While the Commonwealth’s Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon meets with a team of government figures in Male’, local media reports that President Dr Mohamed Waheed has told a gathering of diplomats in India that the Commonwealth is being unduly influenced by opposition politicians in the Maldives, and that it is acting beyond its remit.
Speaking at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi during his five day official visit to India, Dr Waheed reportedly told the room that the Commonwealth’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) had followed the lead of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in attempting to intimidate the government.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth’s Donald McKinnon arrived in Male’ yesterday with proposals to double the current size of President Waheed’s Commission of National Enquiry (CNI) to include two representatives favourable to former President Nasheed as well as a Commonwealth judge.
This suggestion comes as the deadline given by CMAG for improved independence and impartiality draws near. President’s spokesman Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News that the discussions between the government team and McKinnon were expected to finish tonight.
There have also been calls from the MDP and civil society groups for international involvement with the investigations.
Abbas said that the make-up of the team involved in discussions with Donald McKinnon was confidential, although Haveeru has reported the team to include the Attorney General Azima Shukoor, Minister of Home Affairs Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, Minister for Gender Dhiyanna Saeed, Minister of Defense Mohamed Nazim, and Special Advisor to the President Dr. Hassan Saeed.
Speaking to the press after a meeting with the Special Envoy yesterday, International Spokesman for the MDP Hamed Abdul Ghafoor summarised his party’s concern over the CNI as it stands: “The people we are accusing of overthrowing the government in a coup d’état can’t be the same as the people investigating it”.
Abbas revealed that representatives from the government aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) had also been present. The spokesmen for these parties were unavailable for comment at the time of press.
Waheed is said to have reiterated the governing coalition’s previous criticism of CMAG’s assessment, telling those present in New Delhi that CMAG had acted just as the MDP had done, criticising the workings of the CNI without having taken the time to properly study its methods.
Shortly after President Waheed created the CNI to investigate the events surrounding February’s transfer of power, the MDP refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Today’s speech marks the first time that Waheed himself has spoken out against the Commonwealth.
During the speech Waheed is said to have repeated an argument first made by former President Maumoon Gayoom last month, in which the utility of Commonwealth membership appeared to be questioned.
“We used to believe that the Commonwealth was the champion of the smaller nations that extended assistance in every way possible. But to the contrary we witnessed the grouping inclined towards Nasheed, head towards punishing us,” Haveeru reports Waheed as saying.
Last month, Gayoom, now head of the PPM, said that the priorities of the Commonwealth regarding small nations had changed in recent years. He went on to urge a “rethink” of the Maldives’ membership.
Gayoom’s statement was soon followed by the submission of a bill in the Majlis from government aligned MPs calling for the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth.
President Waheed also told the assembled diplomats that CMAG was acting without a mandate, citing the criteria under which a CMAG investigation can be initiated. These conditions had not occurred, he argued, in the Maldives.
The Maldives Permanent Representative to the European Union (EU), Ali Hussain Didi, delivered the same argument in a speech to the EU Parliamentary Group on April 24.
Despite his clear disappointment with the 54 nation group, Waheed said that he would not back the proposals to withdraw from the Commonwealth and expected the bill to be dismissed as soon as the Majlis returned from its current recess.
He is also reported to have told the group of ambassadors that the proposal to re-formulate the commission had already been accepted, with the ongoing meetings being held only to formulate the exact details of the changes.
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Waheed is not only a traitor but a hypocrite and liar too. He has the majourity of people on the CNI and still it is unfair. It was a coup. May justice be served!
Waheed crying like a baby because it will be a fair investigation now. And we thought you had "nothing to hide" . Poor little Traitor.
Any reasonable person would agree with these terms from CMAG.. Unless of course you are worried about the outcome and the truth getting out?
Waheed did not know that he forgot to buy a return ticket!
He got too greedy and purchased a one way ticket (to his own destruction)!
He rebelled against his President and to the oath he took!
He got greedier than greed itself!
He asked for it!
And he has got it!
The podgy chap has the option of leaving the Commonwealth if he feels so "punished" and "intimidated" by it. After all, no one is forcing him and his banana republic to stay in the Commonwealth.
Truth is, he dare not! Tantrums apart, he (and his comrades) can do sod all.
Don't feel happy.....Waheed is cunning and manipulative .... Maumoon will teach him to say one thing in front and do what they want. Don't believe their words.
Baaghee Waheed is a thief who stole the aspirations of a generation of Maldivians.
He can whine and cry now. But we will punish him at the next elections. And put him behind bars for his crimes.
One should bear in mind that,CMAG cannot work according to the interest of a small group of people who grab the Maldivian Government by force, while the majority of the people are tapping on every door for justice and a free and fair election.
Incredible contradiction between what Waheed says to your face and then what he says the next day to a different audience on the same subject. Not Presidential material.
MWH Maniku is neither a diplomat, nor a leader.
He has displayed very well to the people of this country that he is nothing more than a political puppet, devoid of ethics, morals, values or principles.
He failed to perform his constitutional duties as the VP, so how can he possibly perform as a President?
His type is among the least valuable kind of human being to have as the leader of a people. He is not fit to govern this country.
May the Maldives be rid of MWH Maniku and those of his political ilk that plague this nation. Forever.
Amen.
No wonder my dear fellow brothers & sisters!!! Did you know how Gayyoom treated the Bloody Fool Waheed's Beloved Mom? Did you know why this foolish guy's brother, Naushad Waheed resigned from his job?
Well done Gayoom!!!
tsk rsk tsk,MDP commentators here are quite depserate, bombarding the comments now eh, using commentators names to post pro MDP eh, you can squirm all you want, Anni and MDP have blown their chance, dream on,dreamers, gdluck, minivannews is irellevant now, time to bury it alonside Anni and MDP.
I am a fan of T.S.Eliot. His description of people like Waheed is pretty accurate, "I'm not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;Am an attendant lord, one that will do,To swell a progress, start a scene or two,Advice the prince; no doubt an easy tool.Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic,cautious,and meticulous;Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times indeed, almost ridiculous-Almost, at times, the Fool." Political lightweight? Yes. Moral pigmy? Yes.
You can tell when Waheed is not telling the truth - his lips move!
Got logged out, sorry, finishing that thought now...
For Anni to build that image, it may take time, perhaps, a year or so, in which case, his defiance of injustice, his suffering through that, his defiance IN THAT, would have to be made public, prosecuting Anni would HELP rebuild his status as a legend!
I have a perception that the essence of Anni's character is one of eternal defiance. Of course, I do not know Mohammed Nasheed AT ALL so we are talking about perceptions used by the media, not about Mohammed Nasheed the person! Yet that image of defiance, of toughness, of a warrior spirit, would have to be emphasised to gain the public sympathy for the concept of Anni being tough as a leader. Then, I think, Anni could become a President who could be successfull coming against tyranny.
For this to work, Anni would have to remian in a state of seeming like the warrior against tyranny, which could only work if the point is continually emphasised that the constitution is tyrannical. The fact that the Executive is not ALL powerful, but just the leader of the struggle against tyranny, may seem unusual, but, it is the only concept which would work to truly set Maldives free from an oppressive system, (I am hoping!!!)
@Agangatha Mithuru: THAT was an awesome find!
The above comment was put in the wrong article by mistake (Ben Plewright on Tue, 15th May 2012 2:32 PM Got logged out, sorry, finishing that thought now… etc etc...) It was meant to be a conclusion of the comment I started on another article about whether Commonwealth pressured Maldives Government into dropping charges against Anni... Otherwise it just seems WAY out of context and incomplete...
@ oher Ahmed
Justice will be served for his coup illegal govt. and you!
Dogs who wag their tails to their masters and just bark at others are no good dogs!
Looks likde Dr. Waheed jumped into this pie, stark naked!
When Maumoon is finished licking him clean, he will have nothing to hide his parts with, but to stand naked in front of the world!
Game is over for the likes of Maumoon and Waheed whose followers can cry for hope and look for their left overs or think of redemption!
Waheed boy is crying..to ..Maumoon Papa..."Look Commonwealth is pinching...me... scolding me....." What Commonwealth Papa does not want that stuff. ... Gasim's wealth and Maumoon's wealth is presently enough for Maldives.
Waheed .. you can't be pretending any more...face the music.. you have sown seeds of anarchy and revenge by aiding to overthrow a democracy. Have courage to face election and accept the will of the people.
Nasheed is not after all asking to reinstate him. He is only asking for elections so that people can decide whom they want to rule them. You are doomed to go down as a traitor and cheat..in the history of Maldives.
The commomwealth being inclined towards ANNI ??? More likely, and at least in theory...towards democracy !!!
@lost ahmed
I dont think the government or me for that matter is concerned at all about justice being served, who is concerned about justice is Anni, who nearly destroyed this nation and the MDP firestarters who caused millions in damage, thats who are and rightfully so worried about the law some people get what they deserve, enjoy being on the streets, no more playing king of the yellow kingdom anymore, was a bad dream all along!!!!!
This Waheed would sell his own mother, wife and children brothers and sisters and the whole nation to any murderer if he can be called the president of Maldives even for 24 hours. The puppet is serving the interests of our great ex leader Maumoon. Then la la la