A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer and Ambassador Mohamed Hussain Shareef have met with Sri Lankan opposition lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa. The son of the former Sri Lankan president tweeted a photo with the pair on Saturday. Both Zameer and Shareef are senior members of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives. The meeting comes after criticism of the […]
Politics overshadowed Fishermen’s Day celebrations Saturday on the island of Ihavandhoo in the northernmost atoll, putting the fisheries ministry at loggerheads with the opposition island council. Ahead of Fisheries Minister Dr Mohamed Shainee’s arrival for the 37th annual event, the opposition-controlled island council claimed it was ordered to take down ornamental arches deemed insulting towards […]
Three councillors have been suspended for meeting India’s ambassador to the Maldives, days after authorities banned local officials from hosting foreign diplomats without prior consent. The decision to punish the Gaafu Alifu representatives was made at a board meeting of the Local Government Authority on Wednesday. The Maldives Independent has seen a copy of the […]
A landmark China-Maldives free trade agreement signed last week will help pave the way for the “revolutionary development”, President Abdulla Yameen said Tuesday night. In his first public remarks on the controversial FTA, Yameen urged the public to work with his administration to achieve development goals and complete flagship projects. “As a result of the […]
Less than half of the Maldives parliament was present for a vote that saw a record-breaking budget get the green light with no debate or scrutiny. Opposition lawmakers have been boycotting parliamentary proceedings since the contentious disqualification of defectors from the ruling party was used to quash a majority-backed no-confidence motion against parliament speaker Abdulla […]
New Delhi’s outdated strategic mentality cannot “dampen the strong enthusiasm” in the region for deepening cooperation with Beijing, Chinese state media has claimed. The Global Times, an excitable tabloid that often reflects party thinking, said the formal handover of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease had stirred alarm in New Delhi. […]
Local councils have been banned from meeting foreign diplomats without written permission from authorities including the home affairs ministry. The Local Government Authority, in a circular sent out Monday evening, said it had seen an increase in councillors meeting foreign diplomats and officials from international organizations. The circular noted all powers relating to foreign policy […]
Exiled MP Ahmed Mahloof’s father was freed by the criminal court after he was arrested while leading the opposition’s weekly prayer. According to local media, Mohamed Hassaan was released Saturday with conditions, which remain unclear. Ahead of his detention after the Friday prayer, Hassaan was summoned to the police headquarters on Thursday for questioning on […]
The government broke its own spending rules by lavishing millions of dollars marking 50 years of Maldivian independence, an audit report has said. Auditors found that MVR66 million (US$4 million) was spent on the 2015 festivities without putting the projects out for tender, as required by law before awarding projects worth more than MVR1.5 million. […]