Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: Unfolding political scenarios country wide bear witness that incumbent President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan will be a formidable challenge to any opponent in the upcoming Presidential Elections 2013. President Waheed yesterday publicly announced that he would be contesting the 2013 elections, leading a coalition of interested parties. The announcement was greeted with support and respect in Maldivian social media and online media, even in the light of the fact that it came on the one year anniversary of the black day that his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed tried to topple him through brute force and arson on February 8th, 2012. Dr. Waheed's popularity is on an exponential rise within all voting segments, bolstered by a series of bold nationalistic decisions in 2012 in the face of immense international and internal pressures. His historic decision, in the face of extreme Indian Government pressure, to terminate a contract made by Nasheed illegally with Indian multinatio...

#Maldives today celebrates one year after its Liberation Day, February 7th 2012. It was liberated on that day from the dictatorship of President Mohamed Nasheed who resigned amidst an Arab Spring of popular uprising against him. Nasheed's violations included overturning of the Constitution, violation of fundamental civic rights and usurping extraordinary powers over the Judiciary. Maldivians on social media and local media are today jubilant and expressing hope and dreams for a better future after one stable year of incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed's strong and unwavering leadership in which he has steadfastly defended national sovereignty and independence against foreign countries and foreign rich elite in support of resigned President Nasheed. Nasheed's short presidency was marred by rampant corruption, nepotism, cronyism, sale of national assets to foreigners, graft, and wholesale violation of fundamental rights and liberties. Nasheed locked down the Supreme Cou...

#Maldives: The Parliament's Counsel General Fathimath Filza told media today that the impeachment motion against President Mohamed Waheed by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is legitimate and can be put on the agenda accordingly. According to the Counsel General, the motion meets the criteria set out in Section 100 (b) of the Constitution. Section 100 (b) stipulates that the impeachment resolution as provided for in subsection (a) of the same Section, must be submitted to the Parliament (People’s Majlis), under the hand of at least one third of the members (amounting to 26 members presently), specifying the reasons. The motion was submitted to the Parliament on October 10th, signed by 28 MPs of the MDP, thereby meeting the criteria of number of MPs required to table the resolution. An impeachment motion requires a 2/3 majority of the Parliament to vote in favor of the motion. With the current composition of the Parliament, presuming that a member would be elected to th...

#Maldives: President Mohamed Waheed Hassan's Government today secured a major victory in Parliament. The Parliamentary Committee on General Matters unanimously approved a motion to amend Parliamentary Regulations to allow Government bills to be tabled to Parliament by MPs belonging to Dr. Waheed's coalition partners. Dr. Waheed's Government has been shackled in the Legislature due to the lack of even a single MP from his party Qaumee Itthihaadh. Parliamentary Regulations state that a Bill by Government can only be tabled by a member of the ruling President's Party. The amendment passed in Committee today states that a Government Bill can be tabled by an MP belonging to any of the parties in the ruling Coalition. The amendment will now go to the Parliamentary floor for a vote. The ruling coalition has a nominal majority in Parliament and can pass the motion if all goes well. However, one of the major coalition partners in Govrnment in terms of MP numbers, Dhivehi Rai...

#Maldives: Days before ex-President Nasheed's trial for human rights abuse, international media and countries have stepped up efforts to assist Nasheed to block the trial. While international media such as AFP have reported the trial as a politically motivated, it is in fact a criminal case brought by the country's first independent Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu, for violation of human rights in the military arrest of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court in January this year. The Prosecutor General's case is built upon an independent investigation by the country's Human Rights Commission, an independent institution headed by a 5 member panel appointed by the Parliament. The current Human Rights Commission consists of 5 members nominated to the Parliament by Nasheed himself.  The Report of the HRCM on the investigation of the Judge's arrest and subsequent solitary confinement at a military training camp for 22 days determined the said actions to be blatant ...

Male’, Maldives. As President Mohamed Waheed completes his first official trip to Addu Atoll, his political opponents claim all Addu Atoll is with them. Addu City Council lent credence to this claim by passing a resolution earlier this week, denouncing the National Unity Government as unconstitutional. President Waheed completed his visit amidst substantial support, significant at a time that Addu is still reeling from arson and vandalism by supporters of Mohamed Nasheed, who resigned from his post as President early this month. Nasheed had even warned President Waheed not to even attempt to step onto Addu soil. Addu is a crucial voting bloc in any elections in the country, a fact evidenced by voting history and acknowledged by all political parties. Unfortunately, Addu has also a dubious reputation of being for sale in any vote. With its distinct dialect and close knit society, Addu has a history of seeking self-recognition, in competition with the more politically powerful Male’...

Male', Maldives. President Mohamed Waheed swore in a new cabinet today but maintained his silence on investigating the alleged coup which brought him into power on Tuesday. The new cabinet comprises of members of various parties, but none from his own party. Nasheed's MDP is totally absent. The largest share (4 ministerial posts) was taken by ex-President Gayoom's Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), lending weight to allegations that the coup was organized by Dr. Waheed in collaboration with Gayoom, and led by Gayoom loyalists. Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) took two cabinet posts each, while Jumhooree Party took one. Five posts (Finance, Foreign, Housing, Fisheries and Islamic Ministries) remain to be filled. ex-President Gayoom took the key portfolios of Attorney General, Defense, Tourism and Youth Ministries. Dr. Hassan Saeed walked off with the Home Ministry and Health Ministry. Ahmed Thasmeen Ali took Education and Economic Ministry...

Male' Maldives. As events pan out 24 hours after the biggest civic protest in the history of the Maldives, many wonder whether the organizing coalition of the December 23rd protest could be a serious challenge to Mohamed Nasheed's Presidency. Media estimates that over 20,000 civilians participated in the 8 hour protest at Victory Square, Male', against President Nasheed and his corrupt government. Although prior to the protest, the Civic Protest leaders consistently reiterated that there was no political motivation or objective in the protest, individual leaders made several references to political objectives during their addresses to the thousands of civilians gathered at their call. Speaking to thundering applause by the protesters, Shaikh Ilyas Hussain stated that politics and religion cannot be separated. The very thought of making such a separation is a though to weaken and destabilize religion, he said. Sheikh Ilyas Hussain, a youthful and charismatic orator, is...