President Dr Mohamed Waheed has expressed disappointment with the “ill-informed and irresponsible allegations by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay”.
Pillay last week blamed the Supreme Court’s repeated interventions in the presidential election process for what she described as “the dangerous drift in the democratic process in the Maldives”.
“The government of Maldives rejects the claim that the Supreme Court and the Government are subverting the democratic process,” read a President’s Office statement.
“The United Nations must try to better understand the difficulties facing Maldives in their early phase of democracy, and provide support to find solutions rather than issue damaging statements from a distance,” the statement added.
The High Commissioner’s comment “undermines efforts of Maldives Supreme Court and the government to strengthen the Rule of Law in the country.”
Waheed’s rejection of Pillay’s criticism follows the response of the court’s Chief Justice, Ahmed Faiz, who quickly labelled the High Commissioner’s statements “irresponsible” and “poorly researched”.
“I harshly condemn UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s false allegations regarding the Maldives Supreme Court’s work to uphold its constitutional duties and responsibilities. I do not believe she has any authority to speak in such terms,” stated Faiz soon after Pillay’s statement on Wednesday (October 30).
Following allegations of voter fraud following an otherwise-applauded September 7 poll, the Supreme Court annulled the vote after ruling that over 5,600 ineligible votes had been cast.
The ruling was based on a confidential police report, kept secret from both the public and the Elections Commission’s defence lawyers. A leaked copy of this report has emerged this week (English).
After a second election date had been scheduled for October 19, polling was again delayed after police argued that the court’s 16 point guideline had not been followed when two of the three candidates refused to assign their names to the new voter lists.
Pillay’s statement last week described the 16 point guidelines as “onerous”. She also pointed to the international community’s longstanding concerns over judicial independence in the Maldives.
In the context of such criticism, the UK Bar Human Rights Committee has described the decision to annul the election as “troubling”.
The latest date set for the first round of the election is November 9, with a potential re-run scheduled for seven days later.
President Waheed – whose constitutionally mandated term expires on November 11 – returned to the country on Thursday night following “a private visit to Singapore and Hong Kong.”
Waheed was reported in local media today as saying that the current constitution is in major need of revision.
“We have found out that the political system we have introduced is in need of changes so that our nation will not continue upon suicidal track,” the President was quoted as saying at an India Maldives Friendship Association function on Friday night.
The People’s Majlis has approved a motion for presidential power to pass to the Speaker of the House Abdulla Shahid during this interim period, although although government-aligned politicians have continued to suggest that the opinion of the Supreme Court should be sought on this matter.
In its initial election annulment verdict, the court the court had ruled that Waheed would be able to remain in power even after the expiry of his presidential term, citing the continuity of government principle.
Waheed has meanwhile claimed that he has no interest in remaining president “even a day beyond November 11”.
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"Having no interest" doesn't cut the mustard. You have to understand that people will criticize you if they perceive things are not going the orderly way that they are supposed. Many a times, authoritarian dictatorships use the pretext of rule of law and judiciary to carry out extra judicial processes just because they are confident of their might to enforce such decisions. This is a modus operandi Waheed should be familiar with, in his many escapades in so many underdeveloped nations around the world. It just so happens that the "prodigal son" holding the "first PhD" from the cradle of presidential democracy turns out to be a well-rounded dictator himself. Waheed must understand he has played his card and others will play theirs. QUID PRO QUO. History of political systems reveals ultimately people will prevail and democracy is not an idea that will die away once planted. The day people are victorious, Waheed and the people who used Waheed as a tool will be condemned as traitors who betrayed the people and abused the interests of the people for personal gain. So long my friend.
Some people must learn...that foreigners also...have ears to hear and eyes to see!
Maldives Supreme Court and the government headed by a spineless greedy selfish heartless ungrateful lowly human being in the garb of a cunning fox are exactly doing the opposite. they are together destroying the rule of law in the country. Not only they are destroying the very social fabric of Maldives but also ruining the lives and livelihood of every Maldivian in the process as the deep rooted corruption and out of control individuals who participated in the coup to bring this sinful devil to this position have already totally ruined the economy. This puppet is so impotent he can't even let the independent EC to conduct a free and fair election. Instead admonishing the high commissioner just cover your nakedness of shame and guilt. You are a curse to this nation
During Apartheid this woman practiced law, challenged and won the rights for Nelson Mandella to have legal representation against the South Africa Government, which eventually saw his release and rise to power is ill-informed?
Just goes to show how stupid the courts and politicians are in the Maldives. She would rip them to pieces in any legal standoff. Unlike the corrupt abuses of power, she states facts and acts on them.
Ah, my friends - why worry. This effusion of foolishness from bhagee Waheed is all that he could say when faced with intelligent criticism and comment from learned individuals. He will soon go away, though not without some effort. Look to the future; don't be intimidated by the present.
Waheed. A year back you chose to provide the respectable face of a coup that destroyed the freedom of a whole nation. You wrote letters to important world leaders giving your version of why you took on the job. They thought you were the rational voice of a nation that seemed to have gone crazy. People listened and allowed this atrocity to continue.
Why are you surprised that the truth has surfaced? It has taken time, but despite your efforts to hide the truth by parading as a champion of democracy on the world stage and being a devious little dictator in the Maldives,people- and important people who matter- are now aware that your lack of substance, leadership and care for your own people has near well destroyed our nation's fragile democracy.
And that is not all. It is a pity that you have not learnt anything from the last few years. You continue to act as if we, the Maldivians, are stupid, that you have a position of dignity and respect to uphold. You continue to produce statements like the one above trying to convince the world that you are still the voice of reason and everybody else is at fault.Sadly for you, you have nothing worthwhile to uphold in this country or globally. Your ambition and your readiness to sacrifice the rights of your own people have produced consequences. The truth is your relentless search for status has only betryed you- showing us all how shallow, impotent and incompetent you are.
Waheed. Learn some lessons. You can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Secondly, even in the dark corridors of power, certain old fashioned values such as compassion, loyalty and honesty matter.It is not all about taking and winning.
Please. Find that UN job you want and go.(But why the UN should employ you is a mystery to me, I must add.)You have done enough damage. Go.
Naiv Pillay should not abuse her bully pulpit as a UN human rights lady without the deep rooted culture of countries. Same goes to Kuda sahee
Mr Waheed doesn't have the intellect to challenge Navi Pillay. As others have pointed out, her track record in human rights work is outstanding and world class.
If Waheed has picked up a fight with her, he's picked up the wrong fight!
Waheed may not have the interest to continue being the monkey man he is, by letting go off the sweet candy he is holding!
But being the puppet he is, holed up and surrounded by armed forces guards, it cannot be said he stands a chance to do what he wants. Instead he has to do things exactly the way he is being told! This is no excuse though!
Waheed having worked for the UN, is simply shameless to shoot back at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who by all means would know what injustice had been done, and is being done to the people of Maldives who twice have been deprived of their rights to vote a presidential candidate of their choice!
It is high time the world reverse the acceptance of that CoNI report and minimize the irreparable damage that is being done to the people of this country and let not this injustice be continued a 3rd time!
@ Angagatha Mithuru
He won't be employed by the UN again. He was not very respected when he was in UNICEF.
The Election Commission under its current leadership held a free and fair election when Mr Gayoom was still president. In fact they held the first round and the second round which means two elections. Both rounds were deemed free and fair even by Mr Gayoom.
Election Commission has been listening and learning ever since. Their more recent efforts at election holding were praised by international observers and local Maldivian NGOs.
Then in comes the Maldivian Supreme Court. They tore down everything the EC did and started lecturing and interfering. At great expense to the national treasury, Supreme Court ordered a new first round.
Since then, one attempt to hold the election by the EC has been aborted by military-police cum judicial intervention.
Meanwhile, the Maldivian people who have been the victims under several military-judicial backed dictators for centuries remain powerless and helpless.
Most of these Maldivians live in islands other than the capital island of Male where people are poorly educated and economically equipped to oppose governmental tyranny. In Male itself, the vast majority of the people, who have undergone centuries of humiliation, are mentally and psychologically conditioned to being denied their fundamental rights that are taken for granted in European and ethnically European countries the world over.
The Maldivian judiciary overlooked and ignored the overthrow of president Mohamed Nasheed's government and the unconstitutional tenure and rule of Mohamed Waheed.
Maldivian judiciary resembles the judiciaries in China and Russia and all the people in the West know that the judiciaries in China and Russia are totally politicised. Maldivian judiciary has undemocratic roots and fundamentals too and regularly does injustice.
In this climate, the international community has long remained indifferent. At long last some top people in the international community have started taking notice and they have decided to talk about it.
Traitor Mohamed Waheed is, unsurprisingly, asking them to shut up and mind their own business. He is in power by courtesy of an overbearing army, police and judiciary. It is not surprising that he barks like their loyal pet dog.
It is a golden opportunity for MDP to press vigorously for judicial reform in the Maldives. The educational qualifications and CVs of all the judges and the detailed records of their judgements must be subjected to wide scrutiny by the international community.
There are more important considerations in the world than sovereignity behind which dictators and allies hide in the Maldives like elsewhere in the world.
Like sovereignity, even the religion of Islam is nothing but farcical in the Maldives if it is a hindrance to reform and progress.
Blame that should be put squarely on the shoulders of Gayoom and his loyalist colleagues are being put on Mohamed Nasheed and his MDP who are still victims because the Gayoom era has not yet ended in the Maldives.
Oh dear Mr Waheed ..could you dig any deeper? Best keep mum and even better - quit while you can. This is the latest in a series of unfortunate "disappointments" that comes with the job of Puppet President. Don't con yourself anymore. That (PP) is, sadly, what you always were - Feb 2012 onwards. What was obvious to the rest of us in the Maldives is now plain obvious to the outside world.As long as you keep barking along these lines, you may think you won't outlive your usefulness. Wrong.
@ Fahmy
...and the Gayoom era shall end on Nov.9 when people speak the truth and the pain they have endured for so many years.
Yellow, blue, pink or red party, it matters no more as every ordinary Maldivian is suffering, really suffering.
However, we ask MDP to be honest, productive and respectful in every aspect: public or personal
@Michael Fahmy on Sat, 2nd Nov 2013 9:20 PM
"... because the Gayoom era has not yet ended in the Maldives."
You writing is a very accurate picture of the state of the country. In fact, the plot that's running beneath is to renew and strengthen the subservient despotic system of rule that Gay championed.
People have now forgotten how terrified we were to even mention Gay's name, in case his para military took us away and beat the living s*it out of us.
The headlines that have not been seen on Minivan are the financial calamity facing the Maldives. The State Trading Organisation doesn't have enough hard currency to pay for the next shipment of essential oil supplies which are due to run out in the next few weeks.
The Finance Minister has thrown up his hands and is asking the Maldivian Central Bank to underwrite US$ 20 million. The governor quite rightly said that the country cannot afford it! In the end, that money will most likely be drawn from the country's strategic reserves!
The country is on its knees, literally!
Isn't it interesting that some Maldivians feel that even the UN needed to be defended as a political ally of a certain party. As if the UN will crumble without their support
Obviously for some Maldives is secondary to UN
Micheal Fahmy, what you said about Gayyoom era has not ended yet, you are correct. What you did not mention there is the fact that it will not end in the near future too. Even if Anni become President he shall realize that the seat will be made too hot for him to sit. We have the whole Judiciery, Police and majority of the military under our control. So just remember Royals will not let peasants rule this land and an old woman barking up at the moon does not bother Maumoon. Our puppet will do what we tell him to do.
This Waheed guy is a complete fool. A weakling. He must be totally blind and deaf to see or hear what is unfolding in front of him. Better STF up and leave.
Ha ha ha 5% Dr BMW NO GOOD what the heel are you talking about. You could have said 'I am concerned'. BMW is becoming more and like a MAG now.
by the way BMW should be disappointed in yourself and your Coup Team. A real Shame and disgrace to the Nation. I used to be a proud Maldivian. Now they are laughing at us. U pay for this. U may b a Dr. but the worse person to be in Commander in Chief's chair. Do you know how much it cost us the nation.
No body in Maldives has the experience and knowledge of UN like Waheed, BMW or not
Waheed did the right thing. Guess what? It's done
Well, the UN also has knowledge of Waheed... "a poor performer of only moderate intellect".
What would the UN know about countries anyway, looks bad in the Maldives. I think I will re - visit Sri Lanka, looks safer there.
Visit to HK, a favorite for self imposed exiled Presidents to live.