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President Waheed delivers farewell addess

The farewell address of President Dr Mohamed Waheed was aired across Maldivian television today, as the nation prepares to choose his successor in tomorrow’s run-off.

In a pre-recorded speech, Waheed discussed his rise to power, his record in office, and the future of the country.

Waheed is currently in Singapore, having left the country yesterday evening with no definitive date set for his return despite drawing MVR 525,000 (US$34,000) from the state treasury for an official visit to Malaysia and Hong Kong.

After deciding to remain in office beyond the expiration of his presidential term on Monday, Waheed promised his resignation would follow tomorrow’s polls had determined his successor.

“As the elected vice president of this country, my constitutional duty was to take over the wheel of this country in that turbulent moment. To direct the nation’s ship to a safe harbor amid the fear of strong winds, strong currents, and rain,” he said.

“To make use of a torn social structure and to dig out the Maldivian economy from a deep pit. To put out the fires at the state’s most sacred institutions and straighten the nation’s ranks. To straighten the nation and establish chain of command.”

Discussing his decision to remain in office this week, Waheed argued that  it would have been difficult from a legal perspective for him to have handed the power of the state over to the speaker of the majlis – as a motion in the chamber and the constitution had called for.

“Hence, even though I do not want it, as head of state, I continued in the position because maintaining the rule of law ascertaining that the security forces ranks are in order is my responsibility. But I repeat, continuing the government on a court order is not my wish.”

Taking office

Regarding the circumstance of his rise to the presidency following months of unrest and the sudden resignation of his predecessor President Mohamed Nasheed, Waheed used his farewell speech to defend his actions.

He argued that himself and Nasheed – contesting in tomorrow’s run-off against Abdulla Yameen, half-brother of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – had taken office together with the aim to move beyond the Gayoom era.

“However, due to the manner in which the vice president’s role was stated in the constitution, and the manner in which President Nasheed conducted his government, I did not have much responsibility as vice president. I did not have a role in decision making.”

“I was not happy with some of the decisions made by the government in times of rivalry and turmoil. No matter how difficult, I believe decisions must be taken within the law. My conscience believes decisions must be resolved through discussion and consent.”

“Hence, I cannot agree with things that have been done outside the law in the spirit of jealousy and revenge. I was not informed of how the government wanted to proceed as President Nasheed and I had not spoken after January 31.”

The outgoing president went on to describe a number of unconstitutional acts allegedly carried out towards the end of Nasheed’s tenure, including the detention of Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Waheed also alleged that the government ordered the military to use rubber bullets against mutinying police on February 7.

“It is not justice when the head of state resigned following the escalation after a matter that could have been solved through talks or giving in went unresolved and then accused the police and military of unlawful acts. It is not fair.”

“When the man who took hold of the wheel to carry out his constitutional duties makes out his ministers and others who came out to serve to be traitors, there is no way falsehood can become truth. And there is no way that truth can be changed.”

Track record

Waheed defended his government’s record, pointing to the return of civil servants salaries reduced under Nasheed, the extension of health insurance to expatriate Maldivians, and the ‘rescue’ of the recently publicly listed Maldives Airport Company Ltd from Indian investors.

“MVR 2 billion was paid for the previous government’s unpaid bills. 6 new resorts were opened, and 871 beds were added. A total of 2034 students received loans in 2012 and 2013 under the student loan scheme and were given the opportunity to gain higher education,” he argued

He also defended his record in improving the country’s international foreign relations, focusing on his rejection of foreign influences.

“The previous government had changed the long-standing non-aligned, independent and Islamic character of foreign policy. Hence, in global currents, our ability to raise our own voice was limited and we were in a situation where we were facing pressure to change our constitution and do things our legal framework does not allow.”

“Foreigners must not be invited to influence the Maldivian state’s powers. This must not be something that has any political weight,” he continued.

Looking to the future, Waheed called for an inclusiveness government to succeed his.

“The division and anger of the past must be set aside and we must work together united to ensure a prosperous future for our children. Our country is too small to marginalize certain groups and proceed. Our population is too small and we are too interconnected.”

“At the same time, we should keep in mind that our actions today are an example for our children and hence we must lead by example. We must show them that differences and disputes cannot be resolved through force and that compromise is not a weakness.”

Read full speech

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Majlis to interview 25 for security officers’ role

After fielding applications from 267 individuals, the Majlis has selected 25 people to be interviewed as security officers, local media reported.

MDP MP Imthiyaz ‘Inti’ Fahmy told Sun Online that the Majlis intended to employ one hundred officers.

The selection process follows Speaker Abdulla Shahid’s swearing in of former Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) officer Mohamed Haleem to the newly announced position of sergeant at arms last month.

The sergeant at arms is to oversee security of the Majlis premises – a task currently carried out by the MNDF.

The Ministry of Defence has criticised the move, arguing that the role is constitutionally reserved to the military, an argument which Shahid has expressed surprise at.

“I personally believe that the MNDF personnel should not be asked to come into confrontation with politicians, especially Members of Parliament. MNDF is a much higher institution,” Shahid told Minivan News earlier this month.

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Final election preparations proceed

Ballot papers are being transported to the atolls in preparation for tomorrow’s presidential run-off.

Police are working alongside the Elections Commission (EC) local media had reported. The EC announced that 6,299 voters had re-registered to vote in locations other than their home island.

Representatives of both the Maldivian Democratic Party and the Progressive Party of Maldives began signing the voter lists on Wednesday (October 14) in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.

The EC also announced earlier this week that voters left-hand ring fingers will be marked in tomorrow’s election, with the right and left-hand forefingers having been marked in the two previous polls on September 7 and October 9.

Ballots will be cast into the 475 ballot boxes between 7:30am and 4:00pm tomorrow.

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Comment: Waheed flees with MVR 500,000 in cash and no dignity

This article first appeared on Dhivehi Sitee. Republished with permission.

Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has fled the Maldives with MVR500,000 (US$34,000) in cash and no dignity. Last night, at around 10:30 pm while opposing candidates and their supporters were busy holding their last campaign rallies ahead of tomorrow’s vote, Waheed hastily got into a speedboat waiting at the jetty straight in front of his Office and beat a retreat.

Dr Manik, was the Vice President in the first democratically elected government of the Maldives but betrayed President Mohamed Nasheed on 7 February 2012 as the facade that portrayed the day’s coup as ‘a legitimate transfer of power’. He ran for President in September this year but managed to garner only 5% of the vote. He remained as ‘President’ for 21 months, the last three days of which were beyond the presidential term he illegally occupied.

He recorded a ‘farewell speech’ aired this morning on all television channels some 12 hours after his departure. He spent his last words on defending his decision to side with the coup-makers – “I was treated very badly as a VP!”; on insisting that the Supreme Court is the final authority on the Constitution – “we have to obey the Supreme Court, no matter what!”; on boasting about how he maintained peace and stability in the Maldives – “I did that under so many difficulties!”; and on praising the security forces for their “defence of the Maldives and our people.”

He sounded bitter, and was determined, even at the last minute, to attack his former President.

While hiding in whatever glorious mansion of Macau that he is in, he told anyone watching Maldivian television that Nasheed had ordered the military to use rubber bullets against the mutinying police on 7 February. Retired Brigadier General Ibrahim Didi appeared on television this afternoon to refute Waheed: “How would he know? He was not there.”

Waheed spent the night of the worst crisis in recent Maldivian history hiding inside the official residence while his wife Ilham dolled herself up for the presidential oath taking ceremony planned for later in the day.

Without Waheed, the coup-makers would not have been able to legitimise their illegal overthrow of the first democratically elected government of the Maldives, of which he was the Vice President. Without Waheed, the traitors would not have been able to hold on to power for 21 months, and without Waheed as a fig leaf, they would not have been able to drain public coffers of all money, renege on international agreements, destroy Maldives’ relations with the international community and allow Adhaalath Party’s Islamists to gain such traction in our socio-political affairs.

“I will have to consider what the atmosphere is like in Maldives,” he told Haveeru yesterday when asked if he plans to return. Waheed has a reputation for fleeing – when things got tough back in the 1990s when he was an MP, he ran off abroad for a job in the United Nations. He has boasted that he provided education for millions of women in Afghanistan when he was posted there after the American invasion. In the lead up to these presidential elections, he was asked on TVM’s RiyaaC programme if he would stay or flee should he lose: “I will stay,” he lied.

Waheed is one of the biggest traitors in the history of the Maldives. He is also one of its biggest cowards.

Dr Azra Naseem has a PhD in International Relations

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Comment: Voting for PPM is voting to never vote again

The board is set. The pieces are in play. Only the outcome remains to be determined.

This weekend, the people of the Maldives face the starkest of choices: democracy or a return to autocratic one-family rule and authoritarianism. The game of political chess that has ebbed and flowed for the past year and a half reaches its finale on 16th November. It is for each individual to decide what the endgame will be. They should cherish this opportunity to choose their president because, if they choose unwisely, it will be their last.

So what is the choice?

If you cut through the rhetoric, the claim and counter-claim that “we are for democracy” and “the other candidate is a dictator”, and look instead at actions over recent months, the choice is stark.

On one side of this political game of chess are arrayed the forces of elitism, the ‘deep state’, one-family rule; those who wish to maintain the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few, those who believe human rights are mere words on a piece of paper. These individuals, led by Abdulla Yameen, the half-brother of the country’s old autocrat, are people who bribe judges to do their bidding, who beat up protesters and torture men and women with impunity, people who ignore Constitutional term limits as though they are a simple nuisance. This side – and let us be very clear on this – are enemies of democracy because, quite simply, they treat the will of the people, as exercised through democratic elections, with complete contempt. If they do not like the result, they ask people to vote again. If the timing of the election does not suit them, they ask their friends in the courts to delay the ballot. And make no mistake: if they do not like the result on Saturday, they will do exactly the same again.

On the other side are the forces of democracy, people who, while no more or less perfect than any other politician, nevertheless believe that the only way to govern is with the consent of the people as determined through regular free and fair elections. This side believe a judiciary should be independent in action as well as in law, that judges and the police should be there to protect everyone, not just PPM party members. They hold that the press and independent institutions must likewise be free and independent, and should work with the other ‘estates’ – the Majlis, the presidency and the judiciary – in a delicate balance of government power. They believe in the power of Islam to do good, to bring people together and to foster tolerance, not as a political tool to be wielded and to frighten. They instinctively understand the importance of human rights – the right of freedom of expression, the right of freedom of assembly, the right to food, the right to adequate housing, the right not to be tortured or be arrested arbitrarily by armed thugs calling themselves police. And, crucially, they believe that these rights should be applied equally, to everyone without discrimination.

At its most basic level, the choice is this: if on Saturday you vote for MDP and you don’t like how they govern, then in five years you will be able to vote them out. If, however, you vote for PPM and they seize the presidency, you will never again have a chance to remove them through the ballot box. They will be there, in one form or another, for the rest of your life. The Gayoom clan made the mistake once of allowing free and fair elections, and they lost. They will not make the same mistake again.

It is tempting to wonder how it came to this. How the brave hope of 2008 descended into this fight for the democratic life of the country. A large part of the blame lies with Mohamed Waheed, a man who PPM see as a Pinocchio, a marionette who dances to their tune, while the international community, particularly Sir Don McKinnon and Kamalesh Sharma, probably now view more as a Frankenstein, a monster they created then found they couldn’t control. It is Mohamed Waheed who time and again allowed his limitless ego and frustrated ambition (frustrated because he is as unpopular as he is inept) to get in the way of making the right choices and doing the right thing. He should have resigned in February 2012 and called fresh elections. He didn’t. He should have resigned again on Sunday. Once again he failed to do so. By taking this course all he has achieved is to give time and space for the forces of autocracy to more firmly embed themselves in the Maldives body politic.

Mohamed Waheed should forever be remembered as the man who took Maldives democracy to the edge of a precipice and then went on holiday.

However, now is not the time to look back. It is the time to look towards Saturday and to make the right choice.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Islam the core theme as PPM, MDP hold final rallies

Additional reporting by Ahmed Naish

The parties contesting Saturday’s presidential run offs have held final campaign rallies focusing on Islam in Malé tonight.

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) promoted itself as the only choice to preserve the Islamic faith and sovereignty of the Maldives and heavily criticised international pressure following delays in presidential polls.

“When you go to vote next Saturday, think for yourselves, do you want Islam in the Maldives or do you want to allow space for other religions in the Maldives,” PPM presidential candidate Yameen Abdul Gayoom said.

President of 30 years and Yameen’s half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, called on the Maldives to leave the Commonwealth after the organisation placed the Maldives on its formal agenda pending the conclusion of presidential polls.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), meanwhile, defended its track record on Islamic Affairs during its three year stint in government and described Saturday’s vote as a decision between progress or the torture of Maldives’ authoritarian past.

Criticising the PPM’s sustained negative campaign, MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed said: “In this long campaign, they have used Islam as a tool to play with Maldivian hearts. They are spreading lies in this country, describing us as irreligious, and saying there are those who will allow the opportunity for other religions in this country. I assure you, as long as we breathe, there will be no space for another religion in the Maldives.”

The MDP and PPM gained 46.93 and 29.73 percent of the vote respectively. The third placed Jumhoree Party with 23.34 percent decided to back the PPM on Wednesday.

Foreign interference

Speakers at the PPM’s rally – held at Alimas Carnival – celebrated the alliance with the JP, praised President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan for staying in power beyond his term and condemned international criticism as undue interference in the Maldives’ domestic affairs.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters, Gayoom criticised foreign ambassadors’ pressure on Dr Waheed to hand over power to the People’s Majlis Speaker Abdulla Shahid at the end of the current presidential term on November 10.

Ambassadors without “any manners” had “disrespected” Waheed by “turning up unannounced 10–12 times in a single day” at the President’s Office, demanding appointments and pressuring the president to resign, Gayoom said.

An hour before the expiry of the presidential term, Waheed declared he would stay on as president until the conclusion of presidential polls on November 16, but left the country indefinitely tonight on a private visit to Singapore. The Finance Ministry today confirmed Waheed had withdrawn MVR 525,000 (US$34,000) from the treasury for a supposed state visit to Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Gayoom went on to censure the Commonwealth for interference in Maldives’ domestic affairs and called on a new president-elect to “take steps to leave the Commonwealth.”

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim said the Maldives was at present in a “vulnerable state” due to foreign interference and slammed the international community for pressuring Dr Waheed to hand over power to the Speaker.

He also called on the police and military to vote for Yameen.

JP leader Qasim Ibrahim accused the international community of backing a specific candidate in order to dictate the Maldives’ domestic policies. He also criticised at length Nasheed’s privatisation policies, particularly the decision to grant Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to India’s infrastructure giant GMR.

Dr Waheed declared the concession agreement void in November 2012.

“My appeal to you, to anyone I have helped, I am not asking for payment in kind, but save this Ummah. I am begging you to vote for Yameen,” Gasim said.

MDP’s final campaign rally

Speaking at the final campaign rally to a crowd of around 6000, Nasheed expressed confidence that “a government of the people will be established next Saturday.”

The new government will “fulfill your hopes, work for the people, provide social security, develop the economy at a rapid pace, increase the country’s finances and treasury again, and establish justice and fairness once again,” the MDP presidential candidate said.

“We didn’t hear anywhere, on any island, what PPM would do for this country. Their pledges were not budgeted or costed,” he said.

As Islam was “accorded the highest place in the hearts of Maldivians,” Nasheed said his opponents “used Islam as a weapon” to slander MDP with the label of “laadheenee” (irreligious or secular).

“I assure you, God willing, there will not be any room for another religion in this country as long as we draw breath,” he said.

Nasheed highlighted to the MDP government’s track record on Islamic affairs, which saw the formation of an Islamic Ministry and a Fiqh academy as well as the opening of an Islamic Bank.

“I had the good fortune of being the [Islamic] Bank’s first customer,” he said.

The MDP government also secured foreign financial assistance to upgrade the Faculty of Shariah and Law, constructed a new building for the Arabiyya School and trained Quran and Islam teachers to fill 150 vacancies in schools, Nasheed continued.

On the third day of the MDP government, Nasheed said, the government authorised scholars to deliver their own Friday sermons, which were previously “written only by President Maumoon and [former Chief Justice] Sheikh [Mohamed] Rasheed.”

“As you know, before our government, these scholars were in shackles in solitary confinement,” he said, adding that the MDP government secured the right for religious scholars to preach without fear of persecution.

While 55 mosques were built in the 30-year reign of President Gayoom, Nasheed said 42 mosques were built during the MDP’s three years in government.

The 96,000 votes that the MDP won in the first round was proof that the allegations of “secularism” were not damaging to the party, Nasheed said.

However, the persistent allegations were creating doubts in the minds of younger generation, he contended.

The MDP’s policies for the next five years included training 300 Quran teachers to first degree level, conducting an international Islamic conference with renowned foreign scholars and the construction of an “Islamic Knowledge Centre” with a library, lecture halls, and a mosque with a capacity of 500 worshippers.

Nasheed went on to say that the goal of the MDP was seeking “the proud Maldivian” who can stand tall and provide for his family through honest work.

The MDP government would “build a completely new nationhood based on Islam, human rights, social security and economic opportunity,” he said.

The government would secure a better income for fishermen and promote mariculture, he said.

Nasheed pledged to provide housing to every applicant of the MDP government’s flagship “Veshi Fahi Male'” de-congestion programme.

Nasheed also vowed to reform the judiciary for the public to have confidence in the justice system and Maldivian courts.

Referring to the MDP government’s “Second Chance” programme, Nasheed said he would not forget “youth languishing in jails.”

“Our country is at a crossroads, on the edge of a razor blade. We can reach a safe shore or go down the path of ruin. I am certain that the people of the Maldives will choose saving the country. I know the the Maldivian people will want a prosperous life. I am certain that the Maldivian people will want once again for a Maldivian Democratic Party government to be formed, for social security, for a better way,” he concluded.

Speaking at tonight’s rally, former Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari – who joined MDP today – said there were more than 300 religious scholars in the Maldives and many supported MDP. Bari also praised MDP’s “landmark” Islamic policies.

Meanwhile, JP Council Member Moosa Rameez said he had decided to back Nasheed against his party’s decision not because he did not love Gasim. Rameez recounted security officers invoking God’s name when they beat him in his genitals and said he could not support a return to 30 years of torture.

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Jumhooree Party leaders, former Islamic Minister Dr Bari join MDP

Four senior members of the Jumhooree Party (JP) have quit the party following the party council’s decision yesterday to endorse the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen.

Former JP President Dr Ibrahim Didi, Spokesperson Moosa Rameez, Campaign Manager Dr Ahmed Shamheed and Male’ City Councillor Ahmed Hameed ‘Fly’, as well as former Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari signed for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) today.

Speaking to the press at the MDP office this afternoon, former President Mohamed Nasheed said the support of the new members would boost the party’s campaign ahead of Saturday’s run-off election against the PPM candidate.

“We wanted to work together with the Jumhooree Party only for their support. We know there are people of other ideologies in the party. So it would have been very difficult to implement our manifesto and our policies with people of that ideology. In my view, what has happened now has been for the best,” the MDP presidential candidate said.

Dr Didi – former MDP president – said he returned to the party to ensure consolidation of democracy in the Maldives.

“The Maldives is divided into ideologies, that is the reformist ideology and the 30-year autocratic family rule ideology,” he said, adding that JP leaders had also worked for reform.

“We have to go forward, go forward swiftly, we cannot take a U-turn,” he said.

Didi stressed that he did not have “any disagreement with or animosity” towards JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim.

“To tell the truth, 80 percent of Honourable Gasim’s heart is still with the MDP. This is a very clear reality. Even if he had to make a decision under duress, he is a person who worked in the front ranks since 1984 to bring reform to the Maldives,” he said.

Asked to elaborate on his claim that Gasim decided to back Yameen under duress, Didi said he could reveal details without the business tycoon’s consent.

Didi also claimed that he joined the MDP to ensure “Gasim’s safety and security.”

Didi noted that Gasim had said at a JP rally that most of the party’s members shared MDP’s reformist ideology, adding that he was “certain” that MDP would win the election on Saturday.

Gasim had previously said that 60 percent of his supporters would not vote for Yameen even if he endorsed the PPM candidate.

Nasheed also expressed confidence that the MDP would garner the 6,000 votes needed from Gasim’s 48,131 votes to win the election.

Asked if fears of a return to autocracy were well founded, Didi said there were “signs” of the PPM seeking absolute control over the judiciary and undermining democracy with a family dynasty.

JP formed to change the 30-year government, say departees

Meanwhile, Dr Shamheed, former Transport Minister, said he became interested in politics during his school years as he had to pay a school fee while people of Male’ did not.

Shamheed said he decided to stick with the decision to support MDP in 2008 to establish democracy in the country.

“Gasim Ibrahim said three or four times in our council yesterday that it would be most comfortable for him, that he wanted to, and his heart desired going with President Nasheed,” he said, adding that he was “forced” to make the decision to back PPM.

Former JP city councillor Hameed said the JP was formed for the purpose of changing the 30-year government and called on young politicians in the party to join MDP to secure their political careers.

The JP council decision was subject to external influence, he alleged, which has “destroyed our efforts for reform.”

Echoing the sentiments of his colleagues, Moosa Rameez recalled that he was “a jail mate” of Gasim after the pair were arrested and incarcerated for over three months following a crackdown on an unprecedented pro-democracy demonstration on August 13, 2004.

He added that he made the decision to join the MDP “for Gasim’s sake.”

Dr Bari meanwhile said he had renewed hope for Islamic affairs under an MDP government based on the party’s manifesto, educated young religious scholars in the party, “and especially assurances from President Nasheed in his recent speeches.”

“Even though I wasn’t in the MDP before, I was in the MDP government for three years. President Nasheed is not a new person to me. What he has said about me is the truth. I would like to note at this opportunity that he has sincerely accepted my advice in the cabinet,” he said.

As a founder member of the Adhaalath Party, Bari said he had to leave because of the actions of its new leadership.

Islam could not be advanced without social and economic development, Bari said, adding that he decided to work with the MDP because of the party’s manifesto.

On Nasheed’s remarks that he was the only minister with “veto power,” Bari referred to cabinet decisions not to approve a tourism slogan and decline an offer to build a casino based on his advice.

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MNDF officers in ‘constitution appeal’ face disciplinary action

Four Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) officers – all signatories of an appeal calling on their fellow soldiers not to obey “unlawful” orders issued by the president following the expiry of the presidential term on November 10 – are facing disciplinary action.

Staff Sergeant Hassan Hameed of the Marine Corps is being held in the MNDF training facility at Girifushi Island, while Sergeant Ismail Sobeeh is being held in the military barracks at Bandaara Koshi, sources within the military have said.

Corporal Mohamed Rasheed and Lance Corporal Ahmed Anwar Ali have been barred from entering any military facilities.

The appeal signed by 73 mid-ranking officers – titled “An appeal to soldiers to maintain their oath to be professional and apolitical” – cites Article 107 of the constitution which limits a presidential term to five years and notes there will be no president and commander in chief at midnight on November 10.

“With reference to the aforementioned constitutional articles, we believe any order they make in the name of any institution on the army and police is unlawful. We call your attention to Article 245 of the Constitution which states that we do not have to obey such orders,” the appeal states.

MNDF spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem confirmed Hameed is being investigated on a disciplinary matter, but declined to comment on where he is being held.

The MNDF was not responding to calls when Minivan News called to check on the status of the three other soldiers.

An hour before the expiry of his presidential term, President Dr Mohamed Waheed declared he would stay on until the end of run off polls on November 16.

On the same night, police questioned suspended Brigadier General Ahmed Nilam who was removed from service in January this year.

The MNDF in October brought amendments to its regulations imposing punishments on officers found guilty of inciting upheaval and chaos.

The Military Act amendments came after senior officers sent a letter of concern over delays in presidential polls to Chief of Defense Forces Major General Ahmed Shiyam. The letter warned of political turmoil within the military should presidential elections be delayed and a new president not be determined by the end of the term.

Following the circulation of the letter on social media, First Lieutenant Abdulla Shareef, Sergeant First Class Ali Waheed and Lance Corporal Sharhaab Rashid were handed ‘indefinite suspensions’ for allegedly inciting disruptions in the military ranks.

Minivan News understands the three soldiers are still on suspension without pay and without permission to work elsewhere.

On the same day, Brigadier General Abdulla Shamaal was also removed from his position as the Commandant of Training and Doctrine.

The ‘anti upheaval and chaos’ amendment that has now become the 22nd chapter of the Military Regulation defines ‘upheaval and chaos” as

  • Making demands through petitions drawn among two or more officers
  • Displaying content that could sow discord and disorder amongst military flanks through speech, writing, graphical depictions, photographs or any other means
  • Speech or conduct that amounts to doubts and questions being raised about the legality of an order given to the officers or a group of officers and
  • Incitement of hatred and false allegations towards the upper ranks of the military.

Former Male Area Commander of MNDF Retired Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi – publicly regarded as a hero for his exploits during the 1988 Tamil coup attempt – in a letter published on social media also advised military officers to uphold the law and constitution regardless of who attempted to undermine it.

“My advice to the military officers is: ‘Do not give the opportunity to anyone who plans to rule this country by taking the laws to their own hands and override the constitution and undermine the constitutional framework of this country’,” wrote the ex-Brigadier General.

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EU warns of “appropriate measures” should November 16 election be subverted

The European Union has said it is prepared to consider “appropriate measures” should Saturday’s run-off election be subverted, and the country fall into authoritarianism.

“The EU underlines that neither continuing uncertainty nor a drift towards autocratic rule would be acceptable to the EU and that it is therefore ready to consider appropriate measures should the poll on 16 November not bring the electoral process to a successful conclusion,” declared EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

“The EU notes that, on 9 November, Maldivians voted in high numbers in the repeated first round of Presidential elections, reflecting their desire to exercise their democratic rights and their trust in the Elections Commission. As in September, the first round was conducted in a professional and impartial way,” Ashton stated.

“The EU notes that a second round is now scheduled for Saturday 16 November, but in circumstances not foreseen in the Constitution. The EU considers that any attempt to further delay or otherwise influence the outcome of the elections could only be intended to prevent the people of the Maldives from exercising their democratic right to choose their next president,” she declared.

The statement did not outline what such “appropriate measures” might entail.

The EU last week was reported to have declined to extend the duty-free status of imported fish from the Maldives, following the country’s failure to comply with international conventions concerning freedom of religion and treatment on women. However Minivan News understands that the timing was coincidental.

“It is true that the Maldives applied to be granted the status of beneficiary of the EU preferential trade arrangements for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+). However, the application is still under review by the EU with a decision to be expected by the end of 2013. It is premature to anticipate on whether the Maldives will receive the GSP+ status or not,” EU trade spokesman John Clancy told Minivan News.

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) has meanwhile recommended the international community impose travel and other restrictions against President Mohamed Waheed, Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz and Supreme Court Justices Ahmed Abdulla Didi, Abdulla Saeed, Adam Mohamed Abdulla and Ali Hameed Mohamed.

“The time has come to ensure that all those who subvert democracy and the rule of law are held accountable by denying visas as well as any association including employment opportunities by the United Nations and other inter‐governmental organisations,” stated the regional NGO, which has special consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), the international body’s human rights and democracy arm, has meanwhile placed the Maldives on its agenda.

President Mohamed Waheed, who departs tonight on an official trip after drawing MVR 525,000 (US$34,000) from the state treasury two days before the election, said he was “unconcerned”.

“Let CMAG decide whatever they will,” Waheed said.

The EU has long been the Maldives’ most lucrative tourism market in terms of bed nights and expenditure. Arrivals from China have eclipsed those of any one European country, however countries such as the UK, France, Germany and Italy remain core markets due to longer average stays and higher expenditure than many Chinese guests.

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