President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has reinstated his cabinet ministers in a signing ceremony before Chief Judge of the Civil Court, Ali Sameer, following their mass resignation on June 29, in protest against what they claimed were the “scorched-earth politics” of the opposition-majority parliament.
The only cabinet reshuffle concerned Mahmoud Razee, former Minister for Transport, Civil Aviation and Communications, who was moved to the post of Minister of Economic Development. His former portfolio remains open.
“Cabinet decided to stick together on the issue and resign, to show they are not hell bent on the salaries and niceties of their positions and to prove they want to do good work for the country,” Nasheed claimed.
Following the reinstatement of his ministers, President Nasheed denied the week-long resignation was a publicity stunt for political gain.
“We had to make everyone aware of the gravity of the situation,” he said. “Cabinet members have been complaining about corruption in parliament for some while, [particularly] vote buying.”
“We were last week able to investigate the matter, and I expect police to pass the findings of the investigation to the Prosecutor General’s Office within the next 10 days,” he added.
The ‘new’ cabinet now requires parliamentary consent before resuming office. The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair confirmed the government had been delaying the reinstatement until it received signs of cooperation from the main opposition party.
Zuhair acknowledged the strategy was “risky”, an observation confirmed by DRP Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, who claimed “there are definitely ministers that the DRP will not approve, and will have to leave the cabinet.”
Zuhair however noted that the wording of the procceedure according to the Constitution was different to the appointment of the heads of independent commissions.
“Parliament is only required to ‘consent or not to consent’ to the [whole] cabinet,” he explained. “Even if the opposition is factionalised, if we get 7-8 MPs on our side the motion will be carried.”
President Nasheed has met opposition party leaders alone in a meeting on Monday evening mediated by US Ambassador Patricia Butenis, including leader of the majority opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.
President Nasheed today said that while Thasmeen had not explicitly agreed to cooperate in the meeting, “individual DRP MPs have called me, and said they do not wish the government and parliament to remain deadlocked.”
He said the MPs had claimed they did not wish the entire institution of parliament “to be affected by the actions of individual MPs.”
Foreign embassies and international agencies have been nervously eyeing the seemingly erratic behaviour of the country’s administration, fearing a step backward following its democratic transition.
Yesterday Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also arrived in the country, in a surprise visit on the invitation of President Nasheed to help resolve the political deadlock. He has already met with Thasmeen and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, at his residence Maafannu Aliwaage.
Thasmeen did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
Photo: Umair Badeeu
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Does this mean the drama is over? and just like any other case Gasim & Yamin will be back to biz as usual and this whole thing will be over? What a joke. The Minister have no values and intergrety. Yesterday they were roaming on the street no different to an activist. Is this the example to our children who will be the future of our nation? Ministers are all puppets of the President and they have no national interest. How could anyone give the same respect as they were b4.
A groupe of investors whom i knew quite well were already making funny comments about the recent resignation of the cabinet. Im sure they will meet me again make more laugh.
Didn't we see this SCENE two years back?
What a waste of public AIR TIME!
President Nasheed and his cabinet have become a laughing stock!
This means that president "Umbah Jehee". Its like the story of the cock and Bull. There are many ways a person can spit on his own face. Looking up and spitting up so the spit rains on his face is one way, the other is what you saw President Nasheed (ANNI) did.
Shafeeg, you are absolutely right. Nasheed actually "UMBAH JEHEE"... kekekekeke Shame on this kid
So Nasheed has now started started mediating with opposition MPs? If he had done this since begining, the country would not be in this state today.
Glad that we are now on the way to resolve this crisis. The signs are that without the corrupt elements in the Majlis, the MDP and DRP will be able to negotiate a settlement.
I am still shocked and appalled by what Yamin, Gasim and Kutti Nasheed were plotting. That the latter took cash from Gasim was something that amazed many people.
Kutti Nasheed made a statement on VTV last night about how he couldn't make ends meet, and that he had too many expenses so asked Gasim for a small loan. Also said that it had nothing to do with votes in Majlis. Any sensible person will know that whatever is said, Kutti will be beholden to Gasim.
It strikes me that Kutti's approach to his personal finances is the same as Gasim's approach to managing the nation's finances when he was the Finance Minister under Golhabo.
Gasim drove the nation into debt by borrowing more than we earned. Kutti drove himself into debt by living beyond his means.
Somehow I am not surprised anymore that Kutti opposed the airport PPP. I guess his solution, were he Razee or Ali Hashim, would have been to borrow money from Gasim to develop the airport!!!
Don't care about bribing MP's or cabinet games. Corruption and personal gains have ruined our lives.
I guess this means a step forward for the general public no matter what any hyped up person say or look at it.
We made the mistake of voting in a man who has a 10 minute attention span to the top office in the country. We were beguiled into believing that this man who never had a job in his entire life time could perform the top job in the country. Now we are paying the price. We have become the laughing stock of the entire world. US ambassador and Rajapaksa had to mediate. For God's sake mediate what? What did we achieve? What did Anni achieve? nothing. For those of u out there who think Anni is taking action against corruption I have to remind u that it was jsut a month ago that Anni was trying to get into a coalition with yamin. This is not about eliminating corruption. this is about threatening yamin, kutti and gasim to give up their presidential ambition. im not saying these people are not corrupt. If this was about rooting out corruption I will be the first person to salute Anni for this.
Doesn't matter how much bribe or what cabinet resorted to, but I guess this is a step fwd for the sake of the general public, no matter what any hyped up critic say.
@Pat Cash
"The signs are that without the corrupt elements in the Majlis, the MDP and DRP will be able to negotiate a settlement"
I am laughing at you. Listen! eheheh hehehe kekeke hahah!
That's one of the most meaningless comments I have ever read any where!
So you think only Gasim and Nasheed are corrupt? What a NAIVE thing you are!
Give me the job of a PEEPING TOM (gifilibalaa) and I can pluck and hurl at you much more corrupt people from MDP and the President's office!
"Yesterday Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also arrived in the country, in a surprise visit on the invitation of President Nasheed to help resolve the political deadlock", Mr. Rajapakas is a war criminal, one of the most brutal war criminal our generation has witnessed.And no wonder he comes to help Nasheed, cus Nasheed couldn't care less about human rights and he is playing politics with the public. We may not run around on the streets like mad dogs as MDP and Nasheed did. But we knwo very well why Nasheed is doing what he is doing. He is finding it difficult to digest the simple fact that Maldivians don't support him. This is no the first time people try desparate measures at desparate times. Is better for Nasheed to resign and hold an election.
The resignation of the cabinet ministers was symbolic, a symbolic gesture to protest the irresponsible behavior and dirty politics displayed by the opposition MP's in the Majlis. I think it was very brave of them to take the decision in order to clearly show the magnitude of the situation; how the Majlis was making it impossible for the administration to function.
I do not understand why some people have regarded the reinstatement as "unbah jehun" because the president nor the cabinet said that they would not be reinstated. Rather they emphasised that they are unwilling to work in an atmosphere filled with acts of corruption and bribery.
What is the difference between "Baiy kakkaa kulhun" and the present Maldivian Political scene?
The drama that is unfolding is no more hilarious than the 'baiy' or rice children cook while they play.
"Baiy kakkaa kulhun" is all imaginary, but what is happening in Maldivian Politics is also like a scene from "Kids Next Door." I am thinking this will be especially so for the visiting head of state.
Correction
Nazim,Gasim, Yamin & kutti must be investigated but I do hope it will not end here. Redwave and many others alike too must be ivestigated. If this game is purely for political gain ofcos forget about the rest and hold on to ppl like REDWAVE to switch back to opposition.
President Nasheed with respect i call on you, to win people’s confidence don't stop here clean the entire sytem to make corruption free. You may even have to sacrifice your close buddies too.
YAWN!
we r keeping an eye on u too Mr. Redwave.....watch out!!!!
What? Red Wave Saleem? No way, He is clean now, so are Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Kerafaa Naseem etc.,
We all agree that the cabinet need to be restored. A sense of normalcy is necessary to restore confidence in the government. What has been done has been done. There was absolutely no need for the Ministers to resign in the first place. Corruption investigation could have been initiated with Ministers in their seats. Clearly it was a tactical blunder on the part of cabinet to do what they did. President should be resolute and decisive in his moves even if it meant to violate the system. We need a strong President and public order!
Democracy!! Maldives still in transition phase...it's not the fault of MDP!even if DRP comes to power it be the same or worse!
it'd be worse
Amin, correct. Redwave, I.H Zaki, Makun Sato (Maria's ex-husband), Adil Saleem, Kerafa Naseem, Ahmed Abdullo all these people are very very clean. no corruption at all. MDP is the best washing machine ever. You put even the dirtiest clothes into and it in seconds its as clean as clean can ever be.
How naive can we be? Who in the right minds will believe that the whole cabinet had to resign in order to get Yaamin, Qasim and Nazim investigated? It was definitely not the Parliament which was blocking the investigation, and as per the Police they are investigating the matter on a request from the President's Office. Does this means it took the resignation of the whole cabinet for Nasheed to take this step?
Now that he has decided to reinstate the same Cabinet, and having them take their oath of Office, prior to getting confirmation from the Parliament, is this not Effing the Parliament? Would this action help in any way to gather more support? President Nasheed must be having an indeed excellent team of political advisors.
The questions arising because of this action are :
1 - Was the Chief Justice aware of the oath taking? The oath has to be taken before the Chief Justice or his designate (I hope this much was done)
2 - The Oath of office can only be taken by a Member of the Cabinet, (required to do so before assuming office) - Article 131.
3- Article 129-c, clearly states that the President must receive the approval of the People’s Majlis for all appointments to the Cabinet.
There is no way to try to translate this article any other way, the people who drafted it meant exactly this, that a sitting President will not be able to appoint any person whom the Parliament does not approve to the cabinet. (In Ibra's words - they have closed avenues for rewarding the boys and girls who are loyal")
Until the President received approval, (the official translation states approval, not consent), can they be Members of the Cabinet, and then take oath of office? Was this done for more drama again?
The Members of Parliament have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of Maldives, not to be loyal to the Party or President. I wonder what the MPs who represent MDP will say to this now!
These are the types of practices which bring the Government in conflict with the Parliament. Is'nt it time they get a lesson in the Law, so that they can first practice what they preach?
Satirical nicknames predict political legacies. GOLHA BOA = GANJA BOA !!!
Thaneh othiyya "BOA" galhaalan jeheyne !
A proven corrupted politician is no different from a politician who abuses alcohol, drugs and women publicly. During the previous government, hundreds of people were arrested due to alcohol, drug abuse and political activities. The present government is after corrupted politicians who use money and influence to halt any proposed government development plans. If we decide to fully investigate every MP or Minister who has broken any law,(political,religious,social) that will disqualify him/her from public office, we would definitely not have a government or a parliament. Almost everyone has blood on their hands in different aspects. Both sides do share one objective though. Move the country forward and give the public whatever they were denied in the last decades. So how do we do it?
RECONCILIATION. The meetings between the President and leaders of DRP is a good step forward and I hope, we all hope, that the parliament and ministers come to their senses and serve the people. Stop individualism, stop personal grudges, burry the past and let us look forward. Mandela and south africa is a good example to look at. The public, our children have heard enough of mockery on lorries and loud speakers. You politicians should have the decency and solve issues in a more mature way. Respect to personal issues must be enforced, and I strongly believe that a law should be introduce to control what is said on the loud speakers....