Raajje News Blog

#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: 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: Fresh reports on social media state that Mariyam Naifa, a senior MDP activist, paid three gang members to murder MP Dr. Afraasheem Ali. All four arrested are front line members of former President Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Dr. Afraasheem has been the target of former President Nasheed and his party leaders while serving as Vice President of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). Days before his murder, Nasheed launched a book by a close friend and MDP Activist Aishath Velezinee which denounces Dr. Afraasheem as deliberately obstructing justice, subverting the Judiciary, and undermining the Constitution. Nasheed is currently running from the law, refusing to appear before the court in a human rights case brought against him by the country's independent Prosecutor General. Dr. Afraasheem belonged to the party headed by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Progressive Party of Maldives. He was found violently hacked to death a few days ago, ...

Male', Maldives. Even as Nasheed's Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) capitulated and came to the negotiating table, Maldivian hopes for true democratic reform waned today as political parties undermined President Waheed's proposed Reform Roadmap. Key political leaders stayed away from the much anticipated All-Party talks today, instead sending representatives of little or no political weight. Citizen confidence in the Talks died as the whole exercise was exposed as just another drama of going though the motions of following due democratic process. President Waheed's appointment of Ahamed Mujuthaba, the first Human Rights Commissioner of Maldives, was widely appreciated by the general public as Mujuthaba was seen as a person who would be acceptable to the aggrieved Nasheed and MDP. Although Mujuthaba filled cabinet posts in the Gayoom government, he gained credence amongst opposition for his later vocal and financial support to the MDP movement. Of the political parti...