1 February, 2005 The Cabinet decides on a long-term framework for the National Disaster Management Centre

The Cabinet today decided on a long-term framework for the National Disaster Management Centre.

During today’s meeting, members spoke on the importance of continuing the work of the National Disaster Management Centre without interruption, and decided on the reorganisation of the work of the Centre into two areas. Some of the functions of the Centre will be assigned to a newly created Disaster Relief Coordination Unit, while the remaining functions will be carried under the framework of an Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Programme.

Under this new arrangement, the Disaster Relief Coordination Unit will be responsible for the construction of temporary shelters, the repairing of damaged homes, the maintenance of the new housing for people who lost their homes in the tsunami, the provision of relief aid for victims and the repairing of damaged social infrastructure. The Unit will also handle the registration of displaced persons and attend to their social needs.

The new National Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Programme will include the planning and implementation of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of affected island, the coordination of the recovery of the national economy, and the planning and implementation of long-term projects within the national development framework. The Programme will be carried out in three phases.


Source: www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv

1 February, 2005 The ceremonial opening of the People’s Majlis for this year to be held on 27 February

The President’s Office has announced that the ceremonial opening of the People’s Majlis for this year will be held on Sunday, 27 February 2005.


Source: www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv

1 February, 2005 High Commissioner departs for Brussels

London, 1 February 2005. His Excellency Mr. Hassan Sobir left London this morning for Brussels.

High Commissioner Sobir is undertaking this visit to the European Union to meet the Members of the European Parliament, the key people in the European Commission and the European Council.

On this visit, the High Commissioner Sobir will be holding discussions with the concerned people in the European Union on the urgent need for foreign aid in the economic recovery and reconstruction programmes of the Tsunami affected islands of the Maldives. High Commissioner Sobir will also provide an update on the parliamentary elections and reform agenda of the Maldives.


2 February, 2005 The President says the strident progress in recent years is the result of the hard work of the people and the assistance extended by friendly countries such as Japan

The President today said that the strident progress achieved by the Maldives in recent years was the result of the hard work of the people of the country and the assistance that friendly countries such as Japan had extended to the Maldives over the years. He made the statement in a meeting this morning with the visiting Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Shuzen Tanigawa.

Noting that Japan had played an important role in the development of the Maldives, the President thanked the Government and people of Japan for the much-needed assistance that had been extended towards relief and reconstruction efforts after the tsunami.

The President said that the tsunami had brought into even sharper focus the fragility of the country’s environment, and stressed the importance of efforts to protect the environment. He thanked the Japanese Government for the vital role that it had played in ensuring the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs extended his heartfelt sympathy to the President, the Government and people of the Maldives, following the loss of many lives and extensive damage to infrastructure in the country as a result of December’s tsunami. Mr. Tanigawa praised the great socioeconomic development of the Maldives over the past quarter century, and noted that the recent UN decision to graduate the country from the LDCs list was a tremendous achievement under the President’s leadership.

Speaking on the tsunami relief and recovery efforts led by the Government, Mr. Tanigawa said that the establishment of a Board of Overseers to manage the Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction Fund had boosted the prospects of securing more foreign assistance, which he noted was an urgent requirement for tsunami relief and rehabilitation efforts. He also commended the Government on its efforts to launch a vigorous marketing campaign in key tourism markets, to ensure a quick recovery for the sector after the tsunami had reduced arrival numbers.


Source: www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv

2 February, 2005 High Commissioner's visit to European Union High

London, 2 February 2005.

His Excellency Mr. Hassan Sobir has returned to London after his visit to Brussels.

High Commissioner of Maldives to the United Kingdom and as the Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Maldives to the European Union, H.E. Sobir yesterday met with the UK Member and Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Mr. Geoffrey Van Orden, MEP, Commissioner Peter Mandelson's Advisor, Ms. Renate Nikolay, the Council Secretariat Mr. Michael Swann and the UK Member and Chairwoman of the Delegation for Relations with South Asia, Ms. Neena Gill, MEP.

During the meetings held with the Members of the European Union, H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir gave an account of the severe damages to the country and the people of the Maldives in the aftermath of the Tsunami Disaster. At these meetings, H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir emphasised the necessity for the foreign assistance from international organisations like the European Union for reconstruction programmes without which the country will not be able to get back on its feet.

In response to the H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir's call, the officials of the European Union expressed their support for long term plans for reconstruction and rebuilding programmes and agreed to look into ways in which European Union could extend assistance to the Maldives.

On this visit, the H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir while providing information on the outcome of the parliamentary elections said the presence of the Observers from Commonwealth and the SAARC Region indicates the Government's commitment to transparency and free and fair election. H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir also said the Government of Maldives is committed to push forward its reform agenda. H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir said the President of Maldives, H.E. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has drawn a time frame for the reform agenda as well as for the deliberations of the People's Majlis. The People of the Maldives expect the Special Majlis to deliver its work.

COLOMBO: One in three people in the low-lying Maldive islands were hit by the tsunami disaster but international donors are largely overlooking its plight, the United Nations warned Sunday.

Not a cent has been received for shelter in the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago where the tsunamis destroyed infrastructure built over 20 years and hit 70 percent of the economy, the UN said.

The UN this month issued an urgent appeal for 65 million dollars when Secretary General Kofi Annan witnessed first-hand the destruction, but donors have been slow in digging into their pockets.

Annan said the UN did not want simply to reconstruct infrastructure but improve on it.

However, there is no money even for the most basic needs, according to the UN and government officials in the Maldives.

"We have pledges of about 27 million dollars but not a single cent has been received for shelter," UN resident representative in the Maldives, Moez Doraid, told AFP in a telephone interview.

He said 15,000 people were still displaced after the waves submerged almost the entire country of 1,192 tiny coral islands, of which 199 are inhabited.

At least 10 percent of the islands in the Maldives were made uninhabitable after the worst natural disaster to hit the nation, 99 percent of whose territory is sea.

"The coverage of the tsunami impact on the Maldives has faded away from television screens and front pages," Doraid said. "The extensive devastation of the Maldives has not reached donor countries or the international community."

Doraid said the deaths in the Maldives -- 82 killed and 26 missing -- were smaller in comparison to other Asian nations but in terms of destruction of livelihoods, the country had taken a big hit.

"The number of people killed is high in proportionate terms to the population," he said. "But, even in absolute terms the number of people affected is high at 100,000 or one third of the entire population."

He said most of the pledges received so far were for education in the Maldives, with the UN children's fund UNICEF getting 19 million dollars to
reopen schools.

The World Health Organisation has received 3.5 million dollars for the health sector while Japan contributed four million dollars and Germany 1.3 million dollars for disaster relief.

Doraid said a program to get the displaced back to work was hugely under-funded and unless people were helped to return to their normal lives the dependency on relief aid would also be greater.

"In some cases all we need to do is get the boats and people can go back to fishing," he said. "If we get the kitchens repaired, then people can start cooking and leave relief centres."

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom told AFP in an interview last week that the Maldives, despite being South Asia's most prosperous nation, could not rebuild on its own.

The Maldives has a per capita income of 2,400 dollars and is heavily dependent on tourism. The waves damaged 26 out of the 87 resort islands.

The number of foreign holidaymakers travelling to South Asia's most expensive tourist destination had dropped by about half since the disaster.

"We need substantial and sustained international aid," Gayoom said. "We can't do it alone." - AFP


Source: Channel News Asia
3 February, 2005 Commonwealth Sends Medical Team To Maldives

Dr Ranjana Srivastava from the University of Chicago has taken time off from her studies to help survivors of the tsunami disaster in Maldives, which struck the island state on 26 December 2004. She is one of five doctors in the first volunteer medical team sent to Maldives under the Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme (CSAP). Dr Srivastava was responding to the Secretary-General's appeal for doctors at the request of the Government of Maldives in the aftermath of the tsunami.

Dr Srivastava, a cancer specialist on a Fulbright Fellowship in the US, said: "I'm interested in humanitarian work and have volunteered my services. My training and development is not solely for my own benefit. It is also not just for those in the developed world who can afford to pay for medical services. I want as well to serve the people in the developing world who cannot afford basic medical services. Especially in such a time of disaster, the survivors of the tsunami have little else left. It is these people who need all the help they can get."

She explained that the decision to volunteer was not easy. It was the support of her husband and family which was crucial in her decision to sign up for the CSAP medical mission to Maldives.

"My husband and family were concerned about my safety and well-being. But I had grown up in India and had worked in Kolkata under basic make-shift conditions, so I convinced them that I would not be surprised by what I would be confronted with after the disaster. Many people have lived in similarly difficult conditions all their lives and they have survived," commented 30-year-old Dr Srivastava, who is stationed on Burunee Island in the Maldives caring for 1000 islanders.

"Medicine is a vocation, not just an occupation. Here, I am coming to the need of the people who require medical attention," she added.

The Australian national, who has been used to medical technology in the developed world, said she will work with whatever is available in Maldives.

"Living and working with First World technology makes you a little spoiled. Without the benefit and ease of this technology to help you do your work, therein lies the challenge. Some technology in Maldives will be non-existent or destroyed, and I will have to rely on my training and experience to help patients as best as I can. They will depend a lot on you."

Dr Srivastava will be in Maldives for six weeks. She is joined by Dr Joseph Job of Nigeria, Dr Sahid Sultan from Pakistan and Dr Jamie Mackenzie of the UK, who will serve there from five weeks to six months. The second batch of CSAP medical doctors will head for the country in mid-February.

Team leader Dr Dula de Silva, Head of the Health Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Social Transformation Programmes Division, expressed confidence that the medical team will work in tandem with the authorities in Maldives in delivering medical aid for immediate relief and in the months ahead.

More doctors are still being recruited for posting as volunteers, for between six weeks to a year.

The Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr. Don McKinnon, has said that the recent parliamentary elections in the Maldives were well organised and had enabled a large number of people to exercise their right to vote. He made the statement in his letter transmitting the Commonwealth Expert Team’s Report on the parliamentary elections to the President.

The Report noted the elections were well organised and enabled a large number of people to exercise their right to vote. The Expert Team also stated that they were impressed by the peaceful conditions in which the voting and counting took place. The CET added that the Commissioner of Elections and his staff had performed admirably and needed to be congratulated for their efforts.

The Report concluded by stating that the Government, the People’s Majlis and the People’s Special Majlis now had a historic opportunity in reviewing the Constitution with a view to translating the President’s initiative into action as soon as possible. They also called for international support and assistance to the Maldives.


Source: The President's Office, Republic of Maldives

6 February, 2005 The Commonwealth Expert Team Praise Maldives Elections; Calls for International Support for the Maldives

The Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) that observed the recent parliamentary elections in the Maldives has praised the elections in the Maldives , and called for international support for the ongoing reform process initiated by President Gayoom.

Transmitting the Report of the CET to President Gayoom, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Don McKinnon stated:

“You will see from its report that the Team found the election was well organized and enabled a large number of people to exercise their right to vote. At the same time you will note that it also made some recommendations for the future, including technical assistance.”

The CET had further said that they were also “impressed by the peaceful conditions in which the voting and counting took place.”

The Report went on to state:

“The CET believes it is fair to say that the Commissioner of Elections and his staff have performed admirably and need to be congratulated for their effort.”

The report made a number of recommendations that would further strengthen democracy in the Maldives , and concluded that the Government, the People's Majlis and the Special Majlis now had an “historic opportunity to begin the task of reviewing the Constitution with a view to translating the President's initiative into action as soon as possible.”

Commenting on the Report, Chief Government Spokesman, Dr Ahmed Shaheed said:

“We agree that the Maldives now has a historic opportunity to accelerate the reform programme initiated by the President, and the report by the CET, which has praised the manner in which the elections had been organized, has further facilitated that course of action.

“The recommendations made by the CET are with regard to further strengthening the electoral and democratic process in the country, and clearly with these elections, we have passed an important milestone.

“As the SAARC Region observers also certified, the CET report makes it clear that the recent elections were free and fair enabling the people to exercise their right to vote,” he added.

Source: The President's Office, Republic of Maldives

"QUOTE"

The Presidency of the EU welcomes the holding of the parliamentary elections on the 22 January 2005, which went off in a generally peaceful and constructive atmosphere according to the reports of independent observers.

These elections are a clear sign that the population of the Maldives is in favour of democratic reforms. They showed indeed the existence of a large public support in the Maldives for the reformers and confirmed that the democratic party of the Maldives is to be considered as a genuine political movement.

The Presidency makes an appeal to the government to implement rapidly the reform measures announced by President Gayoom in June 2004, notably the authorisation of multipartism, on the basis of a clear time-table. The registration of political parties is an essential measure.

An open, inclusive and thorough reform is the best way to ensure continued stability in the Maldives.

The Presidency welcomes in this context the reconciliatory steps of President Gayoom in the aftermath of the tsunami.

The EU will continue to follow the evolution of the situation and the political interaction in the Maldives.

"UNQUOTE"

Source:

London, Colonel Linton Graham of Jamaica who was in the Maldives for two weeks beginning from 6 January 2005, as the Commonwealth Disaster Relief Co-ordinator to the Maldives called on His Excellency Mr. Hassan Sobir today.

Col. Linton Graham said the briefing given to him prior to his departure to Maldives by the High Commissioner Sobir was an excellent one which prepared him for the situation in the Maldives.

At this meeting, Colonel Linton Graham also gave an account of his assessment of the relief and rehabilitation work in the Maldives following the Tsunami disaster of 26 December 2004. He said the report he prepared on assessment of the needs of the country and the long-term rehabilitation requirements of the country will be shared by the Commonwealth Secretariat shortly.

High Commissioner Sobir expressed his appreciation to the Commonwealth and to Col. Graham for the support and assistance for relief efforts of the Maldives.

Mr. M Jasimuddin, Chief Programme Officer (Asia) of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr. Adam Hassan, Counsellor and Ms. Iruthisham Adam also participated in the meeting.

8 February, 2005 High Commissioner thanks all contributors of the High Commission of Maldives Tsunami Relief Fund

Help and assistance are still required for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the people of the Maldives who are affected by the Tsunami

High Commissioner H.E. Mr. Hassan Sobir announced today that the High Commission of Maldives Tsunami Relief Fund has collected Fifty Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Four Pounds and Seventy Pence (£53,734.70) which is about One Million Two Thousand Seventy One And Six Hundred and Eighty five Maldivian Rufiyyaa .

On behalf of the people and the Government of Maldives, High Commissioner Sobir expressed his sincere gratitude to all the British people, Charity Organisations, Religious Organisations and Maldivians living in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland for their generous contributions to the victims of Tsunami disaster in the Maldives.

The remaining funds collected in the High Commission Tsunami Relief Account since the last announcement in 14 January 2005, has been transferred to Maldives today.

High Commissioner said the generosity, love and care shown by the British people cannot be expressed in words and that the Maldivian people will never forget this show of solidarity.

February, 2005 Maldives Government Appreciates EU Declaration; Announces Work Underway on Drafting Political Parties Bill

The Commonwealth Secretary General, Mr. Don McKinnon called the President last night. Speaking to the President, Mr. McKinnon noted that the parliamentary elections had gone ahead smoothly and was well organized, and he reiterated the support of the Commonwealth to the ongoing reform programme initiated by the President.

As the Commonwealth Expert Team had welcomed the decision to hold the election within the constitutionally set timeframe, as an indicator of the Government’s commitment to democratic processes upheld by the Commonwealth, the Secretary General said that the Government had done a remarkable job in organizing the election so well within a month of the tsunami.

The President thanked Mr. McKinnon for arranging for the Expert Team to visit the Maldives to observe the elections. He said the Government welcomed the recommendations made by the Expert Team for future elections, and pointed out that some of the measures were already being implemented. The President said that the work done by the Expert Team had been in keeping with the requirements of the reform programme that he had initiated and thanked Mr. McKinnon for the assistance that the Commonwealth was providing.

Source:

Following the enormous budgetary pressures in the wake of expenditures on reconstruction after the tsunami, the President has decided on a set of austerity measures to reduce public expenditures in other areas.

The measures that have been adopted were announced in a Directive issued by the President’s Office today. The measures include reducing to a bare minimum all events such as receptions and celebrations of occasions by various Government offices during the current year. The same also applies to various tournaments that are organized by various government offices. Foreign travel will also be reduced to those which are deemed essential.

In addition, the directive also calls on Government offices to identify other areas in which expenses can be reduced and to act upon them.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

14 February, 2005 European Commission accelerates preferential trade measures to benefit tsunami-hit countries Pls see site: European Commission accelerates preferential trade measures to benefit tsunami-hit countries

14 February, 2005 High Commissioner departs for Berlin

President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has asked members of the parliament to expedite the passage of bills currently before the parliament on increasing accountability and transparency.

He was speaking to members of the parliament at an informal gathering held at Parliament House last night to meet with sitting members and those who have been elected for the new parliament.

He said that the influx of new members into the parliament would enrich and revitalize the work of the legislature, especially as among the new MPs were university graduates, eminent businessmen and corporate leaders.

On the programme of work ahead, the President said:

“As you would also be serving as part of the assembly to revise the constitution, the year ahead would be a momentous one for all legislators.

“The Government proposed bills last year to give statutory effect to the Human Rights Commission and to strengthen the accountability of ministers to the parliament. I would like the parliament to expedite the passage of those bills as they would enhance good governance.

“The Government’s legislative programme for the coming year will include numerous bills to increase accountability and transparency, and lay the statutory framework to further modernize governance. These would be consistent with the values and principles that you will be discussing as part of the constitutional reforms.”

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

18 February, 2005 Protect Our Planet From Global Warming, Says Secretary-General

“Our choices today will affect the way people live in the future. We owe it to future generations to face up to our responsibilities today.”

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has called on all nations to work together to achieve greater success in curbing global warming.

"Today is an important day for all those who are concerned about the future of our planet and the impact of global warming," he said on 16 February 2005, as the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change came into force.

From this date, industrialised countries that have signed up to the Kyoto Protocol are legally bound, for the first time, to meet targets to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by a collective figure of over 5 per cent on their emission levels as these stood in 1990. They must meet this target between 2008 and 2012.

"There is now a real political commitment by some countries to take back carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels and help protect our planet for future generations. The great majority of Commonwealth countries signed up to the Protocol -- 45 out of the 53 member states. These include small states and developing countries which have put their weight behind Kyoto. But if we want to achieve significant progress, others must also do their bit," said Mr McKinnon.

"The coming into force of the Kyoto Protocol is also great news for low-lying island states like Maldives and Tuvalu, which face the threat of being submerged in 50 years' time. Our choices today will affect the way people live in the future. We owe it to future generations to face up to our responsibilities today."

When the Commonwealth leaders met in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003, they stressed that climate change was one of the greatest challenges facing Commonwealth countries and the wider international community. They pledged to continue their efforts to reduce the severity of climate change, and provide technical assistance to help small island states and other vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change and sea-level rise. The leaders also supported the efforts under the Convention to Combat Desertification and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation to address climate and drought concerns, particularly in Africa.

Source: Commonwealth Secretariat, United Kingdom


21 February, 2005 “The US and the international community will continue to work towards a brighter future for the Maldives,” says US President, George W. Bush

Referring to the reconstruction effort after the tsunami, President George W. Bush of the United States has said that the US and the international community shared a common objective to assist the region affected by the tsunami, and that they would continue to work towards a brighter future for the Maldives.

President Bush made the statement in response to a letter from the President extending condolences on the loss of many US lives in the Indian Ocean tsunami.

In his letter, President Bush also extended his condolences to the people of the Maldives, particularly those who lost family members in the disaster.


Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

View the video:The President greeting the former US Presidents, Bush Snr. and Clinton on their arrival at Malé International Airport.

24 February, 2005 Second Group of Doctors heads for Maldives

A second group of doctors under the Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme (CSAP) has arrived in Maldives to provide medical assistance to the survivors of the tsunami disaster which struck the small island state on 26 December 2004.

Eight doctors from Commonwealth countries arrived in the capital, Malé, between 21 and 23 February 2005 for short-term assignments ranging from one to six months. This second group of doctors, who come from Pakistan, Nigeria and the UK, will be deployed to various islands in the Maldives archipelago to provide medical care to the people.

Dr Dula de Silva, Head of the Health Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat, who led the first group of three doctors to Maldives in early February 2005, stated that more doctors are needed to provide long-term medical care: "I visited several islands in Maldives and discovered the lack of health facilities available to the people on some islands. Some communities of less than 1,000 people did not have a medical doctor in the area."

Dr de Silva visited Madifushi, Veyvah, Mulah, Muli and Naalaafushi islands to assess their medical needs. Since the beginning of February, three CSAP volunteer doctors have been stationed in Muli, Buruni and Kohlufushi islands.

Professor Victor Ayeni, Director of the Secretariat's Governance and Institutional Development Division, which oversees CSAP, stated: "We have been overwhelmed by the support and offering of voluntary services from health professionals throughout the Commonwealth. We are now in the process of reviewing our activities and the Secretariat will be working in the coming months with Maldives on ways of addressing in a sustainable way that country's longer term needs for medical expertise."

Dr Joseph Job of Nigeria, who arrived in Maldives in early February and has been based in Kohlufushi Island, said: "Most of the injuries sustained during the disaster were cuts and bruises on the limbs. I gave my patients tetanus shots and they have been responding well to treatment. Apart from this, I have not treated any major injuries. The 20-30 patients I see daily suffer from communicable diseases such as diarrhoea and vomiting, but the situation is under control. Other common ailments are due to upper respiratory tract problems brought about by overcrowded living conditions."

Dr Job, who has volunteered his services to CSAP, will be in Maldives for six months until August 2005. He noted that the community in which he lives has families where six members share the same living space in temporary accommodation following the destruction of houses and villages during the tsunami. Dr Job said cramped living conditions and communal cooking have contributed to the spread of diseases. With improvements in the water supply, he hopes that the level of hygiene will also increase.

Source: The Commonwealth Secretariat, London



25 February, 2005 The President appoints his eight members to the People’s Majlis

The President has appointed his eight members to the People’s Majlis for the new term commencing 27 February 2005, as stipulated in Article 67 of the Constitution.

The appointees were Mr. Fathulla Jameel, Ms Zaahiya Zareer, Mr. Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem, Dr. Ahmed Shareef, Ms Aishath Azima Shakoor, Mr. Hussain Hilmy, Ms Dhiyaana Saeed and Ms Mazeena Jameel.

Source: The President's Office

25 February, 2005 The Ceremonial Opening of the People’s Majlis for this Year

As announced by the President’s Office, the ceremonial opening of the People’s Majlis for this year will be held on Sunday, 27 February 2005.

25 February, 2005 Maldives Government Welcomes “Constructive” Amnesty Report; Calls for “Continued Engagement” in the Reform Process

The Maldives Government today welcomed Amnesty International's latest report on the Maldives. Speaking after the launch of the report, the Chief Government Spokesman Ahmed Shaheed said:

“We are most grateful to Amnesty International for their constructive and positive report. We are heartened by Amnesty’s acknowledgement that “a number of developments had already provided substance to some of the government's promises for reforms”. Human rights protection is at the heart of the constitutional reforms proposed by President Gayoom.

“We have tried hard to engage organisations such as Amnesty in a constructive, two-way dialogue over the past year. We are pleased to have developed a relationship with Amnesty International in which they are able to make constructive and helpful suggestions in contributing to the democratic direction of our country.

“Of course there are some criticisms. We welcome the opportunity to put them right. It would be naïve to think that an emerging democracy like ours would able to become a paragon of human rights overnight. But the commitment is there, and the improvement is clear, and we look forward to working closely with Amnesty as we carry forward the reform agenda.

“The report could not be better timed. Following our successful elections last month, the new parliament will convene on Monday. The President has called on the new parliament to expedite the passage of key reform measures. These include legislation on human rights protection and the reform of the criminal justice system, including a new penal code and legislation on police powers and criminal procedure.”

Source: The President's Office

26 February, 2005 The President to officially open the new People’s Majlis tomorrow
Members of the new People’s Majlis to be sworn-in tomorrow

The President will tomorrow declare open the People’s Majlis for this year. The opening of the Majlis will be held at 1030 in the morning, at the People’s Majlis Plenary Hall.

At the opening session, the President will also deliver the annual Address to the Parliament outlining the policies of the Government.

The proceedings will be simulcast live via Voice of Maldives and Television Maldives, and a live webcast can be viewed on www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv.

Before the opening of the Majlis, members of the new People’s Majlis will be sworn-in, in the presence of the President, at 10 o’clock in the morning. After the swearing-in ceremony, members will sign their oath, after which the Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis will be sworn in.

Source: The President's Office of the Republic of Maldives

28 February, 2005 Swaminarayan Hindu Mission in London donates
to the Maldives Tsunami Relief Fund

High Commissioner with Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy, MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party