“I call upon Dr Waheed to immediately step down from the seat he is sitting in and call for immediate elections,” said former President Mohamed Nasheed during a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) National Council meeting at Dharubaruge this afternoon.
The council further rejected the now-forming national unity government’s invitation to join forces, and declaring Nasheed’s former government the only “legitimate” government said it would not negotiate with the opposing ruling body.
Nasheed spoke to hundreds of party supporters packed into the entire top floor of Dharubaruge, along with the sitting members of the national council. MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik chaired the meeting.
Declaring that “I will never back down until a lawful legitimate government is sworn in,” Nasheed called upon the chief justice to investigate the yesterday’s coup “and bring those responsible to justice.”
“We will never allow the national defense forces and the police to be hijacked by the opposition,” he said. “We will assure our key pledges of affordable housing, transport networks, closure of the doors opened towards narcotics, and bringing down the commodity prices.”
According to MDP, Nasheed was yesterday forced to resign by the military, which forced the state broadcasting station MNBC to revert to its identity Television Maldives (TVM) and threatened “a bloodbath in the capital” if Nasheed did not step down from the presidency.
The alleged coup arose out of three weeks of opposition-led protests calling for the release of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed who was arrested on January 16 after attempting to block his own police summons. Protesters declared the arrest a violation of human rights while members of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) accused Nasheed of acting unlawfully.
Following an all-night protest on February 6, under 100 police officers defected from their position as state security and assisted protesters in an attack on the then-ruling MDP camp, triggering a larger clash between police and Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) last morning which left many injured.
Following Nasheed’s resignation at 1:00 pm, former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan was sworn into office yesterday at 3:00pm with the support of several opposition parties. He said he intends to fulfill Nasheed’s term until the scheduled presidential elections in 2013.
Meanwhile, members of Nasheed’s government have said they did not attend work today and are awaiting political appointment.
Gathering for the council meeting today at Dharubaruge, throngs of MDP supporters and members of the former government chanted for Nasheed upon his arrival, filling the building’s top floor and screaming in support as sitting council members declared resistance to Dr Waheed’s national unity government.
MP Alhan Fahmy, former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem and several party MPs said MDP would not negotiate with Dr Waheed’s government and declared that Nasheed “is still the legitimate president.”
Party President Dr Ibrahim Didi, who last night said on television that he supported cooperation with the new government, told the council, “I was misinterpreted by the media stating that I was open to the idea of a unity government but I only stated that I would decide after consulting the party council.”
Speaking from atop her chair at the front of the council MP Mariya Ahmed Didi declared yesterday’s events a coup and called on the council to accept that Nasheed’s administration had been elected by popular vote, but was overturned by a minority of the nation’s security forces.
Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Aslam Shakir next proposed a resolution that the MDP rally for judicial reform, which was earlier scheduled for February 17, would proceed as planned. Many party supporters are due to arrive from islands for the event.
The council unanimously voted in favor of both resolutions.
The council further asserted that it does not recognise yesterday’s change of government, and that Nasheed and his ministers are still the legitimate ruling body in the eyes of MDP.
As the meeting drew to a close Nasheed said, “I call upon all of us to march to ‘Haruge’ [MDP camp] after this meeting and open it for it was the place where freedom of speech and expression originated.” Supporters exited the building chanting “long live Nasheed!” and made their way to the party camp.
Shortly after, MDP members clashed with some opposition supporters near the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA). MNDF forces were on their way to the scene at time of press, after the crowd had been four times pepper sprayed.
Nasheed was reported to be on the protest’s front lines.
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That's my chore boy! Agitate the police, make sure to catch great photos of angry police chasing you!
He should have marched this protest yesterday....why today??
President Nasheed has been overthrown by a coup d'etat.
The section of the police ops that went and destroyed the MDP haruge, and attacked civilians are traitors and criminals, and needs to be brought to justice.
The opposition has played a dirty and dangerous game in staging this coup, and I have no doubt that with Anni back on the streets the present proxy government run by the opposition and their militia is untenable.
Elections are now the only option.
What's happening today (better see it your self) is the true colors of Maldivian Security Forces..
Welcome back to the Real Maldives..yay!
to SA on Wed, 8th Feb 2012 6:25 PM
he was on custody and in an unknown location till today noon.
after that he's out and the public is gathered.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RaajjeTelevision
see the few minutes of brutalitiy did by Maldivian Police While Ago.
How are Dr. Waheed's policies when it comes to Environmental Matters? we cant let a president who will let us sink... Literally!
Stay Green, stay safe
This is what happens when islamist are involved, the Islamist elements in the police is the cause that lead the change of democratically elected government at gun point. It was brilliant Anni again who has averted the blood bath that was imminent due to this seventh century barbaric mentality. The Head Mullah, narcissist maniac Qayoom, whose role models are Sadam and gazzafi praising again this very undemocratic barbaric action. I hope maldivain have now to treat this guy the way his role models were treated.
The Dictator Mumoon and his cronies has deposited MRF100,000 to each officers account to bring down President Nasheed.
This cannot be accepted and the new government cannot be accepted.Justice should be made for all those who involved in this dirty game.The state police and difence forces are so corrupted and they are working for a short while pleasure and the have forgten their appointed duties nation and its people.But they brocken the rules and regulation and they sided with former dictator and coronies.
As mentioned earlier in my comments this is just a begning and fair justice will be made,no matter what it takes if necessary this nation will come to hault but no one can stop us untill we finish our job.
There will be killings at this stage and already two passed away.May Allah bless thier souls.
Dictator and his suppoters knew there is no other way so they did their last choice and this is a big failiure and blow for them.
We urge international communities to assist us in any areas they can.
My brothers and sisters who are working in armed forces and national police i urge you all to point out all the corrupted people within you and delebaratly assist to bring this nation towards to the peace and prosperity for its people and generations to come.
We have gutts and we will not give up.
Anni actually wants bloodbath in this country! What a little evil man!
Rambe!! WE CAN NEVER ALLOW THE GAY'S, WINELOVER (HARDCORE DRINKER OF BEER), PROSITITUE DEALERS, DRUG ADDICTS RULE THIS COUNTRY!! EVEN IN MDP, DRP, PPM, DR.WAHEED PARTY, DR.HASSANU PARTY!! WE KNOW PRESIDENT NASHEED HAS A CLOSE ELITE GROUP WHO DOES MOST OF THESE UNETHICAL ACTS! WE KNOW HE AND MANY POLITICIANS SUPPORT THESE GANGS!! AND WE KNOW MINISTER ADIL SALEEM BOOZ HEAVYLY AND HAS THREE GIRLS LIVING WITH HIM OUT WEDLOCK AS "JARIYA" AND PRESIDENT NASHEED IS OK AND HAVE FUN WITH THESE ACTS!! WE KNOW HE ENTERTAINS WINE DRINKING IN OFFICIAL RESIDENCE! THIS MAY NOT BE OF CONCERN FOR USA OR EUROPE!! BUT ITS TAKEN SERIOUSLY IN OUR SOCIETY!! PRESIDENT NASHEED AND MANY OF THESE DIRTY POLITICIANS NEEDS TO GET OUT OF POLITICS! PLEASE SAVE THIS COUNTRY!!
good going anni..
@Reality Maldives on Wed, 8th Feb 2012 7:21 PM ; LOL, cut the crap abt the deposit! Also, may i please ask who is confirming the news of the death?
If mndf had not backed out from Anni yesterday there would have been more deaths as he ordered to shoot the citizens and police to remain in power, which the mndf did not follow which lead to him stepping down.
Don't be a part of sending out wrong information to global communities.
Ta!
Maldivians see for yourself what "YOUR POLICE" are doing to innocent Maldivians.
In one day they have killed 3 people and injured many innocent people just by brutal beating.
At least Nasheed let people have their say without beatings. Umar Naseer threatens to kill Nasheed yet he is free and never was beaten.
Lets get rid of these brutal murderers in the military and give its control to honest Maldivians who love their country.
Aye on Wed, 8th Feb 2012 8:00 PM
@International Media is covering the news you get the right info by yourself.
This is the reality cannot cover it dont even try my fellow.
We vow to try Current President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Maniku, Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Gayoom's little brother MP Yameen Abdul Gayoom, and MP Gasim Ibrahim for treason.
Too late, I'm afraid.
The best MDP can do now is to campaign in a civilised manner for the 2013 presidential election.
If Anni did not resign yesterday, he would have faced the same fate as Mohamed Amin.
It was the Police and the MNDF that were protecting him and the moment their support was withdrawn, the game was over and Anni knew it better than anyone else.
Minivan news is twisting the story and you never ever said anything correct here. You guys hat Islam but we will continue to be Muslims and you can not change us. Do try promote Anni and he a devil and our nation will never forgive him.
Mdp began current Majlis with 26.They bribed their way to get majority.Millions of dollars were available from Gmr and Cable and Wireless etc. Why didn't Anniversary outbid Gayoom and buy the police,then,?
Alam, you have no clue at all. It was not the public that is against Anni but the Police. We saw that today, the beating of the Police thugs in Maldives.
The true face of Gayoom's thugs unleashed on the civilian population of Male.
@Aye on Wed, 8th Feb 2012 8:00 PM
You said "If mndf had not backed out from Anni yesterday there would have been more deaths as he ordered to shoot the citizens and police to remain in power, which the mndf did not follow which lead to him stepping down."
MNDF on their news conference yesterday said president Nasheed did not order to shoot. (reported on Haveeru)
08-02-2012 22:27 ފުލުހުންނާ ދެކޮޅަށް ލައިވް ވަޒަން ބޭނުންކުރަން ރައީސް ނަޝީދު އިއްޔެ އަމުރެއް ނުކުރޭ: އެމްއެންޑީއެ
I wonder who's sending wrong information to global communities.
There is a day of reckoning for every blood hound. Mr Defence Minister, "Colonel" Disgraced Nazim, here's a simple message. You will face the people and there will be no mercy. Enjoy your brief limelight, for, soon that will be extinguished.
Mr Commissioner of Police, the resurrected Riyaz, clearly is out for vengence. Guys, you've triggered something far bigger and dangerous than you can ever imagine. If you thought that your little coup will lead to a comfortable life in the seats of power, you will soon wake up from that stupour and face reality.
I am afraid Maldives is heading towards a Military regime.
I am sure either USA or Europe will never step in to help Maldives as it had got NO OIL like in iraq or Libya.
Nasheed, Reeko, Maria & Alhan should be locked in aarah if we want peace in our country.
Sigh... Day before yesterday he resigned as president. Yesterday he said that the current president should resign... Tomorrow when the vice-president resigns and the Speaker of majilis is elected interim president then Anni will tell the Speaker of Majilis to resign... After that the next President...
This seems to me like a sign of total idioticness...
it's too obvious, clear without a doubt that police mutiny,MNDF coup & opposition leaders were on the same side to orchestrate such a dirty and brutal drama to attain power.. police have dug their own grave, thinking this is over and under control. their brutality should be shown on CNN i Reports and over all over the world.. how can anyone dare touch a former president of any country, beat him, cuff him, and humiliate him like that?? how can any person who has the slightest national sense of belonging to a country watch this on media, see all of this live and stay quite..
Police claimed they didn't want to commit an unlawful act, demonstrate and join opposition in burning MDP office, but yesterday they committed crimes which were worse and more brutal than over the past 3-4 weeks of uprising!!!!
who has ordered this?? who is responsible for arresting Nasheedh and ordered the brutal inhuman and violent beating of innocent protesters who didnt touch any public or private property!!???
the state media says those protesters were "going to destroy public and private property" !! but all of that is misleading !!! protesters didn't burn anything, didn't break anything or attack any innocent person !!! police charged with weapons against unarmed protesters, beaten people like sheep and cows, arresting Anni & beating him, arresting marya & humiliating her, almost killing rekko
it's too obvious, clear without a doubt that police mutiny,MNDF coup & opposition leaders were on the same side to orchestrate such a dirty and brutal drama to attain power.. police have dug their own grave, thinking this is over and under control. their brutality should be shown on CNN i Reports and over all over the world.. how can anyone dare touch a former president of any country, beat him, cuff him, and humiliate him like that?? how can any person who has the slightest sense of nationalism watch t national sense of belonging to a country watch this on media, see all of this live and stay quite..
Police claimed they didn't want to commit an unlawful act, demonstrate and join opposition in burning MDP office, but yesterday they committed crimes which were worse and more brutal than over the past 3-4 weeks of uprising!!!!
who has ordered this?? who is responsible for arresting Nasheedh and ordered the brutal inhuman and violent beating of innocent protesters who didnt touch any public or private property!!???
the state media says those protesters were "going to destroy public and private property" !! but all of that is misleading !!! protesters didn't burn anything, didn't break anything or attack any innocent person !!! police charged with weapons against unarmed protesters, beaten people like sheep and cows, arresting Anni & beating him, arresting marya & humiliating her, almost killing rekko ,,,,,, "ALL THAT IS LAWFUL ACT POLICE CAN DO",????
Shame on you Dr Waheed!! saying all will be done by the scale of justice and within the law,
shame on you for watching TV last night and yet you could sleep on such brutal and violent way police, or this mob they call them selves police, behaves...
shame on you for not standing for the man who gave you your presidency now to avoid blood shed and violence..
and finally no one should accept this Ali Baba & his 40 thief government until election is due...
Neither the article, nor any of the comments cover the most important questions.
President Nasheed is quoted in 3 International media in 3 different ways. Al-Jazeera has posted the video of the exact words, others we have to believe their word for it.
Al Jazeera : Asked why he had resigned, Nasheed said: "Because I didn't want them to go shooting our people"
NY Times : Nasheed told Agence France-Presse that a group of mutinous police and army officers forced his resignation at gunpoint. “They told me if I didn’t resign, they would resort to use arms,” he said to the agency.
BBC : "Yes, I was forced to resign at gunpoint," he (Pr.Nasheed) told reporters after the meeting. "There were guns all around me and they told me they wouldn't hesitate to use them if I didn't resign."
He told the AFP news agency in a telephone interview that he had gone to military headquarters on Tuesday where he found about 18 "middle-ranking" police and army officers in control.
The short resignation speech he gave also more or less indicated that he had the option to use arms, but decided to resign rather than taking that option.
One day, after resignation he is quoted in various ways to indicate that he resigned under duress. What bother me most is when Pr.Nasheed Stood at the podium, in front of the cameras which were transmitting live feeds, what stopped him from telling the truth as to why he was resigning? There were no guns pointed at him.
Pr.Nasheed would know the names of probably all the senior officers of MNDF by name, and they do have quite a big name tag. Who are "they" he is referring to. In an allegation of this magnitude, names have to be disclosed.
@ML very true.Only those who experience those "hindhukolhas",druggies and the liqor hungry so called moderates would be believing what Anni says.Its a shame the international media such as bbc cnn don't question him and report his statements.Or in that fateful morning Anni might have been so drunk he did not know whats going on at all.the police should have checked the guys alcohol level(if any) some how b4 releasing him to go home..
Mr. Nasheed, during his tenure as a president of the Maldives, did everything to consolidate democratic set up. Remember, he had so many factors to look into. It was Gayyom's rule for 30 long years left the country into shambles. People of Maldives were not educated Politically and they knew only to throw stones and use box cutter knives. Given the situation, Nasheed tried hard since November 2008 to educate the people about democracy, rights and duties, etc. But the Civil Servants and the Judiciary who were benefited by the Gayooom's regime did not like the new changes and created much trouble to Nasheed. The opposition as well as MDP MPs too politically immature to do any good business in the Parliament. International community failed to educate the elected representatives and the people in general how to participate in a democratic set up and how to obey the constitution. Nasheed should have been allowed to complete his term in the office and the Civil Servants should have joined him in his effort of Nation Building. It is the religious extremists element in the Maldives did not like his policies. Hence the downfall.
Marie-
Loving wine and eating pork is taboo for for banana republic, but prostitution, sex, womanizing and robbing and cheating is absolutely acceptable in your crazy society. 100% of people have sex out of wed lock and it is as normal as drinking water. Your crazy society is not built upon any civilized values or any human ethics, you only think the human values and ethics are those of 07th century Arab Bedouin culture which was found on womanizing, raping, killing, child married and dreaming on dying for another day for lust, you think after doing all these evil thing, you go to Mecca and appease your human type of Allah will forgive all these evil things and will be given eternal joys. The only problem with your society is that it is flourishing on ignorance who can’t think rationally. In your country there is no single person who is sane; either you are crazy with religion or crazy with sex or suffering from bipolar. The problem is this moronic people were caged during that dictator Qayoom and now are released, and what you can expect from this savages. Anni was courageous to face such dirty people on the face of earth with intention of doing some good. Don’t think by writing few words in English you know the whole world, you are a just simple frog in a well.
But why emotional resignation speech and then the next day say he was gunned and forced? Isn't it contradicting??
In his speech on 8th feb 2012 i quote "Iye eyee aharen beerah jehi bola eh" literal meaning is "yesterday i place the ball outside on purpose", from which i get that he played a dirty game on 7th feb 2012, which is his resignation, that brings me to one conclusion that knowingly and purposefully he had resigned in is own terms.
So he clearly states and confesses that his resignation was as per to his own plan, so there is no doubt about his resignation to be a forced one.
I rest my case.