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1. 300 މިލިޔަން ޑޮލަރު 15 ދުވަހުގެތެރޭ ހޯދާވާހަކަ ދައްކާއިރު އެއީ ކޮންތަނަކުން ކާކު އަންނި އަށް ދޭ 300 މިލިޔަން ޑޮލަރުތޯވެސް އަހަލަން ބޭނުންވޭ. އެއީ ފަހަރެއްގައިވެސް މިޤައުމުގެ ދީނާއި ޘަޤާފަތު ނޫނީ މިޤައުމުގެ އެއްގަމާއި ކަނޑު ވިއްކާލައިގެން ހޯދާ އެއްޗަކަށް ވެގެންނުވާނެ. މިކަން އަންނި ރައްޔިތުންނަށް ސާފުކޮށް ދެއްވަންވާނެ. މިޤައުމު އަޅުވެތި ކޮށްގެން ނުވާނެ. ވެރިކަން ލިބުނަސް ނުލިބުނަސް ޤައުމުގެ
   ސަލާމަތާ ރައްކާތެރިކަމަށް ހުރަސް އެޅޭނެ، ޤައުމުގެ އިޤްތިސާދަށް ގެއްލުމެއް ލިބިދާނެ އެއްވެސް އަމަލެއް ތިޔައިން އެއްވެސް ޕާރޓީ އަކުން ކޮށްގެން ނުވާނެ. އަންނިއަށް ވެރިކަން ލިބިއްޖެނަމަ ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންނަށް ޓަކައި ވެފައިވާ ހުރިހާ ވޢުދެއް ފުއްދުމަށް މަސައްކަތް ކުރަންވާނެ. ރަނގަޅު ހެޔޮ ބަދަލެއް ގެނެސް ރައްޔިތުންގެ އިޖުތިމާޢީ ގުޅުން ހަރުދަނާކޮށް ޤައުމަށް ހަމަޖެހުން ގެނެސް ދިނުމަށް އަޒުމު ކަނޑައަޅަންވާނެ. ވެރިކަން ނުލިބުނަސް އެއްވެސް ދެކޮޅު ވެރިކަމެއް ހަމަހުޖެހުމެއް ހިންގުމަށް އެކަކަށްވެސް ހިތްވަރު ދީގެން ނުވާނެ. ވެރިކަން ނުލިބިއްޖެނަމަ އަންނިވާނީ ރާއްޖޭގައި ހުރި އެންމެ ބާރުގަދަ އިދިކޮޅު ލީޑަރަށް، އޭރުން އަންނި ތެދުވަން ޖެހޭނީ ރައްޔިތުންނަށް ޓަކައި އެމަޤާމު ފުރިހަމަކޮށް ދޭން. ކޮންމެބަޔަކު ވެރިކަމުގަ ތިއްބަސް މިޤައުމަށް ބޭނުންވޭ ހަރުދަނާ ޢަޒުމް ވަރުގަދަ އިދިކޮޅު ލީޑަރެއް. އަޅުގަނޑު ޤަބޫލުކުރާގޮތުގައި މިރާއްޖޭގައި އެމަޤާމް އެންމެ ރަނގަޅަށް ފުރުއްވޭނެ ލީޑަރަކީ އަދިވެސް ހަމަ އަންނި.
   ޝުކުރިއްޔާ!

   Comment by AAA — October 28, 2008 @ 4:45 pm

2. ސާބަހޭ ޢިއްޒަތްތެރި ރައީސުލް ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ އަލްފާޟިލް މުޙައްމަދު ނަސީދު އަށް
   ތިޔައީ ހަމަ ޤައުމީ ބަތަލެއް. ވިސްނުންތެރިކަމާއިއެކު ކުރިއައް ވަޑައިގަންނަވާށެވެ. މި ޤައުމަށް ބޭނުންވަނީ ތަންދޮރު ދަނެހުރެ މުރުތައްދުވާ އަލްއުސްތާޒެއް ނޫން. ތިޔަކަހަލަ ކެރޭ ހިތްވަރުގަދަ ބަތަލެއް.

   Comment by Ali Rasheed — October 29, 2008 @ 7:58 am

3. ދެން މައުމޫނަށް އެއްޗެހި ގޮވުމުގެ ބޭނުމެއް ނެތް. އެ މަނިކުފާނަކީ ދުނިޔެވެސް މަދުން ނޫނީ ނުދެކޭނެ ހަރުދަނާ ޝަޚުޞިއްޔަތެއް ކަމަށް އަންނިވެސް މިއަދު އެއްބަސްވެ ވަޑައިގެންނެވި. ޢެހެންވީމާ މި ޞުލްހަވެރިކަން ހަލާކުވިޔަ ނުދިނުމަށްޓަކައި އެކަކު އަނެކަކަށް ޙަސަދަވެރިކަމުގެ ވާހަކަތައް ނުދެއްކުނ މުހިއްމު. ނަޝީދަށް ތަޢުރީފުކުރަން. އެކަމަކު އޭގެ ބަދަލު އެ މަނިކުފާނުގެ ޝަޚުޞިއްޔަތުންވެސް ދައްކަންވާނެ. (ޖާބިރު)

   Comment by Anonymous — October 29, 2008 @ 6:52 pm

4. އަންނި އަށް ހަމަސާބަސް…
   އަދި ދިވެހި ލޮބުވެތި ރައްޔިތުންނަށް ވެފައިވާ ވައުދުތައް ފުއްދައި ދެއްވުމަށް އަވަސްވެގަތުމަށް ގޮވާލަން….
   އަދި މިދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގައި އިސްލާމް ދީން ނޫން އެހެން ދީނަކަށް އެއްވެސްހާލެއްގައި ކުޑަވެސް ޖާގައެއް ނުދޭނެކަމައް ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންނައް އަންނި ވެފައިވާ ވަޢުދާ ޙިލާފްނުވެ ސާބިތުކަމާއެކު ދިވެހި ޤައުމާއިގެން ކުރިއަށް ވަޑައިގަތުމަށް އެދި ދަންނަވަން…(މައުމޫން)

   Comment by mohamed maumoon — October 30, 2008 @ 9:41 am

5. For many Westerners, the Maldives represents the eak of aspirational tourism but lurking behind the paradisiacal façade is a grim story of poverty and exploitation

   This week saw the culmination of the Maldives’s first democratic elections. In a historic victory, Mohamed ‘Anni’ Nasheed, a former political prisoner and Amnesty ‘prisoner of conscience’, ousted dictator Maumun Abdul Gayoom in the presidential run-off.

   Nasheed inherits a complex set of problems. Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years, has revolutionised the tiny nation’s economy based on luxury tourism. The last 20 years have seen a steady rise of 7 per cent per annum in gross domestic product. According to the Asian Development Bank, this makes the Maldives the richest nation in South Asia.

   For many Westerners, the Maldives represents the peak of aspirational tourism, the 1190 tiny islands offering a level of privacy which even seven star hotels in Dubai cannot match.

   Lurking behind this paradisiacal façade, though, is a gritty reality of exploitation and povety. While a hotel room can cost up to £8,700 per night, 40 per cent of the population live on less than $1 per day, amidst rapidly rising living costs triggered by the global crisis. Certain areas lack electricity and running water.

   “It is not paradise for anybody,” says Tricia Barnett, director of Tourism Concern. “Living conditions for most Maldivians are akin to those in sub-Saharan Africa. There has been no trickle down of the extraordinary amount of money being generated.”

   The statistics do jar. A number of tiny, uninhabited islands are auctioned every year, fetching around £30m each. A survey conducted by the Tourism Employees Association of the Maldives (TEAM) showed that basic workers’ pay was between $80–$120 per month, although even the very lowest end resorts had an annual income of $3-4million. Fishing stocks are hugely depleted and fresh fruit and vegetables bypass local residents, going directly to tourist islands. The UN recently found that over 30 per cent of Maldivian children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition.

   Barnett notes the lack of international awareness. “Gayoom’s regime was so repressive that it is very hard to get information out. Our campaign has been repeatedly undermined as people we were liaising with disappeared or were imprisoned. Compare this with the frequency of articles promoting the Maldives: they invest a huge amount in promotion.”

   Until recently, visitors to high-end resorts, largely situated on uninhabited islands, were banned from visiting the capital city, Malé. This is hardly surprising, as it is the world’s most congested city, and home to a growing drugs epidemic. UNICEF estimate that 10 per cent of the population use drugs, nearly half of these using heroin. The average age of first time users is just 12.

   Many young people either lack the skills to work, or are unwilling to do so in shockingly poor conditions: a 2005 report found that 22 per cent of men and 41 per cent of women aged 15 – 24 were unemployed. Subsequently, an immigrant workforce of 40,000 imported from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh provides cheap labour.

   TEAM, formed as an association to bypass anti-trade union laws, represents the rights of all tourism employees. Earlier this year, tourism workers were omitted from legislation designed to protect workers’ rights, despite the fact that tourism is the primary industry. After a protracted fight, the Labour Act was amended this month. The bill promises a maximum working week of 48 hours, paid overtime, and extra pay during Ramadan.

   However, according to Ahmed Easa, president of TEAM, the law is being ignored. “We expected the resorts to give us all the rights and benefits as soon as the changes were approved, but we are getting nothing. These are international hotel companies and big chains, ignoring the new laws.”

   Reform of the tourism industry will be an uphill struggle, as many politicians have close ties to it. “Conflict of interest laws passed earlier this year required cabinet ministers with business interests to resign,” explains Rachel Noble, Campaigns Manager at Tourism Concern, “But they kept their parliamentary seats, so they can still pull strings behind the scenes, compromising any positive legislation for tourism workers.”

   Many Maldivians are jubilant at the end of an era characterised by repressive control of dissent. Nasheed, jailed repeatedly for pro-democracy activity and granted political asylum to the UK in 2004, promises to root out corruption when he takes over on the 11 November. The tone amongst campaigners is one of cautious optimism.

   “I have met with him several times, and he keeps saying that labour rights are one of his main concerns,” says Easa. “I am hoping, but everyone in the Maldives knows that it’s not going to be easy. The influence of the rich on politics is very strong, and government ministers directly or indirectly own resorts. Even if Anni supports us, it is a long road.

   “In the last year, the political parties have been mainly concerned with changing government. They have forgotten about labour rights and the workers, the people who are suffering. Let’s see what happens”.

   Comment by ibrahim shareef — October 31, 2008 @ 3:04 am