
”Photocopy machines, fax machines, printers, huge speakers, microphones, cloths and flags were burned in the arson attack at around 12:45am, last night after the MDP rally,” Manik claimed.
The arson attack caused more than Rf 900,000 (US$70,o00) in damage to the office.
Manik said that when he came back from dinner after the rally, some of the MDP supporters present at the head office claimed to have heard something hitting the roof.
”So we checked the area, because recently some people on different occasions have attempted to attack us with petrol bombs,” Manik claimed. ”We checked but did not see anything, but after a while we started smelling smoke in the area so I went to check the depository room.”
Manik said he saw clothes in the room on fire, and ”I called the people outside and told them the place was on fire.”
”We started to evacuate the room, but everything was destroyed after we evacuated. We controlled the fire using a water tap, but it was a dangerous attack and it caused us to lose much of our valuable property.”
Manik claimed the fire was the result of an attack orchestrated by “some opponents.”
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the case was reported to police, who were now investigating the case. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the matter, he said.
Recently a group of people attacked and destroyed the glass windows of shops belonging to Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) deputy leader Ibrahim Shareef.
In another incident, a group of people attacked the house and car belonging to People’s Alliance [PA] leader and MP Abdulla Yameen.
Very recently during an MDP protest, protesters threw stones at the house of Deputy Leader of PA Ahmed Nazim, breaking the window of the house’s first floor at midnight.
The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) yesterday held a mass protest against corruption and to bring justice to the country.
The protest started yesterday afternoon at 4:00pm near the social centre on the western side of the capital. More than 7000 people participated, holding banners expressing their views, wearing yellow T-shirts and waving yellow flags in the party’s colour.
Some wore T-shirts with the phrase ”I need some cash”, in reference to leaked audio tapes of Independent MP Mohamed ‘Kutti’ Nasheed requesting money from Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Gasim Ibrahim. A ‘donations’ box satirising the MP for Kulhudhuffushi was also spotted.
MDP Chairperson Maryia Didi and parliamentary group leader ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik walked with protesters through the streets of Male’ calling to for the constitution to be upheld and corruption eliminated, and demanded the arrest of Gasim and People’s Alliance party leader MP Abdulla Yameen.
The protesters came to a halt near the tsunami monument where Moosa Manik and Mariya Didi addressed the crowd.
”We will not quit until we hit the end of this,” said Mariya. ”Even if [the culprit] is a judge, an MP or a rich merchant, we will not hesitate or step back. We will do anything we should [to stop corruption].”
Moosa Manik meanwhile warned that government might as well open a “court of people” if the judiciary failed to take action against people who involved in corruption and bribery.
”We might have to open a court of the people and summon the people faced with allegations of corruption,” he said. “If we have to do this, we will not stop before delivering a verdict on them,” said Moosa. ”I am very clearly saying that the Supreme Court ruling to release Yameen and Gasim was unconstitutional.”
After Moosa’s speech the crowed dispersed, after being invited to attend MDP’s rally at the artificial beach later that evening.
MDP rally turns riot
President Mohamed Nasheed and MP Moosa Manik addressed the gathered MDP supporters at the rally that evening. Rough estimates put the crowd numbers at 10,000.
”Anyone can buy votes in parliament by giving one million rufiya in advance, and then later two million, total three million. I also can buy roze that way,” said Nasheed, alluding to the mysterious person ‘Rose’ hinted at in the leaked tapes.
”But I will never buy votes, even if it was the last thing I had to do,” Nasheed claimed.
The President said that if parliament’s decisions were dependent on money, the laws of the land would end up in such a way as to only benefit the rich people of the nation.
President Nasheed said he would not hesitate to “step outside of the chart” to preserve democratic governance in the Maldives.
“Believe this, I will not keep from action for my own protection. I will not stay in hiding to maintain my rule. I say repeatedly I will face danger. I will not back down in the face of any harm that might befall me. My life has given me a number of experiences. I will make use of it in the right way,” he said.
Later security official whispered in Nasheed, and the President was escorted away.
Moosa Manik, in his speech to the gathering, ordered the president to take necessary actions against those who have involved themselves in corruption.
”In the constitution, it very clearly it states that the cabinet requires parliament’s consent,” he said. ”Parliament’s consent does not that MP’s should take a votes over the cabinet.”
During Moosa’s speech, a group of people passing by stopped and attacked MDP supporter. A group of around 50 MDP supporters ran towards the group, but were able to escape.
MDP activists gather near Yameen’s house
Following the attack, a group of MDP supporters headed toward Yameen’s house. The crowd ran across the main road Majeedee Magu and tried to forcibly enter the MP’s house.
As the crowd arrived at the businessman’s residence, a police squad was deploying in front of it to protect him. The crowed tried to enter Yameen’s house but police raised their batons and threatened the protesters, causing them to become angry.
Members in the crowd warned the police not to hit anybody with their weapons, and angrily demanded police make way for them to enter Yameen’s house.
When police refused, the crowd threw stones and water bottles at Yameen’s house. After a while, a second group of people positioned on nearby buildings began showering police and the MDP activists with pavement blocks, injuring many.
MDP activists spread out
After the rally came to a halt, MDP activists divided into groups and gathered at different points across the city. One group gathered near the house of PA deputy leader and MP Ahmed Nazim, who was recently charged for attempted assault on political figures, threatening independent commissions and corruption.
Another group gathered near Gasim’s house, a second near the Speaker of the Parliament’s house and opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Shahid, a third near the home of Chief Judge of the High Court Abdul Gany a fourth group near the the home of the Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, who recently denied police an arrest warrant for Yameen and Gasim.
MDP supporters also hoisted MDP’s flag in the DRP head office located near artificial beach, and threw stones at the windows.
An injured protester receives assistance
MNDF and Police control the riot
After police were unable to control the more violent MDP activists, the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) was deployed in riot gear, with shields and long batons.
Meanwhile, groups of MDP activists came into conflict with people supporting the opposition leaders, exchanging barrages of thrown bottles, pavement blocks and stones.
In one heated encounter police ordered journalists to leave the area and Minivan News was unable to determine exactly what happened afterwards. Some reports claimed that MNDF and police beat the gathered protesters with their batons.
Aftermath
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that nine police officers were injured in the night’s violence, with one in a serious condition. Six civilians were also injured during the riot, he said.
Police used pepper spray near Yameen’s house and tear gas numerous times in different areas in an effort to disperse the crowed.
Some people living in the areas police sprayed by tear gas and pepper spray have complained to the police, claiming their children suffered breathing difficulties due to the use of the toxic chemicals.
A short statement from the MNDF reveals that the national security council decided after an “emergency meeting” last night to offer protection for MPs.
“The Honourable MP for Mulaku Abdullah Yamin Abdul Gayoom is now under MNDF protection,” it read. Minivan News understands that Yameen is being held at the Presidential Retreat on Aarah.
Opposition response
At a press conference this afternoon, DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali laid the blame for last night’s unrest squarely on the shoulders of the government and supporters of the ruling MDP.
“We believe that this was created by supporters of the government,” he said, adding that senior officials had appeared on state media in the past week in a bid to “create unrest.”
The majority leader of parliament expressed concern that the situation has reached “the point where the army is arresting people.”
He added that citizens were in “a state of terror” as there was no rule of law in the country, warning that further escalations could lead to open conflict.
Following last night’s events, said Thasmeen, the opposition members no longer believed in the country’s safety and security.
“Things are now reaching the point where we have to mobilise our supporters for protection and security,” he said. “None of us want unrest. But if we do not believe that the rule of law exists in the country, if everyone does not get the safety and security they deserve, we have to do it even if it means mobilising our supporters.”
The MP for Kendhoo said the DRP was considering taking measures in parliament in response to the actions of the security forces, which he called “unlawful.”
The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced it will conduct a special protest today to eliminate corruption and bring “justice and balance” to the Maldives.
Spokesperson for the MDP, Ibrahim Haleem, said the party called on the “whole nation to take part in this protest”, but did not encourage any more people living in the islands to come over to Male’.
”A lot of people from the islands have arrived Male’ to participate in this event,” said Haleem. ”We are expecting at least 10,000 to participate in this protest.”
Haleem said the protest was to “eliminate corruption and to establish justice in the country.”
”MDP has made more than 27 pledges to the people of the Maldives. One of them is to eliminate corruption from the country and to establish justice and peace,” Haleem said. ”Today we will erase the civil unrest caused to the country due to the disgusting act of corruption and bribery for eternity.”
Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdulla Yameen, both high-profile businessmen, were recently taken into police custody on charges of corruption and treason. Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim was also taken into custody.
On Sunday the Supreme Court ruled the pair be released from custody, as evidence against them was deemed insufficient. The major opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) denounced the arrests as political at a rally held Tuesday night, where it promised to deliver a “shocking message” to the government.
Today Haleem said protesters will call on judges “to judge fairly and to be impartial.”
”Judges should remember that they also shall work according to the laws, and the protesters will call on the judges to bring justice and peace to our country,” he said. ”We do not have any personal issues against any individual judge.”
He said the protest would start in front of the social centre at 4:00pm, “and God knows when or where we will conclude.”
”Our acts will be strong and voices will be loud today,” he suggested.
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will hold a “special protest” this evening together with coalition partners, to deliver “a shocking message” to the government.
Ali Solih, DRP Media Coordinator, said that the protest would be held at the Artificial Beach tonight and that the leaders of the four opposition parties will be present at the protest.
”Leader of People’s Alliance (PA) , leader of Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP), leader of Jumhooree Party (JP) and leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) will address the people at tonight’s protest,” said Solih, ”and they will deliver a shocking message to the government.”
JP leader Gasim Ibrahim and PA leader Abdulla Yameen, both high-profile businessmen, were recently accused by the government of vote buying and treason. However Supreme Court has since ruled that their arrest was unconstitutional, after a panel of five judges decided that there was not enough evidence to keep them under house arrest.
Solih claimed the protest would show the government “the unity of the opposition coalition.”
”Due to the weather, not many islanders will be able to participate in this protest,” he said, ”but it will be a mass protest.”
Solih said that the party had requested the municipality council provide a ground for it to hold meetings, but that the council had not given an appropriate answer.
Deputy Leader of the DRP, Umar Naseer, said tonight’s gathering would not be a protest “but a rally where the leaders of four parties will address to the people.”
”It will start at 8:45pm,” he said. ”This rally is to let the government know that they have failed and that they should resign now.”
He said that the rally was “not scheduled to turn into a protest.”
On May 13, DRP held a protest against hiked electricity tariffs, titled ‘Red Notice’. The protest was dispersed by riot police outside the State Electricity Company (STELCO) building, and several DRP MPs, protesters and police were injured in the scuffle.
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