Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was now preparing to topple the current government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan in a street rebellion.
Nasheed made the remarks in a rally held Sunday (December 9) on Ihavandhoo in Haa Alif Atoll during the MDP’s campaign trip ‘Vaudhuge Dhathuru’ (Journey of pledges).
The government has meanwhile dismissed the former president’s comments, accusing him of trying to generate media attention for himself, rather than mounting a serious threat to President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s administration.
Speaking to his supporters yesterday, Nasheed declared that he was “not afraid to die from the first bullet shot” by forces defending President Waheed’s government in the event of any proposed rebellion.
The former president claimed he had attempted diplomacy, while also being very patient since February’s controversial transfer of power.
However, he contended that all efforts undertaken by the party to help the country in its commitments to becoming a democracy were going astray.
Nasheed claimed that the MDP had previously avoided raising the idea of toppling the government from the streets, not because it was impossible, but rather that the party was waiting to do so with the spirit of the people.
“We waited till today not because it is not possible [to topple the government from the street]. [The MDP] wanted this to be a people’s movement that is built upon the views of the people,” he said.
Nasheed also expressed scepticism towards the current government’s commitment to hold free and fair elections and added that his party is not in the mood to hold “discussions” or “please” anyone.
He alleged the current government was not willing to hold a free and fair presidential election next year, adding that the majority of the Maldivian people now believed that the government was desperate to find a way to bar him from contesting the elections.
“There are no courts we could go to seek free and fair elections and justice. There is nobody we could go to and hold discussions on the matter. What is left with us is the people who are determined to not to give up,” he said.
Nasheed repeated his claim that the current government was illegitimate and had taken power through a “coup d’eat”. Such a government, he said, would not be very committed to serving justice to the people.
Nasheed also challenged the military to load their arms if they have the courage to do so when he and “the people” take the matter to the street.
“MDP have gone beyond fear and [President] Waheed and Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz would know how the MDP have evolved,” he said.
The MDP presidential candidate also claimed that he would bring the matter to the attention of the world and said that neighbouring Sri Lanka and India would also be observing the issue.
Speaking to Minivan News, MDP Spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said “it is not surprising to see MDP taking such a stand”.
“You would know, on February 8 – just a day after the coup – the MDP National Council declared that what happened on February 7 was coup, and the current government took power illegitimately. We have never changed that stand,” he said.
Hamid said the MDP had tried very hard to find a solution from the negotiation table but all its attempts had so far ended fruitlessly. Therefore, Hamid claimed the party had decided it was high time that the people of this state resort to “direct action” to seek a solution.
Minivan News understands that an urgent National Council meeting was scheduled right after president Nasheed made the remarks during the rally.
Media attention
However, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad has claimed that Nasheed’s speech was merely an attempt to garner media attention rather than credibly challenge the government.
“Seriously, I don’t think it’s a matter of concern, I would rather not comment on the matter,” he told Minivan News. “This guy is going around saying these things trying to get media attention.”
When asked about Nasheed’s allegations that the government was also attempting to stymie his attempts to run for re-election in 2013 by making him face a criminal trial, Masood added that the government was “committed to working within the framework of the law.”
“We have never once stepped outside of the law in the last seven months,” he said. “The road was tiring and long, but we walked it anyway and this should be reason enough both nationally and internationally to make people believe that we will walk that extra mile.”
Nasheed is currently facing trial over his role in the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.
The government has previously distanced itself from any decision to arrest former President Nasheed, maintaining that any legal action taken against him would be done so by the country’s police and judicial authorities.
The Maldives judiciary is one of the areas highlighted as being in need of institutional reform, according to the the findings of the Commonwealth-backed Commission of National Inquiry (CNI). The CNI report, released earlier this year, concluded that the Waheed administration had come to power legitimately during February’s controversial transfer of power.
The MDP has previously said it holds severe structural concerns about the CNI’s conclusions, but accepted the report had provided a “way forward” to push for institutional reform in areas such as defence and the judiciary.
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Dear President Nasheed. “Not afraid to die from the first bullet shot”. Sir, nobody is trying to kill you, sir. I tell you, sir. You are one big fool for allowing yourself be manipulated by crooks like Ibrahim Husen Zaki, Reeko moosa and mariya. Sir, we seriously thought you are a genuine man who can really bring lots of good changes to the country. Thats why we voted you to office in 2008. But once you were in office you only allowed youself to be used by the bigest crooks in the country, sir. Sir, Im very sorry to say this to you, sir. But uou are one big bloody fool, sir!
we know ur the first to escape, we saw that on Feb 8, you and Maria. we know you politicians. Scapegoating us and winning your thorn is ur ultimate dream. you told that you do not want the leadership of Maldives and now your a dying for it.
It is my professional opinion that Mr. Nasheed be put on Suicide Watch, his comments about martyrdom over the recent months is greatly worrying.
Please stay safe.
Masood Imad:“We have never once stepped outside of the law in the last seven months,”
Yes, you guys just stepped outside of the law long enough to topple the first democratically elected government and once in power, stepped right back into the framework of the law eh. Nice 🙂
The stooges who are work in the presidents office and are paid to post comments against Nasheed and praise his holiness Waheed seems to be on overdrive today. Nasheed is right,diplomacy has failed mainly because Waheed is a bigger bastard then anyone imagined,not to mention the sheer hypocracy of people like Imran and his rent a sheikh business who quite happily whips out the religion card to achieve whatever they want.
Nasheed will take the MDP down with him if he insists on using firebrand militant rhetoric and emotional rants as a strategy for the 2013 elections.
Also Nasheed's issue is a personal one and should be pursued on a personal platform.
MDP should be left to gather strength for the coming elections and secure the party's interests. Currently MDP, its front-line activists and support is being exploited for Nasheed's personal cause.
This is crazy talk. This is not how a civilized society conducts affairs. Free and fair elections must decide this. Nasheed is doing himself no favors with this kind of talk.
@ tsk tsk
Lol...all of a sudden you have feeling for MDP.
Any MDP activist a million times better manager or govern than BMW's or Gayooms stooges.
Mohamed Nasheed is now trying any method to be arrested in order to get attention from international community. He is literally begging and pleading to be arrested - to be the 'long suffering victim' again.
Is this not true?
Nasheed must be reading too many novels or perhaps he is under the influence of some substance.
His outrageous rhetoric about armed rebellion may be designed to provoke the Government. But I don't think anyone is seriously giving him any attention.
Such bi-polar rhetoric keeps his die hard followers in line but these crazy talk only exposes his mental state to the international community which did not know his real self unlike most Maldivians who have always known his true self.
Let Mr Nasheed live in his fantasy world in which bloody battles are fought by him and MDP.
Anni must be dreaming of becoming the martyr who has fought for democracy & freedom in Maldives.In a country where corruption is widespread,where the black market has taken over the distribution of foreign currency from banks,where alcohol is like water for many,where young people are encouraged to join gangs instead of going to school,where prostitution is done by both local young men(so proud to sleep with foreign ladies) & foreign workers,...I THINK HARRY POTTER WILL DO A BETTER JOB THAN OUR GREEDY & SELF INTERESTED POLITICIANS!!!LOL
For Anni there is two options. To win or die trying. Else history may not be kind to him.
The corruption is president nasheeds regime is still today more a pr line for the opposition than anything else. Where is the proof that there has been corruption of this so called grand scale except cleverly twisted media messages where acc and govt officials take a small piece of the puzzle and wave it in front of the public calling out for criminal prosecution. At the end of the day, what did Nasheed tried to do is not corrupt - to build houses for the less fortunate , to give free healthcare, to establish and inter atoll ferry system and so on. But every good move by him was blasted on media by opposition with the help of the likes of DhiTV and VTV. Who are only doing so for their own personal reasons - DhiTV champa's loyalty to Maumoon for giving him undue advantages in a different era making him the richest man in maldives and the. VTV basin because he didn't get what he wanted in annis government. So this does bring me to question who's real corrupt here. I think it's those who don't let development happen be taken to criminal courts and be banished from this country. I will vote for an Anni government any given day just for allowing him to finish what he started because frankly I don't know what any other party is promising anything other than bringing their leaders to power. This is just too silly to read comments from those blinded people who have no clue why a government should be put in place and to those people dumb enough to play with public emotions just for the same giving a raise to the gods they worship at ppm, jp and other parties
Talk is cheap.
'not afraid to die' huh..
Mr. Nasheed hould have been said to the Maldives Military on 7th February and not after 10 months when all options are exhausted.
Yes, Mr. Nasheed. You have proved that you are very very scared on February 7th in front of your own police and military.
Please don't expose your cowardice more and more with cheap words.
Anni is playing the con-game again.
He is moving a pawn to a critical position. By this move, he is trying to make the MDP poodles and international community believe that his pending arrest (for the arrest of judge, earlier) is coincided with this 'pawn move' so that the arrest would like like its because of the new initiatives by MDP.
Anni is a failure and I am very disappointed by that. I voted for Anni before, simply because he is energetic and looked like he would take us to a better place, but, he turned out to be a coward.
Next time, I would vote for a better guy. Not Gayoom, Not Anni, Waheed: maybe...Gasim: he'll no!!!
Its really sad that we have come to this. We who have been a model of peace for the whole world. Today we stand on the brink of self destruction due to the greed and selfish ambitions of a few. I am afraid Anni is very serious in his declaration!
Nasheed and MDP's call to over throw the government by means of "street revolution" makes MDP illegal.
Any political party that engages or promotes illegal activities outside the law means that the Elections Commission is obliged to ban the "political party".
I hope the elections Commissioner will do his job and ban MDP.