The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has alleged mutinying sections of the police plan to create unrest and violence on the streets of male’ as senior politicians begin contemplating the release of findings by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) next week.
The opposition party has claimed “rumours”were being spread across the nation by “mutinying” officers that certain sections of the police planned to take to the capital’s streets to create “havoc” as the CNI’s findings were released to the public in order to “protect” the current government. In a statement, the MDP said it was calling on the nation’s police and military institutions to be vigilant over accusations that certain officers may try to use violent tactics to create instability.
The CNI, formed by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to investigate the controversial transfer of power that brought his government into power on February 7, is set to publicly release its findings on Thursday (August 30).
Senior figures on both sides of the country’s political divide have in recent days been addressing the potential for violence between protesters and national security forces once the outcome of the CNI’s investigation is known.
Speaking to local media this week as part of coverage of his official visit to Sri Lanka, President Waheed said that no party will be allowed to create unrest in relation to the CNI report and its findings.
President Waheed, during the trip, has also continued to reject opposition allegations that he had come to power in a “coup d’etat”, claiming in the international media that the Commonwealth has been “premature” in its calls for elections to be held during 2012.
“Since they made the demand, these people (the Commonwealth) have come to their senses,” the president was reported by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news service as telling media gathered in Colombo. “The Commonwealth has realised that they made a demand that cannot be met. It was a premature demand.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat was not able to respond to queries by Minivan News at the time of press. President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was also not responding to calls to clarify the comments.
The president yesterday announced that he would also be inviting political representatives to fresh All Party talks within the next few days. However, the government has maintained that it would not discuss potential outcomes of the CNI until the commission’s findings are released.
The President’s Office last week said the government was not considering “special” preparations to address the findings of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), adding it not expect any “abnormal” outcome from the report that would see its legitimacy questioned.
“Irresponsible”
MDP Spokesperson and MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor has claimed that the government was “irresponsible” for not agreeing a “ managed transition” in order to set out a plan to deal with the potential outcomes from the CNI’s findings.
Despite having previously agreed on August 14 to a proposal to discuss three different potential scenarios regarding the CNI’s conclusions, Ghafoor alleged the government has failed to respond to the suggestion by August 18 as promised by Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen at the time.
“It is the responsibility of the government to address how to move forward with the CNI outcomes. So far we are the only ones to propose a possible solution,” he said. “What happens if the CNI should rule it was a coup? We would then have a situation where the people who are in power having to take action against themselves.”
However, the MDP’s allegations that certain elements within the police were potentially planning acts of violence in the country were condemned by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) today.
Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan New that the party’s comments reflected what it said were attempts by former President Mohamed Nasheed to “erode public trust” in the police and create “fear” among the general public.
“The police are always professional. Right now we are taking precautions regarding information we are receiving,” he claimed
Haneef added that the authorities would be stationing officers around the country, adding that the police would “not tolerate unrest”.
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CP Riyaz says he will defend himself even if Waheed resigns. "Even if we have to make this totally a military government under Buruma Gasim, we are not going to hand over this country into a civilians" Riyaz told senior police officers today. This is going tobe a civil war.
"the police are always professional"? My foot! is that why they beat up everyone the way did on the 8th of February?
oh I forgot! It is because they were emotionally upset. My apologies to the professional Maldives police.
On 30 august the former president Nasheed and his cult members will be out of the ransacking and torching everything in sight if CoNI declares its not a 'bagaavai".
If its declared a "coup" Gayoom, nazim so, riyaz so, gasim seytu and waheed and their gang of thugs will unleash unimaginable chaos in Male.
There is absolutely no chance that the CNI report will conclude that it was a "coup".
The report will raise more questions than it answers and we will be none the wiser about whether it was a "coup" or not. The report will conclude with nothing of real substance and a whole lot of fudge.
Overall, it would have been a totally wasted exercise and the warring factions will continue with ever more vigour. May there never be peace in this God forsaken place.
This makes sense, the illeal regime have a gold medal in lies and deception. 30 years of brutal dictatorship demonstrates this!
where did u hear this juicy news??
I though Minivan was above making headlines out of allegations.
So much for that. So DhiTV's brand of reporting rules the day I guess.
Oh the police could get emotional again and beat up a couple of people. No problem we will have our HRCM who will be so understanding of the emotional upheavals our poor police officers go through.
I think this is how the security forces are going to operate when "havoc" goes down
1) People start protesting for legitimate reasons
2) Security forces respond by telling them to go away
3) People don't go away
4) Security forces use their resources (mostly youth in gangs) to cause more mayhem then the protesters ever would
5) Tensions rise and the pro-security force media start spreading the message that the protesters are "burning the city" and that the "MDP are out of control" or some ****
6) Once the public has been duly notified about how dangerous the protesters are, they take them out using "appropriate" measures (ref: Feb 8th, Male', Maldives).
7) The aftermath is represented by the majority of media (media which is more critical of the situation would probably be taken over or burnt down or have their cables mysteriously cut at this point) as security forces stopping a dangerous riot (and therefore being national heroes), instead of needlessly escalating and manipulating a protest
I think this tactic has been used many times in the Maldives before.
Looking more into it it seems pretty standard, even on an international level. This is a video of police thugs using similiar tactics in Canada
http://youtu.be/gAfzUOx53Rg
@Hani,
Agreed, but to an extent. But MDP aren't saints either, neither is the ruling government.
One of Nasheed's leading "activists" was arrested on gang related drug charges in 2011,
And simply saying one side is purely innocent or "good", is absurd.
The people need stop having so much faith in these politicians in Maldives who are so extremely corrupt, regardless of which side they are on.
MDP's activist ism is the root cause of Anni's fall!
Why so much obsession with CoNi report.!!!
Nothing happened with Ivan Naseem report.
Is it worth so much inquiry and hoopla over one persons job, while so many youth are unemployed.
The nation should be bigger than one man. And not all wrongs can be corrected. Greater of society must prevail.
to all believers of democracy. Let it be known that it does not work. Read today's BBC 'The trouble with freedom'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19372177
You may think you got rid of a dictator. But then by default, nasty groups, cliques and gangs take over.
Democracy does NOT work.
Sad that so much violence has occurred.
Whatever way MDP and Anni respond to this, I pray that Anni knows this struggle is not about him and his power, THAT would be tyrannical thinking. IF it is about Anni, it is not a struggle for democracy! IF it is a struggle for democracy, it is about the people's ability to choose their own political destiny, hence the meaning of democracy (people power) NOT about ANY individual!
I say this because, I read on Miadhu English that Anni was judging people's loyalty and devotion to him as though it is a contest about who can sacrifice most for him. He said, Mariya Didi was the closest to him, or something along those lines. Of course, I have no idea about the truth of this article or the context, and I am not even sure I understood it correctly, so, I MAY be out of order in bringing this up in this context.
Anyway, it is still true to say that a true democrat (one who is for the people) will not be comparing other people's capacity to make sacrifice for them self. That would be reflective of an attitude of grotesque selfishness - narcissism to the point of being a sociopath, we would call it tyranny if a leader thought like this.
The opposite to that of course, is, democracy, where a leader accepts and respects others no matter how loyal they are to that leader - because democratic leadership is - as the name suggests - leadership for the people. A leader is MEant to be the people's servant in a democracy.
A good leader would NOT be judging others sacrifice and loyalty to them self! A good leader would be constantly judging his own level of sacrifice and loyalty to his or her people, and striving to be more self sacrificial, to empower the people (democracy literally means people power...for the zillionth time)
Oh one last point I was meant to mention above.
IF a member of a nation expressed LOVE for a good leader to that leader, a GOOD leader would thank that person, and then ask that that person does their best to express that love as love for the rest of the people, not for them self the leader! A democratic leader would be all about turning the Service of the people TO the people, not to their own power, as this would be what is democratic, RIGHT and moral, and this... is absolute!
@Ben Plewright
Thank you for explaining some useful basics.
What is killing MDP are some of those misguided assumptions such as infallibility of a single leader (in effect a Gayoom construct) and almost a single minded focus on ONE dictator (MAG) in a society run by several dictators.
Democracy needed to re-address the MULTIPLE dictatorial setups that control the country.
Anni seems to have lost the forest for a single tree - that why he is out.
@rethinking
democracy or what ever laws made by humans does not and will not work,ever
and this will remain as it is up until the end of days.
i know people will criticize and mock this comment but deep down they will also agree that a day is coming (think about all the wars, killings,climate change, injustice,corruption etc etc)human kind is bringing their own destruction to themselves whether anyone believes it or not!!??
sigh, and as for MDP alleging the police of creating havoc, you people need to understand the words "truth" "patience" "Loyal" and your own dialogue.
i thought BaarahMP Shifaaz was the one who announced in todays meeting to use any means possible to confront the security forces. So much for your own dialogue and so much for your own seyku leader who spits infront of young soldiers!!Who wants to give him respect!!???