A protest against the arrest of Addu Atoll MP Mohamed ‘Mode’ Rasheed morphed into a face-off between civilians and police forces, who were mocked as the corrupt servants of Maamingili MP and opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and taunted by several hundred young men between Parliament and Sosun Magu on Sunday night.
“We are protesting this bad government, with these police, they hit head and they hit cock, ask them! They are coming drunk! We are saying this is not our police,” said one elderly man at the protest.
Another man jested, “You can buy one! Ten rufiya, one policeman!” as protesters chanted, “Lari Lari! Yes sir!” and “Villa police!”, a reference to Gasim’s lucrative Villa Hotels chain.
In a creative turn of events the young, mostly male gathering of “not MDP [Maldivian Democratic Party], just civilians” threw coins and cash, including valuable US dollars, at the approximately 10 police who had formed a human blockade with riot shields after pushing protesters away from parliament at around 8:30pm.
Dancing and chanting, the crowd asked people to make contributions while encouraging foreign media to take pictures of their antics. The police refused the bait for approximately 20 minutes before charging the crowd and pushing them towards busy Sosun Magu as civilians watched from nearby cafes and homes.
The baiting continued with protesters alternately insulting and running from the police until approximately 1:00am, when protesters were dispersed throughout Male.
Police officials report no arrests were made, however one officer in basic uniform was struck in the face with a stone outside of the MDP office while riding his bike on Sosun Magu at approximately 11:30pm. He is being treated at ADK hospital, police report.
It appears injuries were also sustained by demonstrators. One eyewitness reports crossing paths with a man near Parliament after 1:00am whose eyes were red and who was holding his head in pain. He claims he was walking along the street when police stopped and pepper sprayed him.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the protesters’ implications of corruption and abuse were baseless: “As you know if there are any allegations there’s the Police Integrity Commission, if there are any concerns of human rights violations there is the Human Rights Commission. We are sure there is nothing like that happening here at the moment,” he said.
A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “not all police officers have taken money. Now everybody is being labelled. Those who are innocent should be cleared by holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”
Cloud of Doubt
Police are currently under scrutiny across the country. On Tuesday, February 7 a rogue faction assisted with the takeover of Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) and attacked an office of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) on Male’. At 1:00pm that day, former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned under conditions he later described as a “coup d’état.”
Since Tuesday, reports of police and military brutality against civilians and politicians who support Nasheed’s party (MDP) have spread from the Maldives’ southernmost atolls up to Male.
Following riots which left all police facilities, court houses and the prosecutor general’s office in ashes last Wednesday, Addu citizens report that police and military forces have teamed up with supporters of opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in a witch hunt for MDP supporters. Opposition members claim the police have merely asked the public to assist in the arrest of those responsible for Wednesday night’s destruction, while police in Addu flatly deny any wrongdoing.
In a previous article Minivan News spoke with citizens on Addu who claim to have been beaten after police facilities were destroyed on Wednesday night; several said members of their family remain in detention without charges.
While public and police accounts fail to match up, one rumor could hold water: “Some police uniforms, shield and batons were stolen during the fires, and we’ve received reports that people who the community confirms are not policemen are going around in those outfits,” said Superintendent Yoosuf Sobah of Addu City Police, suggesting that any beatings may only appear to be done by police. Some Addu City citizens confirmed the report.
Sobah added that misinformation bolstered Wednesday’s riots. “Raajje TV reported that two MDP members had been killed in Male’, and that triggered a huge sentiment within the demonstrators,” he said.
“A clear attack on the justice system”
While Sobah recognises the emotional factor of Wednesday’s fires, he said the destruction of all police and court house documents related to ongoing cases, which were not backed up in a central database, made it “clear that this was an attack on the justice system.”
Explaining the logistics of the Wednesday night’s operation, Sobah said Addu’s roughly 70 officers, spread over four islands, had been outnumbered by the hundreds who turned out after reports of a brutal police crackdown on a MDP march in Male’ reached the islands.
Sobah added that police are currently hamstrung in their posts. “We don’t have computers, records, facilities, so processing paperwork has been difficult.”
While paperwork is a challenge, police appear undeterred in making arrests. However, the lack of infrastructure raises the question of how evidence is being collected.
Some citizens who claimed to have been beaten and detained said they were told they would be taken again if evidence against them was found on CCTV. Sobah stated that there are no CCTV records, and explained that evidence against those who have been arrested since Wednesday is taken from “mobile phone videos, eyewitness accounts, and the people who we know were causing the violence.”
Three Addu City councilors and one MP have been arrested. When asked how the evidence against those individuals was acquired, Sobah did not provide specifics, stating only that all 80 arrests in Addu have been evidence based, and made with only the minimum force necessary.
“Some people we’ve arrested are hardened criminals, many are under sentence and in rehabilitation programs. Those have given us a lot of resistance. But many are cooperating, coming in, giving their accounts. We are releasing those without evidence,” he added.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera has released a report with footage of the 74 individuals who are still in detention in Gan’s semi-destroyed police station. The report shows the bruised legs of men who claim they’ve been tortured; several individuals interviewed by Minivan News reported being forced to kneel on the ground, which was coated in broken glass and debris, and being doused in petrol and threatened with burning.
Sobah and Superintendent Abdulla Navaz, Head of Investigations in Serious and Organised Crime Department in Male, both said, “We have invited the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) and the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) to come and see what we are doing. If they believe we have mistreated people, then they will take the necessary action.”
Sobah added that he hopes to find an alternative detention center, or perhaps to release detainees to house arrest in the coming days.
Testy police, tense public
The attack has created a sharp divide between the people and the police. Many are cautious about driving into Gan, where individuals are asked to provide identification at a military checkpoint. One young man was nervous when he realised he was carrying MDP registration papers in his motorbike.
While the public is nervous, the police are frustrated. Without clothes, computers or beds, but still on-duty, police on Gan report spending the first few nights on the causeway outside the burned station.
“It’s a very emotional time,” Sobah said. “A bunch of guys aren’t from Addu, and all they had here, their memories, are gone.”
Minivan News asked if the personal damage was fueling revenge attacks. “I understand this is an emotional time, but we’ve instructed them very carefully to prosecute people within the law. They’re trained police officers,” Sobah claimed.
Superintendent Navaz later suggested that the situation in Male’ has exhausted and destablised security forces. “Since January 16 we have been engaged in so many protests. At the time we couldn’t think of anything else except suppress, tackle and neutralise the protests. We are hopeful everything will be better. I can’t say it will be normal in any period of time, but it will happen with the passage of time. Now, we are getting different news, we don’t know what will happen any day. We should be ready for anything.”
Policing north to south
“For police, I think this is just as big as the tsunami.”
Noting that the council and police had joint plans to “bring policing in Addu up to Male’ levels,” he observed “this has set us back to 2004, not just Addu police but the whole police service.”
Meanwhile, the Male’ standard itself is on faltering, according to both police and public.
Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz yesterday stated that, “The police face big political challenges. In the face of those challenges it is very important that we regain the public’s confidence.”
Riyaz, whose appointment last week has been questioned as the law requires the police commissioner to come from a senior rank in the force, rather than a civilian – Riyaz was previously dismissed by Nasheed’s government – assured the police he would never issue an unlawful or illegal order.
Although policemen are instructed not to speak to the media, one spoke to Minivan News on condition of anonymity. “The public no longer trusts the police institution. We are receiving verbal attacks on the street and during protests,” he confided.
Sub-Inspector Shiyam denied receiving complaints from the public, and said the police forces are only being harassed at MDP gatherings.
While police are struggling to maintain unity and save face, they continue to deny the allegations of mistreatment which are piling up against them.
A report by MDP’s Parliamentary Group today provided pictures and statistics regarding attacks on MPs since February 7. According to the report, two MPs have been hospitalised due to beatings by police while Mariya Didi was twice targeted and beaten around her eyes. A total of 10 MPs are listed and photographed in the report.
Former Defense Minister Ahmed Faisal yesterday compared the Maldives’ current trajectory to Pakistan and Fiji. “I very much have the fear that the Maldives will turn into another Pakistan. Money has been paid to the police. The public has lost their trust and faith in the very people who are meant to protect them. How can they trust anyone, if with money they can make the police do this.”
A mother in Addu tells Minivan News how her sons were taken by police
Transcript:
The [children] came outside after having lunch and were playing here. My sister Aminath’s kid and a kid from a southern island was there too. While they were playing, the police barged in from that side [pointing to a direction behind her] and I don’t know exactly how many of them there were. I think there must be three to four hundred. I came out running when the police had entered our house and I said. ‘what happened. What happened. None of the kids here have gone out anywhere [during the protests]’.
Then someone grabbed the collar of one boy’s shirt and dragged him along with the other three boys out of the house and threw all of them into the police jeep.
I didn’t know what was happening to me and I have never seen such a thing in my life. I ran after them calling not to take them away. There were a lot of people. I ran after the police jeep when it took off. While I was chasing the jeep, someone stopped me and asked what happened. I said they have taken my boys.
I haven’t heard from the boys after they were taken into custody. The first day we kept calling [the police station] but they were not answering our calls. We kept repeatedly calling and they answered the call finally and I told them that we want to meet our kids. They replied that we can’t meet the boys today but we can on the next day.
We called them the following day and they were again not responding to our calls. But later they answered and said that now we cant meet the boys.
That night they [police] called us and told us to bring in some clothing for the boys, and look, they didn’t even give them clothing while they were arrested up until that night [woman starts crying].
Last night I couldn’t even sleep. Three out of the four boys were not wearing shirts when the police took them and they grabbed the collar of the one who was wearing a shirt.
I went to Gan [a ward of Addu city] on the bus to meet the police there and told them that I want to meet the boys. They simply handed me a form to fill in.
I haven’t seen police patrolling around here much after the arrest.
[Lady sitting in the joalifathi] I have seen them. When I went out to the shop there were police patrolling.
I hear from different people that the police were beating my boys to death. People who were released after the arrest say that the police had beaten them up. Even yesterday I met someone who was released and he said the names of the boys and said that the police were beating them.
Their ages were, the eldest was 27, two of them were 23 and the youngest was 21.
The opposition supporters must have directed the police to our house, otherwise why would they barge in like that . they came this way [pointing to her right]. Had they came from that way [pointing left] the boys would have been able to see them but they came the other way round.
[Man speaking] the boys don’t even live here, they come here on vacation and they all work in Male’. They work in government offices and resorts and yesterday they were supposed to leave back to work but now all of that is gone.
[When asked who were more dangerous, the police or the military or the opposition supporters]: from what we see everyone is equal and dangerous.
Mariyam Manike: If our kids are taken to custody, we have to know why they are being taken and the boys don’t even roam around the streets and they all stay at home.
Hassan Manik: the opposition supporters have some kind of a list which they think includes the people that has to be arrested [nasheed supporters] and they tell the police about the list and the police come to the houses of the people that were on the list and look for them.
Mariyam Manike: The whole street was flooded with people.
Hassan Manik: I was not even home. I was away on fishing.
Mariyam Manike: I have never seen such a thing ever in my life and even when I try to sleep or try to close my eyes, I see the same events again and again and I have not been able to sleep. [starts crying]
We don’t mind giving our names to the press, infact you should write down our names. Our kids were taken to custody without any charges and they didn’t do anything at all.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Police fired gun in takeover of MNBC, video reveals- Civil Court rejects Nazim’s defamation case against police chief
- Civil Court declares former police intelligence director’s arrest unlawful
- State failed to follow majority of February 8 recommendations: HRCM
- Police Commissioner was appointed legally, says integrity commission
- Policeman used baton according to regulations, no police involvement in Gasim’s death: PC Riyaz
In a happy of sad moment, there could be cloud of water for a human being. we are human beings with 8 eyes and 9 legs or arms as well. why we believe this paper of human? why we sell the water of onion? very simple method of gossip is to buy a good bye for ever. meanwhile I am able to run and jump for the sake of civilians with 12 legs. all these happen because of breadfruit and breastmilk. we are children of boys. mothers of fathers. kids of teenagers. we grow younger. then who will come and drink our polce uniform. no value of cup. no cup of value. this is real of huminity. comodity. reality. moral and coral. when we think the points mentioned above, we believe, I believe and my believe not becaouse of you belive.
by the way, we the maldivians of indians should be the sri-lankans of Italian. We all should parralize the water. throw the nose to replace the mouth.
In this case, there would not be a human of local market with a volleyball. sometimes the boat of human will come out to save the turtle. wassalaam alaikum. varah bodah shukuriyya.
fast
As a matter of fact I have always been a great supporter of Nasheed. Not just voted for him but worked hard on his campaign and until very recently believed in him. So I don’t ‘hate’ him but like him a lot as a person.
If you are not biased, you will know quite well that during the recent past, Nasheed had repeatedly violated the Constitution and was about to destroy the whole judiciary. He was going to re-appoint the whole Supreme Court and High Court, had already refused the lower courts thus creating anarchy in the country.
Finally all this led to the Police revolt who decided that enough was enough as far as taking illegal orders was concerned. Later the mutiny and protesters joined by MNDF and finally Nasheed forced to resign. Yes, in the end it was a Coup/Toppling of Government. But a ‘Coup’ instigated by Nasheed forcing the MNDF and Police to topple his government.
I do not condone the illegal transfer of power, nor do I condone the way Nasheed acted again and again outside the Constitution without any remorse or regret.
I don’t support the current Prez Waheed. I believe that Nasheed did not resign as such but was forced to resign.
Before Nasheed’s government fell, his popularity was at rock bottom and there was genuine hatred for his actions amongst the independent voters too. People were sick of Nasheed’s activists who were threatening media and setting fire to places like VTV. The county was in chaos because of the confrontational policies of MDP.
Equally the public is now disgusted with the way an elected President has been toppled. Hence, the massive sympathy support for Nasheed at present.
Nasheed will most probably win any election held today or tomorrow by a landslide. Not because people approve of his conduct in the past or the way he ran the country but because majority of the people believe in democracy and don’t wish to be robbed of the opportunity to elect the President through a vote.
Nasheed will return back to power if not in a snap election then in the next election. When he returns back, he should learn from his past mistakes and assemble a capable cabinet, and run the country for all Maldivians and not just for MDP supporters.
Prez Nasheed should not use his activists on the roads to make policy. Instead he should abide by the Constitution and operate within the Rule of Law to uphold the values that he himself promotes.
Prez Nasheed should accept the fact that after Maumoon, the people of this country had reduced the Executive Powers when the New Constitution was adopted as they do not wish for a single person to have too much power.
So, when Nasheed is back in office soon he must learn to work with the Majlis and Judiciary as equals.
As for the current situation, I don’t believe that violence is the answer or the right way forward. MDP needs to strategise to win the ‘war’ and not just win a ‘ battle’.
I hope I have made myself clear now.
I call on all tour operators and tour agency who send Tourist to Maldive to Boycott the resorts owned by MP Gasim Ibrahim, Yamin Abdul Gayoom, Tasmeen Ali
Dear Eleanor,
Yes, there are some very serious questions as to the manner in which the democratically elected govt was brought down. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
But please try to understand this. This fragile country has already had more than its fair share of fighting over senseless political issues. Please, please please DONT incite further hatred. This is very very small fragile country. You and the good journalists like you who are fighting for the good cause of 'restoring democracy' will leave this country soon. And then its going to be us the poor Maldivians left behind to fed for ourselves. Please dont do this. You are destroying the little this country has got to sell to the outside world (tourism) for generations to come. Our children and their children have to survive on what little we have. This is our home. our country. Please do us a favour. dont do this. I beg you to stop this nonsense.
Enough fighting. Enough wounds. Enough pain. Please let this country reconcile. Let us heal our wounds. By writing these article you think you are helping us. But believe me it doesnt help a teeny weeny bit. It only deepens our wounds.
Someone can come up their investment. Specially Gasim.
romea, I am a Maldivian too and do not want hatred but there is something that I would not give up and that is my principles. You and the corrupt Police seem no different if you compromised your principles for money.
This not nonsense. This is justice and right. I and a lot of Maldivians did not vote for Waheed as President. In fact the majority of Maldivians did not vote for Waheed as President.
So how come he is President now?
"laari laari police, 10 laari for one police..."
You are desrved for ppl to taunt you!!! Shame on you gangster polices!!
Romeo, a wound cannot heal on the surface, when there is bacteria festering inside it. We would all like to move on with life but it cannot be normal as long as we are living under military rule, and feel betrayed by the very institutions that we have all regarded as our protectors. Why don't you try and understand that.
Whether any1 likes him or not Nasheed certainly is an enigma.His determination and energy never fails to impress and amaze me.Having said that the man certainly lacks foresight and a long term agenda.He created such confusion in the country to an extent people had to run for their life not knowing where they wud hv to go for justice!With Reeko moosa making one court and umar naseer making another, n MDP MP's making public announcemnts to defy the courts and the supreme court's cheif justice made to look like a fool.What does ppl who have worked hard all thr life to establish busineses or professionals who worked hard to climb up the ladder do when such a vacuum is created?Even the policeman who were given orders unconstitutionally had to fear their fate if they were to be prosecuted on a personal basis if Nasheed was voted out in 2013.Rule of law was lost in the country and thr was no clear plan to reestablish it.Nasheed's mistake was that he sidelined educated people and gave power to gang of mindless loyalists with a clear intention of establishing rule of co-operations or rather a Godfather style syndicate with the view of keeping MDP top brass in power for decades.The character assasination of oppsoition members and loss of equality gave rise to extremism in all forms powered by the spread of hate and terror due to bizzare economic,religeous and foreign policy.Nasheed, a much travlled journalist/politician should have realised that small our country maybe but how strategically important the country is for World peace and the region.It is an important trade route connecting the east and west and the most ideal command center in case of any major war crisis in the world.The spread of hate could have lead to the sidelined and harassed people accepting offers from extremist forces who would be more than glad to set up bases in these isolated islands.If Somalian pirates or tamil rebel tigers or extremist islamists got control of the islands it would have bn the biggest threat of terrorism the region ever faced..and now Nasheed is attacking the military which was and will be the only capable source to prevent any such infiltration by external extremist forces because of the geography of the country.It was time the international community acted to restore stability.
The leader of this tiny island nation has to be a man of reason.Pride and vanity will not lead us anywhere and we will all sink to the bottom of the ocean together.The country is greater and far more important than any one person or his personal ideology and we need peace amongst ourselves at any cost.
@Manik: Well said thank you!
@Mariyam: Some ppl try not to understand it at all and still call them "poor" as such. Sad
Attaturk, No you are wrong. We do not need peace at ANY COST.
This is a pure and simple hogwash and the terms used by all dictators. Peace at all cost destroys democracy and brings back absolute power.
Nasheed is a lot of things I do not like and has made many mistakes too but you are accusing of him of one thing that is really important.
He is not vindictive at all. Maybe he should have been more hardline in going after the Gayoom clan, things may not have to come to this.
I agree that he did sideline people who were educated and well meaning and put people in places where he should not but I also feel and know that the party people were too strong for him and dealt him a poor hand.
Maybe this would strengthen his hand and get more competent people in place if he wins the election.
words fail me, look at the brutality of the police!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMfp4T8Xb4Y
@Operator
which resorts are owned by MP Gasim Ibrahim, Yamin Abdul Gayoom, Tasmeen Ali ???
Stupid Adduans, I always thought they are bit more civilized than the rest of the islanders of this country, but they have begun to show them as more substandard and uncivilized people I have ever known. Where were your this 'laari laari, Yes Sir' show when MDP was buying all the politicians one after the other from the opposition political parties? Have you forgotten MP Ali Waheed, Previous foreign minister Dr Shaheed, MP Luthfy etc etc. Why werent you there on the streets at the time to say 'MDP Politician shopping'. You guys are so hypocritic and mad. Whatever you do, we don't care. This time the sensible maldivian public (which is the majority) will stand by Dr Waheed's government and we will help him make this country right. Nasheed was a doctator just like his predecessor and we won't let him come back even with an election. So do whatever drama or show you guys want, but its game over for MDP.
BRB, buying me some policemen. This stuff's cheap!
Hopefully the Maldives economy and the people of Maldives will persevere, and re-discover a new era of peace, free from demonstrations, rioting and civil unrest. MDP should stop all rioting and causing havoc on the streets, which are causing us normal peoople (who are not sided to any political party) a lot of headaches. Cant MDP get over the fact that besides the 40,000 members of MDP in this country there are the remaining 260,000 people who just want peace and quiet, free from all this political marches and demonstrations ? Cant we ordinary Maldivians just get some peace and quiet ?
DICTATOR NASHEED is now trying to distory this country once he and his elite corrupt and drunck group lost power!! NAsheed forget the power!! You will (god willing) never come back to power!! You are a mad man..who doesnt know how to rule!!
I have always thought that Maldivians and the Maldives are the most difficult on the surface of the earth to manage. The individual islands are small with a few hundred people in each while the total local population is slightly more than 300,000 plus a population of foreign nationals of a third of this. Nevertheless, there is a government as complex as that of the United of States or India.
A government headed by a president assisted (legally) by a vice president; a parliament; a judiciary; a civil service; and a police force and a military. In fact, a government mechanism that is as complex as the largest governments of the world. Yet, there is chaos everywhere; there is no political or social harmony; the people are divided along political, religious and socio-economic lines.
The Maldives is one of the smallest nations in the world but by far the most difficult to be managed or there are no good managers or leaders.
@ goose: LMFAO!
Truly sad story. But due to this, some DRP people has turned sides to MDP here in Addu. Many people now see the true face of "Baagee Waheed" and the people behind the face.
It is very, very sad. Waheed was a man I highly respected and admired before all of this. I probably would have voted for him in 2013 if he had gone alone with someone respectable as his VP.
Now it is all gone. What have you done Dr.Waheed? Is this your true character?
I really do not know what to say.He also made this whole thing worse by appointing Gayoom's people into the cabinet.
I do not know what is in store for Maldives anymore.
@ Operator, I think Gadhage Saleem also know as Conrad Saleem or Crown Saleem also paid to purchase a share of the loot.
This Gadhage or Conrad or Crown Company Saleem has been true to his word, all along he has been saying he will spend every cent he has to bring down Nasheed's Government finally he has purchase share.
Renaming Maldive, Army and Police which one do you prefer:
1. Villa Army / Villa Police / Villa Maldvies.
2. Conrad Army / Conrad Police / Conrad Maldives.
3. Gadhage Saleem's Army / Gadhage Saleem's Police / Gadhage Saleem's Maldives.
4. Crown Company Army / Crown Company Police / Crown Company Maldives.
5. Sultan Army / Sultan Police / Sultan Maldives.
“not all police officers have taken money. Now everybody is being labelled. Those who are innocent should be cleared by holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”
Prove it and join the public to protest against this corrupted illegitimate government!!!
@CommonSense
How did you get that figure so right??!!
But to be honest you cant see the full image of it.
Do you know how many chilrens,wife,husbands those members have which is not on the list your believing!!!
Hope you will try to get the correct number next time!!!If you have the capabilty!
Yasir Sir,
You are wrong bro!!
We are more united and we hold our position firm and it very solid.
We will stand up for the freedom and democrasy.No to dictatorship if this continues we have to think of the other option that you may know from the history.Think about the last three atolls on the south Maldives.We are capable to live on by our own without criminals and dictators.
The present regime has organised this terror attack and we do blame them.
If no election soon before 2013 we will show you what will happen!
commonsense, if they do not stand up for their rights, then you have no right to claim anything else too.
They thought No Sir was a bold move. Listen now!
Amilla foakah faiin ereynee thivarah!
@Addu boy: You guys burnt down all the public places and put fire on the police academy and their vehicles an dyou say you don't spread any terror? What a joke. If this is not violence and terror, then I don't know what is terror for MDP and its Addu thugs.
Manik, we are not in a situation where anyone has absolute power.the current government agreed to an independent investigation into the events leading to the transfer of power, offered posts to all political parties including mdp, and there is going to be an election sooner or later. There is no need to make the entire military or the entire police force into our enemies. that's crazy!
sinking, we are sunk already and not sinking.
Do you have any brains? Please do not take this personally but when Waheed says he wants a Unity government and before he said that he offered the Defence Ministry and the Home Ministry to the people who brought about this coup, it shows his insincerity.
Now on the other hand if he was sincere, he would have given cabinet posts, to independent people who has the respect of the public. Now he has given all posts to people who are involved with the coup or are close cronies of Gayoom and Gasim.
That shows his insincerity in forming a Unity government.This is just a show for the International Community and gullible people of Maldives.
Let me also tell you that I probably would have voted for Waheed if he ran for elections in 2013. I would not have voted for Anni. But now. Not a chance.
Not because I like Anni. But because they had a coup and toppled a legally elected government and MDP is the only chance to bring back democracy to Maldives.
As for the MNDF and the Police. If the majority of them did not go along with this then this would not have happened. If they did not brutally beat the civilians then they may be able to show their faces in public. Not now. They are a disgrace to Maldives.
I am going to wait for the investigation to find out what happened and who was involved, before I make up my mind. I just saw another interview of Anni on HARDtalk, where his claims have become a little different.
The new posts do have two people that are associated with the old regime, but the others aren't. and I don't believe waheed is a big fan of gayoom at all, so I don't think it will be run like the old regime or the way gayoom wants, at all. Lets face it, there are people in mdp who were big players in the old regime too. and gasim and all the other candidates of last election supported anni instead of gayoom when it came to the election.so all these people are not supporting gayoom, they want to prove they are the best, not gayoom or anyone else.
As for the police there is no evidence for you to say a majority of the army or police are responsible for the brutality.
we are sinking in more ways than one