The Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) report will not be released to authorities and former President Mohamed Nasheed for at least a further 24 hours, authorities in the Maldives have today confirmed.
The President’s Office has previously said that it anticipated receiving the report by today. However, speaking at the time of press, President’s Office Media Secretary Masood Imad denied that the government had expected a completed copy of findings to be received today.
President Mohamed Waheed Hassan agreed last month to extend the deadline by which the CNI must conclude its report into February’s transfer of power by August 30, 2012. CNI Co-Chair – retired Singaporean Judge G P Selvam – had requested a deadline extension in order to conclude the report due to the hundreds of people wishing to provide information.
When contacted by Minivan News, a spokesperson for the CNI office confirmed that the final deadline to release the report would now be tomorrow, but declined to give a reason for the delay.
Earlier this week, former President Nasheed’s representative on the CNI panel, Ahmed ‘Gahaa’ Saeed, expressed concern over a draft report compiled by the commission’s co-chair Judge Selvam. Saeed alleged that there were “significant gaps” in the report concerning certain evidence and statements that had been given to the commission during its investigation.
A statement released by the CNI today, said that no material obtained as part of its investigation had been lost or mislaid.
“All interviews, evidence and information received to the commission have been stored in a safe and secure manner. Hence this commission is quite certain that no material have been lost or mislaid,” the statement read, according to local newspaper Haveeru. While the CNI has confirmed the authenticity of the statement, Minivan News has yet to see of copy of the document.
Among the stakeholders expecting to receive the CNI report today were the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which contends that its presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed was removed from office during the events of February 7 in a “coup d’etat”.
The validity of these allegations is at the centre of the CNI’s investigation.
MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said that there had previously been “an understanding” that former President Nasheed was to have received the report between 9:00am and 12:00pm today, alongside authorities including the President’s Office, parliament and the Prosecutor General’s (PG’s) Office. Ghafoor said that the party was now expecting to receive the report at the same time as the public tomorrow.
“It appears that [the CNI] have changed their minds and are releasing the report in one go,” he said.
According to Ghafoor, the decision to provide the report to key stakeholders like the government and parliament before a wider public release had been decided to allow time for the report to be reviewed by various state institutions and political parties.
“This would have helped, as they way it looks right now, it doesn’t seem the CNI will address Mr Saeed’s concerns. Over the last three days we have not heard from the CNI at all regarding issues such as whether they would include CCTV footage from the President’s Office building [on February 7],” he claimed. “This means we will not be able to fill the gaps in the report before they bring it out.”
In a statement released this week, the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon, called on all “Maldivian stakeholders” to address the CNI’s findings in a calm and responsible manner.
“I look forward to the imminent completion of the work of the reconstituted Commission of National Inquiry and to its being able to agree on its report,” Mckinnon stated. “As we approach the release of that report, I would encourage all stakeholders to respect the commission’s findings, and to take time to reflect carefully on how to act upon them in a manner that maintains harmony in Maldivian society and helps strengthen democratic practice and institutions in the country.”
Responding to the statement, Ghafoor said he hoped the next 24 hours would be used by the CNI panel to try and find agreement on the report’s findings in light of Saaed’s concerns over the earlier the draft.
“[Commonwealth] Special Envoy Sir Donalod Mckinnnoon has this week talked about finding consensus on the findings,” he said. “However, if this consensus is not found between the commission’s members, then we would have to question if the CNI report was the report outlined in the Commonwealth’s recommendations.”
With the report now scheduled for release tomorrow, Andrew Cox, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Maldives said that social media reports claiming the CNI report would be launched from the organisation’s headquarters in Male’ were inaccurate.
“We understand that the CNI report will be directly delivered to the major actors concerned as per prior agreements,” Cox stated. “The report will not be released at the UN Building.”
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What a mess
Perhaps Thursday will be a better day for a nationwide revolt.
People who don't wish to be stranded at office buildings should arrange to be home before noon.
I don’t know what happened in Feb.
I am however, distressed that the struggle for social justice the MDP were engaged in (taxation measures being fought for and social services for the needy being fought for) is not being carried on by the new Government.
The word for charity in Arabic is Sadaqah! Sadaqah literally means JUSTICE!
Social services are only the begiining of Justice!
Social Services, a kind of charity (Sadaqah) is TRULY JUSTICE because the rich and powerful became rich and powerful through the brutal repression of the repression and control of the hearts and minds of the poor.
The mentally and emotionally crippling agony of centralized mind control of the whole nation, all in the name of unity, was the brutality it took to make the rich rich!
Justice!
I guess we will find out tomorrow if toppling a government through a coup is ok in the Maldives or not.
Yes and all you people who say that Anni resigned...do you think the people who orchestrated all this would say they brought about a coup? No. Cheapest excuse in the book!
" President Mohamed Waheed Hassan agreed last month to extend the deadline by which the CNI must conclude its report into February’s transfer of power by August 30, 2012. CNI Co-Chair – retired Singaporean Judge G P Selvam – had requested a deadline extension in order to conclude the report due to the hundreds of people wishing to provide information. "
Why the extension?
What was Mr. Selvam doing in Singapore for 3 weeks, which is now seen used it for "his" advantage, but to the raw agony of us Maldivians?
This is not justice and this is highly irregular.
Mr. Selvam or whoever, can bag in what ever is due to them and go home as they please.
The raw fact here is that every second time is lost, it is the people who are suffering.
MNDF shamelessly have been defeated by the Police on 7th February 2012.
The Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice are silent.
And this silence is jittery; and there is rising fear that Maldives is heading towards being run by the forces with the once thought mightier Maldive National Defense Force having to dance on strings as the underdogs.
This is shame!
Fom CONI, a real political gain for the coalition would be evidence to disqualify Nasheed from 2013.
Its more important than proving it is a coup or not.
I like your choice of words. Shamelessly defeated by the police.
If I may, I will also extend it to the parliament. Shamelessly toying with the constituents, with blatant corruption, undisguised laziness, openly hoarding what is left of the country.
MDP is now no better than DRP at its lowest.
The opposition leadership has capitalized on the xenophobia of the Maldivian public by making unfounded speculations against the foreign Co-Chair of the CNI whom the MDP itself demanded even after the US government and the UN made statements favoring an all-Maldivian panel.
MDP has also resorted to using vague references to Islamic shariah to justify possible unrest tomorrow. Former MP Mohamed Musthafa who spoke at last night's MDP gathering described what the party planned to do tomorrow "as a Jihad" and an "eye for an eye". While sitting MP for Baarashu Mohamed Shifaz nearly broke his vocal chords trying to juice up the gathered crowds with chants of something alone the lines of "we are not afraid".
The position of Quran-thumpers who split from the Adalat Party to join the MDP have also strengthened within the party as radical youth in the employ of the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives have been deployed to swell the MDP's ranks.
Nasheed learned pragmatism too late in his life and has taken cold calculating realpolitik to its extremes. Not surprising from the most militant member of the 80s anti-Qayyoom movement.
After a long time reading the Quran and praying at the Mosque, I have arrived at the firm conclusion that Prince Hasan Fareed, our dearly beloved former leader was absolutely right.
It is a waste of time and money to educate the Maldivian people. They will be better off, and the nation more peaceful, if all forms of education are denied to the Maldivian people.
The failure of Mohamed Waheed, the president, is a good example of the waste of time and money on education.
I also feel that the form of government imposed on the Maldivian people by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was the most suitable form of government for Maldives. It was a government run as a family firm.
Democracy and the rule of law have no place in the Maldives.
It is Islam, Islam and more Islam that we need.
Long live Maldivian Islam.
@Michael Fahmy
Norway or Finland, wherever you are wasn't always the epitome of social justice. It takes time, granted time has stood still for many years since Prince Fareeds' time. But it will no longer stand, sooner or later the useful idiots who keep the kleptocrats in power will realize something is amiss.
It wasn't the failure of the Maldivian education or the failure of Dr Waheed's Standford education which makes the political opportunist he is. It is the woeful condition of society in general. No democracy can be sustained if the people cannot rise above their personal greed and prejudices.
There really is no longer a point in protesting at this moment. I encourage my fellow MDP supporters to stay home. If this govt is brought down in the streets, it makes us no better. It does not change the fact that a significant number of Maldivian people are ok with the army meddling in politics. It does not change the fact that Kaashidhoo and Thimarafushi voted for these bandits. It shows people are fickle, naive, their decisions are not rational.
As Mark Twain said, "A man who insists on holding the cat by its tail, will learn things he cannot learn any other way".
It would be better to encourage awareness and strengthen the party and the political movement it represents by educating, informing, preaching to youngsters what political pluralism is.
I'm beginning to question whether Maldivian's can comprehend and appreciate democracy, civil liberties and tolerance. The past few years have been downhill. We need a strongman as a leader now, and definitely not Nasheed.
peasant. You are right to some extent , the way forward to the country is that.
After a long time reading the Bible and praying at the church, my firm conclusion is that we Maldivians should stay as anIslamic state rather than become a secular state. So, rather than follow Amnesty International, we should adhere to the practice of the well-loved and respected Maldivian Justice Abdulla Fahmy: that is to amputate the hand of the thief and give death penalty to those murderers.
As Michael Fahmy quite rightly said, "democracy and the rule of law have no place in the Maldives.
"It is Islam, Islam and more Islam that
we need.
"Long live Maldivian Islam".
@tsk tsk: Reading your comment reminded me. I read a comment you posted (yourself or someone under your own name) where you made a reference to the law in Sunni Islam that one should not rebel so long as the leader prays.
Just very briefly. As you stated, this position is the chosen position by the four Orthodox Sunni Madhabs due to a.)Historical Political necessity b.) the belief that the isnad (chain of narration) of the said Hadith is stronger than other Hadith urging rebellion.
Yet other Muslims that call themselves Sunni, who believe they follow the path or 'Sunna' as expounded by the same Sirah and Hadith the mainstream Sunni Muslims consider Sahih, disagree. There are Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim which urge defiance of tyranny, even IF the leader prays etc. The mainstream MAY consider such 'Sunni's' to be neo-Kharijite's (new-rebels.) Yet they, the so called Kharijites themselves would consider themselves to be of the Sunnah(many movements which have emerged as Sunni movements including early Wahabi movement, many movements in Africa such as the Fulani wars etc...) They DO quote Bukhari and Muslim to justify their rebellion, and, here is the important point, THEY are not Shiah and they are not Ibadi's.
Now, here comes the important point I had to make.
Most Shite Muslims would consider it extremely hurtful that you would describe them as rebellious, and the Sunni's as subservient.
Until recently, (since Khomeini) the mainstream Shiah were politically passive. They believed in Taqiyyah (dissumulation.)In their view, Ali Ibn Abu Talib refused to fight Abu Bakr, Umar bin Khattab due to his preference for Waheed (unity) of the Ummah. They followed, in large part, that example, in Iraq and Iran. The mourning ritual of the death at Karbala had become infused with spiritual implication rather than the political implication of rebellion we associate it with today.
The mainstream shiah do not take their version of the Sunnah (path) from bukhari and Muslim. They have their own version, and a book called Najhul Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) which is a beautiful source of tremendous poetry, though I do not take much of it as being authentic.
I say this because, here in Australia, our Government is doing its best to reject Hazara Muslims from Afghanistan, yet MOST of them, are the most gentle, loyal, hardworking Australians once they settle here, and, it is because of their peaceful religion. I love our Shiah Muslims, and, it hurts me to see them referred to as prone to rebellion based on some fairly common misconceptions. Tsk Tsk, I would not tell you all this if I did not respect you enough to believe you would understand why I am saying what I am saying, I don't want anybody to utter stereotypes about the Shiah which may damage the cause of the Hazara people I love. You are an extremely intelligent individual, so, even if I have not expressed myself clearly, I know you can work out what I am trying to say.