President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has accepted an invitation from the Commonwealth to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
As the head of a Commonwealth member nation, President Waheed was invited to attend the celebration by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, the President’s Office stated.
“Prresident Dr Mohamed Waheed is pleased to accept the invitation for the President and First Lady Madam Ilham Hussain, to attend the Diamond Jubilee luncheon of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth,” the President’s Office stated.
“The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma invited the President and the First Lady, in an official letter, to attend the luncheon, where Commonwealth governments would officially celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.”
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was today distributing a letter from Secretary General Sharma to former President Mohamed Nasheed, dated December 6, 2011, inviting him to a lunch at Marlborough House on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, to be attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
“This will follow the weekend of official celebrations of the Jubilee in the UK,” the letter stated.
The Maldives is currently on the formal agenda of the Commonwealth’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), following the controversial transfer of power on February 7. CMAG has called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this transfer of power, as well elections in 2012.
The government – and President Waheed – last week complied with a demand to reconstitute the commission of national inquiry after CMAG criticised its independence, however Waheed also challenged CMAG’s mandate to place the Maldives on its agenda.
Speaking to diplomats at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi during his recent official visit to India, Dr Waheed also accused CMAG of being unduly influenced by the opposition MDP, and attempting to “intimidate” and “punish” the government.
Parties in the new ruling coalition also proposed a motion to pre-emptively withdraw from the Commonwealth. MP of the coalition Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), Riyaz Rasheed, attacked the Commonwealth’s commitment to democracy by slandering the Queen and claiming the UK was not a democracy.
“Look, the Queen has been in power for 50 years. Is that good? No, that’s inappropriate. If we wanted to point fingers, we can,” he said.
“After 50 years, the English Queen, she is physically challenged. But she is still Queen, and if she wants she can remove the Prime Minister. Where is democracy? Where is democracy? That is not a democracy,” he added.
In response, Chairman of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on the Maldives, MP David Amess, was reported to have said in a March meeting that the Maldives government apologise for the outburst, and suggested that President Waheed’s attendance at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations would be inappropriate.
Minivan News understands that the Secretary General has issued fresh invitations to heads of government in Commonwealth countries that have experienced a change in leadership since the originals were sent, such as Jamaica, Bahamas and Malawi.
Former High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Farahanaz Faizal, said she was not sure if the invitation was re-issued, or if Waheed had replied to Nasheed’s invite.
“In any case, unless the invitation was recalled, Waheed as head of government can attend, as the invitation was to the Head of Government,” she said. “So there is nothing untoward about Waheed attending the lunch hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General. It is an invitation for a luncheon at Marlborough House, not part of the UK government’s official [Jubilee] celebrations.”
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look at how this story is twisted. This is common practice from the dictator promoter always.
Wow Waheed is getting desperate, and it is quite shameful how people of his coalition has continued to insult the queen and the people of England. When Waheed can't be bothered to publicly reprimind them, i wonder what face he can show to the Queen, shameful indeed.
Waheed comes and goes to birthday parties abroad while the country is falling apart.
I can tell you all that it was Nasheed that was invited to London for the Queens jubilee celebrations..I know this because we ex-RAF Gan airmen had been invited to your High Commission in London to meet President Nasheed..I don't know if Waheed will honour that invitation...
I call upon the FCO to withdraw their invitation to Dr Waheed-I doubt Her majesty and the Britsh public wish to turnish the diamond jubilee celebrations. I'd have to chain myself to the Buckingham Palace gate in protest if they do not withdraw the inivitation!
He probably won't even meet The Queen, and even if he does, it will be perfunctory. The reality of the situation is how he came to be president would not be an acceptable way in any western country. Gordon Brown might not have been popular, but he didn't have 'meetings' with the police and armed forces about his 'need' to go!
That invitation was for the President of Maldives, whoever it is not Anni or Waheed. Dont try to twist it like as if this invitation is specifically for Anni. He if the most undemocratic leader who came to power under the guise of democracy and human rights. He is power crazy and miss the drinking parties he had in the Presidential Palace of Maldives.
The Queen shold know better
Barahnaaz, looks like the buckingham palace works under your conscience. You seem to know better how the UK government works more than the queen herself. What a joke. President waheed is there because he invited by the queen, whether you digest this or not. Sharma is just an admin head who send requests to heads of states to attend the jubilee celebraton on behalf of the queen. doesn't your small brain get it? Jealous twat.
commonwealth is scared that Maldives may leave the organization that is the fact....and freedom of expression allows us to comment about queen too...mdp value queen and anni more than their faith (whatever it is)
U shud watch the evening shows in UK channels likes Have I Got News For You and see for yourself how much respect the Queen and her family get from her own subject. Anything goes my friend. In Englad ppl Say anything they want about the Queen and get away with it. Personally I think she's deserves more respect but even ppl in UK don't do witch hunts on ppl who says slanderous and derogatory things about her but the articles in this site clearly make it out to be blasphemy punishable by MDP mobs beating the shit out of u. Rubbish
I began checking this site thinking It had good professional reporting but it's clear this is part of sum propaganda machine. Oh no, the Activist Brigade r knocking at my door. Ttfn
Anni seems to respect the Queen more than any Englishman I know! It seems a little paradoxical? Why is that, does he have some sort of feeling of serving, or belonging to the old Sultan's of the Maldives?
One wonders if loving LIZ is real or whether it is some act to gain support of the conservative party of England for economic investment reasons? Could Anni truly believe in Conservatism and be a radical democrat at the same time?
The more I learn about the games that politicians play, the less I understand.
WE DO NOT WANT WAHEED IN THE U.K. - KEEP OUT YOU ARE NOT WELCOME
Her Majesty invites Heads of States of Commonwealth. You get fact straight, Ms Farahanaz Faizal and Minivan News.
Queen, Ceremonial Head of State unless Constitution defines otherwise in our Australian Constituion, also, figure Head Anglican Church.
When one studies the modern, non-fundamentalist Anglican position on religious tolerance, one would see how stupid it is to think that any Anglican would wish to bomb the big beautiful Mosque in Male' and build a Cathedral there! Anni understands this, IF that alleged email exists stating Anni wishes to do so, it is quite obviously sarcasm, a ridicule and a parody of the very suspicious conspiracy creating mindset of the extremist fundamentalists in the Maldives (a small percent of the population actually believe in radicalism yet those few have disproportionate power to intimidate others into paying lip service to their opinions!!
I doubt such an email exists, Anni is not crazy enough to believe any Anglican would support such a ludicrous idea!
IF any Christian supported the idea of forcing a Church to be built in the Maldives, not only would they be completely ignorant about the Maldives, more so, they would be completely ignorant about their own religion - for MANY different reasons!
True religious conviction comes about through struggle and endurance of persecution, that was why the earliest Meccan derived Muslims and liberated slaves felt the essence of Islam so strongly> It is why the elite in Maldives have no obviously deep conviction of religion and can manipulate religious sentiment so easily, because, religious sentiments are easy to use, abuse, exploit, manipulate when you do not feel them deeply enough to respect them!
Anni understands all of this, and this is why, it is ludicrous to think he would wish to spread Christianity by enforcing religious freedom!
Anybody with half a brain would know that even though Anni may be arrogant and sarcastic and hurtful at times, nobody is stupid enough to actually think you can spread Christianity in the Maldives through acquiring power!
Scaramonguerra ,
How many sitting MPs and politicians do that? In any country? And Chavez, Ahmedinejad and Mugabe don't count.
The invitation was extended to the President of the Maldives, the Head of State. Not a specific person, be it Nasheed or Waheed.
I think Dr Farahanaz Faizal and MDP is not aware of this standard diplomatic practice. Of course, when the invitation was extended, Nasheed was a the President.
Queen invited Human Rights abuser, King of Bahrain accused of killing many people to have lunch with her. The British Queen enjoys such company. President Waheed also is invited. All normal
Former President Nasheed, the kidnapper of Judge Abdulla was also invited. All normal.
Dear Peasant, did u hear what Dennis Skinner MP said when the Black Rod came into invite the MPs for the Queen's speech a couple of weeks ago... Yes shit happens on televised tv... N anyway MPs in UK do appear in entertainment shows and even on official channels express their opposition to the institution that is the Queen... But hey Maldivian MPs and politicians in general (from all parties) are such twisted blood sucking bigots that I am inclined to agree wit u on the basis that these socalled legislators are also a bunch of morons... But that is an argument on standards... M just sayin that it was implied here an article I believe the phrase was 'be put away for offending the queen'... Well even the Queen wud certainly frown upon that she is not that insecure she has survived wars and depressions and constant ridicule... No cop in England wud arrest a person for SAYIN sum thing nasty about the Queen... Anyway good luck following dumb politicians.... Scaramonguerra from Male' Supremacist Appeciation Club, signing out
What ever Dr. waheed gets , is because of anni ? What ever the country gets, it is because of Anni ?
The Maldives is in existence , because of Anni ? If Anni was not there, Maldives will not be there too.
Waheed is better than he is made to look like. Actually he has more integrity than his predeccessor.
I dont see the big deal with this. Quenn aint all that great or loveable, and its just a lunch. Even if waheed gets invited as a formality, who cares...
My husband and I find immense delight in reading the comments on this website. One finds it quite amusing that those who are so eager to severe bonds with us must insist on attending our birthday celebrations.
It is predicted that thousands of the republicans would participate in the major anti-monarchy protest against hereditary power and privilege and would call for the abolition of the kingdom.
The protests would be staged on Sunday June 3 2012, when a group of about thousand boats, led by the Queen Elisabeth and the country's senior politicians, will tour along the Thames from Putney to Tower Bridge. The protesters would greet the boats with massive demonstrations as they travel through central London
People of the Maldives.. Grow UP!!!!!
THIS TRAITOR IS ATTENDING THE QUEEN'S PARTY? HA!!!!!!
@Ziyan
Who is the twat? Not Farhanaz. You. Read her statement again, you idiot.
@Ziyan
I object to you calling Farhanaz Barhanaz.
I request you show some respect to our women.
Is this how your father treats women and addresses women? Is this how you speak about your mother, your sisters, your aunties, your grandmother?
Remember, Farhanaz also has a child. Why does the child have to read comments like this simply because the political alliance of Farhanaz is different from yours?
I am actually appalled at the blatant sexist nature of many of the comments appearing here. I wonder where this hostility and disrespect towards women come from? I think these guys should seriously seek professional help to deal with your issues with women.
@Mode
For Goodness sakes, get an appointment with President Nasheed and get everything off your chest. I am getting really worried about you,your rants and raves are getting quite incoherent.
" THIS TRAITOR IS ATTENDING THE QUEEN’S PARTY? HA!!!!!! " - for another dose of another kind! Perhaps!
India have told him off that he was fighting with a modern day "Gandhian" by presenting him with a bust of Mahatma Gandhi!
Wonder what next!
The best thing for Maldives right now would be to withdraw from the Commonwealth. I think even sanctions from them is appropriate. We had no drops in tourism in South Asia so who needs them. I mean (DQP), Riyaz Rasheed has obviously got a great education and an understanding of the UK Laws and their constitution - maybe he should be president.