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Contents of letter to Mauritius PM will be disclosed in accordance with standard protocol: Foreign Minister Shahid

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1 year ago

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The contents of the letter sent by Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth acknowledging Mauritius’ sovereign claim over Chagos will be disclosed in accordance with standard protocol, states Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid.

Shahid made the comment in a joint press conference with Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath at the President’s Office on Tuesday evening.

At the press conference, Shahid said the contents of the controversial letter sent on August 22 will be disclosed in accordance with the legal protocol for disclosure of such documents.

Shahid said the claims being made by politicians regarding the Chagos dispute is misleading, and that President Solih did not promise anything in exchange for Maldives’ vote for the Chagos decolonization resolution in the UN General Assembly.

Shahid said the current administration would not take any action damaging to Maldives’ sovereignty.

He also alleged it was former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom who led efforts to sell off Maldivian atolls during his administration.

“As far as I am aware, it was during President Yameen’s administration that amendments were made to the Constitution to sell off different areas of Maldives. But one of the first act of our President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih after coming to office was to amend the Constitution to ensure no area of Maldives can be sold to foreign parties,” he said.

Shahid said the President Solih did not say in his letter that Maldives had changed its stand on the maritime territorial dispute with Mauritius over Chagos. He said that Maldives will continue to work within the legal bounds to resolve the dispute.

As the government refuses to disclose the contents of the letter, Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Toriq, an opposition politician, submitted a motion to the last week, seeking a parliamentary inquiry into the contents of the letter, citing it poses grounds for changes to the Maldives’ exclusive economic zone declared in Article 3 of the Constitution.

The territorial dispute is over an area between the Maldives and Chagos Islands – a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometers south of the Maldives archipelago.

For decades, Mauritius and the United Kingdom have been in a dispute over ownership of the Chagos, after Mauritius claimed the Chagos archipelago as Mauritian territory when Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968. Maldives became involved in the dispute as the country’s exclusive economic zone overlaps with that of Chagos.

Mauritius lodged the case with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on August 23, 2019.

Source(s): sun.mv

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Fushidhiggaru project ongoing, will finish on time: Government

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1 day ago

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28/04/2024

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The Maldives government on Sunday assured Fushidhiggaru reclamation project, a key initiative under the vision of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, has not stalled and would be completed on the scheduled date.

President’s Office Chief Spokesperson Heena Waleed confirmed this on Sunday at a press conference, while providing details on other government initiatives.

The state has responded about the large-scale development project amid speculation in social media and by political opponents, claiming the initiative has stalled.

In response, Heena highlighted that the sand dredging in the project is currently on pause, stressing this was not indicative of the entire project being halted.

“I would like to ask, if they gauge the ongoing status of a capacity based on whether sand dredging is ongoing or not. Although sand dredging has stopped, there would be several other associated components of the project that requires attention and execution,” Heena commented.

She further said the project requires administrative and other work, all of which, she added, were ongoing.

“In response, I would like to reply that the Fushidhiggaru project has not stalled, it is ongoing. The project would conclude as per the scheduled date announced by the President,” she said.

Under the large-scale development project, 1,153 hectares of land will be reclaimed, which is thrice the combined size of Hulhumale’ Phase I and II.

The iniatiative commenced officially on December 18, 2023 while the Maldives President assured the reclamation component will conclude within eight months from the date of commencement.

Source(s): sun.mv

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Efforts underway to submit new laws to Parliament

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1 day ago

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28/04/2024

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Chief Spokesperson at the President’s Office Heena Waleed has stated that efforts are underway to complete the administrative preparations for introducing new laws and amendments to the Parliament, with the government achieving a super majority in the parliamentary elections.

Heena stated there are several crucial laws to be presented to Parliament under the government’s week-14 legislative agenda. As such, laws relating to housing, the criminal justice system, social security are to be submitted. On this stance, Heena affirmed that the laws and amendments which have been stalled in the committee phase will be given a top priority to be implemented by the end of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s tenure.

Furthermore, Heena revealed that over 200 laws are to be implemented, aiming to fulfill President Dr. Muizzu’s commitment outlined in the government’s manifesto. She assured that the elected Parliament will play a significant role as their views align with that of the president.

Observing that the government attained a super majority during the parliamentary elcetions was due to the unwavering trust in President Dr. Muizzu, Heena affirmed that this advantage will not be exploited. She guaranteed that the super majority will assist the government in implementing and enforcing policies that will benefit the public as per the respective policies.

Source(s): PsmNews

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Islamic Minister discusses expanding Zakat House

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Published

2 days ago

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27/04/2024

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Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has met with the Director General of Zakat House Director Dr. Majid Sulaiman Al-Azimi to discuss upgrading the Maldives Zakat House.

The minister confirmed this via X (formerly Twitter), highligting that the two discussed about expanding the services of the Zakat House, including staff and Sharia Board training, and the legal requirements of Zakat recipients.

Earlier, the minister announced the administration’s plan to introduce a financial aid system to extend aid to orphans permanently. Dr. Shaheem said orphans will receive financial support annually until adulthood.

However, the minister did not specify how much the government intended to provide as financial support each year.

The current administration established the Maldives Zakat House with the objectives of increasing public awareness on the importance of paying Zakat, and foster love among the public towards the Islamic sacred act.

Under the Zakat Fund, government provided financial support to 52 individuals earlier in March 2024.

Statistics recently provided by the Zakat House showed the fund had been disbursed mainly in four areas, which are;

For Cancer Treatment – MVR 190,822.50
Brain Surgery – MVR 180,407.19
Heart Surgery – MVR 8,482.00
Transplants – MVR 25,443.00

Additionally, another MVR 227,872.50 was disbursed for various other areas.

Source(s): sun.mv

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