A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Hundreds of non-Maldivian fishing vessels have been operating illegally in the nation’s waters, according to an assessment from the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. The assessment was conducted with help from international cooperation, based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data collected through satellite service providers. The two-year study identified 432 vessels performing unauthorized activities in […]
The Maldives has defended a Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in Yemen after the kingdom was blacklisted by the UN for killing and injuring hundreds of children last year. The military alliance was placed on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ “list of shame” for 683 child casualties and 38 verified incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals. But in […]
The opposition Jumhooree Party (JP) is mulling the idea of presidential primaries and regional branches as part of reform efforts. A seven-member committee is looking at ways of building a stronger relationship with members and boosting public support. “Right now the party congress is limited to unelected members of other committees of the party. We […]
Journalists and politicians have questioned the independence of a broadcasting commission member after she was pictured organising a campaign event for President Abdulla Yameen. Fathimath Zaina, who worked as an aide to First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim before joining the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, was photographed handing out seating arrangements to people at a rally Monday night. […]
The finance ministry has been criticised for the delay in issuing political party funds. The Political Parties Act mandates the issue of state funds to parties with members over 10,000 within the first three months of the year. This year approximately MVR27 million (US$1.75 million) of state funds – 0.1 – 0.2 percent of the […]
President Abdulla Yameen condemned the opposition’s “anarchist and ruinous ideology” at an event with senior citizens Monday night. While the “main source of guidance” for the Maldives at present are the principles of democracy, Yameen said, “nothing can come before the nation’s stability and peace and love of the country.” “Democracy will not be instilled through […]
Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed conducted Tuesday’s sitting of parliament over the din of protesting opposition lawmakers, paying no heed to the disorder and adjourning proceedings after calling two votes. MPs clamouring for Maseeh’s resignation as he went through the day’s agenda could be heard in the live-feed provided to TV stations. Reporters and members of […]
Legal teams have been decimated and trials could end up paralysed because of the mass suspension of lawyers in the Maldives, a United Nations rights expert said Monday. The comments from the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Diego García-Sayán, follow the suspension triggered by scores of lawyers calling for judicial […]
Public hearings will be held in Yameen Rasheed’s murder trial, the Prosecutor General’s office has told the Maldives Independent, amid mounting criticism of the closed-door sessions. Following a statement from 20 regional rights groups, the PG office’s spokesman Ahmed Thaufeeg said all criminal cases were carried out according to the criminal procedure code. “All the […]