Former President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has sent a letter to UK Prime Minister David Cameron appealing for pressure to be placed on President Mohamed Nasheed following “the escalation of attempts to harass and intimidate me and my family.”
Gayoom explained to the British Prime Minister that the strategy deployed by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party during the presidential election campaign – which was actively supported by the Cameron’s party, the UK Conservatives – “was based predominately on attempting to smear my reputation, spreading disinformation, and baselessly accusing me of corruption and misappropriation of State funds.”
“All such allegations of corruption, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds and property are basedless and completely untrue, as are those of torture, repression, and unlawful detention during my presidency,” Gayoom wrote.
“Nearly two years after the MDP government assumed presidency, Nasheed and his government have failed to uncover a single shred of evidence to substantiate any of these allegations,” Gayoom added.
The latest episode, he wrote, involved “unsubstantiated allegations by an elderly man by the name of Ahmed Shafeeq that I had, during my tenure as President, ordered the murder of 111 dissidents.”
“In a book authored by this Shafeeq, which was ceremoniously released [on October 10] by Mohamed Nasheed himself, it is accused that I also ordered the man’s arrest and supposed torture in prison. In a country of just over 300,000, it is safe to assume that even one ‘missing person’ would not go unnoticed, let alone 111.”
Gayoom expressed concern to the British PM that Nasheed would attempt to have him arrested “despite my innocence”, and despite praise from election observers at the “smooth handover of power” and assurances of safety and privileges in the Constitution.
Instead, the former President claimed Nasheed’s government had “escalated its attempts to harass me” in the run up to the local council elections, despite his retirement from politics earlier in 2010.
“After the government’s defeat in last year’s parliamentary elections, the popularity ratings of the ruling MDP have fallen further in recent months as a result of the government’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises and its lack of respect for the law.”
“On the other hand,” Gayoom told the British PM, “I continue to enjoy the strong support, love and affection of the people, and have been voted by the public as ‘Personality of the Year’ in both years since stepping down from the presidency.”
Gayoom went on to state that Nasheed had not provided him with adequate security and that “for almost two years now, I have not been able to go to the mosque to perform my prayers on Fridays. My movement remains severely restricted.”
Minivan News attempted to determine the veracity of the (unsigned) letter with Spokesperson for the Former President, Mohamed Hussain ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, but had not received a response at time of press.
However, the UK High Commission in Colombo confirmed that the letter from the Former President was received in London, and a reply issued.
“The UK government follows events in Maldives closely. We believe that effective cross-party dialogue is essential to overcome the key challenges facing Maldives. We have expressed this view to both the government and the opposition,” the High Commission stated.
Press Secretary for President Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed Zuhair, had not responded at time of press.
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Comment: Democracy derailed
I have seen only few politically aligned and biased website like Minivan Daily. Hope your journalists would mature.
its better to send him Guraidhoo " Bodu Ge , he is now tooo kiddy
Why there is no signature of Gayyoom. hehehe any one can write a letter like that.
This news website has been playing every music to shut down voices for broader changes Maldivians wanted.Lastely the website was able to promote Maldives as a place where there is no respect for foreigners. However its interesting to note a number of foreingners are working for MDP government like the Editor of this website. Someone really need to calculate how many millions of dollars has been drag away because of the published news on Wedding in Maldives.This shows how much thirst this website has towards promoting democracy and tolerence.Starting from the verr begining always, were after Islam and Women rights. I ask the writers in this website to open eyes and see,where you have been educated shows anything like what you are doing.Guys leave Maldivian alone and let Maldives be a peaceful nation.
Gayoom, you have gone mad. Who is Mr. Cam to ask for help. Repent and seek help from Allah, offer your prayer in Jamaa'at, strengthen your Eeman. Thats the only way forward.
Dear Maumoon,
Please kindly readdress your letter to All Mighty, as you need to explain your failure to Pray in mosque. May be part of Anni's savaabu will be granted to your credit.
David Cameron is likely to request the MNDF to allocate an armoured Tank to shuffle Gayyoom between home and mosque.
If Maumoon can't go to the Mosque .... Let the Mosque come to Gayyoom ... heh heh ...
Maumoon is going to write a letter to US President Obama, complaining that he was unable to fast in months of Ramazan in the last couple of years, due to the Maldivian governments intimidation. Its most likely that he will take a copy of this letter and copy of letter to Cameron in his coffin for explanations.
Islam is not the answer to everything. Consider the question 1+1. What is the answer? 2.
Good for Mr.Gayoom..there are a lot of people who value Mr.gayooms invaluable service to our nation...i wish him all the best.
Why is it that we only critisize Maumoon when he writes to the British PM? What about the current president Nasheed and all he does trying to get US and British support, even to the extent of putting Maldives at risk and danger of terrorism by agreeing to look after prisoners from Guantanamo, when he can't even look after his own people. Come on! All this just to be liked by Obama...what a pathetic character!
@ Nifaq Al-Akbar
"interesting that you can only see one side"
I can very well see two sides. Both are identical. Both sides starts with 'G' and ends with "boa".
Hama ekachcheh, fennanee!
How many hundreds of people were jailed for speaking out against the tyranny of maumoon's regime?.
How many thousands of families were broken using the state-sponsored terrorism of maumoon's regime?.
How many unnamed people, whose only crime was speaking out against the destruction of their country... were tortured and even vanished with no trace in the prisons in Maumoon's regime?.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, they say. I hope Maumoon enjoys a -273 degrees celsius stew of all the resentment and wrath the oppressed have held in their minds until now.
its just a joke winning the personality of the year from fake sms votes.what a shame !
Out of all the blames, His Excellency Mohamed Nasheed has to take the blame of Maumoon not being able to perform Friday prayer as well.
I wonder if Allah will accept this excuse. On the day of Judgment.
I wish Maumoon will set a light on this matter. After all he is a learner-ed man from Pharaoh land.
Maumoon, in his 30 long years of power, promoted three symbols. These three symbols were meant to represent the nation of Maldives.
The first symbol was himself. He represented the nation.
The second symbol was Islam. Islam was Maldives and Maldives was Islam.
The third symbol was the representation of Maldives as a group of paradise islands.
I fail to recognise my own Maldives in any of these three symbols.
Collectively and individually, these symbols misrepresent our country.
He was too much influenced by Koli Ali Maniku for whom God is Money.
He allowed himself to be used by his in-laws too much; especially by Ilyas Ibrahim.
He is not the only dictator who has avoided justice, and spends his years of retirement in comfort.
Although he was a Mullah by training, he decided to educate his own children in the British and Western tradition.
He writes eloquently in defence of himself.
He cannot see his own faults and weaknesses, and will not own up to them.
He was a king and emperor and not a democtatic leader.
He would have preferred to continue as ruler indefinitely.
He did not recognise the difference between his private purse and the nation's public purse.
He was an absolute ruler and a theocrat.
He has been lucky not to face the same fate as his predecessor Ibrahim Nasir, but he will not come to terms with it.
It would have been better for him to leave Maldives once he was ousted from office.
That would have been a better choice even for the nation of Maldives.
To comment on one of Minivan's brief news items, the one about airports and loss to IAS; is Bandhu whining about the loss to him from IAS cargo department? Certainly there has been more mone than 90 million Rf unaccounted in IAS's short life span, either through cargo department or commission for ordering aircraft, etc!
Pathetic
To Heck...the name 'Golhaabo' was given to Maumoon by the 'people' NOT by some people...but 'Ganjaabo' was first called by Maumoon Party...not by people...
@Rationale - best comment so far
what an appropriate pic of british PM (it reflects his possible thoughts upon reciept of gayooms letter)
This is how God punishes Despots like Gayoom. Politicians should learn the lesson now and treat people with love and care. When your in power you never think that this day will come. its 30 years of negligence and ill treatment of people he is paying for now. No one, not even Cameron can cure this curse from GOD to Gayoom. Lets hope and pray that GOD ease his pain and be merciful on his soul.
."‘Ganjaabo’ was first called by Maumoon Party…not by people…"
I was never a fan of Maumoon, the despot.
But this comment is crazy.
What? You think Maumoon's party is made up of a microphone and a stand? Not people?
I can very well remember MDP Sappe on a projector at an MDP gathering explaining what is 'Golhaaboa" and encouraging MDP people to call Maumoon by that name!
So how can you say there is much of a difference in the ethics and history behind "Golhaboa" and "Ganjaboa" ?
We see he is still playing the game.
Still brave...
@heck
Please stop explaining you're a fan of Golhaaboa. We already know that. Gayoom's title will remain Golhaabo as the majority of Maldivians have declared. Thank you.
@ Hammaam Haleem
Cross my heart! Wish to die! I am not a fan of Golhaaboa.
I can't forget that night I was soaking wet in heavy rain raising my hand in prayer that he may be history.
I wanted to keep that shirt as a souvenir, but unfortunately found it washed and ironed later, to my disappointment.
But I don't know... Maumoon looks old and pathetic now.
Just don't feel right to pick on an old man - he reminds me of my long dead grand father now.
But Anni is fun to pick on! He is young and energetic and capable of taking jokes, I hope?
So I am just following his wish. May be Anni gets pleasure reading all the nasty stuff about him.
Remember? He went to see Maakanaa Show with his lady luck! So enjoying BS said and written about them must be a family trait.
Even Anni begged the public to call him by whatever name they liked and write whatever they wished against him!
But yes. I have to admit. I already want this government to be history!
Or biology.
Or chemistry.
or whatever!
Just need this period to end.
y is my comment deleted on this platform of freedom of speech or journalism u ppl call...wot a joke...u ppl dont want real info to be given to the norms haaa...y bcoz they might become smart and live a better life and u wont b able to squeeze all the money out of them dry haaaa...fyki its not them u shud b careful but its the norms...its not the money but the knowledge...technology can be copied from a floppy disk in few seconds and norms to the mythical mysterious ppl
@rationale
LOL LMAO ..hehehe..very well said indeed!
@ michael fahmy
truly spoken by intellectual..nd the award for the best comment goes to Michael Fahmy
@rationale
and the award for the best comment for best comic timing goes to Rationale
thank you for your valuable and worthwhile comments!as comments go these two beat everyone!!
@Michael Fahmy: winner of the great thinker award....can you list out these points in a small book and get it published or something?
Never seen such an appropriate and perfect summary on the life and times of Zaeem Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom
Minivan news
kindly get the copyright and publish Michael Fahmy's views on Zaeem Maumoon A Qayyoom.. If you need words to describe zaeem,then go no further just publish Michael fahmy's comment!It's a jewel!
"If the gloves do not fit, quit it!". Johnny Cohran (O.J Simpson's lawyer). The title of Golhaaboa (robber of the poorest of poor) fits Golhaa, this is the reason why he is wearing the "hat".
Maumoon, you can always catch a flight to UK and ask for political asylum. UK is full of political asylum seekers from south asian countries. You can also join the gang and perhaps live the rest of your life there in peace.