A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Ruling party lawmakers rushed to declare that former president Mohamed Nasheed cannot contest the 2018 presidential election after he asserted that foreign pressure would secure his candidacy. The exiled opposition leader told newspaper Mihaaru in London that joint diplomatic efforts by India and the US would pave the way for inclusive elections and the release […]
MP Riyaz Rasheed has accused Sri Lanka of assisting alleged opposition efforts to overthrow the Maldivian government. Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Riyaz said he was concerned that neighbouring countries were allowing exiled Maldivian politicians to plot attempts to oust President Abdulla Yameen. “Every Maldivian citizen has the right to believe that the efforts […]
Plans to destroy a 12-acre mangrove system in Kulhudhuffushi to make way for an airport have raised alarm among activists and islanders who fear environmental and economic damage due to the loss of the unique ecosystem. The Maldives Independent travelled to Kulhudhuffushi to meet a community of ropemakers whose way of life is under threat. […]
The detention of former Maldives defence minister Mohamed Nazim, who has been behind bars for 1,000 days, has been condemned by the US and the UK. Nazim was found guilty of weapons smuggling in 2015 and sentenced to 11 years in prison. A UN rights panel found that Nazim was not afforded a fair trial and […]
Tourist arrivals have increased 5.7 percent in 2017 compared to the first nine months of 2016, reaching nearly a million visitors at the end of September. According to statistics released this week, 105,984 tourists visited during September, up four percent from the same period last year. The continuing decline of Chinese holidaymakers was offset by […]
A 75-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing four siblings on an island in Gaaf Dhaal atoll. A police spokesman confirmed that the suspect was arrested in Malé last Thursday “on charges of sexually abusing four underage girls.” On Friday, the criminal court remanded him to 15 days under house arrest. The arrest […]
The joint opposition has not started talks on fielding an interim candidate in the 2018 presidential election, former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said. “We haven’t talked about that yet,” he told the press Monday night. “It’s a bit early for that so haven’t talked about that at all,” he told reporters when asked about […]
A bribery hearing of MP Faris Maumoon was postponed Tuesday after the opposition lawmaker complained about not getting enough time to meet his lawyers. Faris, son of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, allegedly bribed a fellow lawmaker before a no-confidence vote against the parliament speaker in July. The MP for Dhiggaru requested to cancel proceedings […]
NGOs have slammed the decision to destroy mangroves to make way for an airport in Kulhudhuffushi, ahead of next week’s official project launch by President Abdulla Yameen. The white clay mangroves, said to be the largest of their kind in the Maldives, are home to endangered species and serve as a natural defence system against […]