Day: September 14, 2013

Blood and money: stabbing attack follows campaign deal gone wrong

Maldivians across the atolls were glued to state broadcaster Television Maldives (TVM) one week ago, awaiting the results of the country’s second multi-party presidential election.

As counting from the 470 ballot boxes continued throughout the evening, live updates were accompanied by news bulletins keeping all up to date on this historic event – even the deaf.

Members of the Maldives’ deaf community were glued to the bottom corner of their television screen, where Shaheez Abdulla communicated in sign language for those with impaired hearing.

What was not communicated through Shaheez’s hands that day was the intense pain still coursing through his legs, his arm, and his back – the result of a stabbing just 72 hours earlier that he alleges was linked to one political party’s election preparations.

I met Shaheez on the roof of his building. On my way up to the terrace, traces of blood were still visible outside the lift where three youths attacked him the Wednesday (September 4) before the election. The first witnesses to the scene describe a bloodied but furious Shaheez, keen to expose those he sees as responsible for his assault.

He sits awkwardly, shifting in his seat – his determination to expose his wrongdoers unabated.

“They tried to kill me, but they could not. I am not afraid – for the truth, I will do anything,” he said.

Learning to interpret

Eight years ago Shaheez worked in one of Male’s CD/DVD shops and – like many Maldivians – dreamed of travelling abroad to study. Eventually however it was his interactions with the deaf customers he encountered that would decide the direction of his career – in particular, meeting his future-wife, Adhila.

Having admired her from afar, it was only when Shaheez plucked up the nerve to approach her that he realised she too was deaf.

“I finally approached her and tried to talk to her, but she didn’t respond – finally, a woman came over and said to me, ‘Don’t you know she’s deaf?’ I was shocked,” Shaheez explained.

This marked the point at which Shaheez began to learn sign language, leading to eventual fluency in British, Arabic and international signing, as well as the more unusual Dhivehi dialect. He also got married to Adhila and they now have two children.

Shaheez soon became one of the first deaf interpreters in the Maldives and today offers interpretation assistance in the courts, hospitals, and even trains members of the police force to sign. Shaheez regularly lectures at the Education Development Centre, and is contracted by the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to provide interpretation services on TVM.

During our interview, Shaheez proudly shows Minivan News the registration certificate for his new project – the Maldives Disabled Federation – which will act as an umbrella organisation for the country’s separate disability civil society groups.

Shaheez’s tireless activity across Maldivian civil society  – working on many different disability related projects – could have been halted on September 4, however, as his work became tangled with the country’s internecine politics.

Warning signs

The events leading to the attack began around one month prior to the elections, when Shaheez says he was contacted by the Jumhoree Party (JP) about potential projects for disabled people. Full of ideas, and never without a sheaf of papers outlining his many projects, Shaheez was able to produce proposals for a number of schemes at the very first meeting.

“I told them I can help, but I can’t be a political tool,” he recalled. “There are so many projects that need doing.”

Two days after this initial meeting, Shaheez claimed that a JP member gave him just under MVR 300,000 (US$1,948) for three projects – including an instructive video to help deaf people learn the Salaath prayer, the creation of a Dhivehi sign-language dictionary, and the development of a sign-language font.

A call on speakerphone to a JP member during the interview confirmed that the party had given this cash to Shaheez. He was also able to show paperwork outlining the agreed projects and their cost, as well as a contract which agreed the projects would be launched by JP leader, Gasim Ibrahim.

However, Shaheez claimed the relationship started to go sour when he was given two day’s notice to prepare for the official launch of the projects.

“After I told them the launch could not be done in that time, they asked for all of the money back,” Shaheez recalled, despite much of the work having already been carried out.

“I said I would give the money back, but that I would also then do anti-campaigning against Gasim.”

It was on his way home from this meeting on September 3 that Shaheez says two young men on a motorbike threatened him.

“They said ‘Don’t even dare do anti-campaigning – if you do, you’d better watch out’, ” he alleged.

The following day, on his way to return to the cash – moments after arranging to meet with a JP member over the phone – Shaheez was confronted by his attackers on the way out of his building. After demanding Shaheez’s bag – containing the JP’s money – the youths attacked, taking the bag with the money inside.

Shaheez was keen to point out that his blame for the attack was not aimed at Gasim himself, noting that the leader’s close associates had warned Shaheez not to return the money to anyone other than them.

Response to threats

Minivan News was unable to obtain a response from the JP member named by Shaheez as the person responsible for his attack, and so his name has been left out of this account. Another senior party member, cited as being involved in the initial agreement, has denied all knowledge of any projects involving the JP and disabled organisations.

Shaheez is aware of rumours that he had stolen the party’s money himself, but rejected these accusations, citing his lack of a criminal record.

“I know who I am and God knows who I am,” he says.

Asked whether he was intimidated by the threats, he said that this was not the first time this tactic had been used, as he seeks to expose the persistent abuse of disabled people in the Maldives. He recalled one shocking example of such abuse he encountered when conducting surveys in Haa Daalu Atoll.

“There was one lady everyone said was mad. When I spoke with her, I found that she was just deaf. But the men in the island had already been abusing her – she had seven or eight children with unknown fathers. Men had used her, raped her, and even drugged her.”

“I will hold a big event one day and all these abuse cases will be publicised,” he vowed.

When asked about the difficulty of interpreting for the election coverage so soon after his ordeal, Shaheez remained defiant.

“I don’t care if both legs are stabbed, if even one of my hands can move I will interpret for the deaf until my last breath.”

Video taken by a bystander following Shaheez’s stabbing on September 4:

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

National Security Committee investigating local media spreading JP’s claims against Elections Commission

Parliament’s National Security Committee summoned the Elections Commission (EC), the Maldives Police Service (MPS), the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) to appear for questioning today in regard to its investigation into an EC case filed against the Jumhoree Party (JP).

An EC letter requesting the National Security Committee provide the commission an opportunity to share their concerns about local media spreading JP’s “baseless and unfounded” claims, was presented yesterday (September 13) by committee chairperson MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik and unanimously approved, according to local media.

“The National Security Committee is concerned that the [presidential] contestants unfounded claims of corruption against the EC are a threat to national security,” Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor told Minivan News today.

MBC has been summoned to the parliamentary committee for allegations that Villa TV (VTV) – owned by resort tycoon and JP presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim – was spreading information to incite hatred against the EC, while the MPS and MNDF will be questioned to determine whether current events pose a threat to national security, according to Sun Online.

Meanwhile, MBC has launched an investigation into VTV broadcasting unsubstantiated content in violation of the broadcasting code of practice. The commission stated that it was investigating the matter after a case was filed by a private individual, according to local media.

VTV has been continuously broadcasting the live program ‘Olhuvaalee Vote Ge Namugai’ (‘fraud in the name of the vote’) as well as reports against the EC and MDP ever since Gasim placed third in the first round of the presidential election with 24.07 percent, a total of 50,422 votes, reports CNM.

Asked about the confusion over the voting figures in the media not matching those of the EC during counting, Elections Commission Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz criticised local media’s role in the matter.

“Politicians and newspapers have reported this [10,000 votes issue]”, he said, singling out the online publication Times.mv for particular criticism.

Meanwhile, during an elections National Advisory Committee meeting held Thursday (September 12), the JP, along with representatives of the PPM and President Mohamed Waheed, agreed they all want a vote recount of all ballot boxes conducted.

However, the MDP’s representative on the Advisory Committee insisted there were no grounds to warrant a vote recount and accused JP of not noting any issues during polling.

“It’s a matter of principle – this was a democratic election held under a democratic system. All parties were given an opportunity to send observers and monitors, and their observations [of the voting and counting process] were done in front of the people, as per the law,” said Ghafoor.

“This was an elaborate, laborious process with each count confirmed and then exhibited at each voting centre,” he continued.

“A recount would set a bad precedent that is not in the national interest. It would create a loss of faith in the system,” he emphasised.

Ghafoor noted that international observers have praised the transparency of the election process, including four former Election Commissioners hailing from India and the Commonwealth.

“The EC is one of the [only] effective, independent commissions we have. It has a very clean track record, which everyone knows,” declared Ghafoor. “An elaborately developed legal process [for elections] has been in place since 2008, there have been at least 11 by-elections conducted to date and none of them have been contested.”

He noted that the election results are being contested “by people like Gasim Ibrahim, who are from a culture that has rigged votes all their lives.”

Meanwhile, Elections Commission Vice Chair Ahmed Fayaz told local media the JP had requested a recount without any legal basis. He noted that if all the ballot box seals were broken for a recount, this could create election confidence issues and set a dangerous precedent for future elections. He proposed recounting boxes randomly as an alternative.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Jumhooree Party to call on Supreme Court to annul first round results

The Jumhoree Party (JP) has declared that it intends to ask the Supreme Court to annul the results of last week’s presidential election, in which it narrowly missing placing in the run-off vote scheduled for September 28.

The JP’s presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim, who placed third 24.07 percent of the vote, last week announced that he believed he “should have placed first“, and disputed the credibility of the results.

The Elections Commission (EC) has dismissed the allegations, pointing to near unanimous agreement among local and international election observers that the elections were free, fair and credible, and that the minor issues noted would not have had an impact on the final results.

However JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal told Minivan News the party would attempt to prove via the courts that the first round had been “rigged”.

As part of these efforts, he said that the JP would be submitting a “motion” to the Supreme Court on Sunday September 15 seeking to annul the vote, alleging discrepancies and irregularities during polling.

The party has already filed a case at the High Court – on the second attempt, after the first case was rejected – demanding the release of the ballot papers.

“We believe the High Court is delaying this process, and this is something we do not want to see,” Ajmal said, alleging this was in violation of “national regulations”.

Ajmal said the motion would give a “high priority” to its grievances, with the second round of voting just two weeks away.

Gasim and the Supreme Court

Until July 2013 and his official acceptance as a presidential candidate, Gasim was a member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) – the watchdog body tasked with appointing and disciplining the judiciary, including the Supreme Court.

Earlier that same month he declared that a leaked video depicting Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed fornicating with an unidentified foreign woman in a Colombo hotel room was “a fake”.

Days later, two more videos of the judge engaging in sexual relations with foreign women were leaked on social media.

According to Maldivian law, the crime of fornication is subject to 100 lashes and banishment or house arrest for a period of eight months, a sentence regularly and overwhelmingly given to women found guilty of extramarital sex.

A fourth video showed the judge in conversation with a local businessman discussing the politicisation of the judiciary.

Gasim however voted against the recommendation of the JSC’s own subcommittee that Hameed be suspended pending further investigation. The judge remains on the bench.

He claims feuds between politicians were being settled through the court even though these did not involve the law or any legal issues.

Reactions

The Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) has expressed concern at the way the results of the September 7 elections have been received by “some parties”, urging them “to act in the spirit of democracy and fair play by seeking solutions to grievances through due process and recourse to lawful means.”

“The principles of democracy prohibit threats, intimidation and harassment of each other and such behaviour has no place in a civilised society. MDN further expects that the judiciary will attend to elections-related petitions independently, efficiently and without discrimination,” the NGO stated.

President Mohamed Waheed, who received 5.13 percent of the vote in the first round and today announced that he would be supporting PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen in the run-off, declared that some allegations regarding the election were “worryingly serious”.

“I think it is paramount that these allegations be addressed within the designated legal framework, and justice be served,” President Waheed said in a statement reported by local media.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor noted the irony that the country’s prior “culture of corruption, vote rigging, and coup d’etat” had been led by the same individuals who were now contesting the legitimacy of the election results.

“These are the same people who lobbied the Supreme Court to get more direct powers for the police and security forces, and thereby a controlling stake in the elections process,” he said.

“It would be unimaginable for the courts to rule against something that the international observers have endorsed. If they agree to a recount that would be going against the international community,” Ghafoor said.

Elections Commission Fuwad Thowfeek has emphatically dismissed the JP’s allegations of rampant vote-rigging, pointing to the commission’s transparency, ongoing complaints investigations, and praise from a broad spectrum of election observers.

“The allegations by the Jumhoree Party are wasting our time actually. They don’t understand democracy or how to accept defeat, it’s a very unfortunate thing,” EC Chair Fuwad Thowfeek told Minivan News last week.

“People who cannot accept defeat should not face an election,” he continued. “It’s a contest so there’s a chance they will win or lose. In this case there were four contestants and only two could advance to the second round. Gasim Ibrahim doesn’t understand [this] and his followers are making a fool out of him,” he contended.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

“We will do everything possible to help MDP win the election”: DRP leader Thasmeen Ali

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held a rally on Friday night to celebrate the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) support in the second round of the presidential election.

Jumhooree Party (JP) founding member Ahmed ‘ADK’ Nashid and Maldives Reform Movement leader Dr Mohamed Munavvar – also the former MDP chairperson – also announced their support for the party at the rally, attended by several thousand supporters.

DRP leader Thasmeen Ali, MPs Abdulla Mausoom, Visam Ali, Mohamed Nashiz, Rozaina Adam and other members of the party attended the rally held in the Alimas Carnival area of Male’.

Making the opening statement, MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik asserted that, despite rumours allegedly being spread by political competitors, the two parties had not formed a coalition, and that the DRP had merely decided to back the MDP and to provide assistance in winning the upcoming second round of the election.

The DRP had gone into the first round in coalition with incumbent President Mohamed Waheed.

Speaking at the rally, DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali said that the party had made the decision based on the overwhelming support that the MDP had received in the September 7 election.

“I assure you that I stand here today with sincerity to ensure MDP succeeds in the coming election, God willing I will stay dedicated to achieving this,” Thasmeen began, prompting a standing ovation from the gathered supporters.

“This country is changing at a very fast pace. This country is going forward, swiftly forward,” he continued, borrowing MDP’s campaign slogan for the second round.

“I don’t believe that anyone can inhibit these tides of change. We have clearly seen the results of the first round of elections. President Nasheed and MDP got 95,000 votes. This is a huge achievement, and incredible success, and I congratulate you all for it.”

“We fully accept the results of the first round. There is no indication that any foul play was involved. I believe that if one fails, one must accept it and learn to digest the loss. In my opinion, it will be irresponsible for any politician or party to not back one of the candidates who are to contest in the final round of this election,” Thasmeen said.

“I want to see the democratic system strengthened and maintained”

“We must think deeply about the two candidates. I thought about which candidate would prioritize national interest, about which candidate would least entertain thoughts of revenge. There is no question in my mind about who that is, it is doubtless MDP’s candidate Mohamed Nasheed,” he stated.

“After taking office in 2008, Nasheed did not act towards his opponents with any intentions of taking revenge. On a single occasion, President Maumoon [Progressive Party of Maldives leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom] was summoned to the police office, but even then he was taken with all due official respect. Nasheed did not treat either Maumoon or his family with any vindictiveness,” he said.

“The democratic system that came in 2008 with the new constitution is a system that we want to maintain, both then and now,” said Thasmeen – who had contested in the 2008 presidential elections as Gayoom’s running mate.

“A president elected by the people’s vote will take oath. The people will ensure this. The people will not let anyone do this in any other way,” he said, criticizing PPM running mate Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed’s statement in a rally held last week that Nasheed will not be allowed to take office even if he wins the second round of elections.

“I also worked with Gayoom during the reform process which began in 2005. I did so believing that he will stop ruling with autonomy and will step aside and hand over the reigns of the country to a new generation. However, in light of his actions since losing the 2008 elections to date, we have realized that all along his intentions had been to prolong his 30 years of rule. That is not something that will benefit this country, and that is not what the people want today, or even then. We must not give him space to do so,” Thasmeen explained.

“I am standing at this podium tonight and supporting Nasheed because I want to see peace in this country after these elections, because I want to see the democratic system strengthened and maintained. Because the country will not see development unless democracy is upheld. For these reasons, Nasheed must be elected in these elections,” Thasmeen said.

“I believe that it would be an irresponsible and cowardly act to back away from doing what must be done to ensure that democracy is upheld in this country due to some words I might have said in the past. And therefore, tonight I assure all of you that DRP will do everything we possibly can to help Nasheed win these elections. I will stand firm in actively doing whatever is needed of me to reach this goal. We will join campaign activities, and you will see us participate in all campaign events,” he continued.

“God willing, Candidate number one, MDP’s Mohamed Nasheed will take the oath of presidency on Monday, November 11, 2013,” said Thasmeen, concluding his speech to loud applause.

Thasmeen’s speech was followed by similar pledges of support for democracy and the MDP from the other new faces, including MP Rozaina Adam, Dr. Mohamed Munavvar and former Ahmed Nashid.

The last speaker at Friday’s rally was Mohamed Nasheed, who thanked all those who are now extending support to the party, before echoing the pledges and plans included in the party’s manifesto.

Aerial footage of MDP’s rally on Friday:

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Dr Mariyam Shakeela appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs

President Dr Mohamed Waheed on Thursday (September 12) appointed Environment Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Dr Shakeela will be replacing Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed in the role, which was left vacant following the death of Dr Abdul Samad Abdulla late last month.

According to the President’s Office, the government also announced the dismissal of Special Envoy of the President Adam Maniku on Thursday. No reason was given for the decision.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

President Waheed to back PPM in second round, stepping down as GIP head

President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Itthihaad Party (GIP) will support the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) during a run-off vote to decide this year’s presidential election – presently scheduled to be held on September 28.

Minivan News understands that, although Dr Waheed will also be stepping down as head of the party, he will urge supporters to back PPM presidential candidate Abdulla Yameen against Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rival, former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The announcement of the GIP backing the PPM, comes days after the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) announced its support for Nasheed and the MDP during the second round of voting.  The DRP had backed Waheed in the first round vote, with party Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali standing as the incumbent’s running mate.

President Waheed took 5.13 percent of the total votes cast on September 7, finishing in last place.

The poll is presently being contested within the courts over allegations of vote rigging by third-place candidate MP Gasim Ibrahim and the Jumhoree Party (JP), who secured 24.07 percent of ballots cast.

According to provisional Elections Commission (EC) results, PPM candidate Yameen narrowly secured his place in the second round with 25.35 percent of the votes cast.

Former President Nasheed led the poll with 45.45 percent of the popular vote – falling short of the 51 percent needed to secure the presidency during the first round.

A senior source within President Waheed’s campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity, today said that the incumbent would be personally lending his support to Yameen’s campaign along with the GIP, despite opting to step down as head of the party.

The same source claimed that should any aspects of the ballot be challenged by the party, including calls for a recount, it would be best to have President Waheed distance himself from such actions.

Minivan News was awaiting an official statement from the GIP at times of press.

“Worryingly serious” allegations

However, President Waheed was today quoted in local media as being concerned over “worryingly serious” allegations over the first round vote that he called to be addressed within the legal framework of the Maldives.

Despite expressing concerns over allegations raised by the JP , the president was also quoted in Sun Online as praising the election for being conducted “smoothly” and peacefully” earlier this month.

Waheed reportedly stated that he had decided to back Abdulla Yameen – half brother of the country’s autocratic former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom – based on what he believed was the best interest for the Maldives.

“I do not believe it is not right [sic] to weaken the country’s constitutional framework, trample the law, set fire to property, instigate unrest,” read the statement reportedly attributed to the president.

Meanwhile, PPM vice presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed earlier this week declared that former President Mohamed Nasheed “will not be allowed to assume power”, even should he emerge as the clear winner in the run-off.

Clarifying his remarks to Minivan News at the time, Dr Jameel stated that his comments during the rally reflected the “criminal charge filed against Nasheed” concerning his role in the detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed, who stands accused of corruption and halting investigations into his conduct through the courts.

“As there is an impending [criminal] charge on him, he would be facing the outcome of the trial that would stop him from holding [the office of the president]. That is what I meant [at the rally],” Dr Jameel explained.

The JP meanwhile today confirmed that the party’s council and its coalition partners had not yet taken a decision on whether it would support a candidate in the second round of voting.

JP Policy Secretary Mohamed Ajmal said that the party remained focused solely on trying to prove via the courts that the first round vote had been “rigged”, adding that – although the party would consider supporting one of the two candidates in the final round – no such talks discussions had been held at present.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

National Gallery hosts ‘Psykura’ art exhibition

The Maldives National Art Gallery has this week hosted the Psykura art exhibition, showcasing the work of local artists. The exhibition was staged by Maldivian Psychedelic Arts and The Underground Movement, in association with Location Maldives.

The exhibition, open since Wednesday (September 11) seeks to educate and inspire its visitors to understand the value of freedom of expression.

“Besides multiple meanings of the word Psykura, it is meant to define the creative impulses of our psyche that bubbles and steams by the influence of the environment or the society. This natural need to express is via art. The universal language that transcends spoken language or where you are from,” the event’s organisers have explained.

“Freedom of creative expression must not be restricted if we are to prosper as a nation. Maldives needs to recognize the creative potential of its people by offering them the opportunities in order to increase local productivity.”

The exhibition will close this evening, with a live performance by Mariyam Athif at 7pm tonight (September 14).

See pictures of the exhibition here.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Comment: The man behind the sneer

One thing that has always struck me about Abdulla Yameen is that he never smiles. I can hardly remember him ever smiling. I think he smiled once, after being acquitted in some court case, but that was the only time. Sure, on his official campaign posters he sports a fake smile – a sort of upside-down scowl. But he never looks happy.

His eyes betray an angry glint, a contemptuousness of the ordinary man. If he has a trademark look, it is surely that sneer, which he seems to wear at almost every interaction with the general public.

If his second round campaign could be summed up in a facial expression, it too would be a sneer, or perhaps a snarl. Since last Saturday, Yameen has launched a vicious and full scale attack against Nasheed, accusing him of being irreligious and a threat to national sovereignty. Apart from trying to bribe the police and military with free housing and healthcare, Yameen hasn’t had a single positive word to say about what he would do if elected president.

Is Nasheed really that bad? Or is Yameen trying to draw everyone’s attention to Anni because he doesn’t want people focusing too closely on himself? Because when you dig a little into Yameen’s past, and the nature of his character, you tend to end up in a very dark place.

Some of the most shocking revelations come from the people Yameen is now desperately trying to woo onto his side: the Jumhoree Party.

According to JP official Ahmed “Maaz” Saleem, such was the rampant corruption that existed under Yameen’s watch when Trade Minister that major foreign investors quit the country, including Shell Oil and German investors who wanted to build ‘Maldives Media City’.

Gasim’s running mate, Hassan Saeed, said if he came to power he would put Yameen on trial over his involvement in the alleged theft of $800 million dollars worth of oil, money that should have gone into building schools, hospitals and harbours.

The scale of this alleged theft is staggering: the entire annual government budget is only US $1 billion. Yameen is accused of stealing 80 percent of it!

Nasheed’s government hired international experts Grant Thornton to investigate the chares and recover the money. What they uncovered is shocking.

When he was head of STO, responsible for the country’s oil shipments, Yameen allegedly set up a shell company in Singapore called Mocom Trading. Shady characters were involved, such as the former head of Malaysian military intelligence. Mocom would buy oil using STO’s money but instead of bringing it to Maldives, they sold it to the military junta in Burma, which was then under international sanctions because of its human rights abuses.

The huge profits generated from this illegal trade were stashed in secret bank accounts in Singapore. According to revelations published in the Indian media, Yameen was the “kingpin” of this vast criminal operation.

Most concerning, the oil was sold to people in Burma who were involved in the heroin trade. One such person was Tun Myint Naing, otherwise known as Steven Law. The United States calls Law’s father, Lo Hsing Han, the “Golden Triangle Heroin Baron”. Both Law and his dad are banned from traveling to America because of their links to drug dealing.

Yameen’s STO oil racket happened in the mid 1990s – the exact time when Maldives was flooded with ‘brown sugar’ heroin. This raises the question: did Yameen sell the Maldives’ oil to Steven Law for dollars, or did the son of the “Golden Triangle Heroin Baron” give something else in exchange for the oil? And was that something else shipped to Maldives, sold on Male’s streets, and did it end up harming so many of our young people?

Certainly, Yameen’s rival in the PPM primary race, Umar Naseer, seems to think so. Umar – who claims Yameen rigged the contest to become PPM’s presidential candidate – says Yameen “is involved in drug trafficking and commissioning gangs to cut down political opponents.”

The alleged links to Male’s violent street gangs hangs around Yameen like a bad and persistent smell. Along with the allegations of corruption and drug dealing, they point to a dark and sinister man: more of a mafiosi than a politician; a don rather than a democrat.

And then we have Yameen’s role in the abuse of the Sheikhs. Religious conservatives were brutally suppressed under Gayoom’s rule. Many were jailed, beaten and tortured. Gayoom’s security forces would forcibly shave off people’s beards and rub chili powder into their faces. Yameen served in his brother’s cabinet for years. But he never once lifted a finger to stop the abuse or utter a single word of condemnation. His current attack on Nasheed’s Islamic credentials has the distinct ring of hypocrisy.

Perhaps I am being unfair. Perhaps all these rumours and allegations are just that: rumours. Perhaps Yameen is as gentle as a doting grandpa. On 28 September, the people will give their verdict. We will find out if we are willing to place our families’ future in the hands of the man behind the sneer.

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]

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)