“Direct Action Necessary”: Dr Munavvar Reaches Out To Grassroots

In June Dr Mohamed Munavvar won what was expected to be a tight contest with Ibrahim Hussein Zaki for the leadership of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, by a landslide.

Munavvar’s victory triggered a war of words between members from Addu and Malé, the Maldives two most populous and developed atolls. Adduans claimed the party hierarchy did not want an outsider as leader, while critics of Dr Munavvar said he was too closely associated with President Gayoom’s regime, and had never shown sufficient commitment to the street protests that are the bedrock of the MDP.

But while Munavvar’s election highlighted divisions, he had stood on a platform of unity, promising to work closely with his rival Zaki, and the party chairman Mohamed Nasheed (Anni). Last week he unveiled his first shadow cabinet which did not include any of his personal supporters, and he has won high praise from Anni so far.

In his first full interview since becoming MDP President, Dr Munavvar commits himself to the MDP’s brand of direct action and reaffirms the party’s priority is to topple President Gayooom. But he also promises under his leadership the MDP will offer Maldivians a vision of how the party would run the country.

Protest and Policy

Dr Munavvar confronts concerns about his leadership head on. “People are right to say I have not been physically present at street demonstrations. But my position is clear. The government has been forced to give in on a number of important issues, when people have taken direct action. I fully understand the value of direct action, especially in an oppressive political atmosphere.”

And he adds the words many MDP supporters have been demanding. “If direct action is needed to achieve any objective of the party, I will support it, and I will be at the forefront of it.”

He reaffirms, “the aim of the MDP is to overthrow Gayoom,” and warns “we cannot think we are in a functioning democracy.” But Munavvar also says people should not “view the MDP only as a party of protest.”

“When someone is asked what it would be like to live under an MDP government, they should be able to visualise clearly what the country will be like. There is a lot of ground to cover in this. We need to let people know what are our policies and how we will deliver them.”

Shared Leadership

And this is where his election posters, which contrasted a picture of Anni and Zaki under the banner, “Good,” with a second picture of Dr Munavvar alongside Anni and Zaki, under the banner, “Better,” begins to make sense.

“My addition to the leadership will be bringing the policies of the party to the people, convincing them of the sustainability of the policies, and our ability to deliver them.”

Munavvar emphasises the word “addition,” and he pays tribute to the contributions of Anni and Zaki to the party, reassuring both of their continued importance.

“Zaki’s experience in foreign affairs is crucial and will be used,” Munavvar says. Asked why Zaki has lost his foreign affairs portfolio in Munavvar’s shadow cabinet, he explains, “It is not appropriate for a personality like Zaki’s to be limited to a single portfolio. His role is wider than that and I will work very closely with him on every issue.”

On Anni’s role in the party, Munavvar is even more complimentary. “Anni has been part of the party since the very beginning. His contribution has been invaluable and no one should diminish it.” For the future, he says, “Anni’s role in organising and delivering on direct action will be very important.”

Unity

And Munavvar is quick to dismiss accusations Anni has a dictatorial approach to leadership.

“To build a party in a country where a regime has been in power for thirty years and is doing all it can to retain power is not easy. A lot of people are dependent on the government, and cannot do or say things they want to. In this situation a lot of things have had to be done by Anni.”

Munavvar says it is Anni’s willingness to take the lead which has led to criticisms of his style. Rejecting such criticisms, Munavvar instead says he recognises Anni’s “sacrifices.”

Munavvar accuses the government of “amplifying rifts between islands,” to divide the MDP. By encouraging Addu people to be suspicious of Malé people, such as Anni, and vice-versa, Munavvar says “the government tries to gain support for themselves instead.”

But, he reiterates, “The MDP belongs to its members and party constitution says it will not discriminate on the basis of the island or family a member is from.”

Learning Process

Munavvar has assembled his first shadow cabinet, in which six of his ten appointees are MPs. Conflict between MPs and the National Council, which in the past have been shorthand for constitutionalists and militants, has been a recurring problem for the MDP.

The party’s first president, the MP Ibrahim Ismail, resigned accusing the National Council and Anni of imposing militancy on MPs. While in November 2006, MPs warned party activists against using violence during a planned nationwide demonstration.

But Dr Munavvar says this apparent vulnerability of the party is actually a strength, a sign of “the tolerance of diversity of political opinion in the party.” Dr Munavvar says past clashes between the governing institutions of the party were part of a “learning process.”

“Politics is about making the right choices and the right compromises at the right time, and the relationships between organs of the party should reflect this.”

Unilateral

And Munavvar says the MDP’s internal debate contrasts favourably with the government’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). He says President Gayoom’s recent unilateral declaration he will be the DRP’s presidential candidate in 2008, “showed a lack of knowledge of how the party system works and how people face elections.”

“People run in elections because they have a vision for the country and confidence in the people to trust this vision. But Gayoom has none of this. He says he is running because a party regulations says so, and this is the worst possible reason.”

But Munavvar welcomes Gayoom’s announcement, saying “it makes it easier to campaign for a parliamentary system,” in the August referendum to decide between a presidential and parliamentary system.

If Maldivians chose a parliamentary system in August, the post of president will be abolished, and Gayoom’s declaration will be meaningless. Munavvar says he is confident, “the people of this country will not tolerate Gayoom running in another election.”

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