Former President Mohamed Nasheed announced the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) willingness to discuss enacting an interim government with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), which the party believes is essential for free and fair elections to occur.
The MDP has desired the establishment of an interim government since the controversial transfer of power of February 7, 2012 and is open to holding discussions with the PPM to establish a transitional government prior to September’s Presidential elections, Nasheed stated during a press conference held at the Mookai Hotel in Male’ today (May 16).
“If PPM wants to bring in an interim government, we are ready to hold discussions. MDP wants an interim government. We at MDP have always wanted an interim government. But we need support from other parties to do that in parliament. If PPM is so inclined, we are ready to hold discussions with PPM to achieve this,” Nasheed said.
“For free and fair elections [to take place], we are encouraged that PPM has pledged to stop Waheed from campaigning on state funds,” he added.
The MDP is continuing its call for the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) recommendations to be implemented, with the supervision of the international community. Nasheed stated he was disappointed CoNI recommendations have yet to be enacted – especially regarding holding to account those who mutinied against the government and committed various brutal acts, including destroying the MDP’s headquarters.
Nasheed said that the MDP did not believe free and fair elections were possible with Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz and Defence Minister Colonel (Rtd) Mohamed Nazim in their current positions, and has asked they be “transferred” from their current posts.
He distinguished between ‘rank and file’ Police Service and Maldives National Defence Force (MDNF) and their leadership. Nasheed said action should be taken against the highest ranking officers for their role on February 7.
MDP Spokesperson Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News today that local media reports of Nasheed calling for Riyaz and Nazim to be “forcibly removed” are inaccurate, however the former President has called for their removal and transfer “as far away from their current positions as possible”.
“They are already enacting measures of intimidation under the guise of ‘coordination’ by requesting political parties give the name of a person to work with the police. The Elections Commission should be enacting such a policy, not the police. It’s very strange and highly suspicious,” said Zuhair.
Should PPM be of the same view that an interim government is necessary for credible elections to be held, MDP would work through the parliament to discuss with PPM, Zuhair explained.
“PPM’s President and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said their party would ‘go it alone’ and not form a coalition, because that would not allow policies to be implemented effectively. Then the natural next step [for the PPM] would be to gain parliamentary support from the only player able to give support, MDP,” said Zuhair.
PPM Spokesperson and MP Ahmed Nihan today rejected the likelihood of the government-aligned party working with the opposition MDP to remove President Waheed from office ahead of elections in September.
“I do not believe this is a possibility. If it was possible, we would have done this already I believe,” he said.
Nihan claimed that the PPM’s main concern at present was for free and fair elections to take place. However, he added that with the Commonwealth-backed CoNI concluding that President Waheed’s coalition government – which includes the PPM – had come to power legitimately, it would not back the MDP’s calls for the present administration to be removed.
Nihan added that, while continuing to support the present coalition government, many PPM supporters believed that the party presently represented one of only two political ideologies in the country. These philosophies he said were those of PPM founder former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and former President Nasheed and the MDP.
Nihan claimed that the majority of the country’s smaller parties, including those choosing to side with President Waheed in a pre-election coalition, were all rooted to former President Gayoom and his “political wisdom”.
“Strange bedfellows”
Nasheed also addressed the recent addition of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the President Mohamed Hassan Manik’s coalition – which includes his Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP) and the Adhaalath Party (AP) – and it’s incompatibility with a democratic presidential system of governance.
Nasheed expressed his happiness about Gayoom’s statement that coalitions do not work because they are not in line with a presidential governing system and are instead more reflective of a parliamentary system.
“I am very happy that President Gayoom – [who is] no doubt is the most experienced political leader [in the nation] – has been very clear about how inefficient for democratic policies the formation of coalitions are in a presidential system,” said Nasheed.
Nasheed noted that the Adhaalath Party and Sheiks’ extremist views will pose difficulties for the GIP-led coalition. Although the DRP are billing themselves as a moderate party, they will not establish the national ‘bastion of tolerance’ they claim to be purporting, Nasheed said.
The former President believes the coalition is a “hodgepodge” mix of ideologies, not politics and these “strange bedfellows” cannot achieve anything.
DRP disintegration
Nasheed stated that the alliance between GIP and DRP is only agreement between the two individual and not reflective of grassroots DRP supporters. He believes that DRP leader Thasmeen Ali and Waheed had no other choice and formed the coalition out of sheer necessity.
He also stated that the recent coalition has not produced a “third ideology” and that only two ideologies exist in the Maldives.
During door to door campaigning, the MDP has noticed that DRP grassroots support is disintegrating. They are either merging with PPM or joining MDP, according to MDP Press Director Mohamed Zuhair.
Additionally, Zuhair discussed the distinction President Nasheed made between other parties and MDP. He highlighted that MDP policies are formulated by consulting every household to asses the Maldivian people’s needs. This is followed by holding consultative seminars, with the feedback passed to the party’s ‘organs’ for discussion, then to policy committees, with the process culminating in an announcement.
“None of the other parties have this method,” said Zuhair.
“So far three policies have been announced, and the fourth – agrobusiness – will be announced tomorrow,” he continued.
“MDP is focusing on policy issues, having to ‘go out on the road’ and stage protests to ensure free and fair elections will change the entire dynamics of the campaign. We are hoping it doesn’t come to that,” said Zuhair.
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No limits to desperation. Nasheed is now trying to broker a deal with the person he himself has coined the devil. Has he forgotten the fact that he accuses MAG of engineering the 'coup'? That MAG was the mastermind behind his resignation 'under duress'?
LOL. Sadly, the followers of Nasheed and MDP have not been able to, and likely would not be able to fathom the levels of hypocrisy and mere absurdity here; just like any other cult following ( KKK 😀 ).
Let's reword some of the lines from the article above:
========
Former President Mohamed Nasheed announced the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) willingness to discuss enacting an interim government *|* with the party whose leader is the man it accuses of toppling the government in a coup d'état, and placing Dr Waheed as its puppet president. The MDP Believes that this move *|* is essential for free and fair elections to occur.
Yup! Makes perfect sense 😀
======
“I am very happy that President Gayoom *|* , as we all know to be the man who toppled my government, and *|* – [who is] no doubt is the most experienced political leader [in the nation] – has been very clear about how inefficient for democratic policies the formation of coalitions are in a presidential system,” said Nasheed.
No contradictions there whatsoever! 🙂
======
President Mohamed Nasheed, the father of democracy in the Maldives, world climate change champion, a man whose every alternate breath contradicts the one before, one who accuses MAG of toppling his government when it fits his narrative - and then likewise kisses MAG's rear when it fits his narrative again.
Isn't it high time MDP put a man or woman with a steady backbone into its leadership; one who is able to say one thing and stick to it?
What a circus act, this Nasheed… Pathetic
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
None of them have any integrity at all, Didnt think he would stoop this low..
Maldives is inbetween a rock and a hard place
@Joke on Thu, 16th May 2013 8:55 PM
"No limits to desperation. Nasheed is now trying to broker a deal with the person he himself has coined the devil."
You sound like this is the first you've ever seen a politician change his mind. If so, get used to it. This happens all the time, all over the world.
Don't you remember who armed Osama Bin Laden? It wasn't some Afghan warlord or Pakistani extremists who did that. The United States did and we all know what happened next. These sorts of contradictions are a fact of life.
As the saying goes, your enemy's enemy is your friend... Never take a politician too literally.
That's why i call Nasheed "Seyku Nasheed"
hahhaaa!
Humans hypocrisy at it's best!
Haha Ahmed Bin what-not, nice response. I actually do applaud you for the response.. You might've noticed not many people have commented on this article; and keeping in mind that the Minivan News is a pro-MDP media platform and its readers are of mainly the party's following, it's odd.
That in itself proves how much of a failure Nasheed has become. If on the other hand, this article showed a more positive side of Nasheed, we'd have several of y'all typing away and bashing the one or two who dare speak a word against the fella.
So I do applaud you. Hats off to you for having his back in good times and bad 😀 See, consistency. Even you manage quite well, I wonder why Nasheed fails time after time.
In response to your comment, I agree, I do sound like it's the first time I've seen a politician change his mind.. Haha that's funny. But no, it's just that I do (evidently unlike you) wish for a leader who at least tries to keep the multifaceted yoyo type policies to a minimum.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that you're Okay with hypocrisy? Perhaps that comment was your endorsement? Let's all just justify all the ills of corrupt politics and wave it away and shrug it off our shoulders saying, "Just another day at the office" or "It's just the way politics is played.. anything goes!".
Wouldn't that be a merry world, eh. Anni should have never risen against MAG in the first place then. Afterall, it's just politics and I should learn to accept that, shouldn't I.
Oh and your example was a good one. You compared the policy change of an entire nation (different governments) decades apart, to the policy change of one man, barely 15 months apart. Kudos! Exactly my point. Bat an eyelid and he'd have changed his stand again.
P.S. Your man Nasheed first said DrW was the enemy. Then he changed his mind and said DrW had nothing to do with it, and that MAG is the real enemy. And now even you're confused. Who's the enemy? And who's the enemy's enemy? LOL. So yeah, who's the friend then 😀
Perhaps the use of the word 'interim' and 'transitional' to refer to MDP's suggestion of a 'caretaker' government in the period prior to the election is what is creating this confusion. A number of countries do go into a 'caretaker' mode prior to general elections. And this seems an appropriate suggestion given the current circumstances in the Maldives.
There could only be two possible explanations why PPM cannot agree to such a suggestion:
1. PPM is 100% certain that the current Waheed government will only do as they suggest and that it will not run up millions of Rufiyaas in debt for the incoming government (whoever they may be) with pre-election commitments and promises, as was the experience prior to the 2008 elections.
2. PPM is controlled by Gayoom and not Yameen even though Yameen will head the next government if PPM wins, as it is difficult to believe that Yameen is the type of person who will not consider a 'good suggestion' even if it has been suggested by MDP just for the sake of opposing everything that Nasheed says.
A caretaker government for a defined time period prior to the elections would be a good move for the Maldives especially considering the dire economic situation of the country.
Nasheed is the two faced man and most the time he may be intoxicated . This might be the reason why he can not have any consistency is words as he can not remember what he spokes while in different status .
act of desperation
cult members will not see any hypocrisy, failings or faults committed by their dhonbe.
@Joke on Fri, 17th May 2013 12:22 PM
"Forgive me if I’m wrong, but are you saying that you’re Okay with hypocrisy? Perhaps that comment was your endorsement? "
Not at all. I was musing on the sad reality of it all. I don't like hypocrisy any more than you or others do. I've yet to come across a politician, or a man/woman in a powerful position who has all the criteria that we ideally like them to have. Perhaps they did exist at some distant time point in human civilisation.
What I've observed is that politicians are like the weather, which is notoriously difficult to predict despite the best efforts of scientists for decades. You've all heard of the phrase that a small local air disturbance created by a butterfly in the Amazon forest can cause a tornado across the other side of the globe.
Politicians are no less amazing in their unpredictability. Yet these creatures seem astonished by the lack lustre response of the general population towards them. That latter response has not happened in the Maldives to the extent that it has occurred in more mature democracies. You see, in a mature democracy, no one actually believes a politician! Well, almost never.
I am not a "political scientist", whatever they are. Perhaps one of those may like to share their views on this strange phenomenon.
@kuribee
This call by Nasheed shows the tremendous leaps Nasheed has made in his political maturity.
Looks like he is ten steps ahead, Kuribee.
only an idiot or a liar would pretend that changing one's position in the face of adversity equates hypocrisy. Nasheed's chief critics, those who would like to brand him as a hypocrite, fall into three camps: The first are those who have the most to lose if the world wakes up and actually starts to fight global warming. There are many who make a great deal of money through western wastefulness and over-consumption of energy. The second are hardline Muslims in the Maldives. These are people for whom democracy is an enemy, as it inevitably leads to the liberalization of laws and social norms. Hardline muslims are known worldwide as regressive, oppressive fundamentalists. They are enemies of democracy and therefore enemies of all democratic reformers. The third group are, I expect, the least dangerous in the long run, but perhaps the most immediately distracting to democracy in the Maldives. They are the ones who are loyal to the old regime, and long for the power and privilege the feel they had under the old dictator. They cannot win, it will either be reform or islamic fundamentalism that emerges to lead the Maldives into the future. Guess which faction I am rooting for.
how democratic is arbitrarily locking up political rivals? or literally locking up the court and a kidnapping a judge when they refuse to play along with this? if that is democracy then gayoom was also democratic. people who had power and privelage and accused of all sorts of crime and corruption like shaheed or shahid? the so called hardline islamists that nasheed awarded a ministry to? who's lying here steve?
MDP is versatile enough to take the campaign on the road and face off SO Police if it comes to that. The Party is calling fr CoNI recommendations be implemented and rougue Police elements be transferred. If that does not happen soon, MDP will take the campaign on th e roads.