ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Monday 26 May 2014 27 Rajab 1435 - Volume 19 Number 6077 Price: QR2 Kahramaa inks Sri Lanka deals worth bounce to level QR7.7bn ODI series Business | 17 Sport | 28 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Experts warn against Obama visits Afghanistan villa partitioning curbs Move may create housing shortage, push up rents DOHA: Action against par- Meanwhile, citizens, comment- “These are the people who are titioned villas would send the ing in large numbers on local serving Qatar and its people. rents of affordable apartments social networking sites yesterday, There is a severe lack of afford- soaring further, real estate also spoke out against the gov- able housing so where do these experts warned yesterday say- ernment’s announcement to act families go,” said a commentator. ing low-rent residential units against partitioned villas. Some made fun of the civic were already scarce. Commentators asked the ministry and said the announce- The experts have urged the authorities to make available ment made in the media is for government to shelve plans to adequate affordable housing units public consumption. “The govern- punish those responsible for par- first and then talk of evicting low- ment knows that villas are being titioning flats and villas to accom- income expatriate families from partitioned for the long time so modate low-income expatriate the partitioned villas. why it has woken up to the prob- families and provide enough low- Some nationals told Al Sharq in lem now,” asked a commentator. rent housing units first. remarks on the subject that some “I think it is a media gimmick.” “Where would those families go low-income Qatari families also Another commentator said he that are living in these partitioned live in partitioned villas. wondered how the government US President Barack Obama greets US troops during a surprise visit to Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul in villas,” real estate expert, Ahmed Some people, in comments was going to execute its plans. Afghanistan, yesterday, prior to the Memorial Day holiday. Report on page 15 Al Oroqui, asked in remarks to to the daily, have suggested the “Would they be waiting for com- this newspaper. “They are all low- Ministry of Municipality and plaints (about partitioning) to income families.” Urban Planning instead make come in or would they be going Action can be easily taken rules for partitioning villas, and door to door checking?” he asked. against the partitioned villas actively supervise partitioning to Yet another commentator said Electronic system for driving tests because they are illegal, he said. ensure safety and security. he was wondering which law in “But I urge the authorities not to “This is better than stopping the world supports throwing a be so strict.” the partitioning of villas alto- family out of a house into the DOHA: The Traffic preparing to introduce a new school told this daily yesterday. Al Oroqui said an effective gether. It can’t be stopped,” a street. Department will soon introduce system in which the tests will be He said a major advantage of the way to solve the issue of a lack national told Al Sharq. The government should come an electronic system for the “L” monitored electronically from a new system is that the candidates of affordable housing is to create In comments made on social forward and intervene and stop and “parking” tests in driving control room in the driving school. can take the tests without being enough stocks out of Doha. networking sites, not a single citi- rent increases. “In my estima- schools to abolish direct super- Instead of physically supervising scared of the presence of police- He said apartment rents can zen spoke of backing the civic min- tion some 70 percent of homes in vision by the policemen. the tests, the policeman will sit in men. It will also help avoid com- escalate further if action is taken istry’s announcement to punish Qatar are partitioned,” said still These two preliminary tests the control room and monitor the plaints about bias or favouritism against partitioned villas. those who partition the villas to another commentator. take place in the premises of test on a computer screen. The by inspectors supervising the tests. According to Al Oroqui, such accommodate low-income families. A real estate expert who didn’t the driving schools to qualify the result will also be issued based on “Nobody can claim that the acute is the problem that not only The heads of such families earn want his name in print said no trainees for the final road tests. this assessment. evaluation was wrong since there individual villas but the layouts of not more than QR7,000 a month apartment units were available Currently the tests are conducted “We will be implementing the will be solid proof to show how entire villa complexes are being on average, so how can they afford in any part of the country whose in the presence of policemen, who new system very soon. We have the candidate has performed,” changed without the permission independent residential units rent was less than QR4,500. are responsible for evaluating the already conducted the trial and said the official. of authorities to make additional whose rents can go up to as much THE PENINSULA trainees and issuing the results. it was very efficient and success- THE PENINSULA entrances and homes. as their income, wondered many. Continued on page 4 Driving schools are now ful,” an official of a leading driving Continued on page 4 Qaradawi Pope invites Abbas, Peres reiterates call for prayer in Vatican to boycott BETHLEHEM: Pope Francis referring to the “state of Palestine”, made a surprise stop yesterday giving support for their bid for full Egypt polls at the wall Palestinians abhor as statehood recognition in the face of a symbol of Israeli oppression, a paralysed peace process. DOHA: With Egyptians head- and later invited presidents But, speaking at the birthplace ing to the polls today to vote from both sides of the divide to of Jesus in the Palestinian-run in the first presidential elec- the Vatican to pray for peace. city of Bethlehem in the Israeli- tion since Mohamed Mursi was Francis rested his forehead occupied West Bank, he made ousted from power last sum- against the concrete structure clear that a negotiated accord mer, noted Doha-based Islamic that separates Bethlehem from was needed. scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi Jerusalem, and prayed silently. Francis invited the Israeli and has reiterated his call to the He stood at a spot where some- Palestinian presidents to come to Egyptian people to boycott the one had sprayed in red paint the Vatican to pray for an end to election. “Free Palestine”. Above his head the enduring conflict. “In this, the Addressing the Egyptians was graffiti in broken English birthplace of the Prince of Peace, in a televised speech yesterday, reading: “Bethlehem look like I wish to invite you, President Qaradawi said it is forbidden for Warsaw Ghetto”, comparing the Mahmoud Abbas, together with the “free Egyptian people” to Palestinians’ plight with that of President Shimon Peres, to join “betray the January 25 revolu- the Jews under the Nazis. me in heartfelt prayer to God for tion and its martyrs and hand Such imagery seemed likely the gift of peace,” the Pope said at over power to the killers.” to cause unease among Israel’s an open-air Mass in Bethlehem. “It is forbidden to betray your leaders. Both accepted, their respective future and your children… Don’t On the second leg of a three-day staff said. elect someone who betrayed the trip to the Middle East, Francis REUTERS trust and breached his oath,” said Pope Francis prays at Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank town of Bethlehem yesterday. delighted his Palestinian hosts by See also page 7 Al Qaradawi, in a veiled refer- ence to Abdul Fattah Al Sisi, who led the military takeover and is poised to win the elections with a huge majority. Allotment of 645 shops in Al Poroshenko claims victory in “Don’t be part of aggression Mercury may hit 46 degrees and crime by electing a man who Furjan by lottery on June 1 DOHA: The Meteorology Department has forecast a Ukraine presidential election the Zionists are happy to see further rise in temperature this week, with Thursday in power... This is a historical DOHA: Allotments of the 645 shops that are available expected to be the hottest day since the beginning of KIEV: Billionaire Petro Poroshenko claimed Ukraine’s moment to fight against aggres- in 44 Al Furjan Markets (that are located in remote this season. The rise is attributed to an extension of presidency yesterday after exit polls gave him an abso- sion,” added the scholar. areas of Qatar to serve residents of those localities) will low pressure from India to the Gulf region. The highest lute majority in a first round of voting and, vowing to “I appeal to all Egyptians to be decided through lottery at 4.30pm on June 1, the temperature would hover between 42 and 46 degrees end a conflict with pro-Russian rebels, he pledged to sit in their homes tomorrow… Ministry of Economy and Commerce said in a state- Celsius during the week, the department said in a align his country with Europe. The real scholars of Al Azhar ment yesterday. The Ministry said that some 4,524 statement yesterday. Exit polls gave Poroshenko more than 55 percent are those young men who are (Qatari) companies have registered their names to take The highest temperature is expected to be on Thursday, of the vote, well ahead of former prime minister Yulia resisting the coup,” said Al part in the raffle.