The Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) has said their report on the circumstances surrounding the transfer of power on February 7 will be “incomplete” without the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) cooperation.
New President Mohamed Waheed Hassan charged the CNI to assess the change of leadership following former President Mohamed Nasheed’s allegation that he was ousted in a coup d’état, carried out by mutinous elements of the police and military. Waheed was Nasheed’s Vice President.
However, the MDP has refused to recognise the CNI, claiming the commission is neither independent nor impartial, and has raised concerns over former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Defense Minister Ismail Shafeeu chairing the commission.
The Commonwealth has also warned of “stronger measures” against the Maldives if the government fails to revise the composition and mandate of the CNI by May 16.
However, speaking to the press on Thursday, Shafeeu said it was “not suitable” for him to resign, and has said the matter must be decided between the government, political parties and foreign groups.
Meanwhile, President Waheed has affirmed commitment to the Commonwealth and said he looked “forward to resolve any outstanding issues involving the CMAG” including that of the CNI composition. Waheed’s remarks were sourced from a press release published by PR Newswire on Wednesday, and widely disseminated to world media.
However President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was reported in local newspaper Haveeru today as stating that there was no thought of changing the composition of the commission.
MDP cooperation
CNI member Ali Fawaz Shareef said the commission had interviewed 77 people and “had received some responses from the MDP.”
Two individuals from the MDP requested to give statements had refused, Shareef said, but declined to state whether former President Nasheed was among the two.
Without the MDP’s cooperation, the commission’s report to be published by May 31 “would not be complete,” CNI member Ibrahim Yasir Ahmed said.
“However, we have interviewed many people so far, and we believe we can issue a very good report,” Yasir said.
The CNI faced “difficulties” when parties refused to cooperate with the commission, Shafeeu added.
“This commission will not take legal action against anyone regarding information shared with this commission. The only thing we are doing is gathering information,” he said. The CNI has previously said it would not conduct a criminal investigation.
The report will note missing information and will also include any relevant statements made in the public domain, the commission members said.
President Waheed has met with the CNI on Tuesday to give his account of the transfer of power.
Meanwhile, the MDP has launched its own investigation into the transfer of power, and President Nasheed has given a statement to the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) regarding a brutal police crackdown on MDP supporters at a peaceful protest on February 8.
Shafeeu resignation
The CNI has long said the government must authorise any changes in its composition, but President Waheed on April 25 said it was up to the commission to allow new members to join the inquiry.
“We have no role in the reformulation of the commission. They do not have to discuss the matter with us either. The government can reformulate the commission as they see fit,” CNI member Yasir repeated on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Shafeeu said the government, political parties and foreign groups must decide whether to dismiss him from the CNI. “If the outcome of political negotiations is that I must go, it will not be difficult to get me out of here. I will just go home like I do every day when I finish work,” he told reporters.
The MDP has criticised the lack of cross-party consultation in compiling the committee and the lack of international experts on the committee.
“It has been conceived and imposed by those parties allied to Dr Waheed without any consultation with MDP. It does not include any eminent international experts. And the inclusion of individuals who held Cabinet posts during the autocratic government of former President Gayoom, including the appointment of a Chair – Mr Ismail Shafeeu – who had held various ministerial posts under former President Gayoom including the position of Defense Minister at a time of widespread human rights abuses in the country, suggests that no effort has been made to ensure independence and impartiality,” the MDP stated in February.
Local civil society groups have also urged the government to seek cross-party support in formulating the commission.
Commitment to the Commonwealth
As the Commonwealth deadline for CNI review draws near, Dr Waheed said the Maldives government would meet with Special Envoy Sir Don McKinnon on Thursday to affirm the Maldives’ commitment to the Commonwealth and the CMAG and “any outstanding issues since his last visit.”
“The Maldives government wants to make progress with the Commission of National Inquiry following previous discussions with the Commonwealth about its composition,” the statement read.
The statement quoted President Waheed as saying: “I look forward to constructive talks with Sir Don McKinnon. I will be telling Sir Don that as a government, we are completely committed to the Commonwealth and I look forward to resolving any outstanding issues involving CMAG.”
Meanwhile, MP of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Ahmed Ilham, and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) MP Riyaz Rasheed have submitted a bill to parliament that could see the Maldives withdraw itself from the Commonwealth within 60 days of ratification. Both parties have backed Dr Waheed.
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The report will be incomplete, ineffectual and irrelevant. I'd personally put it in room 101.
No surprise there then!! Impartial at the beginning, in the middle and now the end as we all predicted. This was the worlds first televised coup and this hand picked committee will justify the bias report.
CMAG was right!
Without an impartial committee and international presence this is a white wash.
How can they claim to have a very good report without examining all the evidence and facts from all sides first.......??????
What evidence do we have that President Nasheed violated the Constitution?
1- His own admission, 2- International condemnation, 3- The words of the independent Prosecutor-General (who I must note was a founding member of the Maldivian reform movement which formed the MDP)
What evidence do we have that President Nasheed was forced to resign in a coup?
1- His word, 2- Video footage of politicians and common people celebrating his decision to leave 3- a policy mutiny.
What processes do we have in place to ensure that a President is not allowed to flout our laws and violate the Constitution?
1- The Courts 2- The Parliament
What institutions did Nasheed attack the most during his Presidency?
Hmmm....this seems to be leading somewhere.
Is the international communities response to the current political situation warranted?
Yes
Was there attention much more needed when things started to go wrong in the first place?
Hell yes!
So what do we have here?
Weak institutions failing to uphold democracy in the country in the face of blatant disregard for the law on the part of the Executive (represented by Nasheed) and the regrettable decision by the international community to allow too much leeway for our first democratically-elected government which returned the favor by transforming into a monster the likes of which we never want to see again.
do we really need to have all this crap ? Just watch the footage of 7 and 8 Feb - no, not the now tampered by our 'independent' media - but the original ones - want to have a copy ? We do have, at the time being in 7 different places, to be safe 🙂
i think we should leave CMAG and UN as well
It was always going to be incomplete, isn't that how the last report regarding Maafushi killings came out? When Shafeeu was Defence Minister?Shafeeu will be Shafeeu. Ladaa vaanee ladayah.
For three months Dr Waheed has shown his finger at 50,000 members of the MDP and thousands more from the public who told him that that we did not believe that his committee for the investigation of events that led to Presidents resignation was impartial. We requested Dr Waheed to consult across parties for the committee membership.
The International community including the UN, Commonwealth, and the EU called for the same.
But for three months Dr Waheed did not listen. The fact that he gave his own account to the committee was a slap in the face of CMAG who had asked him to review the terms of reference and composition of the party.
Whatever Dr Waheed and his education minister may put in the textbooks, Dr Waheed is a traitor to his people, has betrayed us and violated the oath he took as Vice President and President, to protect our rights, to keep us safe, and to allow our voices to be heard.
No matter what the VIP entourage looks like, or how dapper his suits, Dr Waheed has failed to provide leadership to meet the demands of a people who found their voice with president Nasheed and will not be silenced again.
We have moved on from the CNI. We do not believe the CNI can deliver an authentic account of what really happened on February 7.
Dr Waheed can do whatever he likes to discredit President Nasheed and to stay in power. He has the army and the police. But he does not have the love of a people who will never forget the courage of a man called Nasheed who stood for us when we couldn't stand for ourselves, who spoke for us when we couldn't find our voices.
If you remember, it was Nasheed who went to jail for us, while you left us for your highly paid UN jobs.
So run your little police state, dear Waheed and call those who are calling for justice terrorists, do whatever you like. The joke is really on you, Dr Waheed. You chose to stand for the sharks that have ruined our beautiful country, and turned your back on the people who trusted you to do the right thing.
It is still not too late to do the right thing. Do what the CMAG has asked you to do.
why MDP is not going beyond 7th Feb. Why CMAG not going beyond 7th FEb.?
We gave power to Anni and this guy does not know how to exercise them since he had never being a leader and had never taken any responsibility in his life and that had made him to be quite incapable of running a country.
A guy who could not run his own company , for sure will not be able to run and manage a country which is much larger scale than small company.
These are fact about the dictator Anni .
MDP will not accept anything against them and everything has to in favor of them and they will never be abel to digest things and that is the failure of MDP and the cult is Anni mostly.
If Anni leaves and go back to UK where he had spent 70% of his life, then there is much better chance for MDP to come out and start to lead the country.
Even now MDP is saying whole Maldives is behind MDP and but we had 7 election and non of those seats were able win by MDP and all had gone other parties. I guess those who had voted against MDP were not Maldivian and may they were Bagalhees.
When MDP was in power, why Baarashu MP told pulically that all the flats and housing units will be distributed to MDP members and if anything left then only others will be even considered. Does this mean that becoming a member of MDP lifts the humanity level and all other are not human being or not Maldivians.
Those flats were not going to build with the MP and Annis personal money but it does belong to the Maldives not to any single person.
recent footage of 7th February 2012 shows a religious sermon led by former information minister of gayoom era and independent MP Kutti Nasheed.. and then he addresses the police and army officers... congratulating them on their achievement.. this shows the depth of the political psychosis we are facing here... these gusy have taken revenge on president Nasheed... for doing things they can only dream of... Kutti will never be even close to his namesake... hence, discredit President Nasheed and regime.. this is the same old Golhaa thinking.. too bad they do not have a better idea of history...
Dr. Waheed... he has proved what his doctorate is worth.... put Dr. Dog...Dr. Cat... etc.. the title will better suit them... at least they will act by their instinct rather than by craze for power and position. What is the use of such people who don't have human sensitivity.
Nasheed in breach of our constitution.
1. By putting lock on supreme court . This is to show his mussels to Maldivians and beginning of dictatorship.
2. Giving Thilfushi contract to Reeko at a higher price than other parties.
3. Appointing councilors outside the constitution.
4.Creating a barrier between elected councils and the Government by appointing state ministers for each province on top of atoll concil president who is supposed to be in charge by the constitution.
5. Importing worship idol to the country and placing them in public and lying about that in public.
6. Puplicly announcing that he will treat very badly towards Maldivians who is not a member of MDP regardless of thier actions.
7. Taking and putting key political figures in prison outside the Maldives law.
8. Breaching presidential oath .
9. Not taking any action against Hillath who had violated our constitution by shaving protest to have a religious freedom.
10. Using excessive force to disperse the people who were peacefully demonstrating thier view and expressing thier dissatisfaction of the dictator Anni.
11. Putting country's economy in jeopdy and creating havoc in the country and its fragile economy.
12. Putting Chief Judge in prison without following proper procedures in place.
13. Taking pribes in awarding airport to GMR.
14. Selling counter's assets for the sake of Anni survival at much lower value than what ti should be . GMR Dhiraagu and MWSC.
15. Promoting himself using public money , without thinking about the country itself. His personal film, and under water cabinet were big disasters for the country since it has damaged investors confidence in the country but Anni got to promoted to environmentalist from this activities over night.
Thats right, Mode. Its our money.
So, don't just dish out whats in your head. Give us facts. tell us how our money was spent, not just the last three years, but the last thirty years as well. We would really like to know who got what.
Mode the days of whitewash is OVER. Our eyes and ears are open.
As for those islands, the people of those islands always voted for Gayoom and his friends. You need to go over to those islands to find out why, Mode.
And for your information, more people in thse islands voted for the MDP candidates than they did before.
Which is we have a coup.
Just got too scared Nasheed will win the next election.
Anni is not presidential material. It is proven that he does not have the brain to run a counry. He can only shout and run on the streets.
And the only candidate of presidential material is the Maumoon!
He should only be given the presidency!
Those who will kneel and pray him will benefit in all ways!
People can become dogs. Go look for a mosel in the thrash bins!
Beautiful!
@ mode
You represent everything that is corrupt, evil and rotten in our country. Not to mention selfish for your own gain. The old brutal dictatorship is back!!
The same old group who are paid to leave comments here at work on this page! Organized criminals, just like the illegal unelected government we now have!
Nasheed is a congenital Liar. Now he is acting like a mad man describing the events resulted his downfall but he never mentioned that he was fully drunk and didn't know what he was doing that day.Nasheed neglected chain of command but he himself was issuing commands and running back and forth using all types of filth against the security forces. We Maldivian regretted to have such a person who ruined the country within a matter of three years.To attract international community he is using Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom and our religion Islam as the major obstacle towards the democracy which the west wanted him to establish in the Maldives. But the fact is Nasheed does not have the calibre to run a counry. We call upon the Authority to keep this mad man behind the bar as soon as possible
Mode and Tsk Tsk...you both are as hypocritical as the illegal government you are defending. You are full of Nasheed being unconstitutional, and yet fully support the coup? Wow how constitutional is that? And obviously you haven't been talking to or listening to Nazim sir and Umar sir eh! Go do it, they'll help you fill the gaps 😉
@@ Poem
Can you tell us anything President Nasheed did?
I am not fond of this government and i am not even a big supporter of them either. I supported Anni during his presidential campaign but got fed up with the guy when he started to act like a dictator.
He is a dictator and he is worse than Maumoon.
Nasheed failed to rule the country and he has completely spoiled our fragile economy and have sold our national assets to his own benefit and he is corrupted guy.
Nasheed himself never got enough vote to win the election and it was a coalition who won the 2008 election. Anni himself told that the people of Maldives had clearly told and explained him that he can not win himself and need to form a coalition to remove dictator Maumoon and that is what majority of people want. But his words he had forgotten in no time when he gained the power and he is a ruthless dictator.
If you really want to talk about the Supreme Court, why don't you tell us why the judges were sworn in before the Judges Act was passed?? THAT was in violation of the constitution.
Mode, a lot is going to come in the next few weeks.
Ali. lot of things will happen prior judgement day . Don't get your self drag into Yellow and CMAG will not be able to do much to this country and UN or EU will not follow CMAG path and will never listen to them either.
You will see this in few weeks time.
Dictator anni can continue his usual tactics with the hope of getting the backing from foreign countries but he will be wrong.