Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: September revenue collection is 2% less than forecast, announced Maldives Inland Revenue Authorty yesterday. In a fact sheet publicized yesterday, MIRA reported that revenue collection in Maldivian Rufiya for September totalled 6.6.3 million and 29.2 million in dollars. This was an increase of 16% over September 2011, but a decrease of 2% from the projected value. Tourism land rent contributed 36.4% to total revenue, while Goods and Services Tax contributed 28.6%. Business Profit Tax contributed 12.3%, Tourism Tax 11.3% and Airport Service Charge 4.3%. Over 50% of US dollar revenue was from Tourism Land Rent while Tourism Tax contributed 15.6%, thus making it 65.7% YS dollar revenu directly from the Tourism industry. These figures is brings into sharp focus the high dependence of Maldives on the tourism industry, and industry now being threatened by former President Mohamed Nasheed and his friends overseas.Mohamed Nasheed has consistently carried out campaigns over...

--> #Maldives Police today arrested four persons in relation to the brutal murder of MP and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali. One of the individuals arrested was Mariyam Naifa, a leading activist of ex-President Nasheed’s party, Maldives Democratic Party. Unconfirmed reports in social media state identify a second individual amongst the arrested four to be a member of a gang providing “security” to MDP Interim President “Reeko” Moosa Maniku. A book launched by Nasheed on 10 th September repeatedly attacks Dr. Afrasheem, former Vice President of the Judicial Services Commision (JSC) at the time the majority of the present Judiciary was sworn in, calling him a “traitor” who allegedly subverted the Judiciary. Dr. Afrasheem’s murder comes within hours of Nasheed’s refusal to appear before court in a human rights abuse case against him. Nasheed refused to obey the court, denouncing the Judiciary as political and not to be obeyed. Nasheed, holding a lifetime position as the...

#Maldives' decisive win at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) may be the death knoll for ex-President Nasheed's political ambitions. The unconditional removal of Maldives from the CMAG Agenda and the invitation for Maldives to resume its seat in the group came without any restrictions on legal actions towards Nasheed. The rumor of such restrictions had been widely circulated by Nasheed and his party Maldivian Democratic Party in the days leading to the CMAg Report. The CMAG decision is the most recent in the line of a long list of victories by President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik,in the sustained attacks on the Presidency by Mohamed Nasheed who resigned on February 7th this year. Nasheed resigned after months of public anger and dissatisfaction with his corrupt and incompetent Administration, and amidst days of popular unrest at his violation of constitutional rights and human rights abuse. In addition to the CoNI Report, the landmark reports by two key...

Male', Maldives. Almost a month after the transfer of power between Mohamed Nasheed and his Vice President Mohamed Waheed, there is still no investigation of Nasheed's allegations of a coup and Waheed's denial of it. Maldivian doubts increase as various versions of Nasheed's coup are aired on international press, while the military and police deny it in the local press. In the meantime, Parliament and peace talks remain suspended due to the rule of mobocracy by the Maldives Democratic Party in blind support of their Supreme Leader for Life, Mohamed Nasheed. This status quo, while beneficial to Nasheed and his opponents, is clearly not conducive to the normal life of the average Maldivian nor for their major income earner, the tourism industry. Nasheed resigned on February 7th after weeks of civic riots against his unconstitutional arrest of a senior judge, protests which saw police brutality, and violations of fundamental freedoms of speech and assembly and the muzz...

Male', Maldives A day after he led violent protests which damaged property and harmed civilians and police, ex-President Nasheed made a u-turn and called for early presidential elections. Nasheed resigned as President on Tuesday February 7th, after weeks of public protest against his unlawful military arrest of a senior judge, obstruction of the Judiciary and violations of fundamental freedoms of individuals. While he was in power Nasheed publicly stated that he would not even hold the constitutionally mandated 2013 elections until he could change the Judiciary in the way he wanted. Speaking to supporters at rally of his militant party, Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), Nasheed called upon current President Waheed to immediately resign, and Speaker of Parliament Shahid to oversee an interim government and hold an election within two months. He said that, even from the beginning, he and other party leaders had known that they could not complete a five year term in office. It ...

Male’, Maldives. Maldives strongman Nasheed resigned today amidst widespread civic jubilation reminiscent of Arab springs. Police disobedience in the face of unconstitutional orders were the final straw which broke Nasheed’s iron grip on the country after weeks on civic riots. As Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn in today as the 5th President of the Maldives, Maldivians remain deeply concerned about their future. President Waheed’s first official statement as President was that the Constitution of the country is supreme, and that all powers of the state would be exercised in accordance with the Constitution. He then pledged the democratic separation of powers and the protection of the rights of the people. President Waheed noted the hardships suffered by the population in the past three years, and called for national unity to restore democracy and democratic processes. By these very short key statements, President Waheed showed his people that he had grasped...

Male', Maldives. As the constitutional crisis continues in the Maldives, arbitrary detention and arrests by police and military continue, the Judiciary is in suspension and political parties fight on street corners and public places. President Nasheed and opposition parties entrench their positions and show little sign of moving towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis. All sides continue going through the motions in their scripts while awaiting the much anticipated UN mission on 9th February. On the sides of the conflict, opposition parties are reportedly considering a proposal by Jumhooree Party to build a National Unity Alliance. The key condition in this proposal is that the NUA should field a single candidate for 2013, selected by a primary held among the joint membership of the NUA member parties. JP has also announced that its candidate contesting the primary will be JP Leader, popular philanthropist Gasim Ibrahim. The proposal however appears to be doomed for an ear...

Male', Maldives. Day 20 of President Nasheed's hijacking of the Judiciary, and no resolution of the resulting constitutional crisis. Civic protests continue unabated and expand into other urban centres, hundreds arrested, and the police and military brutality reach new heights. Nasheed denies that the Constitution is in force, the Executive claims the whole Judiciary is unconstitutional and the Parliament says it is on holiday and so can't attend to the matter. The talk about town today is a proposed rebirth of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), the very alliance which brought the current dictatorial regime into power. Popular philanthropist Gasim Ibrahim's party, Jumhooree Party (JP) has come tabled a proposal for a National Unity Alliance to other opposition parties, with the proviso of a united single candidate for the Presidency 2013. While no other party has publicly said anything on the proposal, JP report that opposition parties are considering their proposal....

Male', Maldives. President Nasheed's continued violations of the Constitution and strong arm tactics against the Judiciary need to be stopped, if the country is to return to the democratic reform process begun in 2004. The Constitution and hence the very basis of democracy has been ground under Nasheed's military boots. Cumulative violations of the constitution by the Executive have forced the Maldives to widespread civic strife which now encompasses much more than can be solved by the release of Judge Abdulla Mohamed, or even the reinstatement of the Judiciary. It encompasses the very liberties and rights on which the nation was created. When such a situation is reached, clearly the oppressor must be removed from office and the country liberated. All legal minds in the country agree that civic liberties and rights cannot be restored under a President and an Executive which has total and utter disregard for the rule of law. President Nasheed repeatedly refuses publicly...