Maldives In Brief : Decentralization bill passed barring seven provinces

The controversial Decentralisation Bill has been passed in Parliament preventing the country from being divided into seven provinces.

The crux of the bill was to divide the country into seven provincial councils for development purposes as pledged by President Nasheed during his presidential campaign.

But a DRP majority committee in Parliament brought in amendments to the bill and later it was passed with 42 votes in favour, retaining the country’s 21 atoll councils.

The ruling MDP walked out of the House in protest, Minivan news reported.

The only MDP parliamentarian who stayed behind in the chamber and voted against the bill was Ahmed Rasheed, MP for Hoarafushi, it said.

“A total of 68 amendments, the majority of which were proposed by the DRP, was passed today [April 28], it added.

The tug o’ war over the bill between the ruling MDP and the Opposition DRP saw many parliamentary sessions being cancelled.

DRP celebrates decentralization bill victory

The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) held a rally to celebrate the passage of the Decentralisation Bill in Parliament without the government proposed model of provinces, Minivan news reported.

Adding to the celebration, the rally at the artificial beach was attended by, “Maamigili MP Gasim Ibrahim, leader of the Republican Party, as well as MPs of the People’s Alliance.”

Former DRP Deputy Leader and business tycoon Gasim broke away from the party ahead of the 2008 presidential election. He formed his own party and contested the presidential polls. However he backed MDP candidate Mohamed Nasheed’s bid for presidency at the run-off.

DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said the passage of the bill with 42 votes in favour was “a very good and important signal” as 39 votes would be needed to override a possible presidential veto, Minivan News reported.

“If the bill becomes law, said Thasmeen, elected island and atoll councils will have decision-making powers on resource allocation and development projects.”

“The way the bill has been drafted gives no room for provinces,” he said, claiming there was no public support for the model.

“The bill on decentralised administration proposed by the government early last year had been delayed due to an intractable dispute over creating seven provincial councils instead of 20 atoll councils,” it said.

Thasmeen denied ruling Maldivian Democratic Party allegations “that the wholesale changes made to the bill by the opposition would hinder the development of the atolls.

The leader of the opposition called on DRP supporters to “roll their sleeves” to defeat the government’s candidates for the upcoming local councils, it added.

No choice other than going carbon neutral by mid-century, President Nasheed tells CNN debate

President Mohamed Nasheed has told the CNN that there is no choice other than to go carbon neutral by mid-century saying if not “we won’t be around here.”

“If we cannot become carbon neutral by mid-century, then we won't be around here. It's as simple as that,” Nasheed told the CNN International’s “The Special Dabate on Earth's Frontiers: The Future of Energy”.

President Mohamed Nasheed has participated, along with Academy Award-winning film director and environmentalist James Cameron in debate, the President’s Office said.

President Nasheed said it was time especially for big emitting countries to find alternatives and move forward.

He reiterated that climate change was not an issue of developing and developed countries.

However, “industrialized countries have more capabilities and more means and there are people who are in trouble. If they want to lend a hand that's the decent thing to do," he said.

Joining the debate in Seoul, South Korea, from Los Angeles via 3D technology, the Director of “Avatar” pointed out a possible reason for the shift in public perception on climate change.

He said disinformation campaigns on climate change were “used to discredit science and steer public opinion away from any sense of social responsibility about climate change.”

Also featured in the debate were Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of Puma and Changhua Wu, Greater China Director of the Climate Group.

The debate hosted by CNN's Anna Coren was one of the two special programmes of extensive environmental coverage by the network to mark the 40th anniversary of the Earth Day.

Encore presentations of the programme will also be aired on 1 May at 1230 hrs, 2230 hrs and 2 May at 0100 hrs, 0700 hrs, 1230 hrs, and 2000 hrs, Maldives local time.

- Asian Tribune -