Leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Dr Hassan Saeed has called on the UK-based Law Society to lead a mission to the Maldives to assess the erosion of the rule of law, in an interview with the organisation’s publication The Law Society Gazette.
Dr Saeed told the Society that President Mohamed Nasheed, “a former political prisoner dubbed the Maldives ‘Nelson Mandela’”, was dismantling the 2008 Constitution and trying to “crush citizens’ rights under foot”.
President Nasheed was establishing his own “public courts” to replace independent courts, the Society reported Dr Saeed as claiming, while “courts are suspended” and “judges assaulted.”
In the article, the Society’s president Linda Lee urged the Maldives authorities “to uphold and protect key constitutional principles.”
Minivan News contacted the DQP seeking clarification of the claims.
Regarding the assaults on judges, the party’s Secretary General Abdulla Ameen noted that following a ruling in a case concerning Juhmoree Party MP Gasim Ibrahim by Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, “a lot of people went outside [the judge’s] house and physically threatened him, and set his motorcycle on fire.”
Concerning the suspension of courts, “the government has created a culture of fear among the judiciary, and they have had to cancel sessions and hold emergency meetings because of the increase in tension.”
The government had breached the rights of individuals “by arresting people without warrants,” Ameen said, referring to the recent detention of People’s Alliance MP Abdulla Yameen on the Presidential Retreat of Aarah following accusations of bribery and treason.
He also criticised the government for leaking audio tapes appearing to implicate MPs for corruption, “despite the Constitution clearly protecting private conversations between individuals.”
Ameen said Dr Saeed had requested the Law Society send an independent delegation to investigate the issues, “but if any other [institution] is interested we would also welcome it.”
The President’s member on the Judicial Services Commission Aishath Velezinee has also appealed for the UN Special Rapporteur on Independent Judiciary and the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) to send mediators to the Maldives.
Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said Dr Saeed’s claims in the Law Society article were “totally out of orbit.”
“One has to wonder what he is talking about – look at his own track record serving under former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom [as Attorney General]. We are clearly making steady progress,” Dr Shaheed said.
“Claiming that judges are being assaulted is very irresponsible. I’m not aware of any case where a judge has been assaulted, and in such an event there are domestic remedies available,” Dr Shaheed said.
Regarding Dr Saeed’s claim that courts were being suspended, “that’s outrageous. I’m not aware of a single time this has happened.”
“When a lawyer becomes a politician, they must continue to respect certain professional ethics as well,” he said.
“They are out to tarnish [President] Nasheed’s image, and they have taken issue with his awards and his description as South Asia’s ‘Nelson Mandela’,” Dr Shaheed said. “I think this is a case of the green-eyed monster.”
The request by the Law Society that the government respect the rule of law was “a standard expectation and we respect it.”
“The government is not disregarding the law,” he said. “Look at the behaviour of the other [arms of state]. Parliament is trying to usurp the powers of the executive, and the judiciary is behaving very questionably.”
Working in such an environment, Dr Shaheed said, the President had been called upon to make “some very difficult judgments, such as [the detention and release] of MP Abdulla Yameen.”
Dr Saeed recently led a DQP delegation to the UK to present the opposition coalition’s case to UK politicians and international institutions, employing a PR company to arrange interviews with several organisations, including The Law Society. The trip was jointly funded by the opposition parties, Minivan News was told at the time.
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"Law Society"? So, that's the ID of the brit "campaign office" hired by the opposition?
Excellent job, minivannews team. You have given me all the information I needed to know.
The judges deserve more than simple assault.
The constitution is flawed.
And a warning to that campaign group; anyone trying to stop the fight for a truly free Maldives will be arrested and charged with aiding and abetting known terrorists.
Yea, those who stoop to engineering human-rights abuses against the youth are simply terrorists.
I am amazed that Hassan Saeed and Gaumee Party actually supported the fight for change in 2008. It is evident now that its not actual change he wanted, but only to become the President of Maldives.
It is a shame that the 'Law Society' of UK is aiding this politician who wants to protect other corrupt politicians and few corrupt judges.
Shall we trust Dr. Shaheed? He called Maumoon father of democracy. He described Hassan Saeed as the defender of Islam in Maldives against Christian Missionaries.
I still remember this moment. I met him at Raajje Chambers shortly after the voting results of 2008 Presidential Election were announced. It was definitely a somber moment. I asked Shaheed if they were willing to back Nasheed. He said: Nasheed is a 'bad product' but we have to remove Maumoon.
Now he describe Hassan "green-eyed monster."
Actually Shaheed has little integrity now. He is no more than a 'political prostitute.
Unbelievable!
I think Hassan Saeed belongs to Hollywood now.
A case of the green-eyed monster indeed! Well said, Doc!
I heard Dr.Hassan Saeed and Dr.Jameel (so called new reformist...who actually wants presidency and power) sent a invoice to Gasim amounting to Mrf 4 mil for their so called legal service in the recent "drama"!!! Poor Gasim laughed till he cried..saying: "these B****** are gonna rip me in daylight!!" What a joke!! still Dr Hassan and Dr Jamee would say they are doing a national service..my foot!!!
Time has come for all decent,sensible,honest,law abiding and peace loving citizens of this nation to voice their concerns openly over "few" corrupt politician's (and all their supporting entities) attempts on hijacking the freedom, rights, justice, peace and security that are actually meant for benefit of whole nation under the Constitution of Maldives.
"Rule of Law" as they are professing can never be allowed to protect the corrupt and evil elements in this society.If that is allowed it will set a wrong example for the growing youth and destroy our nation from top to bottom. It had already done more damage than we can imagine. Day and night we are seeing our society getting deep into the darkness of evil. Then we will end up as a failed nation if this pattern is not reversed.No decent and law abiding person will be able to live here.
THIS IS JUST TOO DANGEROUS "A GAME" TO TAKE RISKS. THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED NOW FOR THE GOOD OF THIS NATION.
That's something very basic and simple commonsense. We don't need Dr.Saeed to teach that to us. Even a 4 year old would be able to challenge Dr.Saeed's views and reasoning. And of course his "puppet" Ameen who can be a better person if he had stick to his old profession (sports entertainer).
I don't mean to belittle any of them but they are just acting so crazily that we have to give this message in order for them to understand that this is not child's play.These are serious issues to be dealt impartially and with honesty.
The outcome from these episodes of today will shape up our nation's future.It will be part of the history of this nation and I wonder who would want to be recorded in it as a "Jester"?
With GOD's will, truth will win eventually.Glory be to Almighty GOD, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the complete universe and all between it.
In Almighty GOD we trust.
The majority of the elected members of the parliament is deliberately twisting the constitution in turn killing our rights.
To be frank I'am not a hardcore supporter of the current government, some bad decision were made by them which infringed on freedom as well. First we need to get this people who are trying to establish a semi autocratic oligarchy off the political map.
what Hassan Saeed right now doing is just plainly declaring his hunger for power only, I am loosing the great respect i had for him at a great pace.
This article could have been better if they give some reference and foot notes who is this Dr.Ahmed Shaheed is and where he was during Presidential election and before. I get laugh when he try to spin politics in Maldives thinking all of us are either fools or we all have dementia.
And so I Wannabe President Hassan Saeed moans on and on. Yawn Yawn Yawn.
So the West will now join forces and in the effort to let drug dealers, murderers, and openly corrupt politicians walk free? The laws are written and judicial controlled by the criminals of the country. What they want to is a safe-heaven for the criminals under the disguise of rule of law. Everybody in the world thinks laws should be respected. Nobody really cares if the laws are written by the criminals or that the judges are installed by the criminals. International institutions must recognise this fact before starting to listen to a political equivelant of a lemon in a used car market.
Hassan Saeed is a politician. He wants to become president.He wants to become president because he thinks he is the most suitable man in the Maldives for that job because of his education and intelligence. Gasim Ibrahim is a wealthy businessman who wants to become president.Gasim wants to buy his way to the presidency.Abdulla Yamin also wants to become president. He wants to become president because he thinks that it is his birth-right to do so as he is from the former ruling Gayoom family.
Maldives is a very small country, and it is also much less important in the world than many Maldivians realise.
In European countries, there is'nt a great deal of interest in the Maldives. There are no " Maldive Experts " there. Europeans judgements about the Maldives can be very erratic and superficial.
The change from Gayoom to Nasheed was a logical and good step for the evolution of Maldivian nation into something better in the future.
Nasheed must be given a full term in office, and perhaps a second one.
Nasheed's greatest weaknesses may be that he is too much of an idealist, and is in a hurry. Ground realities in Male and the Maldives indicate that he may be over-ambitious in the speed with which he wants to change the country.
Nasheed himself is a politician. A politician has certain drawbacks. Even Obama has them. In a sense, Gayoom was not a politician. Even if he was a politician, and still is, he is not in the same league as Nasheed, Hassan Saeed,Gasim Ibrahim and Abdulla Yamin.
In a sense, Gayoom was a statesman rather than a politician. He also had thirty years to fulfill his dreams.
Our Nasheed will take a little while longer to enter the august company of statesmen and great leaders. In the meantime, a little bit of humility will not do him any harm.
I believe that Maldives was lucky to escape being submerged by the recent tsunami. It is widely believed, also, that global warming and the rise in sea levels may lead to the final extinction of our nation from the face of the earth.
If that happens, the international community will be the poorer for it. The world will be without one of its oldest, though one of its smallest, nation-states.
The rich Maldivians my migrate and start again. But the vast majority of our people may simply vanish either immediately or soon after that.
If the present political deadlock and impasse continues in Male and the Maldives, our country will be in mortal danger. It will be more destructive than the tsunami we had.
Flying to Britain to hit the headlines may be a pleasant experience for Hassan Saeed and the bigwigs that he represents.
But I do not believe that Britain or any other foreign country can or will save us Maldivians.
We have to save ourselves.
But that requires patriotism, courage and wisdom. Those qualities may yet save us.
Well it's not surprising that the Law Society is jumping the gun here. When was the last time that lawyers actually cared about the truth?
DQP are blatant liars. They have promised on record to block every government bill in Parliament.
It's hilarious when you hear "the government has created a culture of fear among the judiciary".
Hello? The judiciary is waging war on innocent people. Only yesterday they freed a group of suspects in a murder case without batting an eyelid. A number of these esteemed judges have criminal records. When one of their paymaster's, i.e. Jangiyaa, Gasim or Yaameen is brought infront of them, they duly release them and turn the other way. Where's the corruption case against Jangiyaa Nazim? He has consistently failed to turn up in Court!!!
@ Michael Fahmy
Gayoom a statesman? Don't be silly
Hassan Saeed is damaging the Maldives and damaging tourism and our reputation with his lies. We should all remember this next time he wants our votes.
I like to know if Dr. Hassan Saeed, whilst working for the former Dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as his attorney general, whether he told these UK law society that he was planning on charging his present client Gasim Ibrahim for terrorism for attending a public gathering in front of then National Security Service.
everytime a news article about hassan saeed appears on any news website be it miadhu, haveeru or minivan, the readers comments are always targeted at him and accuse him of wanting to become the president of maldives. i dont understand this. is it a sin or is it illegal to aim ones ambitions so high? is the presidency of maldives a job reserved for a certain group of people, that excludes hassan saeed, yameen, gasim? i want an answer to this because i want my son to become the president of maldives when he grows up and i want to prepare him for the top job already.
David Hardingham lead a campaign to boycott Maldives tourism. He was affiliated with MDP. DO Sappe ran a campaign using his website calling on tourists to boycott Maldives. Go-Go Latheef held a news conferences jointly with Nirj Deva, another MDP sympathizer from Britain, calling on tourists to boycott Maldives.
I agree, Dr Shaheed is a typical political prostitue.
Sorry, Hassan Saeed, you can never ever be the President of Maldives, Never! With such narrow and siloed vision you cannot go too far. Better you stick to your old profession of teaching at a Madrasa. You don't have that kind of calibre to represent the Maldives in this day and age. A lot of people thought that you are a capable guy who could deliver. But now all of us know your ulterior motive. Perhaps you could continue calling people for any construction jobs or may be learn how to fly a kite!!
For some people constructive criticism is like their birth right, that they cannot digest some on else do the same. Whats wrong to have the ambition to get the highest office in the country. Its constitutional right to every one in the Maldives, be it Muhammad Nasheed (Anni), Yemeen, Ibrahim Ismail, Gasim Ibrahim , Hassan Saeed or who ever has the aspiration for the post.Most of the comments here target Dr.Hassan Saeed because he ran for this office and still show interest.
I sympathise Gasim as these cunning roses grabing the money in the name of Government accountable.
Very soon we will see poor Gasim praising President Nasheed.
President Nasheed maybe trying to do what he is trying to do! Also Dr. Hassan Saeed can interpret it the way he wants to!
But the truth, as everyone can see it; he wants nothing else, other than the presidency of Maldives!
The national flower, clenched (maybe his) green fist, depicts the hunger!
Where would this kind of hypocrisy end ???????
@lila
"I heard Dr.Hassan Saeed and Dr.Jameel......sent a invoice to Gasim amounting to Mrf 4 mil for their so called legal service.."
Lila! Funny! How much do you think Gasim could have lost if he had to go to jail?
I am not endorsing the amount nor am I endorsing Gasim, but I think you are being a bit naive!
Legal services is NOT like buying a coconut from "kanmathee store"
There goes the normal "hypocrisy" talk.
For God's sake how does some one become a "hypocrite" ?
Show me one person who is NOT a "hypocrite" !
I would like someone from among you to please tell me why Dr.Hassan Saeed is a hypocrite and how others are not.
If I am debunked I promise I will quit supporting him, Insha Allah!
Reason is I don't want to support a hypocrite!
it is the Courts (by the way, responsible for upholding the constitutional rights) that ignores constitutional rights of the people (including VICTIMS and WITNESSES) crushing citizen's rights, and the Parliament crushing the citizen's rights by poking their dirty middle finger in to where they are not supposed to. Dr. Saeed is concerned about somebody hacking his phone when I AM CONCERNED I CAN'T WALK ON THE STREET WITHOUT GETTING STABBED BY A MADMAN. why can't Dr. Saeed tell the UK Law Society what the Parliament is doing to this country, without passing important laws and canceling Parliamentary proceedings? i should have known, he is such a selfish idiot.
oh, and he was talking about how the Government is "giving" this nation to foreign countries. what the *&^% is he doing now?
Hassan Saeed is blatantly advertising his hypocrisy, he is becoming a much more of a sod than he was.
The west and the East have invested heavily with these people you refer to.We are talking in millions here. Many of these people are their partners in the booming tourist industry and other businesses in the Maldives.So how I wonder is the international community going to deal with these peoople?
Why is Hassan Saeed's fist crushing that poor rose?
no justice is realized in this world, but it must not be abandoned, it must be held in the heart,,, each of us must strive to do our best to be just, to struggle for justice, and though our efforts may not usually be rearded in this Dunnya they will be realized in the Akira
It couldnot have been a better decription of Dr. Shaheed "typical political prostitue".
Oh heck, you really want to know how to become a hypocrite, its goes like this, you tell Dr. Jameel that you support him unconditionally, but in reality you tell Dr. Jameel he will support only if he becomes his boy.
maldivian presidency must be reserved for Anni.. and his gang.
no one else can b even dream to become a president.
Hassan and Gasim must spend everything they have to help Anni to become Maldivian president,
Anni dont won' dhoa.., he forget dhoa only 25% people voted him... wow how nice dhoa!
@Boy
"..you TELL Dr. Jameel that you support him unconditionally, but in reality you TELL Dr. Jameel he will support only if he becomes his boy."
THAT'S hypocrisy?!
According to you, on BOTH occassions he TELLS what he wanted and Jameel knew the conditions!
If he TELLS (!), how does that become hyprocrisy?
BREAKING NEWS!! DR Hassan and Jamee is crying in front of Gasim to pay up for their UK trip which was a loan from some one and to pay for their legal services: AMOUNT: Mrf 4 Million. Dr.Hassan said he would go to court too if Gasim doesn't pay! But IF PAID he can give a discount of 5 % FOR THE ROSE!! Dr.Hassan what a looser you are!!