The Police did not reveal the number of liquor bottles found. They also said that several of the liquor bottles were packed in boxes stamped with the Maldivian emblem having security checked seals from the Special Protection Group (SPG) of the Maldives National Defence Force.

According to the Police some of the packages addressed to Nasheed from foreign parties sent to him as gifts. Some of the packages were addressed to close associates of Nasheed, including his close friend Ziyad (Ziyattey).

Nasheed has been often accused of drinking alcohol and using hash oil, and he was known to have espousing a policy of legalizing “soft drugs”. And because of the suspicions of drug use he was nick named “Ganjabo” (pothead) by the opposition during his three year rule.

In a statement to the public after taking the oath of office following the resignation of Mohamed Nasheed, President Dr Waheed gave assurance to the public that no unlawful order would be issued to the Police, the Maldives National Defence Forces, or to any individual.

He stated that it was today the sovereignty of the Constitution was upheld and rule of law in its true sense was restored. He added it was today that people got the assurance of rule of law and the protection of law.

“The nation witnessed difficult times in the recent past, but today the Maldivian people have made a momentous decision.

“Following that decision…at any cost, the rule of law must be upheld,” said the President.

He said differences among political parties and the public must be set aside for the sake of national unity. He urged everyone to join hands for the public interest.

Speaking on transitional justice, the President said no law must be violated in any revenge against the past political leaders.

He appealed for advancing national peace and security.

After the President was sworn-in, he signed the oath. Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain and the Speaker of the People’s Majlis Abdulla Shahid also signed the oath.

In view of the current turmoil in the Maldives, the Vice President expressed his support to the anti-government protesters. He said that he supports the peaceful efforts of a large number of Maldivians trying to protect the Maldives constitution and religion.

Vice President Dr. Waheed also called on the military to refrain from obeying the unsoncsititonal and illegal instructions.

“During this difficult time no chance should be given to anyone trying to hurt the people of our country or damage their property, especially no room should be afforded to those who would damage news agencies and media,” he said.

Dr. Waheed also expressed his concern stating that he is deeply saddened that media outlet VTV and other places in Male’ have been attacked in the current chaos in the nation. He called on those who are involved in this to immediately cease all such activities.

The Vice President also said that he is prepared to do anything possible to overcome this situation.

Meanwhile, State Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aslam Shakir in his address to ruling MDP members at their meeting hall warned Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan not to enter the President’s Office and that the only place left for him now is prison.

In his resignation statement, President Nasheed said:

“I believe if I continue as the President of the Maldives, the people of the country would suffer more. I therefore have resigned as the President of Maldives”.

“I wish the Maldives would have a consolidated democracy. I wish for justice to be established. My wish is for the progress and prosperity of the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, with Nasheed’s resignation the post has now been handed over to the Vice President, Dr Mohamed Waheed, by the MNDF.

At the time of this writing, we are receiving many reports regarding the chaotic situation surrounding the culmination of many days of anti-government protesting.

We have also received word that the government television channel’s name has been reverted from ‘MNBC One’ to TVM.

In parallel to these reports, we are receiving news that a large quantity of liquor have been found in former President Nasheed’s residence. Police has confirmed the news.

In view of the current unrest in the capital Male’ City, former President Gayoom in an interview to VTV via phone said that is very saddened to hear of the current state of affairs in Maldives. He condemned attacks on people and damages to property.

“It is very wrong. I strongly condemn such action. No one should attack any person or damage any public property,” he said.

Gayoom urged the people not to destroy the country with their own hands. He called the people to uphold and obey the religion of Islam and the constitution.

“The people, the government, the political parties, all should uphold the constitution and law. We should all join together to save our nation,” he said.

Gayoom said that the government is responsible for the current state of affairs. He said that the current chaos in the country is the result of the government not respecting constitutional rule.

The Former President also called the government to immediately release Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Mohamed. He reiterated that the judge was forcefully detained by the military unlawfully.

Photo Dhiislam

8:53: Police and MNDF officers advising the public to be cautious, “If MNDF officers inside HQ shoot just fall on the ground”

08:45: Local media reports that MNDF has joined with the Police who has been protesting against the government at the Republican Square.

The US Embassy in Colombo said the embassy has received reports of possible politically motivated demonstrations in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Crowds numbering about 300 have protested the past few nights, with the police dispersing the crowds when they turned confrontational.

“While the recent protests have been confined to Malé, other islands could experience protests as well. Protests may occur throughout the weekend. We remind US citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn violent. In anticipation of continued protests, US citizens travelling to Malé, especially during hours of darkness, should avoid large crowds and monitor media coverage of local events. “US citizens living or travelling in the Republic of Maldives and Sri Lanka are encouraged to enroll with the US Embassy through the State Department’s Smart Traveller Enrolment Programme (STEP).”

A US Embassy spokesman said US citizens living or travelling in Sri Lanka too have been encouraged to enroll as this would help embassies stay in touch with American citizens when they are travelling. ]]> http://www.miadhu.com/2012/02/local-news/travellers-to-maldives-advised-to-stay-clear-of-demonstrators/feed/ 0 http://www.miadhu.com/2012/02/local-news/maldives-once-again-is-the-place-for-uk-customers/ http://www.miadhu.com/2012/02/local-news/maldives-once-again-is-the-place-for-uk-customers/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:19:24 +0000 ahsan http://www.miadhu.com/2012/02/local-news/maldives-once-again-is-the-place-for-uk-customers/ (traveldailynews.com): Maldives has once again topped Kuoni’s annual poll of where UK customers want to spend their holidays. In the company’s top ten selling destinations for 2012, the Indian Ocean archipelago has held on to the top slot since 2005.

Where holidaymakers want to go is just part of leading tour operator Kuoni’s annual Travel Trends Report. The 20-page report also tracks hot travel trends and the top destinations for weddings and honeymoons, for families, for solo travellers, for pampering spa holidays, for the most exciting adventures and authentic experiences as well as the best destinations for those that care about the planet.

The report also highlights changes in holiday behaviour and includes trends in holiday booking behaviour, such as the importance of social media in driving holiday choices.
The top five destinations for 2012 are Maldives holidays, Thailand, Sri Lanka, The United Arab Emirates and the USA, including New York holidays. Kuoni predicts that South Africa will witness huge growth over the next 12 months, helped by the exposure from the football World Cup last year and the weakened currency against sterling. The only mid-haul destination in the 2012 Top Ten selling destinations is the United Arab Emirates, mostly due to the popularity of Dubai holidays.

The Maldives also retained its top slot for honeymoon destinations and topped the wish list for digital natives, better known as Generation X, Y and Z. Sri Lanka holidays retained ‘Number One Destination for Weddings’, Kuramathi Island Resort in the Maldives kept the top slot for ‘Family Destinations’, as did Thailand holidays for solo travelling.

The winner of the Top 10 Adventure Holiday is the 11-day tour of culture-rich Sri Lanka on the Ceylon Tour, while those looking for the best ‘Planet Friendly Holiday’ voted for Governors Main Camp in the wildlife safari heaven of Kenya.

Aside from favourite and new destinations, there are changes in the type of holiday the customer wants. More destination-savvy and discerning holidaymakers are looking for different types of holiday, with four specific trends emerging:

- a thirst for discovery
- authenticity of experience
- social responsibility
- face to face contact with a travel expert when booking.

To meet the needs of a changing holidaymaker, Kuoni launched the Discover brochure for 2012, packed with experiences and tours to help get under the skin of a destination. The company has also launched ananea, a sustainable brand that stands for socially responsible holidays that empower people to protect the natural environment and local population. Kuoni has also strengthened its retail presence across the UK over the last 12 months, with more retail stores for holidaymakers to access all-important first-hand expertise and knowledge.
Figures in Kuoni’s 2012 Travel Trends Report are based on multiple sources, namely statistics from booking patterns made between January to December 2011 for holidays during 2011 and 2012, actual passenger numbers, customer behaviour and feedback.

During the private audience, Ambassador Ali Hussain Didi conveyed the good wishes of President Nasheed to the Grand Duke and noted that he was honoured to be the first Ambassador of Maldives to Luxembourg. The Grand Duke welcomed the opportunity to strengthen relations and hoped the Ambassador would enjoy his regular visits to Luxembourg.

He further enquired about the Maldives recovery following the Tsunami and the challenges of climate change. Ambassador Ali Hussain Didi briefed the Grand Duke on his Government’s plans to become carbon neutral, yet the difficulty to convince other countries to convert to  clean energy.

At the end of the audience, Ambassador Ali Hussain Didi introduced Sarah Mahir, the accompanying official from the Embassy of Maldives to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke.