CNI recommends urgent steps to be taken to address issues

The Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), established to investigate the change of government on 7 February, has included several recommendations in its report, highlighting urgent action to be taken by the government and independent institutions.

The CNI made five main recommendations in the 62-page report released today.

The first recommendation is that immediate steps need to be taken to provide assistance and encouragement to the Maldives Police Service, the Police Integrity Commission, the Judiciary, the Judicial Services Commission, the People’s Majlis and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives; with a view to their increased effectiveness and general performance in the service of the common good and public interest.

The second recommendation is that with respect to the administration of justice, in particular concerning allegations of police brutality and acts of intimidation, there is an urgent need for investigations to proceed and to be brought to public knowledge with perpetrators held to account and appropriately sanctioned.

The third recommendation is that the judiciary should enjoy public confidence and where there are allegations about judges’ conduct, the Judicial Services Commission must act in a timely and definitive way and report.

The fourth recommendation is that the operation of a Parliament requires particular practices which have been cultivated in similar institutions over centuries, and the People’s Majlis would be assisted in understanding these so that they can better carry out their constitutionally mandated functions.

The fifth and final recommendation is that there is an urgent need to address an apparent climate of popular discontent and division engendering hatred between individuals and communities, propelled by the politicization of the media. To counter this trend, attention needs to be directed towards the promotion of journalistic ethics, tolerance and public reconciliation.

The report concludes by saying, “Overall, the Maldives needs to be assisted in strengthening the rule of law such that the institutions of the State may enjoy the public confidence necessary for a democratic society.”

It was also noted in the Executive Summary and Recommendations of the report, that because there was no illegally coerced resignation of the President on 7 February 2012, and as the subsequent transfer of power followed precisely the prescriptions of the Constitution, the Commission has no recommendations on these matters.

In his address to the nation after the report was presented to him, the President assured Maldivians that he will implement the recommendations of the Commission, and urged all other Institutions to follow suit.

The report was signed by four out of five members of the CNI, and the Commonwealth and UN Observers.

It lacked the signature of former President Nasheed’s representative to the CNI, Gaha Ahmed Saeed, who resigned last night citing dissatisfaction with the contents of the report.

The report has now also been presented to all Independent Institutions.