A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
The opposition coalition has disputed the expulsion of three lawmakers from the ruling party, a move that could unseat the MPs due to a Supreme Court anti-defection ruling. The ethics committee of the Progressive Party of Maldives reportedly decided on Saturday to expel MPs Mohamed Musthafa, Saudhulla Hilmy and Ali Shah for defaming the government […]
A Bangladeshi man on trial for trafficking three fellow countrymen into the Maldives admitted guilt at the criminal court on Monday. Mohyuddin and Masoodh Rana are accused of taking money from three Bangladeshi men to bring them to the Maldives on false pretences. The two defendants were arrested last year after a meeting with the victims at the Sultan Park in Malé turned into a fistfight. […]
The Kulhudhuffushi council expects about 2,500 trees and plants to be felled or removed from the island’s mangrove forest for the construction of an airport. With dredging and land reclamation expected to begin in early November, the wetland area in the island’s northern end is now under the authority of the Regional Airports department of […]
Hearings in the trial of six suspects accused of murdering liberal blogger Yameen Rasheed continue to be closed at the request of the Prosecutor General’s office. PG office spokesman Ahmed Thaufeeg, who previously assured that public hearings will be held in the future, told the Maldives Independent that a hearing on Sunday afternoon was closed because […]
Recent campaign activities and events of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives have been funded by the government, the joint opposition parties have alleged. At a coalition press briefing Sunday evening, MP Imthiyaz Fahmy also accused the PPM of using civil servants and employees of independent institutions and state-owned companies to organise party activities. “The […]
Representatives of the opposition coalition met with a visiting European Union delegation Sunday night and sought help to pave the way for an inclusive, free and fair presidential election in 2018. The visit comes after the European Parliament adopted a resolution earlier this month urging Maldivian authorities to reform the judiciary, release political prisoners, and to […]
A new media regulator proposed by government-sponsored legislation currently before parliament can impose hefty fines and temporarily shut down newspapers and TV stations. After investigating breaches of a new code of ethics, the Maldives Media Commission can order print and online outlets to make corrections, issue warnings, and impose fines of up to MVR100,000 (US$6,485 […]
Work began Saturday on a controversial airport project on the island of Kulhudhuffushi after fast-tracked environmental regulatory processes. The state-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company started digging on the beach near the island’s mangroves for a “bund wall” to mark a boundary for reclamation, a company spokesman told the Maldives Independent. But the deadline for public feedback […]
Civil Court Judge Mohamed Haleem scheduled a record 160 cases Thursday, heard 153 cases and delivered judgments in 66 cases. Haleem mainly adjudicates housing and real estate disputes. Starting at 8 am, an hour before the earliest hearings are normally scheduled, he heard the cases throughout the day with an average of about six minutes […]