India has drastically reduced the supply of essential commodities to the Maldives for 2018-19 going by a clause in the trade agreement which says that the annual supply could be determined on the basis of the average “lifting” of the goods in the past three years ,writes Devirupa Mitra in The Wire.
The key requirement for victory is unity in thought and action –an attribute which the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives under President Yameen has displayed and which the opposition appears to be lacking now in the critical last few months before the Presidential election.
The Maldives and China have always enjoyed a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship, which has reached to a historic level over the past few years, said the Vice President of the NGO, Maldives China Trade and Cultural Organization (MCTCO) Midhuam Saud. He told Xinhua in a recent interview that in the future, “with sky being the limit”, infinite possibilities lie in cooperation between the two countries.
Male, June 20 (news.com.au) – There might not be a more “Instagrammable” location than the Maldives. The group of coral islands in the Indian Ocean showcase crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and luxury accommodation frequented by honeymooners, A-listers and Instagram’s elite “influencers”. But have you ever wondered how so many social media savvy individuals […]
Maldivian politics is getting curiouser and curiouser with Jumhoory Party (JP) chief, Gasim Ibrahim, blowing hot and cold on his relations with his ally the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Mohamed Nasheed.
On Wednesday Gasim downplayed a reported rift with coalition partner and main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to rekindle hopes of nominating a single candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.The reassurance came less than a day after JP leader Gasim Ibrahim announced his own coalition government for the elections with MDP glaringly left out.
At the instance of the Chief Minister of Kerala State, Pinarayi Vijayan, the government of India has officially requested the Maldivian government to resolve the issue of its immigration authorities holding up work permits for Indian citizens.
The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan had sent a letter to the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing his concern over Indian citizens being denied work permits, stating that over 30,000 Indians, a majority hailing from Kerala, were working in various fields in the Maldives including education, health and tourism.
Vijayan sought the top diplomat’s immediate intervention in the matter, stating it was a matter of national interest. He had also noted that Indian citizens were previously able to acquire a work permit within the duration of approximately 7 days, speculating that Maldivian authorities might be denying work permits due to political reasons
The Maldivian police on Tuesday summoned self-exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed and the Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim for questioning over their refusal to return from overseas to serve the remainder of their prison sentences. They had been allowed to go abroad for medical treatment but Nasheed stayed on in the UK (in Sri Lanka at times) and Ibrahim stayed on in Singapore and then in Germany.
Former Maldivian Home Minister and founder of the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), Umar Naseer, is contesting the Maldivian Presidential election to be held in September as an Independent candidate. Naseer’s is formally aligned with the Jamhooree Party of self-exiled leader Gasim Ibrahim. Ibrahim has been barred from contesting the election because he is overage, being 65. Addressing the people of Maldives through a video message, Naseer said that he would counter drugs and gang crime.
On the face of it, India and the Maldives appear to be on a confrontational path. Recent actions by the Abdulla Yameen regime vis-à-vis India and the Maldivian opposition, have irked New Delhi prompting it to issue statements expressing dismay, and urging a return status quo ante for the good of the Maldives as well as the region. But Maldivian officials insist that the actuality is different from the descriptions emanating from the Indian media and Indian think tanks. A top official of President Yameen’s Office told this writer on Thursday that outside the public gaze, diplomatic efforts are on both in Male and New Delhi to sort out issues and that the Maldives is hopeful about finding solutions.
India on Thursday reiterated its “advise” to the Maldivian government “to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by immediately releasing political prisoners including former President Gayoom and Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and creating the necessary conditions for the participation of all political forces in the Presidential Elections.” Following the worded Indian statement, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) urged the international community to impose “targeted sanctions” against persons in the Yameen region who have “subverted the constitution, perpetrated human rights violations and tried to “steal” the Presidential election due in September this year.