Tag: baird

President Waheed complains to Canada over Foreign Minister’s “inappropriate remarks”, “harshly worded questions”

President Mohamed Waheed has written a letter of complaint to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, accusing Canada’s Foreign Minister John Baird of making “inappropriate and derogatory remarks” towards Acting Foreign Minister Mariyam Shakeela during the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)’s meeting on September 27.

The Commonwealth’s human rights and democracy arm had “expressed concern at developments” in the Maldives following the Supreme Court’s delay of the run-off elections, noting the Commonwealth election observation team’s assessment that “this was a credible electoral process and met the standards for democratic elections to which Maldives has committed itself.”

The Supreme Court meanwhile last night annulled the election in a 4:3 decision, citing a secret police report on alleged electoral irregularities and ordering fresh elections on October 20 with enhanced police and government involvement.

In his letter to Prime Minister Harper, Waheed complained that Baird “posed several harshly worded questions… concerning domestic politics in the Maldives”, and said these “put unnecessary pressure on an otherwise excellent relationship” between the Maldives and Canada.

Shakeela represented the Maldives at the CMAG meeting, “and advocated on the need for reforming the Group in order to make the body a more effective and credible one that can help, not hamper, democracy consolidation in the Commonwealth member countries,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

“The Minister also highlighted on the need for the CMAG to take matters in proper context, and not to over-react on delicate situations in member countries,” it said.

The diplomatic spat has been widely reported by a bemused Canadian media.

Baird’s office responded to Waheed’s complaint by pointing out “the irony of the Acting Foreign Minister of the Maldives representing that country at CMAG, when her President received five percent of the vote in the first round of the election. Perhaps that is where President Waheed took offence.”

“It might have also been when Minister Baird pointed out to CMAG members that the second round of elections were ‘suspended’ under mysterious circumstances and called on Maldivian officials to proceed with the second round of elections without delay,” said Baird’s Spokesperson Rick Roth, in a statement.

“We believe that this delay is troublesome and can only lead to more instability; which is exactly what we have seen in recent days. The Minister believes that countries within the Commonwealth should adhere to a certain standard of values and principles which is clearly lacking in the Maldives,” the statement read.

“Canada supports the people of the Maldives, and that judicial authorities and security forces must not unduly delay the expression of their democratic will,” it concluded.

Baird has pushed for the Maldives to be placed on CMAG’s formal agenda. Following the group’s meeting in New York, Baird joined Maldivian pro-democracy demonstrators for a photo outside the Australian consulate.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird with Maldivian demonstrators
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CMAG expresses “concern at developments” in the Maldives following first round of polling

The Commonwealth’s human rights and democracy arm has “expressed concern at developments” in the Maldives following the first round of elections.

The Supreme Court last week suspended the run-off election indefinitely after the third-placed candidate with 24.07 percent, Gasim Ibrahim, demanded the vote be annulled alleging widespread electoral fraud and declared “God Willing, Gasim will be President on November 11″.

The party of second-placed candidate Abdulla Yameen – the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) which attained 25.35 percent of the vote behind front-runner Mohamed Nasheed’s 45.45 percent – backed Gasim’s court case. Attorney General Azima Shukoor – formerly Yameen’s lawyer – also intervened against the Elections Commission (EC). A verdict is expected at the next hearing.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on Friday meanwhile noted that its election observation team had determined the September 7 polls were “a credible electoral process and met the standards for democratic elections to which Maldives has committed itself.”

“Ministers further noted that national and other international observers had concluded that the 7 September election was competently administered, and that the Maldivian people had been free to express their will through the ballot,” CMAG stated.

“In this context, CMAG Ministers expressed concern at developments since the declaration of results of the first round poll, with one unsuccessful party having filed a case with the Supreme Court to annul the first round of the election because of alleged electoral fraud, and the Supreme Court subsequently issuing an injunction to delay the second round of the election until a court ruling is delivered in that case,” the statement read.

“Noting that, under the Constitution of Maldives, a new President is required to be sworn in by 11 November 2013, CMAG Ministers urged all those concerned to ensure that the second round of the election is held at the earliest possible date so that this constitutional requirement is met,” the statement added.

Following CMAG’s meeting in New York on Friday, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird joined Maldivian pro-democracy demonstrators outside the Australian consulate.

Following the Supreme Court’s indefinite suspension of the election last week, Baird in a statement had warned the delay was “troublesome and can only lead to more instability”, and pushed for the Maldives to be put on CMAG’s formal agenda.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird with Maldivian demonstrators

Government responds

The Maldivian Foreign Ministry meanwhile put out a statement noting “media speculation” that the Maldives could be placed on the group’s agenda.

“The current political situation in the Maldives is one in which the Government is upholding constitutional supremacy, and the rule of law. Therefore, questions about placing the Maldives on the formal agenda of the CMAG are nothing more than speculations and have no basis,” the statement read.

Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Mariyam Shakeela represented the Maldives at the CMAG meeting, “and advocated on the need for reforming the Group in order to make the body a more effective and credible one that can help, not hamper, democracy consolidation in the Commonwealth member countries,” the statement read.

“The Minister also highlighted on the need for the CMAG to take matters in proper context, and not to over-react on delicate situations in member countries,” it added.

Following the meeting, Minister Shakeela “expressed pleasure about the deliberations and noted that as a member of the CMAG, the Maldives believes that the Group’s credibility can only be maintained if careful, considered, and impartial decisions are made on critical issues of importance relating to members of the Commonwealth.”

Deputy Leader of Gasim’s Jumhooree Party, Dr Ibrahim Didi, was meanwhile quoted in Sun Online as calling on CMAG not to “enslave or threaten” the Maldives.

“We are ready to leave the Commonwealth if necessary,” Sun reported Didi as saying.

“Some Maldivians think we will starve if we leave the Commonwealth. But this won’t happen. Some people think it is a big organisation and that if they cut assistance we will starve. The Commonwealth have only given us a few diploma courses,” he stated.

Indian High Commissioner summoned

The Maldivian government has also summoned Indian High Commissioner Rajeev Shahare to express what Sun Online reported was “discontent” over the High Commissioner’s meeting with Elections Commissioner (EC) Fuwad Thowfeek on Friday.

Shahare met with Thowfeek at the EC shortly before the building was surround by police, carrying orders to take over the building and ballot papers should EC staff continue with preparations for holding Saturday’s scheduled election.

Sun reported a Foreign Ministry official as stating that Shahare met with officials at 7:00pm on Friday.

“We had a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner [Friday] night, but we cannot reveal details of the meeting,” Sun quoted the official as saying.

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Canada condemns Maldives govt’s “politically motivated threats to arrest its opponents”

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird has issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over ongoing political tensions in the Maldives, in particular the government’s “politically motivated threats to arrest its opponents.”

As Canada’s foreign minister, Baird is a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the international body’s democracy and human rights arm that suspended the Maldives following the controversial transfer of power on February 7, and was behind the strengthening of President Mohamed Waheed’s Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).

“It is clear that the arrests of senior officials of the Nasheed government are politically motivated. Such actions are completely unacceptable and must be reversed,” Baird stated.

“The threats of the present government to arrest its opponents, including former President Nasheed – the only democratically elected president in the last four decades – so as to prevent his candidacy, undermine that government’s credibility and violate its undertakings to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. They also fly in the face of the core Commonwealth values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” Baird stated.

“The Maldives has been given the benefit of the doubt by the Commonwealth so far. Continued intimidation, illegal arrests and other authoritarian tactics by the present government may require the Commonwealth to consider a different approach, in our view.”

Nasheed was today ordered to attend police headquarters on August 2 concerning comments made during a tapped phone conversation released by police last week, in which the former President states “I think we need to fight back [against police].”

The government’s actions were, Baird said, “further evidence of the need for early elections, as Canada has repeatedly urged. These disputes must be settled, and the will of the people must be heard.”

“In order to safeguard the important democratic progress made in recent years, an inclusive political solution is critical to the future of Maldives. Canada will continue to work with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to push for greater respect for democratic values.”

Canada’s statement on the state of the Maldives is among the most strongly-worded issued by another nation following the political turmoil of February 7, with the exception of Timor Leste (East Timor).

Nobel Peace Prize recipient and President of Timor Leste, José Ramos-Horta, issued a statement on February 21 condemning “the ousting under military pressure” of President Mohamed Nasheed in an ““obvious” coup d’état.

“It should be of concern to the World that extremist elements abusively invoking Islam were instrumental in stirring up violent demonstrations, religious intolerance and social upheaval as the coup d’état set in motion,” Ramos-Horta said at the time.

“Therefore, it is all the more strange and unsettling the silence with which big powers and leading democracies respond to the undemocratic developments in the Maldives. It has been a sad day for democracy in the Maldives and beyond.”

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the Canadian Foreign Minister’s statement was “based on misinformation” as “no arrests have been made and all political opponents are free to conduct their protests every day.”

Riza suggested that the statement was based on information “received only from one side”.

As for the suggestion of a “different approach” by the Commonwealth, Riza said the government was “very much engaged” with the international body, and that Baird’s was “one isolated view” that the Maldives Foreign Ministry would look into.

“We met with several [international] authorities while in Geneva and the Maldives is not much of a concern [to them]. They welcome the work the government is doing regarding human rights and development,” Riza said.

According to tourism statistics 2243 Canadian tourists had visited the Maldives as of June this year, an increase of 4.5 percent on the same period last year.

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