Day: November 29, 2004

MDP voices strong appeal for official registration in Maldives

The Maldivian Democratic Party has yet again voiced a strong appeal to the Maldives government for official registration.

Speaking to Minivan Radio the Party’s Co-founder and Councilor Mohamed Nasheed shrugged off suggestions that the government may cite administrative difficulties during the run up to general elections. “Should the government decide to allow our registration, it won’t need much paper-work. All our documentary submissions are with them. The constitution allows it. All that are needed remain the regime’s political will and quick decisions”, Mr.Nasheed said, adding that “in this case that would be remedial step to keep elections activities up to international standards while demonstrating the regime’s ability for functional transition in embracing reforms”.

The Maldives Elections Commissioner Ibrahim Rashad would announce the candidates list out of 156 applicants to contest in 20 constituencies on 30th November. Candidates are contesting as independents, “at a time there is a massive current of support for reform and political association”, in Mr. Nasheed’s words.

Reformists including the Maldivian Democratic Party continue to issue statements that the forthcoming general elections will not be free and fair. One central issue remains the registration of political parties. Mr.Nasheed said that the Maldivian Democratic Party was “organized, disciplined, with the system and structure to cooperate with the government in enabling political debates, rallies and conventions in an orderly manner”.

The elections are to be monitored by international bodies that will ascertain basic standards. Mr.Nasheed pointed out the added dimension of the Maldives parliament being signatory to the Inter Parliamentary Union that stipulates certain prerogatives for political association and assembly.

The British State Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs Mr. Douglas Alexander echoed the international community’s concern stating that the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Maldives will be the test the international community will use to judge whether the Maldives President is genuinely committed to reform.

The European Parliament passed sanctions on Maldives after President Gayoom cracked down in August on the reform movement and a public rally, arresting hundreds. Since then the sanctions were put on hold after respective governments decided to allow a few months to Mr.Gayoom to make good on his promises.

In Mr.Douglas Alexander’s words, that time may soon be running out. “Without a free and fair election, the Maldives long-term stability and prosperity will be at risk”, he had stated in parliament recently.

“It is essential for the government to allow our registration which would be a huge indication of facilitating free and fair elections”, Mr.Nasheed said, adding that “it would not pose any problems or complications to the ongoing elections and reform processes. The fairness of these is paramount for posterity”.

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Hussein Ibrahim MP Arrested & Released After Questioning

Hussein Ibrahim MP was summoned to the police station in Male’ yesterday. It has been reported that he was questioned about his role in the the peaceful pro-democracy rally of 12-13th August 2004.

Mr Ibrahim reportedly told the police what he saw at the rally but told them he did not know what exactly was said by each speaker in the demonstration but believed the demonstrators were unhappy with the government and expressed anti-government viewpoints.

Mr Ibrahim was released yesterday evening but was told he could not leave the country without prior permission from the authorities.

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Thousands take to the streets of the Ukraine in protest of election rigging

Thousands of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in the Eastern European country of the Ukraine, protesting over what they describe as a rigged Presidential election by the present government.

The protests – which have been ongoing for over a week but have gone largely unreported in the Maldivian state press – look set to bring the current government, which is charged with corruption, to its knees.

Top-level international mediators have arrived in the capital, Kiev, to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis. These include representatives from the European Union and Russia.

The opposition – seen by many to represent the democratic future of the Ukraine – have accused the incumbent president of engineering an electoral fraud and opposition leader Mr Yushchenko said that, as a result, the country was now “on the brink of civil conflict”.

As the crowds of protesters have swelled, there have been rumours – officially denied – that the Ukrainian army was sending tanks to the capital city, possibly to crush the protesters who have blocked key roads and public buildings and have called a national strike.

Mr Yushchenko is hoping for a ‘bloodless revolution’ of the sort that transformed many other Eastern European countries from dictatorships to democracies through massive street protests in the 1980s and 1990s.

The similarities between the current situation in the Ukraine and the present situation in the Maldives could not be more apparent.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party has already stated that there have been serious flaws in the nomination process for the upcoming Majlis (parliament) elections which mean the election cannot be free and fair.

Today, opposition candidate Mr Shuaib Ali reported serious flaws in the construction of the ballot boxes which could allow vote tampering.

The situation in the Ukraine is yet another example of the power mass public protest can have against dictatorial governments.

The pertinent question for the Maldives is whether in the upcoming election people will go onto the streets and protest like the people of the Ukraine have so visibly done this past week.

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