A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
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 […]
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that the state-owned airport company’s dismissal of an employee for sharing an anti-government Facebook post was fair and legal. Ismail Sivaan, a driver at the Maldives Airports Company Ltd, which manages the main international airport, was sacked in May following an anonymous complaint about third-party content on his personal Facebook account. […]
The administrative arm of the Maldives judiciary has lifted the suspension of eight lawyers who signed a petition calling for judicial reform. The Department of Judicial Administration – which functions under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court – announced Wednesday that the suspension was lifted after the investigation of their cases was completed. The eight lawyers included Moosa Siraj – […]
A decision to only grant Hajj and Umrah visas to pilgrims travelling with Saudi Airlines has sparked concern among pilgrimage groups in the Maldives. The Saudi embassy informed travel agencies Wednesday that visas would only be issued for Saudi Airline passengers. “According to Umrah and Hajj visa issuing system 50 percent of Umrah and Hajj […]
Parliament passed Thursday an MVR493 million (US$32 million) supplementary budget to approve unforeseen spending and new revenue-raising measures for the last two months of 2017. More than 60 percent of the proposed extra spending was allocated for the Aasandha health insurance scheme due to the failure to streamline expenses as planned. The supplementary budget was […]
Special ops dispersed protesters outside the Environment Ministry Thursday ahead of the destruction of mangroves in Kulhudhuffushi to make way for a new airport. The demonstrators gathered outside the ministry with placards, demanding an urgent meeting as plans to raze the mangroves are thought to start on October 30. The protesters raised their concerns with […]