Additional reporting by Musliha Hassan
Former President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Dr Ibrahim Didi and former Vice President Alhan Fahmy today signed up with the Jumhoory Party (JP) of local business tycoon Gasim Ibrahim.
Former MDP Secretary General Hassan Shah also signed for JP today.
Speaking at the signing ceremony this morning, Alhan Fahmy claimed Gasim Ibrahim’s “experience and service to the country” made him the most capable candidate to rule the country under the current situation.
Beyond his resort interests, Gasim owns television station VTV, is an MP, and a member of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). VTV was shown on the state broadcaster after it was stormed by police and opposition demonstrators on February 7, while Gasim and several other then-opposition leaders gathered in police headquarters.
Dr Didi and Alhan Fahmy were removed from the MDP leadership posts in a no-confidence vote supported by 95 percent of the MDP’s National Congress on April 30, after the pair were accused of making statements contradictory to the party’s official line concerning February 7.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Gasim stated that former president Nasheed resigned after realising that he would no longer be able to rule the country.
“At some point the police and the military declined to obey his orders. If that is a coup, then it is a coup,” he said.
Gasim further alleged that Nasheed had given illegal orders to the police and military, and arrested people unconstitutionally and refused to release them – a reference to the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdullah Mohamed.
Gasim also said that Nasheed, who had resigned with the realisation that he had failed, was now trying to “hoodwink” people into thinking he had been ousted by a coup. He described Nasheed’s actions as poisoning the people.
Gasim said that Nasheed “should be arrested” by now and that with “the help of the constitution”, the current administration would arrest him.
Speaking at the ceremony, former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Dr Ibrahim Didi said today he had opened a new page in his political career and looked forward to working for the nation on a JP platform.
” The message that I want to give to my friends and my relatives, is that from the day my political career began, I have been working in the best interest of the nation,” Didi said.
” Unfortunately, all the doors had been closed in [the MDP], and today, I am joining Jumhooree Party because I believe that this platform has all the doors opened for me,” he added.
He said that he did not find any substantial reason to believe that the ousting of former president Mohamed Nasheed had been a coup, and that if JP started mocking people and harassing Islam, he would leave immediately.
Speaking in the ceremony, former Vice President of MDP, MP Alhan Fahmy said that the country would not be able to recover if people were to follow in Nasheed or [former president] Gayoom.
He further alleged that both Nasheed and Gayoom, with the help of their close friends and family, wanted to establish a system in which they could stay in power without limitations.
” I want to say to the young people of the country, those that create and build ideologies. That is, we wont be able to steer our nation to the destinations that we want, if we are to blindly follow a few individuals,” he said.
Fahmy joined Didi in claiming that the controversial transfer of power was not a coup and that it was legitimate.
Also in the ceremony, former Secretary General of MDP, Hassan Shah, claimed that all MDP members knew how to do was gather in a place and protest.
Minivan News tried contacting Fahmy and Didi, but they did not respond at time of press.
Local newspaper Haveeru earlier reported that both Didi and Fahmy insisted on retaining the Presidential and Vice-Presidential positions within their new party, which required an amendment to JP regulations.
Didi and Fahmy were removed from their posts in the MDP after being accused of making statements in contradiction of the party’s official line, concerning the the events that led to the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7.
A motion of no confidence was supported by 95 percent of the MDP’s National Congress on April 30. Both men disputed the legitimacy of the process which led to their ousting.
Dr Didi filed a complaint with the Elections Commission (EC), which was later dismissed, whilst Fahmy staged a sparsely attended ‘free MDP’ rally, protesting against what he alleged was the negative influence of Nasheed on the party.
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This is getting more interesting...
Yet another player in the mix.
Good Good.
Keep one thing going. Do NOT let anything settle, even for a while. Just ensure you stir up so much trouble, that even GOD himself will find it difficult to sort out. We will be content then.
Further evidence that Alhan Fahmy has no integrity whatsoever.
Well, at least they have showed their true colours. What they were ever doing in the MDP in the first place is anyone's guess!
Gasim is not going to win a presidential election; never in million years. The easiest way for him to get the seat is piggy back on some one else as vice president and then hire the security forces to oust the one elected. Hope Gasim takes my advice on this
Mocking Islam? Oh yes, of course. After giving that huge speech, these politicians will be in Bangkok with thai prostitutes, return and again state how 'muslim' they are.
Secularism is the way to go!
Ex MDP President and Vice President were Gasim's boys. Just imagine Gasim was controlling MDP with these guys. what ever they have done and said must have been scripted by Jumhooree Party.
"That is, we wont be able to steer our nation to the destinations that we want, if we are to blindly follow a few individuals"
Oh yeah? What a blind idiot! Truth is people like Alhan and Didi will always be followers and will never be leaders of men. Today they are following Gasim, despite the above non-sense.
"... and that if JP started mocking people and harassing Islam, he would leave immediately."
What has Islam got to do with any of this? I wonder if Didi dare ask his new boss, Gasim about how much money he makes from all those things that are absolutely forbidden in Islam, such as selling alcohol and pork and allowing fornication! It's all those dealings in the "haram" that propelled Gasim t o where he is. Shame on the bastard for even bringing out the Islam word.
I wouldn't count on these two drama Queens lasting that much long within JP. Alhan's now done DRP, MDP and JP. Where next? The pink group perhaps?
How much money did you get Alhan? enough for your BMW???
I fathom just about as much as MDP paid him to jump on board their ship.
Which I hear is not even half the amount that the MDP forked out to Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed to cross over to their party.
Or the underhanded deals that the MDP closed with North Kulhudhuffushi MP Abdul Ghafoor to sign him up to the MDP.
Although the grapevine does say that West Maafannu MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem was relatively cheaper for the MDP to buy.
My point here is that all of our political parties have engaged in bribery, extortion and outright blackmail to get what they want and quite often I might add.
No political party in this country, except maybe the tiny inconsequential ones, can claim to be saints.
However the indoctrinated yes-men and blind followers among us would of course believe the political parties can do nothing wrong and that the personality cults around which those parties are built are infallible.
The three major political parties in our country are currently all personality cults.
MDP requires complete and strict adherence to the Nasheedism which makes it a cardinal sin to defy the "party line" which often is dictated by Nasheed and his small junta of non-elected party heads.
PPM was formed from the remnants of a Qayyoomist cult although just like MDP certain factions within that cult are trying to convince Qayyoom to step back and hand over the reins to a younger generation.
JP is a vehicle for Qasim to realize his own ambitions.
All three cults have grounded principles based on which their cult leaders have fashioned their goals. However democratic, transparent, accountable institutions they are NOT.
Who could have betrayed a nation and its people more than Alhan and Didi did, by calling foreign governments informing them that the resignation of the president Nasheed is genuine, while he was still under the detention of the military.
The coup leaders bribed several military personals and others involved in the coup, among them these two are most likely to be paid the highest bribe money, to look the resignation of the president genuine, and breaking down the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party. Later on, they behaved like dictators, wants to cling on the party posts when the party member unanimously voted to oust them.
If it is not for this treachery, the international community would have forced resignation of the illegitimate coup government holding on power by now.
Gasim can buy some of the people but not the whole country. What a hypocrite. How can he embrace islam at the same time drink his wine and import pork to his resorts not to mention his unusual sex life.
any one who opposed the cult Anni, will be a traitor and a Baaghee.
Those cult believer will be drowned into Anni words and they will nerve be able to think themselves and the cult leader will always have them preoccupied with cult acts.
Anni will never give any chance to anyone and he himself want to be the leader in the MDP.
Ibrahim Islamel and Dr. Munavvaru also left MDP presidency due intolerable influence and dictatorship of Anni.
Anni will never allow any leader to come up from MDP except himself. Anni does not know how democracy works and all his actions and believes are based on communist principles and that was how he tried to rule this country.
The cult need to be punished and brought to justice .
Alhan, Didi and Shah, as long as any political party has party hoppers and hypocrites like you, that party will never develop into one that has the people's best interest in mind. So good riddance. And you people must be really stupid to think that any of us, except a few stupid and ignorant fools, will believe anything you say about having the people's best interest in mind as we all know how cheap you people are and how easily Gasim has bought you. You people in the name of democracy are working to do the most undemocratic thing, support one of the biggest business tycoon, as the President of Maldives? Where is the huge conflict of interest here that will benefit villa and its employees only and leave rest of the population disadvantaged in so many ways? Is that the democracy you guys are talking about? Really pathetic.
Having said all this, MDP now with loser like Didi and Alhan and Shah out of the picture, can you please get serious about party reform and don't let few players like Maria and Reeko run the show? We all have so much support for MDP as the first political party ever to fight for democracy in this Country, so please maintain your stance and keep in mind the responsibilities you have towards those who are supporting you and the population in general. Get your act together!
@Leena
Wow... How stupid and naive can you be?
Ofcourse they would get paid. So does EVERY single nut job in our parliament? Do you think even for a single moment in time, that any one there has the country's interest foremost?
news flash: NO.... All work for personal wealth.
Anni was strong and decisive to epell these rotten corrupt individuals. No wonder mode does not like it!!
Fahmy is only interested in his own wealth and power for himself. He has joined the right party!
Two rats!For money they can do everything/
The list is growing.
Gasim
Thasmeen
Maumoon
Anni
Yaameen
Umar Naseer? lol
they all are same weather gasim alhaan or dentist Didi they are hungry for money gasim needs to eat the whole country and alhaan needs cash all the time he can't afford and dental guy is mentally not fit borrowed some money recently from gasim
Who cares!
Tsk tsk seems to be hopelessly in love with MDP judging from his comments.