Maldives News

Drinking water shortage continues in Malé

Businesses and households in Malé have been struggling to buy drinking water for the past five weeks after a fall in production coupled with high demand during the dry season led to an acute shortage.

‘Next is you’: More death threats follow blogger’s murder

Prominent clerics accused of justifying the killing of ‘apostates’ as death threats mount in the wake of blogger Yameen Rasheed’s murder.

Elections Commission begins announcing results

With results from 98 percent of 422 ballot boxes collected, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party is leading with 315 seats and the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives is trailing with 185 seats.

Lawyers spar over Gasim’s bribery charge

Gasim was charged for declaring that the allied opposition parties would grant tickets for the 2019 parliamentary elections to MPs who vote to impeach Speaker Maseeh and offering to help with their re-election campaigns.

Four more suspects arrested over Yameen’s murder

Gayoom’s secretary-general pays MVR85k fine for contempt of court

Aleem was fined after a five-judge panel decided that he contravened a civil court ruling that stripped Gayoom of his powers as the elected leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives.

Government reinstates health insurance to private sector

The government has reversed an abrupt policy change implemented without notice on Saturday night to exclude private healthcare providers from the state’s free health insurance scheme.

Private healthcare providers excluded from insurance scheme

Consultation and treatment sought at private healthcare providers will no longer be covered by the state’s free health insurance scheme after an abrupt policy change was implemented without notice on Saturday night.

Election ‘marred’ by arbitrary extension of voting hours

Administrative processes during Saturday’s local council election was “marred by the questionable decision by the Elections Commission to arbitrarily extend the voting time,” Transparency Maldives has said after observing the voting process.

Council elections outcome ‘satisfactory’ for ruling party

The ruling coalition has described the outcome of Saturday’s local council election as “a satisfactory victory” despite heavy losses in the capital and other populous islands.

Opposition declares landslide victory

Provisional results show that the MDP swept the Malé, Addu and Fuvahmulah city councils and secured majorities in other populous islands across the country.

Maldives votes in third local council election

After multiple delays and campaigning amidst a political crisis, voting is underway throughout the Maldives in the country’s third local council elections.

Vox pop: Voting day

As polls opened Saturday morning for the long-delayed local council elections, the Maldives Independent spoke to voters in the capital about their voting experience.

Raajje TV journalists denied monitor passes by elections commission

The elections commission rejected applications from 32 Raajje TV journalists to monitor Saturday’s local council elections and report from inside polling stations with accredited passes.

Raajje TV pays MVR1m defamation fine

Council election campaign concludes

The May 6 local council election is due to take place despite the refusal of opposition candidates to endorse the final voter list due to concerns over its accuracy.

State withdraws case against PPM candidate

The Prosecutor General’s office has withdrawn a case seeking to detain a ruling party candidate for the Malé city council on an assault charge.

Two arrested as Yameen’s family sue police for negligence

Two suspects have been arrested in the brutal murder of liberal blogger Yameen Rasheed, the police said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the victim’s family sued the police for negligence.

President Yameen on hate speech and limits of free expression

On Thursday, President Abdulla Yameen spoke about hate speech and the limits of freedom of expression. The remarks were widely seen as a reference to the murder of liberal blogger Yameen Rasheed.

‘Not free’

On this year’s World Press Freedom Day, the Maldives Independent spoke to journalists from top media outlets in the country for their views on the state of press freedom in the country.