Politics

Quitting Commonwealth will be “a huge mistake,” says vice president

“We should never allow the heat of politics to cause long lasting damage to national interests,” vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said ahead of a parliament debate on quitting the Commonwealth today.

President requests Majlis counsel on leaving Commonwealth

PPM MPs held a meeting with President Abdulla Yameen, the attorney general and the tourism minister today after the president requested parliamentary counsel on leaving the Commonwealth. The matter is up for debate at the parliament tomorrow.

Bill proposes criminalizing ‘expressions contrary to national interest and Islamic tenets’

A draft freedom of expression legislation – obtained by Minivan News – states that four types of “expressions contrary to national interest” will constitute criminal offences: encouraging harm to a person or damage to private party, calling for the illegal overthrow of the government, threatening the country’s independence, sovereignty, and security, and accusing a person of committing a hadd offence without conclusive evidence.

Power shortages may affect plans to light up Malé on Independence Day

Power shortages may spoil the government’s plans to light up the capital Malé City on Independence Day, STELCO has said. A crucial 8MW generator is down at the power plant due to an unexpected failure and may take up to two weeks to repair.

‘Drug trafficker’ acquitted on lapses highlighted in former president’s trial

Council ‘defied’ court order to change un-Islamic Eid banner

The Villigili magistrate court ordered the island’s council to change the phrasing on banners put up on behalf of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Saud Hussain, which read, “MP Saud’s Eid Happiness.”

Afrasheem murder suspect’s departure to Syria under investigation

President Abdulla Yameen has ordered the police to launch an investigation into how a suspect in the murder of MP Afrasheem Ali was allowed to leave the Maldives and travel to Syria in early January.

Comment: Special laws must not pre-empt general criminal law

Rules on removal and appointment of vice president changed

A committee has approved changes to the People’s Majlis standing orders to offer the vice president just 30 minutes to respond to an impeachment motion, and proposed changes to fast-track the process of voting on a nominee to fill a vacancy in the vice president’s post.

Former presidents, Nasir and Gayoom, to be honored on Independence Day

Former presidents Ibrahim Nasir and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom are to receive an honorary shield on the Maldives’ golden jubilee of independence from the British on July 26. Nasir is being honored for his role in securing independence while Gayoom is being honored for maintaing independence.

Cabinet reassesses Maldives’ membership in Commonwealth as UK welcomes talks

The cabinet has decided to reassess the Maldives’ membership in the Commonwealth following repeated threats to leave the inter-governmental organization. British MPs are meanwhile continuing to urge their government to monitor the situation in the Maldives.

Maldives celebrates historic penal code

A new penal code came into effect today, repealing a law written in 1968. Government offices, the opposition and influential figures have welcomed the law as a momentous change that will usher in major reforms to the Maldives’ criminal justice system.

Comment: New penal code comes into effect! A truly historic moment

“Today is July 16, 2015, a momentous day in the history of the Maldives’ criminal justice system. The penal code of 1968 expired at 11:59pm on July 15. In this historic moment, 12am on July 16, 2015, a brand new penal code comes into force in the Maldives,” writes Hussein Shameem, the former deputy Prosecutor General.

Only three judges trained on new penal code

A new penal code is due to come into force at midnight tonight, but the Juvenile Court judges are the only judges who have been trained on the provisions in the new law. Minivan News understands that the training took place without the Supreme Court’s permission.

Majlis shutdown to ‘block changes to new penal code’

Sittings of the People’s Majlis were suspended this week to block MPs from submitting changes proposed by the Supreme Court to the long awaited penal code. The court wants to set the age of criminal responsibility to seven years and set jail terms and hefty fines for defaming state employees, excerpts obtained by Minivan News reveal.

Three-hour play, skydiving among Independence day activities

A three-hour play with 2,000 students from across the country and a skydiving event are among activities planned to mark 50 years of independence.

UN rights team calls on ex president

A team from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) met on Tuesday with former president Mohamed Nasheed at his residence, where he remains under house arrest over a terrorism conviction.

Rumors abound over PPM split on appointment of new vice president

President Abdulla Yameen’s silence on the new appointment, rumors over Gayoom’s opposition and the “ISupportAdeeb4VP” campaign has triggered speculation that Adeeb’s appointment as the new deputy may not be as certain as it appeared in late June.

Comment: Will the new anti-terror bill deter Maldivian ‘Jihadists’?

The anti-terror bill metes out up to 20 years in jail for Maldivians who join foreign wars. But how effective can harsh penalties be when the government is yet to publicly acknowledge how wide spread extremism is in the Maldives? asks Mohamed Hameed, the former head of the police intelligence directorate.

Plastic palms placed on Malé streets in rush to prepare for independence day

Plastic palm trees have been placed on Malé’s streets and several areas at Male’s waterfront have been closed off as the government rushes to complete major renovation projects including a new official jetty and a musical water fountain at the Republic Square before July 26.