Additional reporting by Mohamed Naahee.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has delivered his opening address to a boisterous parliament amid protests inside and outside the parliament chamber.
Waheed, who was due to deliver the address at 10:00am this morning, finally finished it at 4:00pm on the fourth attempt after repeated obstruction by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MPs. Representatives from the party waved pieces of paper at him with phrases such as “illegitimate president” and “coup boss”.
Under the 2008 constitution, the head of state is required to deliver the opening address at the first sitting of parliament each year. The MDP contend that Waheed’s presidency is illegitimate, following the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed on February 7, 2012, amid a police and military mutiny. The party disrupted last year’s opening session by blockading the chamber doors from the inside, while outside supporters clashed with police in the streets.
A sit-down protest in the afternoon at the Sosun Magu intersection appeared peaceful, although police had barricaded the roads around the parliament building. Inside, local media reported that five MPs left the chamber voluntarily after being ordered to do so by Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid.
Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader of MDP Ali Waheed announced on Sunday that “usurpers don’t get to deliver presidential addresses”.
In his address, an English summary of which later appeared on the President’s Office website, President Waheed emphasised “independence and territorial dignity” and described his highest priority as “strengthening the principles of Islamic faith among the people.”
“Underscoring that the Maldivians have always defended their independence from foreign influence, President Waheed stressed on the sacrifices made by our ancestors with their lives and blood,” read the statement.
“In his Presidential Address, the President noted that the keystone of our independence is the allegiance of our forefathers to the ideals and integrity of the Maldives, and that the foundation of our unity lies in Islam. The President said that our common faith, language and ethnicity were the reason why our nation should not disintegrate into opposing factions.
“Continuing in this regard, the President reminded the people to be vigilant of the patience and determination necessary to maintain our independence and individuality, and to unwaveringly hold on to our Islamic faith,” the statement concluded.
According to local media, Waheed also remarked that the economy had “fallen into a pit” at the time he took over the presidency, with external debt of US$725 million.
Expropriating the airport from Indian infrastructure giant GMR – at the time the country’s single largest foreign investment at US$511 million – had increased foreign currency coming into the country and relieved the dollar shortage, Waheed said according to Sun Online.
Speaking to Minivan News, Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader of government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Abdulla Mausoom said that the party would not support such “extremist” activities on the parliament floor.
“DRP will never support such activities. We will support to uphold rule of law and therefore the party would behave and strictly follow the parliamentary regulations,” he said.
He further claimed that “irresponsibility” and “stubbornness” within the parliament would not favour the MDP, and said the party should replace its leadership with “democrats” instead of “rogue extremists”.
“There are a lot of democrats working with the MDP. Many of them are in the parliament as well. But their hands are tied, their mouths taped and their pens capped. They should not bow down to the extremist elements within MDP,” Mausoom said.
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It's the Godfather Council versus a purported right to 'self-determination', the right to be like the Kaafiir (develop and all). Yaamin-ttey has been in touch with excellency Ganjaaboa, excellency begs an audience you see. His coffers are empty, his people are eyeing their King (himself) already, with worry and accusation; why is they still not back in power!? When will the Anni-raajje come (When will 'kingdom come'), I mean are we there yet? Why is Goblin & Fairy Maumoon still calling all the shots?! Didn't Ganjaaboa say he is now the new-Pharaoh (unquestioned and above reproach as always by 'his' people)?? `He is father also to 'his' people, people he must deliver from the Arab-worshiping tyrants into the arms of the fair-eyed English. They will know what to do, they always know what to do! Religion is as moldable around Anni-seykusthaan as it is around the monster they call Golha'aboa (keke), claims Abdul Majeedhey meanwhile. And inbetween the tissin' and tossing between Delhi and Beijing, techno-Waheed (why techno) had been practicing parachuting into a law-zoo built by the Pakistani's (if all else fails). The business of power is both the pressure to deliver to your support bases, as much as it is to prove to your mother you have made it big in material life (Ali Waheed). Aside from myself, tranquilizers (neuroleptic medication) will also be needed to be distributed to the general Dhivehi public today. The mob will take care of itself.
~
Excuse the humor keke. Godfather Council implies the Maumoonism-coalition
JJ old boy... I see you have arrived at the green-zone. Worry not the snakes in this pit will not realize what i` mean by this.
This bhaqee sarukaaru is not of the poeople certainly. "people" apparently only implying MDP.
I applaud President Samuel Mugabe-Anni, this cannibal is also now a reformed buddy 🙂
The elected honourables. They are the samples from general public.
Seriously,how could there be a better future for the country of Maldives?
Rabid Chimpanzees in Parliament, shameless, ignorant Hyenas in courts, opportunistic sharks pulling strings in a polio-infected Government and above all self-righteous, bearded donkeys braying for pious coalition in an environment even they do not believe in.
Welcome to the Paradise on Earth, where your children is doomed forever.
They did it to India, they did it to Africa- they are unable to do it to Islam. Islam responds deadly.
Everything was borrowed by the West initially, even their "scientific method of inquiry" was a borrowed, stolen tool.
The Queen in England is meanwhile having diarrhea. All the white-mans money safe in the city-of-london.
Everybody spell d-e-m-o-c-r-a-c-y
Adios.
Mr. Alex H. Thats poetic. You should rap what you have written with a beat.
Even your name is cool. Move to LA man.
I think it is time to change things in the Maldives, if not, things will be worse than now. The first thing to do is to learn how to negotiate rather than playing blame games and try to be loyal to your country. Sorry to see this type of chaos in a country where very peaceful people once lived.
Negotiate with a coup leader!
It is a simple easy change a change that will only give hopes for Fish Folks to live a normal life. Every individual is different being, a different social construct deferent genes, I don’t want be you, you don’t want be me. So don’t bother about individualism. You are electing a president not to control others according to your social construct, your genes, and your mind. You will never be able to control billions of neurons if you give them freedom to compute. Every individual hardware analyze differently what he sees, experiences based on his emotional drive and will fight if challenged had he given the means and courage to fight.
To bridge the differences within democracy there is a give and take principle. Live within the boundary that is universally accepted, respect human rights, anything that hinders these rights should be contained and confronted. In autocracy absolute power and fear is used to stop individuals to run their free flow of emotional stream generated from his inner complex biochemical environment.
We can’t take the responsibility of such complexity by force disregarding the normal accepted rules that were agreed upon with collective decision. If we have elected a president for 5 year terms, because we have differences in our thinking, we cannot bring down out of agreed mechanism
The people behind the coup are very dangerous people and they should be confronted if democracy has to work. Fish Folks should respect democratic principles if they want democracy to flourish. You can’t be so selfish intolerant and abusive if you want give freedom of thinking that is god given right for human being to progress. It is very simple change; don’t bother if it does not affect your own security, protection and livelihood. Elect a president who will not interfere in your thinking but who can assure you that he will not compromise with your security, the security comes from economy, education and health. Respect your own decision and don’t take things in your hand when your emotion overtakes your rationale.
The people who have now come by force are people with extreme ideas on freedom and human rights, they don’t believe in freedom and democracy. This is not Anni versus non Anni. This is democracy versus autocracy.
When we look at the picture from unbiased point of view MDP is not unreasonable even if they are not at best. MDP may not was governing the right way when they were in power but they were legitimate government according the rules written by Fish folks themselves. And that government was toppled out of system disrespecting the inspirations of a large number of people. You can’t expect decency in such situation and it cannot be condemned. And I think the coup leader has to accept this reality if he is able to think out of his egoistic mentality
it seems that MDP MP's dont respect the admin & no good manners at all.how uncivilized manner for MDP.
God, you do not need to unleash a tsunami to teach us a lesson. To punish us for our wrong doings. We will bring our own hatred, filth, uncivilized, immoral, unethical acts together and tear us down. To zilch. We will rank 1, in the world in this respect.
Thank you.
Democracy is Anni, without anni there will be no democracy, no MDP, no Nation.. People should only accept Anni (democracy)
He came to power with the majority of people's vote! Anni was never corrupt, he made the country's economy boom, and we all were rich till the Coup government stole everything.
Bring back Anni (Democracy) to Maldives!
Anni would win the 2013 election with 80% YES
Waheed showed patience and courage.
Would Anni, Gasim , Yameen or Umar have that patience? definitely No.
Waheed has showed what separates men from boys.
Anni, Yameen, Gasim, Umar should learn from Waheed now
live breaking news mohamed nasheed is arrested
http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2013/mar/05/liveupdates.htm
@Wow
War is poetic. thanks