Tory In Thinadhoo

The people of Thinadhoo, capital of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, are brimming with reformist enthusiasm as British Conservative MP Gary Streeter visits and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) founder Mohamed Latheef returns to his native island after three years in exile.

British Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, Gary Streeter, received a big welcome as he arrived on the second leg of his visit to the Maldives. Streeter, who is Chairman of the Conservatives’ International Group, has come to the Maldives to discuss how his party can help the MDP to strengthen its organisation.

Latheef returned to the country yesterday after three years in voluntary exile. It is the first time he has been in the Maldives since he founded the MDP in October 2003.

There is a festival mood in the island and MDP officials and supporters are enthused to see their cause has attracted international attention. Fishermen have decked out their boats in yellow and blue MDP flags and are playing music which can be heard throughout the island. MDP supporters have raised party flags and red and green Maldivian flags on nearly every main street.

Banners near the harbour read: “our hearts and minds are with the reform,” while others accuse President Gayoom of stealing votes and warn him he will lose in democratic elections. Away from the coastline, graffiti lines many walls around the MDP’s office calling for the President’s resignation.

Only the weather is gloomy, with heavy rain overnight swamping the island, causing some floods and minor power cuts.

Streeter, who is MP for South-West Devon, is holding meetings with Dhaaira (Regional Office) representatives and will address the party faithful at a regional council meeting this evening in the island’s main assembly hall.

There is a relatively low police presence in the island and authorities are taking a cautious approach to the British politician’s visit. Apart from requests for the most anti-government banners to be taken down, and graffiti being painted over, local government officials are so far allowing the event to take place with minimum conflict.

The Conservative Party has also sent Philippa Broom, the Director of the Party’s International Office. The two Tory officials will now look at the MDP and see if they can help the party develop through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), an organisation founded in 1992 in Britain to help the cause of centre-right, like-minded political parties who are committed to democracy.

The WFD has worked in the former USSR, Africa and many countries in Asia. “We are here to make an assessment as to whether or not we can work with them to help them become a more formidable, democratic, election winning party,” said Streeter, talking to Minivan News.

“We are continuing to look at their organisation…and of course it’s open to any party in the Maldives, The DRP, the Justice Party, anybody to seek help from a British political party and if it works, if the relationship clicks, they could get help too,” he added.

Asked what his impression of the Maldives was, he said he thought it was a “fantastic country” and added: “Obviously, there’s tension in the air. You know, the reform process has started and it’s not going as quickly as many people would want, but on the other hand look back three years and they have come an awful long way.”

“For a political party that has been going 2 or 3 years I think the MDP is truly remarkable. The depth of organisation, the numbers they can wheel out, some of their campaigning techniques, their material they produced, their ideas for the future – I think actually they have made a fantastic start,” Streeter said.

The Tory MP spent yesterday in Male’ talking to Shadow Cabinet members and government ministers. When he gets back to the capital, he will meet Elections Commissioner, Kaaf Dhaal Ahmed Maniku and other government ministers. He returns to London on Sunday.

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