Former President Mohamed Nasheed is touring US media for the launch of the Island President, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman and WNYC’s Leonard Lopate Show, among others.
While the environmental message of the film was the subject of most interviews, many interviewers also focused on Nasheed’s claims to have been ousted in a coup on February 7, and his expressed disappointment in the US response.
“The UK government has been the only government that has been straightforward. I was shocked by the Indian and US governments in the rapidness with which they recognised the new regime,” Nasheed said, on the Lopate program.
Challenged over whether his resignation had been at “gunpoint”, Nasheed said this was a phrase used by a journalist to describe what had happened during the day.
“The military had arms. The rebellious police were outside the base and the mutinous military were inside. They said if I did not resign within the hour there would be bloodshed. ‘Gunpoint’ was a journalist’s description – but yes, for all practical purposes I was forced to resign,” Nasheed said on the Lopate program.
“They tried to arrest me in the presidential residence, but a few hours after the event some military officers who were still loyal helped me slip out of the presidential residence and go to my family home. A whole lot of people came out in support of me, and [the new government] have not been able to get me because of that.”
The new regime “is the old dictatorship we voted out of office,” Nasheed said. “Gayoom is back in the country, His children are in cabinet, he is in power. Dr Waheed is just a facade.”
Nasheed said it was “ludicrous” to claim that his government was brought down by “undemocratic practices”.
“The election was not enough to consolidate democracy. We have to build capacity within these institutions. The new constitution envisaged a fair and free judiciary, but the first elections brought a new executive, followed by the first free and fair parliamentary elections, but there was no election for the judiciary – and all the all the judges were handpicked by Gayoom.
“They were shielding the dictatorship from human rights abuses and corruption cases. We had to break the circle, and the body trusted to do that was the JSC. To argue that it was our undemocratic practice that brought us down is ludicrous. To argue that this was a reason for an uprising… there was no uprising.”
As well as speaking to several newspapers and film magazines, along with Island President Director Jon Shenk, Nasheed also appeared on the popular Late Show with David Letterman, which averages four million viewers a week.
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The Island President
is also
The Village Idiot
Most awesome president ever.
more the island idiot
I will send you an orchid for knowing to keep your big mouth SHUT, Mr, Rafiqul Alam......... You better go to hell, I will give you a free ticket to fly there....
Some sort of animals like Rafiqul Alam doesnt know how to digest it when people like President Nasheed being popular throughout the globe!
Anni, don’t worry… For these stupid people, you will be stupid because you are a sensible person, You talk sense but these stupid moron in your land of stupid don’t like the reality, they always like to stay in their comfortable zone, which is to believe and depend on the most stupid God Allah who like to keep his servants ignorant and enslaved and keep their brain chained so they cannot figure out who this Allah is.
You are very true, these morons live in a bird hatchery and their brains do not go beyond that hatchery.
Maldivians are in a trance of their own. They don't know who Richard Branson is and hey don't know who David Letterman is. And they couldn't care less. They just think that the whole world revolves around the 350000 people and the 1000 islands. They just think the whole religion of Islam is around their limited conveniences - not having been to or even cared about outside of their tiny place and their narrow vision. Republic of Ignorance should be the name of this country.
If this coup happened in the US there would be international outrage.
Nasheed put in a charming and "Presidental" interview last night. This combined with the social media evidence is vital for the international community to understand and encourage an early election.
As for the fouled moulthed comments on this page from the new regime - we expect nothing less from people as low as you.
no mention of the fact Anni said Dr. Waheed tried to kill him last week?!?!?!? One lie after another and Minivan News chooses not to report on them! BIAS! BLATANT BIAS!
@ Khaled
First, make up your mind.
Then tell me what you want me to do.
@ Hassan K
"Republic of Ignorance should be the name of this country."
So the Village Idiot is the most apt title for Anni's film.
"he tried to kill me the other day"
8th february the day after Waheed is sworn in after a Police And Army mutiny: There was no Home Minister in charge of the police, there was no commissioner of Police. The police attacked Nasheed, squeezed his private parts, hit him on the head drawing blood, dragged him on the streets, threatened to kill him, but somehow he fled from the police with the help of his supporters and managed to get safety.
Waheed was directly in charge of the police that day. So yes Nasheed has every right to say Waheed tried to kill him.
@ mari
Waheed is as guilty as sin. Remember, there is only two ways to get into office, either by the ballot box or by guns! One or the other. You used guns.
ELECTION NOW!!
@ Hassank,, do you know that the average American is the most parochial of all,not because they chose to be so,but they are made so by the globalist Zee masters like Richard Branson, David Letterman and many more of the sort. Globalists' net is cast all over the world sinisterly. It is very difficult for anyone to be free without being caught. Let us try our best and pray Allah,the most Gracious and Beneficent for a safe exit from the treacherous shackles of these ruthless guys.
Mubarak! You fairly deserve to be treated as a ” persona non grata ” .
Your blasphemy on Almighty Allah, the creator of Universe, including you, confirms that you are indoctrinated with Luciferean ideology. No doubt guys like you will be thrown to the blazing fire of the warned Hell. None can succor you on that Dooms Day, save Allah. So you better apologize and appeal Allah for forgiveness. The door for salvation is open!!!!
This president is awesome. The only island president of the Maldives. Your the best Nasheed. 🙂
The name of this film should have been 'The Island Terrorist' 🙂
Thats who he really is in reality.
We salute you Nasheed.
Sour grapes.
2000 ISLANDS? Former Present doesnt even know the count of Islands that consists Maldives.
Present Waheed tried to Kill Nasheed..huh. How many lies this man will tell foreign media.
Nasheed is really suffering from
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This behavior is often criminal.
Symptoms
A person with antisocial personality disorder may:
•
Be able to act witty and charming
•
Be good at flattery and manipulating other people’s emotions
•
Break the law repeatedly
•
Disregard the safety of self and others
•
Have problems with substance abuse
•
Lie, steal, and fight often
•
Not show guilt or remorse
•
Often be angry or arrogant
He was funny and effective on the letterman show. It's great to have him in town.
i find that mdp supporters vocabulary is very limited, their most overused term being DIGEST.lol
I have seen lots of leaders in this world, but this is the first time i see an idiot on this line. He doesn't know what he is talking about and i don't think that he will remember the day he was struggling on Capital city roads. What ever this person is really mad.
This is the only leader we have who truly believes and has shown that there is no difference in terms of human dignity that needs to be offered every single citizen whether he is rich or poor; whether educated or not; whether man or woman. And this is what truly makes him different from the rest who enslave themselves to money, power, and hypocritical appearences.
Nazeed was a great global president as I think.. & Obama is the great president of the hell.. Obama makes the Earth a hell.. Go to hell Obama with your USA(paradise of terrorism.. USA, you are the killer of the world.. USA, MAKABEWIYAN(In Sinhalese language)
president Nasheed is the best leader in our hoistory. he is great and he is best for the nation and citizen.
former president nasheed is a big liar he is a terrorist,he burned all the government offices in addu city south of male'(maldives)