Council Feuds, Coalition Talks, Measles Outbreak

Friday, April 7

The police started monitoring arrivals and departures in Noonu Manadhoo after a 62-year-old woman was found dead in the evening. Naeema Moosa – who lived alone – was found in her room after the police knocked down the door and entered at the behest of her family.

Her co-workers had alerted the family after she did not come to work for two days. As there were suspicious matters surrounding her death, the council instructed boats not to leave the island without notifying the police.

Sources from Manadhoo told Mihaaru and Sun that the woman had been stabbed to death. A police investigation team was dispatched to the island.

Photo from Maldives Virtual Tour.

Friday, April 7

A fire broke out on a Hiya flat balcony after a lit cigarette thrown from upstairs fell on a trash pile. The fire was put out shortly before 2 a.m. and no one in the apartment was harmed.

Thursday, April 6

A last-minute cancellation left more than 130 people unable to perform the Umra pilgrimage. Citing the inability to obtain visas, the Al Safa Group informed its clients of the cancellation shortly before they were due to depart for Saudi Arabia in the morning. The first batch was reportedly informed after their luggage was taken to the airport.

The private group charges MVR40,000 (US$2,594) to arrange the three-week pilgrimage. Safa blamed its Saudi Arabian partner for the failure to secure visas.

The Islamic ministry told the company to rearrange the trip during Ramadan at no additional cost and criticised it for not seeking the visas well in advance. Umra visas are obtained through private agencies.

On Friday, Safa assured its disgruntled clients that they would be able to travel next Tuesday.

Hundreds of Maldivian pilgrims have been leaving to perform the Umra during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Thursday, April 6

For the first time in the Maldives, the family court ordered a father to pay the expenses of a child under state care. The state sought the order after the child was taken due to the failure of the parents to ensure a safe environment. The man was ordered to pay MVR16,219 (US$1,052) a month, which includes the cost of special medical treatment.

The agriculture ministry imported 5,000 coconut palms from India after an outbreak of a dangerous plant disease across the country.

The plant disease was partly to blame for a mature coconut shortage that has driven up prices in the Malé local market. Coconut palms and other trees are infested by a pathogen that causes a black fungus growth called sooty mould.

The import was part of a coconut palm regeneration programme, Agriculture Minister Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan said at a stakeholder consultation meeting on the ‘Prevention of Plant Pest and Disease Spread in Maldives.’

On Friday, resort magnate Mohamed Moosa, known as Uchchu, was reported to have donated 25,000 mature coconuts for distribution to households in the capital.

A photo of Speaker Mohamed Nasheed with his former vice president Mohamed Waheed seated together at an Iftar hosted by the Saudi embassy drew the media’s attention.

It was the first time they were pictured together in more than a decade. On 7 February 2012, Waheed assumed the presidency after Nasheed resigned in the wake of a violent mutiny by riot police officers and elements of the military. Nasheed later accused Waheed of conspiring with the opposition to stage a coup. But a Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry concluded that the transfer of power to his deputy was constitutional.

A subsidiary agreement was signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the ‘Building Climate Safer Resilient Islands in the Maldives’ project, which is financed with US$25.1 million from the Green Climate Fund, US$35.4 million from JICA and US$5.5 million from the Maldives government.

“The project brings integrated coastal zone management to islands in Laamu and Addu atolls.” according to the environment ministry. It also involves strengthening the disaster warning system, improving the capacity to observe sea-level rise and establishing a mechanism for monitoring coastal areas, beaches, reefs and land use. The islands chosen for coastal protection work are Maamendhoo, Fonadhoo, Gan and Isdhoo in Laamu Atoll, and Feydhoo in Addu City.

Wednesday, April 5

Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi defended the new policy of deporting foreign nationals caught with drugs.

New rules enacted in January authorised the immigration controller to refuse entry and send back foreigners caught smuggling drugs.

In most cases, foreign nationals who bring drugs to the Maldives suffer from terminal illnesses, the defence minister told parliament in response to a question from a lawmaker. She stressed the high cost of providing treatment during remand detention. The drugs law allows foreigners to be deported after trial but immigration faces difficulties in sending back convicts, she added.

Earlier this year, a Brazilian woman was deported after 2.6kg of cocaine was found in her luggage.

Wednesday, April 5

The Maldives condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli forces. The attack on Palestinian worshipers caused injuries and damages to the mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

“These actions by the Israeli forces are a blatant violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. Such actions undermine efforts to achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict and the efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” the foreign ministry said, declaring solidarity with the Palestinian people and “firm support for their legitimate and just struggle to achieve a free, independent and sovereign State of Palestine.”

Tuesday, April 4

Speaking at a campaign event in Maafushi, Hussain Riza, opposition Progressive Party of Maldives candidate for the vacant Guraidhoo seat in parliament, declared that he was contesting to preserve the legacy of his deceased brother. Former MP Ibrahim Riza, who represented the constituency for nearly three terms, passed away on 23 February after battling cancer.

A number of ruling Maldivian Democratic Party members from Maafushi – including the island council’s vice president – joined the PPM at the event.

The by-election is scheduled for 15 April. Riza will face off against MDP candidate Ibrahim Shaaz and Maldives National Party candidate Ali Areef, a former Dhivehi teacher. 

The MDP has never won the constituency in Kaafu Atoll, which encompasses the islands of Guraidhoo, Maafushi and Gulhi.

Abdul Raheem Abdulla, acting leader of the opposition Progressive Congress Coalition, accused the government of unduly influencing the election through ad hoc development projects in the constituency, including land reclamation in Gulhi and the awarding of plots from reclaimed land in Maafushi.

Tuesday, April 4

A Maldivian was caught trying to smuggle 25 rare birds out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. The wildlife checkpoint detected the birds – estimated to be worth about US$2,900 – in a suitcase as the Maldivian tourist prepared to board a flight back to Malé.

The birds included black hawks, buffy fish owls and eagle owls, all of which were protected under an international convention on endangered species. The smuggling of rare birds is illegal in Thailand and a complaint was filed with the airport police for legal action against the Maldivian, who could face up to 10 years in prison.

Three Maldivians were also arrested in Thailand last month while trying to fly out with duck eggs, venomous spiders and other live animals.

Photo from The Nation Thailand.

The Maldives National Party rejected the Jumhooree Party’s invitation to form a coalition for September’s presidential election. As it would also be fielding a candidate, the MNP executive council decided not to join a coalition led by another party ahead of the first round of the election.

The decision left open the possibility of a coalition for the second round, which would be needed if there is no outright winner with over 50% of the vote. A run-off would then be held between the first and second placed candidates.

Formed in late 2021, the MNP is led by former defence minister Mohamed Nazim and former police chief Abdulla Riyaz, both of whom were elected to parliament on JP tickets in 2019.

Nazim, a retired colonel and MP for Dhagethi, became the MNP’s presidential candidate in December. The MNP leader was the only person to seek the party’s ticket.

After business magnate Qasim Ibrahim was confirmed as the JP’s presidential candidate last week, invitations were also extended to other parties and independent candidates to join a JP-led coalition.

Asked about the JP’s invitation on Tuesday night, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, acting leader of the opposition Progressive Congress Coalition, dismissed the possibility of endorsing another party’s candidate. Despite his 11-year imprisonment on bribery and money laundering charges, the opposition coalition is adamant that former president Abdulla Yameen remains its presidential candidate, holding out hope that his conviction would be overturned on appeal. The JP’s letter was not even accepted as it had not been addressed to Yameen, Abdul Raheem said. The Progressive Party of Maldives-People’s National Congress alliance would only enter talks with the JP if it formally exits the governing coalition and condemns Yameen’s jailing, he said.

Independent candidates Umar Naseer and Dr Mohamed Munavvar also rejected endorsing Qasim. The Maldives Reform Movement led by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and son Faris Maumoon – which is also part of the Maldivian Democratic Party-led coalition – remains undecided but open to talks. The religious conservative Adhaalath Party and resort magnate Ahmed Siyam Mohamed’s Maldives Development Alliance have formed a new coalition with the ruling MDP and endorsed President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Former vice president Ahmed Adeeb’s Maldives Third-Way Democrats was considering the JP’s invitation.

The pro-government supermajority in parliament remained undecided on taking action against MPs in Speaker Mohamed Nasheed’s faction, which now functions as a de facto opposition group.

With the exception of 12 MPs, the rest of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s 67-member parliamentary group are reportedly loyal to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. A parliamentary group meeting was held to discuss a proposal by Chief Whip Abdul Mughni to remove the renegade MPs from parliamentary committees. But a decision was not made, Mughni told Mihaaru.

In March, MPs in Nasheed’s faction held their first meeting as a separate parliamentary group, prompting Majority Leader Mohamed Aslam to denounce the move as contrary to the MDP’s statutes and parliamentary rules. “You can’t form a separate parliamentary group while you are in the party,” he told Dhauru.

A third round of talks between Nasheed’s faction and the Jumhooree Party meanwhile took place on Thursday night. The ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ faction has decided to back JP leader Qasim Ibrahim in September’s presidential election, MP Hassan Latheef told the press after the meeting. Previous discussions focused on a coalition agreement, a joint manifesto, the composition of the next government and a referendum on changing to a parliamentary system.

On Friday, Nasheed met Qasim at the Sun Island resort with top aides from both sides. On social media, supporters hailed photos and videos of Qasim’s pet pigeon on Nasheed’s shoulder as a good omen.

Monday, April 3

A child in Addu City tested positive for measles, the Health Protection Agency revealed. A second suspected case was also identified and a sample was being tested. Both children were past the infectious period but efforts were underway to trace contacts, the HPA said, announcing a new vaccination drive in the southernmost atoll. As the disease had been eliminated in the country in 2017, even one case would be considered an outbreak, it noted.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that mainly affects unvaccinated children and young adults. The virus affects the respiratory tract and causes a total-body red skin rash and flu-like symptoms.

After the Maldives was certified measles-free, a previous outbreak occurred in 2020. The refusal of some parents to vaccinate their children was blamed for the resurgence. With the new cases, both children were reported to have completed the measles vaccine doses. Infection is still possible despite vaccination.

Monday, April 3

Jumhooree Party MP Ali Hameed switched to the Maldivian Democratic Party, swelling the MDP’s parliamentary group to 67 MPs in the 87-member house. The MP for Isdhoo signed his membership form in the presence of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Chairman Fayyaz Ismail at the presidential residence Muleeage.

Echoing other high-profile figures who left the JP after the party decided to contest September’s presidential election, Hameed cited political stability as his main reason for endorsing President Solih instead of JP leader Qasim Ibrahim.

His departure leaves the JP with only Qasim – who represents his native Maamigili constituency – and Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain in parliament.

Villingili MP Saud Hussain, who was elected as an independent, signed for the MDP in July last year.

The Malé City Council launched a public transport service with electric buggies in Vilimalé, a satellite island of the capital where fuel-powered vehicles are banned.

Rides on the main buggy routes will be free of charge until Eid, after which it would cost MVR2 per trip. Four and six-seater vehicles are available for private hire. The new fleet also includes specialised vehicles for carrying cargo and for transporting patients in emergencies. 

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Mayor Dr Mohamed Muizzu said the council was working on appointing a paramedic for the ambulance buggy.

On 20 January, the government-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company started an electric bus service in Vilimalé, which the mayor condemned at the time as an “uncivilised act” that was contrary to the decentralisation law.

Citing public complaints over unreliability, the city council in August cancelled its agreement with a private company that operated buggy taxis in Vilimalé.

A 59-year-old man died after his motorcycle collided with a pickup in Hulhumalé. The accident occurred around 10 a.m. near the Maldives Ports Limited flats in phase two. Abdulla Rasheed, an Urbanco employee, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, according to the police.

Two men, aged 19 and 56, were also injured in a motorcycle accident in Hulhumalé in the early hours of Monday. The older man was left in critical condition.

Sunday, April 2

The health ministry signed an agreement with the the Chinese International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to build hospitals on four islands after cancelling a US$57 million contract signed with an Indian company last year for the same projects.

It was among four pacts sealed during the visit of CIDCA Vice Chairman Deng Boqing. Agreements were also signed for the renovation of the national museum and the maintenance of the China-funded Sinamalé bridge. An MoU signed for a three-year development cooperation plan would “focus on promoting cooperation in such areas as health care, climate change, infrastructure, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges and disaster prevention and reduction,” according to the foreign ministry.

Last week, the China National Electrical Engineering Company (CNEEC) was enlisted for a US$142.9 million tourism project in Addu City. It was the largest project awarded to a Chinese company by the current administration, whose key infrastructure projects are financed by India and carried out by Indian contractors.

The new deals prompted speculation about a policy shift or rebalancing effort. Questions were also raised about the ability of Indian developers to complete projects on schedule.

Sunday, April 2

A lawsuit was filed against the education ministry’s prohibition of Arabiyya School students wearing the niqab (face veil). It was filed on behalf of parents by former attorney general Azima Shukoor’s Rehendhi Chambers law firm, which contended that the uniform code contravenes the constitution and international conventions as well as domestic laws on education and children’s rights. The civil court was asked to grant a stay order allowing girls to wear the niqab in school until a judgment is reached in the case.

The education ministry reportedly instructed the Arabic-medium school in late December to enforce the uniform code. About 10 girls were summoned and advised to take their face veils off, parents alleged.

On Thursday, Arabiyya School denied allegations about intimidating students. The school also denounced rumours about a staff member calling a student a terrorist. No employee has “ever even used a phrase that could be interpreted to mean that,” the school said. A small group of people were spreading false claims to sow discord, it added.

A civil service niqab ban was lifted by the current administration in 2019. During the previous government, a teacher was sacked for refusing to remove her niqab and several immigration officers were sacked for refusing, on religious grounds, to trim their beards and lower the hem of their trousers below the ankles.

The burqa or head-cover is mandatory for female Arabiyya School students.

Indian construction workers ended a week-long strike in Hulhumalé, according to the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation, the government-owned company that contracted their employer JMC Projects to build 2,000 social housing units. The men returned to work on Friday (31 March) after the contractor took steps to address their concerns, the FDC said.

Their grievances included the poor quality of food, a 10-hour work day without overtime pay and the denial of paid sick leave.

Saturday, April 1

Heavy rainfall caused flooding in Malé, damaging furniture in some homes in the Maafannu ward and setting off a blame game between the opposition-majority city council and the water company.

The southwest of the island remained inundated with ankle-deep water hours after the rain stopped, including roads that were redeveloped in 2020. On social media, people complained about waterlogged motorcycles and cars. Mayor Dr Mohamed Muizzu accused the Malé Water and Sewerage Company of failing to turn on the stormwater drainage pumps. But the pumps are automatically switched on during flooding, the MWSC retorted. MWSC managing director Hassan Shah blamed the design of the drainage system during Muizzu’s tenure as infrastructure minister. The system lacks the capacity to handle heavy flooding, he told the press.

The nearly three-hour downpour in the morning was caused by a localised convection, according to the Met office, which recorded rainfall of 88mm. The military’s fire and rescue service was also deployed to pump out floodwaters.

Three houses reported damages and the release of sewage water indoors, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

The heaviest rainfall on a single day in 2022 was recorded at the airport island with 139.6mm on 17 July.

Saturday, April 1

Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof accused the Malé City Council of breaking the lock and clearing out a ministry warehouse in the Malé Hiya flats compound.

But the opposition-majority council insisted that the plot of land was under its registry and that the sports ministry had built the warehouse without its permission. The council cleared out the property because there was no response to an announcement made in December to seek the warehouse owner, it added.

The planning ministry had allocated the land for sports development in May 2019 and approved concept drawings in June 2021 for building an indoor volleyball court, the sports ministry said in response, sharing correspondence with the council about approving detailed drawings. A letter from the planning ministry confirming the allocation of the land had also been sent to the council, it noted. The council does not have any jurisdiction over the land, the planning ministry said later in the week, explaining the history of its ownership and reallocation.

Tourism Minister Dr Abdulla Mausoom became the latest Jumhooree Party member to endorse President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after JP leader Qasim Ibrahim was confirmed as a rival presidential candidate.

The tourism minister declared “unconditional support” for President Solih.

Several JP political appointees resigned from the party last week, including Adam Azim, managing director of the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company, and Hassan Shah, managing director of the Malé Water and Sewerage Company.

It would be better if the JP political appointees announce that they are leaving the party “for the sake of their jobs,” Qasim suggested.