Maldive this week: 21-27 November 2021
Last week's key headlines.
On 26 November, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that the new COVID-19 varient Omicron is of great concern and that the Technical Advisory Group is meeting to decide on possible precautionary measures.
On 26 November, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Masud bin Momen arrived in the Maldives on an official visit.
On 25 November, the Attorney General's Office said it has responded to the proposal by Mauritius at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on delimiting the boundary between the two countries.
On 25 November, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it has sent a Strategic Policy Requirement to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) detailing the requirements for the police to reduce organised crime and ensure domestic security.
On 24 November, the Prosecutor General's Office filed charges against Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof over allegations of accepting bribes in return for his vote on a Special Economic Zone bill in parliament on 27 August 2017. The minister has said that the charges against him are personal and that he will not resign.
On 24 November, the Maldivian parliament approved the budget for 2022, adding MVR73.8 million to the proposed MVR36.92 billion budget. The approved budget is MVR36.99 billion. The opposition had said that the budget raises the risk of the country going bankrupt and increases pressure on the exchange rate.
On 24 November, the Prosecutor General's Office filed charges against former President Abdulla Yameen for accepting bribes and money laundering. The charges were filed with regard to transactions to lease V. Aarah for tourism development.
On 23 November, Vice President Faisal Naseem met with the President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid and discussed increasing cooperation between the two countries.
On 23 November, Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Muhu Manawar met with Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed.
On 23 November, the Maldivian parliament approved the extension on the government overdrawing the public bank account at the MMA. The Public Finance Committee also recommended that the MMA securitise and amortise the balance outstanding on the overdraft at the end of 2021 into a 50-year bond.
On 23 November, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said that Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has departed for India on a 6-day official visit.
On 23 November, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid said he was departing on an official visit to China, at the invitation of the Government of China.
On 22 November, the Ambassador of Turkey to the Maldives Rakibe Demet Sekercioglu, Ambassador of Switzeland to the Maldives Dominik Furgler and the Ambassador of Senegal to the Maldives Abdoul Wahab Haidara presented their letters of credence to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
On 22 November, the Government of Maldives published amendments to the regulation on environmental protection in the tourism sector prohibiting the dumping of waste into the sea by tourist resorts. The regulation had earlier allowed resorts to dump food waste and biodegradable waste into the sea.
On 22 November, Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed said it was a fairy tale in economic and financial terms to believe that revenue will increase by a major extent to cover debt. He reiterated his calls to restructure debt.
On 21 November, Vice President Faisal Naseem departed on an official visit to Bangladesh, where he is scheduled to meet with Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid, Minister of Foreign Affairs A.K. Abdul Momen and Minister of Expatriate's Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmed as well as Minister of Education Dr. Dipu Moni.
On 21 November, Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed said that issuing a red notice for the arrest of former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed was no guarantee of his return to the Maldives, citing differences in how various jurisdictions treated Interpol red notices.
On 21 November, Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu announced the establishment of a separate block to house prisoners promoting extremist ideologies in prison. Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla also said that a special detention facility for children will be completed by December.
On 21 November, the parliament committee on security services (241 committee) said that there were no risks to national security from the agreements signed between the Maldives and India. Opposition lawmakers on the committee were not present at the meeting held to vote on the report.
On 21 November, Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi, speaking at a ceremony held to inaugurate the 'Dosti' trilateral exercise conducted by the Maldivian, Indian and Sri Lankan coastguards, said that countries in the region had to work together to maintain regional peace.
