Dr Ibrahim Didi, the former President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), yesterday submitted an official complaint with the Election Commission (EC) regarding his ouster by the party.
At a specially-convened session of the party’s national council on Monday, nearly 95 percent of those in attendance voted in support of the no-confidence motions against Dr Didi and Alhan Fahmy, the vice-president.
Alhan Fahmy is today holding a ‘free MDP’ protest against what he considers as the undue influence of former President Mohamed Nasheed on the party.
Dr Didi meanwhile argues that the vote taken on Monday was not in conjunction with the version of the party constitution currently registered with the EC.
“The October 2010 amendments to the constitution are not registered. It cannot be practised until it is lodged there. It is very clear in the Commission that [the vote] is totally against regulations,” said Didi.
Neither the President or Vice President of the EC were responding to calls at time of press, while the EC’s Director General Ahmed Tholal said he was not in a position to comment on the matter.
Speaking with local media after handing in his complaint, Didi said: “As you know the Elections Commission acts as the parent organisation to all political parties, and so only the party’s basic regulation submitted and approved by the commission is effective.
“Under the current legitimate basic regulation of the party there is no room to take a vote of no confidence against the President or the Vice President of the party, something on which even the members of the Election Commission agree,” he contended.
When Minivan News asked how tenable his position would be within the party should his complaint be upheld by an EC investigation, Dr Didi declined to comment.
He also mentioned that the changes were not sent to the EC for approval due to the negligence of the chairperson. The chairperson of the party when the amendments were made was Mariya Ahmed Didi, while the current interim chairperson of the party is Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik.
The no-confidence motion came after the council decided that both Didi and Fahmy were issuing statements in contradiction of the MDP’s agreed official line that the government of President Nasheed was illegitimately removed in a coup d’etat on February 7.
“I forwarded the resolution because [Alhan and Didi] have been making malicious statements intended to incite chaos and conflict among ordinary members of the party and the party activists. Making such statements at such a fragile time is damaging to the party,” Ghafoor told Minivan News on Monday.
Dr Didi today met with President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, reporting to local media that he had discussed the issues facing the country in his personal capacity rather than as a member of the MDP.
Speaking to the media after this meeting, Didi said: “The MDP leadership is currently in a legal void, therefore I have used this opportunity as an individual.”
He said that the discussions involved the restructuring of the Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) as well as the all-party roadmap talks which he felt would suffer due to the divisions within the MDP leadership.
Didi added that he had been asked to meet with the President on numerous occasions previously but had declined out of respect for his party’s position.
“My interest does not lie in gaining position – my interest is in the security and safety of the nation,” said Didi.
Minivan News was unable to reach a spokesman from the President’s Office for comment on the President’s meeting with Dr Didi.
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I support MDP.
I support Dr. Didi.
Please save us from MR. Nasheed, Reeko and Maria.
Dr. Didi Zindhabaadh.
what a nonsense - Didi and Alhan have been distancing themselves from MDP already since 7FEB. Whether keeping silent, whether going against the resotions of MDP, whether even doubting the coup d'etat which was live on our TV.
They more acted as submarines for dictator as well as pres and vpres of OUR party.
They were internally elected by the members. And the same members - represented in and by GM - have now said "Noon", we do not count on you, we do not trust you any longer.
Real democrats would accept their defeat and work harder and better to regain the trust of members and people.
Better stay with dictator and take ur rewards, we can continue without them
MDP lost their chance to win any presidential election
Addu bin Suvadeep what do you say to this?
Even if Elections Commission agrees that Didi is still MDP president,Didi will not be allowed inside Party HQ.. Even wphen he was not ousted his desk and.chair were taken away by Reeko Moosa,the powerful Chairman who is Nasheed's right hand man.
Didi now that Nasheed has foresaken you, your political futureis very bleak.
Sorry man!
MDP is more and more looking like a personality cult. Why the 'democratic' Anni cannot see this? Didi is a very balanced person who did a lot to bring a little bit of sanity to the party. But they kicked him out like Ibra. If Ibra, Munawwaru, Didi and all past leaders were somehow in MDP, its very unlikely that MDP will loose any election for a century. But as things are, i believe MDP is heading for an overwhelming defeat in next presidential elections.
Nasheed showing decisive leadership and clarity. Back stabbing can not be tolerated in the MDP.
Didi had a whole year to sort out the leadership struggle that has been going on with him and Moosa. He had a year to update the paper work in the party and to address the leadership challenge. So what is he doing now blaming all the mess on Marya and Moosa and everyone else? If he did not have the power to do anythng useful he should have called a Congress and sorted this out once and for all A long time ago. His priority should have been to hold Congress and to review and revise party constitution and to clean up any mess. I would have done that if I was in that position
I find it odd that he didn't do that. And if he didnt do so because he wasn't allowed to, then he should have resigned. or forced a confrontation like he has now THEN.
Why now? Doing this at this time takes away peoples confidence in the party. And if this is about showing us what a tyrant Anni is, isn't it a bit too late for that? Hasnt he been endorsed already by Congress as Presidential candidate from the MDP for the next elections? You have to wonder why Didi would raise all this fuss after that, perhaps he doesnt want Nasheed to be elected as president? Then why stay in the party?
Lot of questions here. All is not as it seems I think.
As for the MDP Council,I am just very disappointed that they should have done this to a man who has done so much for the party. It should have never come to this.
its not back bitting and Didi and Alhan are key people for MDP and they have been genuinely helping and trying to promote MDP.
Baaghee Anni does not want anyone else to have any voice and all need to obey his dictatorship. If not got to leave.
Anni is a cult and expect everyone else to follow his orders and even he himself was about to lift his level to a GOD.
Mohamed, according to the constitution, when the party is in power and they have a President, then the President is the leader of the party.
The party President becomes the real leader when the party is in the opposition and does not have the Presidency.
So Didi was powerless so long as Anni was the President of the country.
In reality Didi was right that as this has become a dictatorship with Anni and his cult following.
No matter how much spin anyone puts it on this is simply that.
@Jameel
If that is so, what is the fuss about being powerless? Clearly it was the position that had no power, not the person who was in the position. So,what are all these accusations against President Nasheed when he was simply exercising the power given to him by the party constitution? With the resolution taken on 8 February by the MDP Council which said very clearly that as far as they were concerned, President Nasheed was still the President, Didi should have accepted the leadership of President Nasheed. A lot of comments were made by both Didi and Alhan that were designed to create confusion among the people, and hostility against President Nasheed. I can see the Concil really had no other option but to remove these two leaders from their posts.
The least Didi could do now is to leave us alone to do what we have to do and leave the party if he cannot do this.
The usual paid for comments of decent on this page are from the opposition. They hate the fact that Anni has dealt with this effectively. We all know who you are too.
Now, there are only two reason to dismiss anyone... Either they are incompetent, or they are tearing the organisation apart. Didi qualifies for the latter and probably both!
Prior to joining MDP, Dr. Didi was known in Maldives as a dentist. After his expulsion from MDP, he would still be known as that dentist. The fame and the publicity Dr. Didi got in between joining the party and until his demise belonged to MDP. As Didi is no longer in the governing board of MDP, he can stay as an ordinary member of the party. There is no need to meet people like Dr. Waheed or Fuad Thawfeeq the election commissioner as they could not restore Didi to a position from which he has already been sacked by the MDP members. It would be wiser for Didi to continue his medical practice.
Thank you, Jameel for clarifying that.
That explains a lot.
So now we know that all this drama has come from Didi acting outside the constitution of the party and not accepting the authority of the leader of the party which you say is President Nasheed.
In light of what you have clarified for us, Didi's and Alhans actions after the coup are therefore quite shocking. And Alhans insinuations about the cult leadership of Nasheed (Roohaanee leader were his words) were both malicious and dangerous.
Every person on the ground knows what Didi and Alhan has said,what they did, who they met. They forgot that to lead one must have integrity, loyalty and have the capacity to negotiate, mediate, compromise. They have demonstrated they have none of these qualities.
Didi campaigned for President attacking the policies and practices of the government of President Nasheed.
That was the turning point for Didi and MDP.
Surely Didi can see that?
It was a conscious choice Didi made and he should have expected consequences for that. There are systems and mechanisms in the party to air grievances. Going public against President Nasheed who ran for President with the MDP ticket is hardly the action of a responsible and dedicated party member.
Let us also not forget that Didi broke a fundamental promise he made to the voters on hs campaign, that he will devote himself to the party full time. He didn't, he was back in cabinet not long after.
Hanif, you have got the wrong end of the stick. Nasheed is the leader so long as he is President of the country.
When he is not then the leadership reverts back to the elected President of the party, which is Dr.Didi.
So in reality Nasheed has no legal status in the party at present.
He is no longer the President of Maldives, neither is he the elected President of the Party, neither is he the Chairperson.
So Didi as the elected President is the leader of the party and not Nasheed.
It is very simple.
As for your assumptions about Didi and Alhan meeting people, surely as the elected leaders it is their job to meet people.
Nasheed has no legal mandate to say anything on behalf of MDP. Zilch. Yet when he goes and says different things to different audiences and confuses everyone, it is alright. When Didi as the legal head of the party meets someone it becomes a coup.
Your assumption is more funny than a Spike Milligan story.
I am sorry, jameel, you have the wrong end of the stick. The MDP COUncil passsed a resolution on 8 February that it does not recognise Dr Waheed as the President and that as far as MDP is concerned President Nasheed is the President of the Maldives. So President Nasheed IS the leader of the party whether he likes it or not. Until and when the Council decides otherwise, this is the position of the MDP.
If Dr Didi does not agree with the Councl decision, he really must leave the party.
Surely you can see that, Jameel?
I am sorry, jameel, you have the wrong end of the stick, not me.
The MDP COUncil passsed a resolution on 8 February that it does not recognise Dr Waheed as the President and that as far as MDP is concerned President Nasheed is the President of the Maldives. So President Nasheed IS the leader of the party whether Dr Didi likes it or not. Until and when the Council decides otherwise, this is the position of the MDP.
Dr Didi has to toe the party line or leave the party. Its quite simple.
I can't believe this is what the whole drama is about!!
Surely you can see that, Jameel?
I think the MDP should change this clause asap because this means that anyone who wants to be PRESIDENT of the party badly and be the big boss of the party will not want an MDP member to be the President of the country. Anyway thats what i am getting from what you said, Jameel.