Local

Adela Raz replaced with Dr. Zalmai Rassoul under Indian influence?

Published

3 years ago

10/06/2021

MNN

Who is Adela Raz?

Adela Raz is the current Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations and is the first female to hold the office. Born in to an educated family, Adela Raz’s father was murdered by Talibans who labelled Adela Raz as too “progressive” due to her education. She is also the first Afghan to receive the H-1B visa from the U.S.

Adela Raz is a well-respected and popular diplomat within the UN who has repeatedly proven herself as an individual capable of leading multilateral programs and missions. Most recently, she was appointed as the co-coordinators for the United Nations General Assembly on COVID-19 related initiatives.

Adela Raz campaigned for the UNGA President’s seat.

According to sources within the UN, in 2019 she started a well-funded campaign to become the second Afghan to hold the office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly after Abdul Rahman Pazhwak in 1966, and to become the 5^th women to hold the office. On 13^th November 2020 Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid declared his intention to contest for the seat with a state budget of MVR 4 million.

Indian intervention?

In January 2021 Dr. Zalmai Rassoul took office as the Afghan Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Dr. Zalmai Rassoul is the former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan during Hamid Karzai’s administration, with very little diplomatic ties within the UN circles since then.

It was during this same time that Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited the Maldives, on 20th February 2021 on a two day visit. On his trip, the influential Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar announced that India would support and back Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid as the 76^th President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Shortly after Adela Raz inexplicably ceased her campaign efforts and Dr. Zalmai Rassoul announced his intentions to contend to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

PGA indebted to India?

Following his election as the 76^th President of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid appointed Ambassador Thilmeeza Hussein as a Special Envoy of the PGA and the Indian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nagaraj Naidu Kumar as his Chef Du Cabinet. This would make the Indian Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu Kumar a “chief of staff” to the President of the United Nations General Assembly. This makes it abundantly clear on the role India played in electing Abdulla Shahid and his debt to them.

It is a well-known fact within diplomatic circles that smaller countries simply cannot win a seat within the UN without the backing of a major power. And Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid’s win is without a doubt due to the backing by India and by proxy the US, United Kingdom, Japan and Australia. But question remains, did India use its regional influence to force Adela Raz to withdraw and insert the elderly Dr. Zalmai Rassoul? And how would have the result been had Adela Raz competed against Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid?. It is certain that the outcome would have been vastly different had Adela Raz competed against Abdulla Shahid.

Local

Nasheed to form new party

Published

11 months ago

17/05/2023

The main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s leader Mohamed Nasheed has decided to form a new political party.

Nasheed initiated a separate political movement within MDP, ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’, following his loss in MDP’s presidential primary held back in January. After major conflicts with the government and its policies – all lawmakers from the faction tendered their resignation from MDP on Wednesday.

The move came after Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim was expelled from the party on Tuesday and banned from rejoining for at least one year over involvement in opposition political activities surrounding the Chagos archipelago dispute.

The 12 members who resigned from MDP on Wednesday are;

Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, North Galolhu MP Eva Abdulla
Ungoofaaru MP Mohamed Waheed (Wadde)
North Maafannu MP Imthiyaz Fahumy (Inthi)
West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef
Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb
North Kulhudhuffushi MP Yasir Abdul Latheef
Vilufushi MP Hassan Afeef
Central Maafannu MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde)
Madaveli MP Hussain Firushan
Thoddoo MP Hassan Shiyan (Gita)
North Mahchangoalhi MP Mohamed Rasheed (Boadhigu)
Gadhdhoo MP Ahmed Zahir
All 12 members are close acquittances of Nasheed. MP Hassan Latheef, during a meeting at Bodufenvalhuge on Wednesday, announced Nasheed’s decision to form a new political party. The meeting was attended by supporters of Nasheed.

Should Nasheed form a new political party, that party would be the largest opposition party in terms of members in the parliament, thereby, the minority party. The minority party at present, opposition PPM-PNC coalition has only eight members in the parliament.

Despite the resignation of the 12 MPs, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih continues to hold full control of the Parliament with 56 MPs.

Source(s): sun.mv

Local

MPs loyal to Nasheed leave MDP

Published

11 months ago

17/05/2023

Multiple members of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) loyal to the party’s leader Mohamed Nasheed have left the party.

The members who resigned from MDP include 12 MPs. They include Deputy Speaker Eva Abdulla, MP Mohamed Waheed, MP Imthiyaz Fahmy (Inthi), MP Hassan Latheef, MP Ilyas Labeeb, MP Yasir Abdul Latheef, MP Hassan Afeef, MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bonde), MP Hussain Firushan, MP Hassan Shiyan, MP Mohamed Rasheed (Boadhigu), and MP Ahmed Zahir.

They submitted their resignation letters Wednesday.

The move comes after MDP’s parliamentary group had requested action against Inthi, Hassan Latheef, Ilyas, Yasir, and Central Henveiru MP Ali Azim earlier this week, for forming an alliance with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoory Party (JP) and Maldives National Party (MNP), after accusing the government of failure to protect the interests of the Maldivian people in the case lodged with the International Tribunal of the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) over the disputed maritime territory between Maldives and Mauritius.

The party’s disciplinary committee decided to expel Azim from the party on Tuesday.

They are all members of Nasheed’s ‘Fikuregge Dhirun’ faction.

However, Nasheed has yet to resign from the party.

Despite the resignation of the 12 MPs, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih continues to hold full control of the Parliament with 56 MPs.

Source(s): sun.mv

Local

The Cambodian Prime Minister arrives in the Maldives on an official visit

Published

1 year ago

15/01/2023

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, arrived Sunday morning on an official visit to the Maldives at the invitation of H.E. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. It is Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen’s first visit to the Maldives.

The Cambodian Prime Minister and accompanying delegation were received at Velana International Airport (VIA) by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid (ODRI). The government will hold a ceremony on Monday to officially welcome the Cambodian Prime Minister to the Maldives.

During the visit, President Solih would meet with Samdech Techo Prime Minister Hun Sen and hold official talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation, followed by the exchange of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries. President Solih and the Cambodian Prime Minister would also deliver a joint statement on the outcomes of their discussions.

The Maldives and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on September 21, 1995.

Source(s): President Office.