Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe enlisted former president Mohamed Nasheed to coordinate efforts to secure foreign aid as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis since independence. The announcement was made after the pair met during the speaker’s visit to Colombo.
Starting on 1 June, households and businesses must sort their garbage for collection, the Waste Management Corporation announced. Organic waste, plastic bottles, metals and glass must be placed in separate bags.
The Maldives Journalist Association and Transparency Maldives expressed concern with intimidation and harassment by riot police of journalists covering street protests.
The Maldives Media Council asked the police to investigate alleged threats made by a police officer against a journalist during an opposition protest in Malé on Wednesday night. Several protesters were briefly detained after riot police dispersed the crowd but all were later released.
Former MP Mohamed Ismail was released from police custody, a day after he was arrested with a court warrant for organising protests under the opposition’s ‘India Out’ campaign, which has been controversially banned by a presidential decree.
The former lawmaker was released when he was taken to court after 24 hours for extension of detention. The judge rejected the police request for a 15-day remand.
But the court ordered a five-day detention for Ali Naseem, known as ‘Takaney,’ an opposition activist who was arrested with Mohamed Ismail.
The Progressive Party of Maldives condemned the “arbitrary” arrests as a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of assembly.
Customs seized 2kg of cocaine from an American national who travelled to the Maldives from Brazil. The estimated street value of the drugs was MVR10 million (US$648,500).
A 34-year-old man wanted by the police on suspicion of spraying the opposition’s ‘India Out’ slogan on several buildings in Malé was arrested from his home while hiding out in the toilet. He was found a day after the police announced a search.
The government proposed a new waste management bill to introduce an MVR2 (US$0.1) levy on plastic shopping bags. A month after the new law comes into force, businesses must charge customers for plastic bags provided at the point of sale. The levy must be included in the receipt and submitted to the tax authority. The bill includes fines of up to MVR50,000 for violations.
Duty-free shops, wholesalers and waste management service providers will be exempt. Plastic bags used to sell fresh fish as well as rice, flour and sugar can also be provided without the extra charge.
Preliminary debate on the waste management legislation is expected to begin in parliament next week.
The government plans to phase out the production and sale of single-use plastics by 2023.
A 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of spray-painting graffiti on the walls of former president Abdulla Yameen’s residence. Slogans calling for the opposition leader’s arrest were also painted on the nearby Progressive Party of Maldives office.
The education ministry opened enrolment of first grade students at public schools in the Greater Malé region. The deadline to submit applications is 30 June. Placement in other grades can be requested after 1 July.
The new academic year begins in early August.
The Islamic ministry announced the annual distribution of 50 tonnes of dates donated by Saudi Arabia. The dates can be collected from the Islamic centre in the capital and from council offices on other islands. There are 26 packets left for each 100 households after distribution to low-income households, according to the ministry.
The ADK Hospital in Malé successfully carried out the first total shoulder replacement surgery in the Maldives. A 59-year-old Maldivian man underwent the procedure for advance stage osteoarthritis of his shoulder joint.
Economic Development Minister Fayyaz Ismail won the hotly contested polls for the Maldivian Democratic Party’s chairperson with 57% (27,327 votes). MP Imthiyaz Fahmy trailed with 20,209 votes.
MP Rozaina Adam and Rifga Shiyam were elected as the new presidents of the MDP’s women’s wing and youth wing respectively.
The hard-fought campaign threatened to split the party with candidates representing rival factions loyal to former president Mohamed Nasheed and incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Both Nasheed and Imthiyaz congratulated the minister on Sunday afternoon. Nasheed, who is also president of the MDP, joined the new chairman-elect Fayyaz’s birthday celebrations at the party office on Monday.
Progressive Party of Maldives candidate Fathmath Nazima won a by-election for Malé City’s Women’s Development Committee. The PPM candidate secured the Vilimalé constituency’s vacant seat by a margin of one vote as the Maldives National Party candidate Aminath Sheeza received 358 votes. The outcome did not change despite a recount requested by the MNP.
Former WDC member Aminath Eman from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party passed away after a motorcycle accident in late February. The MDP was unable to field a candidate after failing to submit paperwork before the deadline.
The turnout was 25% of 2,900 registered residents of the capital’s island suburb.
