Author: Minivan News

15 Minutes with Mohamed Latheef, Spokesperson for the MDP

Minivan News spends 15 Minutes with Mohamed Latheef, spokesperson for the Maldivian Democratic Party.

Q1: There is confusion over the number of seats won by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the government and those who are independent in this election. Can you clarify what the MDP’s position is on this?

Eighteen of the 36 candidates we backed some three weeks before the election won their seats. Some of them are government servants. We backed them because we believe that when the political climate changes, as we believe it will, their candidacy will openly espouse the liberal democratic reformist ideology that the MDP propagates.

Q2: So are they all signed-up, card-carrying members of the party?

Please bear in mind that the MDP is not registered in the Maldives, in violation of the constitution, and is in fact persecuted by the government. So, many who are vehemently for reform still do not openly claim their support for MDP as a party. We can appreciate this reluctance given our oppressive political climate in the Maldives.

Q3: The government is claiming that they have 30 seats – 30 MPs who will back them on any issue in the Majlis.

That is interesting. The government spokesman claims that they won 30 seats. This of course, proves our claim that the government has been working as a party whilst depriving us of the same. You can now imagine the level of fraud, intimidation and corruption which went with this election.

The island chiefs and government officials in the islands who actually ran the campaign on the behalf of the government were the very same ones who were in charge of the polling booths and the ballot boxes.

One reason why we swept the urban areas so convincingly was because intimidation and fraud was less pronounced in the urban areas where the voters were more aware of their political rights.

Let us wait and see how many MPs actually do back the government on the key issues. I believe to get 30 votes on every issue the government will have to have a standing threat of imprisonment hanging over the MPs. This of course, may well happen.

Q4: President Gayoom, in a recent interview with AFP, said that he “envisages a multi-party political system, as well as the office of the prime minister, a supreme court… within a year”. I know the MDP has been pushing for a timeframe for the reform process for a long time. So, you must be really happy with the President’s commitment?

Commitment is a word I would be very wary of when describing Gayoom’s sweeping declarations. Promises of reform are throw-away pronouncements he uses whenever he is under political pressure.

His grand declaration last June about constitutional reform is one such deception. Nine months later not one productive meeting of the constituent assembly has taken place.

Bear in mind that this is the man who took seventeen years to come up with the present constitution wherein he concentrates all the powers in himself reneging on his declared intention of changing the Maldives from an autocracy to a democracy.

Having said all this, I am still excited that he has at last placed a timeframe on his proposed agenda. At least now the international community and the people of Maldives can hold him to a definitive timeframe.

Q5: I understand that the MDP has been very busy meeting the international community over the election period. Is the President’s timeframe for reform part of your discussions?

Very much so. The international community is very excited. They feel that at least Gayoom, if not the hardliners, understand the imperative for change. Whilst we do express our fears, we also give the international community a full guarantee that we will back any of the President’s positive moves without reservation.

The international community is excited that the parties will be registered and competitive politics would be a reality in months. Like the President has stated on many occasions, and I quote: “the laws of the country do not bar anybody from forming a political party if they want to” [Gayoom’s biography: A Man for all Islands, 1998, Times Editions] Also, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) for example, has indicated that registration of political parties is not so much a legal issue as a political one. We take this as true.

Yes, we give our assurances to the international community that we will put past acrimony behind us and work in good faith with the President towards the goal of greater freedom and democracy. However, the President and his regime must display an equal level of commitment and good faith towards achieving this noble goal.atheef, Spokesperson for the MDP

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15 Minutes with Sappe’

Minivan News spends Fifteen Minutes with Ahmed Moosa (Sappe’), editor-in-chief of the Dhivehi Observer newspaper and one of 15 people elected to the Council of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
This interview was conducted on 23rd December.
Q1) You first spoke out, publicly, against the regime on the BBC’s Adam Mynott report in late 2003. You then had to leave the Maldives and you went to the UK and set-up the Dhivehi Observer. Has it been difficult to leave your homeland?
I had been away from home for many years before, 7 years in Kuwait and more than 8 years in UK, for my studies. And, also I was almost ready to leave to take up a job in London, working for Qasim Ibrahim’s Villa Company the very month of October 2003. So, I can’t say it was hard, it was certainly different because I was running for my life basically. It is harder for my family really especially my wife and kids. This does not mean that I do not miss Maldives and my friends, just that I am very used to staying away from home.
Q2) DO is just over a year old now. I believe the website receives 15,000 hits per day and is read by more than any other media channel. Are you surprised by its rapid success?
I am pleased. DO is not just my work, the interaction and support that I receive is immense. I am however surprised to find out that people access the site in different ways. I am told that it is the first thing and the last thing all internet users read in Maldives now. It’s tiring work. On average I have to spend 18 hours a day near the computer. Gathering news, writing and editing as well as publishing. Just as well, I know a bit more than just Arabic language.
Q3) Some people criticise the highly personalised attacks that feature in DO, for instance the way the newspaper has treated Abdulla Hameed. What is your response to this criticism?
It is also very personal when you arrest, torture and kill people unjustly and without any regard for the rule of law. Also, it is very personal when one restricts ones freedom. I believe that the misdemeanours of Gayyoom and his family must be exposed. To empower people to make a stand we must tell them the truth. This notion of ‘personal stuff’ is not important when these people are criminals.
Gayyoom and Hameed are not above the law. Homosexuality, paedophilia and rape are crimes in Maldives and we must expose those who commit these crimes. These people are evil and we do not have to respect them. I certainly don’t. They should be behind bars.
Q4) As well as being DO editor-in-chief, you were also one of 15 people elected to the MDP Council. The Maldivian Government often claims that DO is therefore a mouthpiece of the MDP. Is DO part of the MDP, or is it an independent newspaper?
It is indeed an independent news service. I have the final say in what is in DO and I work full time on Dhivehi Observer. Being a member of MDP’s general council does not restrict me from expressing my views. If need be I will criticise MDP as well and I have done so in many occasions. Constructive criticism is not a bad thing and I believe that MDP has the maturity to take it on board. Dhivehi Observer is the peoples’ press and I believe Maldivians believe that now.
Q5) How do you see the future of the Maldives developing over the next few years?
I believe that people are fed up of Gayyoom’s dictatorship and that change of regime is inevitable. No one believes that Gayyoom will reform our country. He will not dig his own grave. Democracy will bring an end to his rule. With international pressure and the public support that we now have, I believe he has less than a year to go. If our people weren’t so afraid of him, we could do it even quicker.
Q6) If there is a significant change in the Maldives, would you consider returning and in what capacity?
It is a question of when really, not if. I will go back to Maldives as soon as my supporters believe it is safe for me to go. It may be to initiate a public rally to oust Gayyoom or perhaps after he is ousted. In either case, I will not give Gayyoom the pleasure of torturing me in any of his cells, so even if I return beforehand, I will go with enough strength and security.
In what capacity, I don’t know but I believe I have a role to play in the future of Maldives. It may be in government or even in media. I might even go back to my profession, which is Engineering and Science. My promise to Maldivian people is that I will always put them first, so depending on the situation, I will always try to work toward the interest of the country. I will try my best that to ensure that Gayyoom is the last dictator our country will see.

Minivan News spends Fifteen Minutes with Ahmed Moosa (Sappe’), editor-in-chief of the Dhivehi Observer newspaper and one of 15 people elected to the Council of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

This interview was conducted on 23rd December.

Q1) You first spoke out, publicly, against the regime on the BBC’s Adam Mynott report in late 2003. You then had to leave the Maldives and you went to the UK and set-up the Dhivehi Observer. Has it been difficult to leave your homeland?

I had been away from home for many years before, 7 years in Kuwait and more than 8 years in UK, for my studies. And, also I was almost ready to leave to take up a job in London, working for Qasim Ibrahim’s Villa Company the very month of October 2003. So, I can’t say it was hard, it was certainly different because I was running for my life basically. It is harder for my family really especially my wife and kids. This does not mean that I do not miss Maldives and my friends, just that I am very used to staying away from home.

Q2) DO is just over a year old now. I believe the website receives 15,000 hits per day and is read by more than any other media channel. Are you surprised by its rapid success?

I am pleased. DO is not just my work, the interaction and support that I receive is immense. I am however surprised to find out that people access the site in different ways. I am told that it is the first thing and the last thing all internet users read in Maldives now. It’s tiring work. On average I have to spend 18 hours a day near the computer. Gathering news, writing and editing as well as publishing. Just as well, I know a bit more than just Arabic language.

Q3) Some people criticise the highly personalised attacks that feature in DO, for instance the way the newspaper has treated Abdulla Hameed. What is your response to this criticism?

It is also very personal when you arrest, torture and kill people unjustly and without any regard for the rule of law. Also, it is very personal when one restricts ones freedom. I believe that the misdemeanours of Gayyoom and his family must be exposed. To empower people to make a stand we must tell them the truth. This notion of ‘personal stuff’ is not important when these people are criminals.

Gayyoom and Hameed are not above the law. Homosexuality, paedophilia and rape are crimes in Maldives and we must expose those who commit these crimes. These people are evil and we do not have to respect them. I certainly don’t. They should be behind bars.

Q4) As well as being DO editor-in-chief, you were also one of 15 people elected to the MDP Council. The Maldivian Government often claims that DO is therefore a mouthpiece of the MDP. Is DO part of the MDP, or is it an independent newspaper?

It is indeed an independent news service. I have the final say in what is in DO and I work full time on Dhivehi Observer. Being a member of MDP’s general council does not restrict me from expressing my views. If need be I will criticise MDP as well and I have done so in many occasions. Constructive criticism is not a bad thing and I believe that MDP has the maturity to take it on board. Dhivehi Observer is the peoples’ press and I believe Maldivians believe that now.

Q5) How do you see the future of the Maldives developing over the next few years?

I believe that people are fed up of Gayyoom’s dictatorship and that change of regime is inevitable. No one believes that Gayyoom will reform our country. He will not dig his own grave. Democracy will bring an end to his rule. With international pressure and the public support that we now have, I believe he has less than a year to go. If our people weren’t so afraid of him, we could do it even quicker.

Q6) If there is a significant change in the Maldives, would you consider returning and in what capacity?

It is a question of when really, not if. I will go back to Maldives as soon as my supporters believe it is safe for me to go. It may be to initiate a public rally to oust Gayyoom or perhaps after he is ousted. In either case, I will not give Gayyoom the pleasure of torturing me in any of his cells, so even if I return beforehand, I will go with enough strength and security.

In what capacity, I don’t know but I believe I have a role to play in the future of Maldives. It may be in government or even in media. I might even go back to my profession, which is Engineering and Science. My promise to Maldivian people is that I will always put them first, so depending on the situation, I will always try to work toward the interest of the country. I will try my best that to ensure that Gayyoom is the last dictator our country will see.

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NDI Report: The Desire for Change in the Maldives

As part of Minivan News’ commitment to analyse the report on the Maldives by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) we take a closer look into one of the report’s main findings – the overwhelming support for democratic reform in the country and the deep-seated skepticism as to whether Gayoom will ever deliver change.

The NDI is a highly respected political NGO, headed by former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright. The NDI’s mandate is to promote democracy throughout the world. The NDI was invited by the Maldivian government and UNDP to do its assessment into the possibility of establishing political parties in the Maldives in August 2004. The NDI sent a four-person team, headed by the former Prime Minister of Bosnia, to the Maldives in October 2004. The team met with hundreds of people in the Maldives and outside the country. These included representatives of the Government, including President Gayoom, members of civil society groups, the UN and members of the opposition, including democracy detainees and the leadership of the MDP.

The Political Environment for Reform

The NDI noted that “the desire for reform is nearly universal among the public; in fact, the delegation did not meet with a single individual who felt that reform was not needed”. The perceived need for reform was conclusively proven by the NDI’s findings, and there seemed to be a very positive response to the types of reforms laid down by the President in his 9th June 2004 speech. However, the NDI found that there was strong skepticism as to whether the President would ever carry out his reforms in a timely and meaningful way.

The NDI found: “a high degree of cynicism regarding the government’s seriousness regarding reform…most interviewees felt that reform would go ahead…[but] reforms would move forward at an extremely slow pace and would be largely cosmetic.”

“Many interviewees cited the long tenure of the current government as incriminating, noting that the government has had plenty of time to reform already, but has chosen not to do so. Many interviewees, including opposition, pointed to the treatment of opposition voices by the government as evidence of a lack of willingness to engage in genuine reform. A few individuals indicated their belief… that the President lied to the people – encouraging the public to go out and discuss constitutional reform in public forums – and then detaining many of the people who criticized the government in these forums.”

The NDI states that “bold actions will be required by the government to build confidence in any reform process.”

Minivan News spoke to Mohamed Latheef of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). We started by asking him what are the root causes of this skepticism.

Latheef:

The universal skepticism about Gayoom’s commitment to reform is not without cause. Firstly Maldivians are all too familiar with Gayoom’s oft-broken promises of wide-ranging structural reforms every few years – especially when he is under duress.

He made similar promises when he first came to power and later after the attempted coup in 1988. The present constitution, which was supposed to transform the Maldives from an autocracy to a democracy, was one of his earliest promises of reforms. After foot dragging for 17 years he came up with a document of enslavement that confers more power to the Chief Executive than does any other constitution anywhere else in the world. That is just in theory. In practice he exercises greater power than perhaps any past sultan ever did.

Following the attempted coup of 1988, Gayoom made sweeping declarations about the need for not just change, but sweeping structural change that would substantially alter the socio-political dynamics of Maldivian society. Those of us who got caught in his web of lies and took his offer of reform seriously – either as reformists, members of parliament or as journalists – soon found ourselves in solitary confinement in Gayoom’s not too pleasant detention centers. Gayoom’s offers of reform were invariably followed by the violent reprisal of those who took him seriously.

Due to unprecedented international pressure, Gayoom is back to his old business of duplicity. Within days after his 9th June media circus where he, once again, presented his “substantial reform agenda”, Gayoom clamped down on the people’s constitutional rights to freedom of assembly, movement and expression. Within weeks he started intimidating, and finally arresting reformists. Almost the entire reform movement is still in detention after weeks of torture and cruel and degrading treatment by Gayoom’s uniformed thugs.

In the meantime Gayoom and his spin-doctors have the gall to talk about free and fair elections. Any objective observer would come to the conclusion that the brutal crackdown of reformists does not inspire confidence either in Gayoom’s intentions, capacity or commitment to serious, time-bound, verifiable reform.

Gayoom needs to understand that the skepticism about his commitment is no more limited to his subjects. The many declarations and statements made by the international community should make him realize that no one believes his lies, deceit and broken promises anymore. He needs to wake up from, or be jolted out of, his state of deep self-delusion.

Minivan News: The international community has issued strongly worded statements deploring Gayoom’s poor performance following his 9th June offer of substantial reforms. Are you confident that such statements would be effective enough to persuade Gayoom to usher in his planned reform?

Latheef:

The outrage expressed by the international community has, in the past few weeks, helped mitigate the level of brutality traditionally meted out to political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. However, the international community’s impact on political reform has been negligible. Gayoom and his minders seem to take comfort in the belief that the international community will not go beyond strongly worded statements. That the country’s lack of geopolitical importance would mean the international community will not bother to sustain its interests in the Maldives.

Gayoom is a strong believer that time will heal his problems. Giving more time to Gayoom will only make the situation worse for his subjects. If the international community wishes to effect change in the country, than it has to go beyond words of censure. Gayoom is not impressed by mere words. Words are fine but hide-bound despots like Gayoom need to know that they will be matched by deeds. He has reneged on every promise of reform he has made and as the 31st December election and the impeding trials of reformists clearly proves, he is getting away with it. The international community needs to take more robust, tangible steps to stop Gayoom’s abuse.

Minivan News invites the Maldivian government to respond to Mr Latheef’s comments.

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Our Children will Suffer from the Mismanagement of this Regime

While the Maldives rolls on to the first decade of the 21st century, the people of this island nation are left to wonder about their future. They are left in the dark of their rights and the obligations of the government to the people. The poor and lame excuses that we have heard is the perpetual rhetoric ” what to do , we are a small nation and not enough money and resources” and islanders and the less educated or less exposed people are made to believe that the government is doing more than it should and that they should be grateful for what they have.

After 27 years of rule, and 18 years to amend the constitution, we are left without a set of laws to protect the people. We are left without a constitutional guideline for any major public service. The state police operate in the absence of law, every minister’s whim is law. By God we have to be grateful for this? It was not long ago that we encountered some of the most trying times of this era. A break out in jail following the murder of an inmate by prison guards and police brought about the dawn of the new age, the age of the people.

The people have been suppressed and intimidated for too long. With little reason to be reasonable and rational the nation’s youth and the educated took to the streets. This was played sold to the international and local audience as a coup attempt, an armed aggression to over throw a legally elected government it said. However, a government that does not facilitate the voice of the people that elected it and fails to achieve the basic demands of the people is no longer legally in power. They are in power by use of force, and as such they can only be removed by use of force,” but not violence”

The force that shall remove them is the power of the people. We have suffered and our children’s children will suffer too for the state of poverty and mismanagement of this regime. We have let them rape this nation time and time again. Our children shall hold us responsible for the slum and anarchy that we shall leave behind for them.

I beg of you the people of this nation to stand together and fight. Do not fight for just your rights but fight because you care about your children, today we have at least over 25 thousand heroin users in this country mostly in the age group of 16 to 32 and this is a clear 25% of the country’s youth population. Think my fellow countrymen, is this the country that we would like to pass onto our children. I ask you, are you proud of what you have left behind for them. I do not ask the government to amend any of this but I ask of the people to unite and stand together to bring a stop to this madness. Let us take this nation from the grasp of this regime and allow ourselves to reconstruct a better Maldives. A nation rich of justice, public welfare and social security. A nation of peace and prosperity. These shall be the cornerstones of our new nation.

Be not afraid my brothers and sisters our time has come and we must stand together we must not fear the demons of intimidation but embrace the fruits of righteousness. And be brave in the path of the good. Our children demand us to be brave.

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International Pressure on Gayoom: Is it working?

With two weeks to go, the international community seems to be waking up to a fact that Maldivians have known right along – under Gayoom there can never be a free and fair election in the Maldives. Under pressure from the international community, Gayoom crooned sweetly about “substantial reform’ and about free and fair elections. The international community pounced on Gayoom’s sweet inanities and encouraged him and subtly (and often not so subtlety) pressurized him into keeping his promises and commitments.

The pressure did work to some extent. The best proof of this perhaps lies in the fact that no pro-democracy reformists – including even those who called for Gayoom’s and brother Hameed’s resignation – have as yet been tortured to death or permanently physically incapacitated. When one considers how cruelly past political prisoners and detainees have been brutalized for far lesser “offences” this is immense progress. Challenging Gayoom’s authority has always been the biggest political offence.

After the initial orgy of torture, beating and sexual abuse, following the August 12 – 13 demonstration, the security personnel (who according to Colonel Moosa Jaleel cracked down on the crowd on Commander-in-Chief Gayoom’s direct order) are now less violent. Agreements with the ICRC, visits by diplomats and the courageous stand taken by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives have meant that – at least for the time being – prisoners and detainees need not live in constant fear of torture, sexual abuse and cruel and inhuman punishment. Strongly articulated concerns of the international community alone with the belief that Gayoom is under scrutiny (and hence cannot operate with total impunity) have given hope and courage to pro-democracy activists – even while they know they face harassment and possible imprisonment. There is new hope that the human rights situation would inevitably change for the better and that the rest of the world would not simply wait and watch while Gayoom bludgeons the people of Maldives into submission.

The international community’s impact on the 31st December parliamentary election is, however, minimal. To start with Gayoom has simply ignored the call to grant the people the right to freedom of association despite his clear, unequivocal assertion “our laws do not bar anybody from forming a political party if they want to”. More ominously Gayoom has intimidated and pressurized at least ten people (who would otherwise have won) from seeking nomination. Most of the reformist leaders who would have spearheaded the reformist election campaign are being systematically intimidated and continue to remain in detention. In the meantime pro-government candidates continue to openly enjoy state patronage and public resources for their election campaign. Minister of Atolls Administration, Hameed has given specific instructions to atoll chiefs that they must ensure victory for pro-government candidates.

Given this reality, it is naïve for the international community to expect Gayoom to relent merely because of declarations or statements – even if they are strongly worded.

Gayoom is now immune to declarations and statements. In fact he uses such statements as “proof” that the international community endorses his despotic rules. To get Gayroom’s attention, words need to be replaced by firm action.

As far as the elections are concerned, the international community needs to come to terms with the reality that, as stated above, most of the rigging has already taken place. Even in the unlikely event that the rest of the election process would be “free and fair” the damage already done would mean that the election would be both unfair and unrepresentative of the wishes of the people. Under the circumstances sending observers just for the Election Day would be not only meaningless, but would give Gayoom the opportunity to legitimize a grossly unfair electoral process.

To ensure a free and fair election the entire process needs to be restructured. According to MDP the minimum requirements for a free and fair election are:

(a) The immediate registration of political parties.
(b) Release of all pro-democracy detainees.
(c) A level playing field free from fear and intimidation whereby reformists and pro-government candidates can compete on an equal footing.
(d) An opportunity for detainees and others, who earlier did not seek nomination out of fear and intimidation, to seek nomination afresh.
(e) About thirty days of campaigning and
(f) A transparent system for monitoring and counting of votes.

Most people would find the above requests reasonable. Gayoom would not. Gayoom fully understands that, without rigging, he would lose his traditional control over the parliament which in turn would lead to loosening of his stranglehold on power. More ominously, (from Gayoom’s point of view) the coming parliament would decide if he would be re-elected as President for the 2008 – 2013 presidential term. By asking Gayoom to hold free and fair elections, the international community, in effect, is asking Gayoom to commit political suicide. Gayoom has yet to prove any suicidal tendencies.

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Anti-Gayyoom candidates are stretched financially, who will help them?

Despite calls for free and fair elections without any influence by the government, the Maldives Parliamentary Election 2004 campaign is marred in corruption and irregularities.

Those candidates with Gayyoom’s blessings, have endless resources beginning with access to state owned media, TV, radio and newspapers, and open coffers of treasury funds. Sadly, it does not stop there. These candidates, including ministers and deputy ministers as well as other officials and close associates of Gayyoom, are getting enormous help from private businesses as well. This will obviously play a role in swinging votes their way in the atolls.

DO has information that anti-Gayyoom candidates are unable to get any funding for their campaigns, and some members can’t pay for travelling costs to visit their constituents, let alone meet the production cost of campaign material. There are many private businesses and wealthy Maldivian who want to help these candidates, but their movements and activities are closely monitored by Gayyoom’s cronies and hence these people are scared to help any anti-Gayyoom candidates.

Many able candidates are being hampered by financial difficulties, while ignorant thieves and corrupt people are visiting each island in chartered speedboats and flights. Being corrupt and rich appears to be the way to secure a majlis seat in the Maldives, regardless of the fact that some of these government candidates can barely read and write in Dhivehi or English. How on earth can we entrust people like them to be the law makers of our country?

The dirtiest games in this campaign are played by Gayyoom’s brothers, Abdullah Hameed and Abdullah Yameen. They have openly bribed people to support government candidates, and are authorising the use of public funds as if it is their own money.

In order to counterbalance this, Maldivian businessmen must make a stand and help the reformist candidates who can bring about necessary reforms. Entrepreneurs must realise that long-term business will flourish with an open, transparent and democratic government. All businessmen know they have to conduct their present operations through bribery, deception and other illegal practices.

We call on Maldivians to act responsibly and help reformist candidates in any way they can. It is not against the law to support and help a candidate for the majlis, and if we submit to the illegal demands of this outdated regime, Maldives is destined to remain corrupt and our people oppressed, for years to come.

www.dhivehiobserver.com

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Statement by the MDP in response to the Declaration of the Heads of Mission of the EU accredited to the Maldives

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) welcomes the Declaration by the Heads of Mission of the European Union accredited to the Maldives on Monday 13th December, calling on the Maldivian government to ensure that the forthcoming Majlis elections are free and fair.

Contradictory to his oft repeated promises to the international community of “substantial reforms”, President Gayoom continues to flagrantly deny the people of the Maldives their fundamental political rights. Gayoom continues to deny the MDP its constitutional right to freedom of association while simultaneously keeping MDP activists and reformists in detention, preventing them from taking an active role in the elections.

Through a process of incarceration and systematic physical and mental torture, Gayoom has intimidated at least 9 members of the constituent assembly from seeking election. This includes two of his former cabinet members, I H Zaki and Dr Munawwar.

Gayoom’s regime continues to violate electoral laws including the intimidation of Atoll Chiefs, Island Chiefs and government servants in the Atolls to ensure the ‘success’ of pro-government candidates. Public funds and resources are openly used to fund government candidates whilst pro-democracy candidates and their supporters are intimidated and labelled as ‘traitors’ and ‘terrorists’.

Just hours after the EU Declaration on Monday, three pro-democracy campaigners, Eva Abdulla (cousin of MDP Councillor Mohamed Nasheed), Jennifer Latheef (daughter of MDP Spokesperson Mohamed Latheef) and Elena Abbas (daughter of MDP Councillor Ahmed Abbas), have been summoned for questioning by Gayoom’s security services.

The MDP calls on the international community to take effective, practical steps to ensure that the political rights of the Maldivian people, including the right to free and fair elections, are upheld by President Gayoom.

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Gayoom and Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is not a particularly well marked or well recognized day in the Maldives. Not surprising really, when one considers that human rights – particularly civil and political rights – are not recognized either.

Gayoom, as a rule, loves celebrating different occasions and “days”. Give him a “Tooth Fairy Day” and he will come out with an impressive statement about the significance of the day and its importance on Islam and the Maldivian way of life. Such “days” give the despot opportunities to hog the limelight and to generally impress his subjects on his wisdom and profundity. However one will be hard pressed to recall Gayoom getting excited about Human Rights Day. “Rights”, for Gayoom, is an obscenity, probably a Zionist plot to oppress Muslims and gain world domination. Perhaps, part of a diabolic plan by Christian Missionaries to usurp the wealth of the Muslim Umma.

Rights, justice, democracy and freedom are fuzzy, messy concepts that disturb despots in general. Gayoom is no exception. One would not expect Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin and mentor Saddam to get excited about such untidy ideals – forget celebrating them as a special occasion. So, when pressed, Gayoom will pay lip service to such concepts and tailor-make them in his own image, making them “unique” and adoptable to his rather perverted interpretation of Islam and Maldivian culture. After all the great and wise heroic Zaim knows what is best for his flock. As the Great Leader he needs to protect his people from alien concepts that will undermine the purity of Islam and Maldivian culture.

That precisely, is why he and his minions’ propagate the view that human rights – unless practiced “uniquely” – would lead to homosexuality, moral degradation, erosion of Islamic values and generally pave the way for setting up of Christian churches in Maldives. Gayoom, as proved by his impassioned speeches among brothers in the Arab world, can be pretty xenophobic when it comes to human rights. Like others of his ilk, Gayoom is a great believer in cultural relativism – especially when it comes to fuzzy and untidy concepts such as democracy and human rights. So, like mentor Saddam Hussein before him, Gayoom practices – and does a pretty neat job of it, mind you – “Unique Democracy”. Under this sensitized version of human rights the subjects, for example, would have an inalienable right to be democratically oppressed under Gayoom’s autocratic rule. How else could a dictator guarantee Islam under unique way of life?

We, the subjects of Gayoom, have the right to every type of right one can aspire to: freedom of association, expression, assembly, the right to equality before the law, the right to a fair trial, all. Furthermore, as proof, all these fancy rights are clearly enshrined in the constitution. The only caveat being that we the subjects must not entertain any subversive notions of actually practicing these neat little gems. Our human rights are unique and hence must be preserved in its pristine condition. Gayoom our Beloved Leader, the Guardian Angle of Human Rights in Maldives works tirelessly, night and day, to preserve the “Unique” human rights he has so graciously bestowed upon his flock.

Given the uniqueness of our Gayoom-given human rights, it would be unreasonable for us, the subjects of Gayoom, to get excited about a universally accepted human rights day. Unfortunately we live in an interdependent, globalised world and in order to stay economically afloat our Great Leader is forced to appease the international community by pretending to adhere to international norms – even when it comes to messy concepts such as human rights. Perhaps we can compromise by making a deal with the international community whereby the Maldivians celebrate Human Rights Day on the 29th of February. That way our Great Leader will be traumatized only once every four years. The rest of the days would be Dictator’s Rights Days.

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HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Around the World we are celebrating Human Rights Day. On the 10th December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was written in 1789, and therefore celebrating more than 200 years of History. In its preamble the United Nations stated:

“Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction” [http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html]

However, in the Maldives, people are still struggling to gain the basic human rights expressed in the form of 30 articles.

For instance, article 5 states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. In September 2003, the government proved their disregard of the law with the assassination of Evan Naseem and that ongoing tortures and abuses are perpetrated in prisons.

Furthermore, the members of the Maldivian government persistently breech article 9 (“No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”) by keeping unfairly imprisoned any subject that voices their disagreement with the regime imposed by president Gayoom. Consequently, they can ensure that the up-coming parliamentary elections will not be free and fair with the intimidation of any potential opponent candidate.

The further one reads the Declaration of Human Rights, the more one will come to realise that every article is being constantly breeched by Gayoom and his government.

After the Evan Naseem tragedy, the international community began watching more closely the activities of the Maldivian government. In response, president Gayoom set up a Human Rights Commission and announced to the public: “the Human Rights law will be passed by the Majlis, and the law will be based on Paris principles”. One year later the commissioner, Mr. Ahmed Mujuthaba, has written in his report that nothing has changed and the government is still carrying the same unlawful practices. He stated very fairly that in the Maldives it is “ Rulers Law rather than the Rule of Law ”.

President Gayoom has now postponed the inauguration of the commissioner’s annual report that was supposed to take place today on the anniversary date, to January 2005 and consequently slowing down the process of reforms, and continuing to suppress the Human Rights Commission itself, which is still under presidential decree, and therefore subject to being withdrawn by Gayoom at anytime.

Unfortunately today, Maldivians will not celebrate the anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Human Rights Declaration.

Friends of Maldives will work to ensure that the Maldives will be able to join the rest of the World in celebrating Human Rights Day in the future.

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