Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed called on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to revert to the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s manifesto as the only solution to address what the former president accepted as legitimate grievances of fishermen.
The MDP’s 2018 manifesto proposed the creation of small “neighbourhood fish factories” to produce canned tuna. The main problem facing the industry is outsized government control with state-owned fisheries companies, Nasheed contended. The criticism came after fishermen in the southern atolls were unable to sell their full catch to the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company, which does not have the capacity to buy large volumes during bountiful seasons.
The MDP has been embroiled in infighting between rival factions loyal to Nasheed and Solih. Long-simmering tensions spilled out into the open ahead of internal elections due to take place on 14 May.
After previously voting with 140 countries to condemn Russia at the UN General Assembly, the Maldives abstained in a vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
The resolution was adopted with 93 nations voting in favour, 24 voting against and 53 abstaining.
The home ministry is in the process of tagging suspected criminals for surveillance, an official told the media. A hundred electronic tags were purchased recently after the authorities ran out of the devices. Suspects are required to wear a tag on the ankle after the High Court issues monitoring and control or ‘monicon’ orders under the anti-terrorism law.
April is the warmest month and the daily temperature generally peaks at 2 pm, according to the Met office. As the transition month between the dry northeast and wet southwest monsoons, the winds weaken significantly and high humidity stagnates during April, the Met explained.
The health ministry launched a ‘National Green Climate-Smart Hospital Policy and Strategy’ and a ‘Health National Adaptation Plan.’ A ‘Green Smart Island’ project was also unveiled to “protect human health and environment through integrated management of infrastructures and natural resources, including energy, transport and mobility, wastewater and sanitation.”
An anonymous caller from the Malé City Council threatened a Right To Information activist after he filed several RTI requests. Mayor Dr Mohamed Muizzu assured an inquiry. The police declined to investigate saying it was not “a clear enough threat.”
The criminal court released two men charged with trafficking 130kg of drugs, according to media reports. The accused were released with conditions for two months to seek medical treatment when they were taken to court to extend pre-trial detention. The prime suspect, Shaheeb Ibrahim, was a council member of the opposition People’s National Congress. He was suspended after his arrest last month.
The WHO donated genome-sequencing machines to the health ministry, which can be used to identify variants of the coronavirus and to monitor the spread of Covid-19.
A one-year-old boy born in Fuvahmulah with a severe genetic skin disorder (harlequin ichthyosis) passed away in India. Yunus Layak was admitted to the Rainbow Hospital with a blood infection.
Concerns were raised about drones flying over Hulhumalé near the path of aircraft taking off or landing at the nearby Velana International Airport. A drone video of a seaplane over Hulhumalé was shared on social media.
Permission is required from the defence ministry to fly drones outside of a few designated zones in the Greater Malé region, most areas of which are restricted.
The newly reconstituted Anti-Corruption Commission met the press for the first time. The watchdog’s top priority is the recovery of US$90 million stolen during the previous administration – a corruption scandal of unprecedented proportions – the new members said.
A team of 12 investigators has taken over cases pending when the presidential asset recovery commission was dissolved last month.
A short-term plan was unveiled to strengthen probes, address staff concerns, improve expertise and digitalise services. The new commissioners inherited a backlog of 1,673 complaints at various stages of investigation and evaluation.
Contrary to media reports, 4,588 housing units will be completed before the end of the current administration’s five-year term in November 2023, housing ministry officials told a parliament committee. Some 2,600 flats will be completed by then in the Malé region and construction is underway on 14,528 units across the country, State Minister Akram Kamalludin claimed.
Sample collection for free PCR testing in the capital will only be available at the Senahiya military hospital, Hulhumalé hospital, and Vilimalé flu clinic, the Health Protection Agency announced. Other government-run collection centres were closed.
Cases remain low and no deaths were reported over the past two weeks.
The Maldives military enrolled in a US State Partnership Programme. According to the defence minister, the Montana National Guard State Partnership Programme will help build capacity in key areas such as “Maritime Domain Awareness, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief, Cyber Defense and Communication Security, Aviation Security Operations, Leadership Development, Military Medical and Engineer Activities, Operational Logistics and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Environmental Defense and Response.”
A four-year-old girl died after falling from a fifth-floor apartment in Hulhumalé. She died while undergoing treatment at the Hulhumalé hospital, police confirmed. According to some media reports, she was left alone at home when her parents went to a nearby shop.
The Islamic ministry began collecting annual zakat payments (alms for the poor). Zakat can be paid online or in person at the Islamic ministry hall. It is calculated as the price of 2.4kg of rice per person.
A registry of 9,041 eligible poor was made public last week, down from 11,514 people the previous year. The registry grew due to the pandemic. Some 45 islands (out of 187 inhabited islands) do not have anyone registered as poor.
