Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed was last night unveiled as the running mate of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) presidential candidate MP Abdullah Yameen, ahead of elections scheduled for September this year.
Dr Jameel’s appointment was announced during a ceremony held yesterday evening at Dharubaaruge conference centre in Male’, with local media soon reporting that the President’s Office had called for the minister’s resignation to prevent any apparent “conflict of interest”.
The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) meanwhile claimed that Dr Jameel’s selection would have no impact on its own campaigning ahead of September’s vote, accusing the current home minister of political opportunism in the hopes of prolonging his time in government.
Importance
Following the PPM ceremony yesterday, Home Minister Jameel used his Twitter account to comment on the appointment.
This is one of the most important night of my political career, I remain ever committed to serve this nation in whatever capacity I can
— Mohamed Jameel Ahmed (@MJameelAhmed) May 9, 2013
Earlier the same day, PPM MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News that the party had selected the “perfect running mate” to contest the upcoming presidential elections alongside MP Yameen.
“We have selected a political candidate who has the best interests of the country,” Nihan told Minivan News ahead of the ceremony, adding that the PPM was one of the few parties in the country currently in a position to be able to announce a presidential running mate.
Nihan said that despite ongoing legal wrangling over the validity of the party’s recent primary vote, the party would continue to move forward with its elections plans with its election manifesto expected to be printed soon.
Shortly before the PPM officially confirmed Dr Jameel as MP Yameen’s running mate, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad was quoted in local media as calling for the home minister to resign from his position.
Masood told Sun Online yesterday that Dr Jameel’s decision to stand with the PPM during elections would create a conflict of interest regarding President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s own re-election plans.
Foregone conclusion
MDP Spokesperson and MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said the PPM’s decision to pick Dr Jameel’s to stand alongside MP Yameen in the upcoming elections was a “foregone conclusion” as far as the party was concerned, adding it would not have a drastic impact on its own campaigning.
“It is not a surprise to us. The appointment will be of no consequence to our election campaign,” he said.
Ghafoor claimed that the decision to appoint a senior member of President Waheed’s government to the PPM ensured that the party would be linked by voters to the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012.
The power transfer, which saw former President Mohamed Nasheed resign from office after a mutiny by sections of the police and military has been labelled a “coup d’etat” by the MDP. The party’s allegations were nonetheless dismissed by a Commonwealth-backed Commission of national Inquiry (CNI).
Ghafoor accused Dr Jameel of being one of the main “fragments behind the coup”, accusing him of siding with the PPM to try and prolong his time in government.
Dr Jameel, along with Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim, were last month set to face no-confidence motions in parliament that were later withdrawn by the party, after the Supreme Court blocked the holding of the vote as a secret ballot.
With the opposition party claiming previously it had still not ruled out re-submitting the no confidence motions, Ghafoor said Jameel’s move was a deliberate attempt to “escape impeachment”.
“This is definitely political opportunism. I believe he has leapt out of the frying pan and into the fire with this move,” he said.
Speaking personally on the appointment, Ghafoor questioned the support and respect in the country for Dr Jameel, accusing him of being a “discredited man” and praticing “hate speech”.
Dr Jameel has held the position as Deputy Leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP). During the DQP’s time in opposition under the previous administration, the party published a pamphlet entitled ‘President Nasheed’s devious plot to destroy the Islamic faith of Maldivians’.
The publication, described by the then MDP government as a “pamphlet of hate”, accused Nasheed of “working ceaselessly to weaken the Islamic faith of Maldivians, allow space for other religions, and make irreligious and sinful behaviour common.”
The repeated arrest of Jameel by police over his alleged hate speech, and his subsequent releases by Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, led to Nasheed’s decision to detain the judge on charges of corruption and political collusion in early 2012. Protests by the then-opposition in the wake of the judge’s detention were shortly followed by a police mutiny and Nasheed’s resignation on February 7, which he maintains was made under duress.
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The Home Minister! Dr. Mohamed Jameel is the Man behind after 7th February 2012 coup command of the Police Brutality, behind Gayoom command.
Maldives have big mouth of talking abut shabra and Shatila refugee in Palestine.
The net person they talk about Arial Sahroon.
If people saw the massacre by the police after the coup.
This was done by Gayooms Oder the action taken by Dr.Maohamed Jameel the Minister for Home affairs now we are sure why he did all this just for a Party ticket as a running mate
While Yameen is not well known for his smiles and attitude, his choice for running mate Jameel is famous for his bad temper and coarse manner.
How you market these two guys to public?
If they manage to win, marketing text books and rules would have to rewritten and they will be making history.
Hamid Abdul Ghafoor accusing Jameel of hate speech? What a joke... but to be fair, he and the rest of his MDP cronies are at the best position to recognise hate speech, after all, they are indeed the maestros of hate speech to start with.
Ariel Sharon would have been a better running "mate" for Yameen! Well, good luck!
It is incredible the ‘disconnect’ one side has from the other- astounding actually. Just perplexing (keke). A people revolt emanating from the scum vortex of society versus the Industrialists and Military (alongside pan-Islamism), which also by the way enjoys widespread and unspeakable appeal on the other side- seem as dead-locked as ever. This is and again by the way what is avoiding bloodshed as well. If we are to understand each other, if each side is to make headway or even a minimal increment now- as we approach the zero hour- then it must, it must acknowledge the power and pure awesomeness of the opposing side as well I believe. This is after all the way of equal opportunism amidst scarcity of every possible dimension, and limited ‘proactive’ people participation even.
Even in the MDP, the leadership is fending for itself in the last minute really, as their support-base follows around like bottle-fed kids, demanding or having supernatural expectations even, of their elected. There is only so much that can be delivered after all. On the `God’s army on the other side they have resorted to criminal behaviour(s) to save the Maldives meanwhile. This is another conspiracy of magnanimous proportions. This is an extremely powerful cabal being ‘punished’ or rather aggravated by a very vile and virulent neo-fascist mob known as MDP (which by the way is full of irony). The understanding is very clear- amidst all this camaraderie there is very little of understanding left. Be afraid basically- very afraid thus. And this is why and where I’m left laughing actually.
Yameen made a big mistake to choose Jameel as his running mate. Mr. Jameel has a crude character and zero in public speaking. The movement he utter a word the listeners get bored and start yawn. I believe Maumoon supporters will not cast their vote because of Jameel the reasons are of that this man is repulsive in all manners.
You're right marketing 101. The public perception of Yameen isn't that great, considering he has been living like he's above everyone else for quite sometime now. Maumoon loyalists love him, but that won't win him this election. I think Anni has got a very good chance this time, but this all depends on what Waheed is planning to do. I highly doubt Yameen and Jameel can win this, especially with a large number of the population being against a family run government.
@minivannews you may publish my 2nd comment if you will. Thanks.
@TIHE SiTH- Why not give us time to understand your first comment before you allow Minivan to publish the second? It may take us a while!
PPM was already pushing it when they let Yameen become the presidential candidate, and now they choose Jameel as his running mate?!?!
I don't think they're taking this election very seriously. If you want people to vote for you, you would choose somebody that is actually liked by the general public. Nobody likes Yameen and Jameel. I don't know what they're thinking. Either they had no choice in the matter, or they're just very stupid. Perhaps it's both.
Am I the only one who is bothered about the "night" in his tweet? Bondibaiy English ought to be outlawed.
Yaameen's choice for a running mate says it all!
"If you will not step down for me; you are bloody well not going to have the seat"! Grrr!
Interesting but arrogant nut, that's Dr.Jameel. It would be most uncalled for, to visit this page and not insult someone or Islam, that's why. He's got his eye on this bag of dissent they call free-news by-the way..
Bondi-baiy has a specialty. And that's hunting Christians on local soil, and mass purchasing of breathalysers for future house raids once or if the coalition side wins. Internet security or privacy will also become a hot topic then..
Proof that these are the men behind the coup. The serve themselves, not the people. Horrible to think they could own the country if elected...
@falooooda
You are right. The PPM is not taking this election seriously because they have already chosen Dr Waheed as their preferred candidate for the next President.
That became very obvious when Umar Naseer put his name down for Presidential candidate from PPM> What a joke that was!!!
Yaameen is running for President merely to split the vote so Anni doesn't get the 51% he needs to become President in the first round.
This is what Dr Waheed, Gasim and Thasmeen is doing as well. Split the vote.They don't hope to get 51% in the first round. Not with the support people have for Anni.
Basically a reverse of the election of 2008. Where all these leaders (except for Dr Waheed) banded together to get Gayoom out.
If people sincerely want to give Anni another chance they should take the election seriously and vote for Anni first round.
Let us hope that the voters do not sell out for a house, a goathi, a dhoni, a scholarship, a harbour, an airport, a resort...and vote instead for a leader, be it Dr Waheed, Yaameen, Anni, Thasmeen or Gasim as their choice for a strong dynamic leader for the Maldives.
I can imagine this team inspiring Maldivians to vote for them! Their track record spells of "negativity" and "arrogance"! Let's wait for their policies and manifesto.
In the absence of any form of entertainment for the kids, young and adults, the Maldivians desperately need something to get our time by. Coffee talk. Family talk. Friends talk. A semblance of a normal life is every Maldivians dream.
The political turmoil is the focus of everyone in a bid to overcome our boredom.
With Jameel/Yaameen and Anni putting their heads against each other, this promises to be a full game. Even the lady-boy Chasmeen thinks he has some say in the game. The worst of them all, and the snake in the mix is the Sheikh Imran.
These monsters burn with the immense pain of starved lust for your dependance upon them, it is their aphrodesiac, they need your SOUL… They MOAN and gash their savage fangs for a taste of that sweet, sweet energy created by your pain and fear, sweet for them, bitter for you. They create that energy in you by manufacturing intense hatred and fear within you of all things Western.
Disgusting hate filled criminal partnership from Hell!
Minivan Team, sorry should have clarified, the more recent comment above was meant to be a correction of the above one, I thought you might replace it, would it be too much trouble
Maldives at poiltical Baiykakkaa ...