Tag: cmag

MPs debate leaving Commonwealth

Members of parliament backing President Mohamed Waheed Hassan have called on the state to withdraw the country’s membership from the Commonwealth, during a debate on a resolution forwarded today.

The resolution that sparked the debate was forwarded by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ibrahim ‘Bonda’ Rasheed, “condemning” the current government’s failure to adhere to the calls of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) concluding statement on the Maldives, notably the call for early presidential elections in 2012.

The CMAG statement also noted that it will consider “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives unless the composition of its Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) was revised in the next four weeks.

Withdrawing Commonwealth membership

Speaking in the debate, Dhivehi Qaumee Party MP Riyaz Rasheed called for the Maldives to withdraw membership from the Commonwealth “for now”.

“We don’t want to, but there is no reason to have international relations with a group like this, who don’t even know to ensure justice,” he said. “I propose to disassociate  ourselves from the Commonwealth for now,” The MP said.

MP Rasheed has been highly critical of the Commonwealth and also Queen Elizabeth, who is the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth.

During a diatribe on DhiTV in March, he argued that the British public had funded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in return for the establishment of churches in the Maldives, and also alleged that the UK hated the Maldives for gaining its independence.

Rasheed went onto criticise Queen Elizabeth stating, “After 50 years, the English Queen, she is physically challenged. But she is still the Queen, and if she wants she can remove the Prime Minister. Where is democracy? Where is democracy? That is not a democracy.”

Also speaking in the debate, MP Muththalib from the government-allied and religiously conservative Adhaalath Party, said that international organisations should ensure that their calls fitted with the constitution of the country and Islamic virtue.”

“CMAG should not be a weapon used to destroy the religion [Islam] of this country. The United Nations and all the other international organisations including the United States and India have accepted this government, “ he claimed.

“I do not believe CMAG has any right to demand our country hold early elections. Also, we should consider those [countries] that do things for us,” he added.

Muththalib said he would fully support the Maldives’ withdrawal from the Commonwealth if the government of President Waheed Hassan felt it was in the best interests of the county.

“If the current government feels that disaffiliating with CMAG or the Commonwealth is what is best for this country, I am in full support for this Majlis to pass such a motion,” he reiterated.

Deputy Parliamentary Group leader of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Ilham Mohamed, stated that there were no stipulations in the Constitution calling for an early election, and that one could only be held after amending the constitution.

He argued that that the Maldives should “immediately” withdraw its membership with the Commonwealth.

“I am saying this very clearly. I call on President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, who is in charge of this state, to carry out what ever necessary measures that needs to be taken to disaffiliate from the Commonwealth. We are ready to part with Commonwealth,” MP Mohamed said.

MP Mohamed sent a warning to the current government stating that the the government decides to hold early elections, his party would withdraw its support to the government.

“Elections will be held on 2013. Or else we won’t be supporting the government. [No one] can hold an election before 2013. I am saying it very clearly. Be it Commonwealth or any other country that calls for it, no one can hold an early election,” he said.

MDP response

MDP MPs argued that the government should adhere to the calls of CMAG and that early elections should be held in 2012.

The opposition MPs also expressed concern that an inter-governmental organisation such as the Commonwealth had said that it would consider taking action against the Maldives.

Speaking in the debate, MDP MP Eva Abdulla, who was recently elected to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s standing committee on Women Parliamentarians, stated that CMAG did not represent the foreign ministers of just nine countries but rather the entire 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

MP Abdulla also stated that when government officials said that the members of CMAG did not even know the “skin colour” of the Maldivians, such a statement was also directed at individuals such as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.

“When we make such statements we are not harassing the Ministers, but our own peaceful relations with neighboring countries,” she said.

She also reiterated that if the Commonwealth suspended the Maldives, it would have a great impact on the ordinary citizens of the country.

MDP MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, of the Kulhudhuffushi North constituency, said that the Maldivian people had come to a “fork in the road” over the issue of early elections. He also stressed on the importance of adhering to the calls of Commonwealth.

“We don’t have the capacity to stand up against international bodies such as the Commonwealth, ASEAN and the SAARC. If we stay ignorant [of the calls of Commonwealth] in our greed for power, the ordinary citizens of this country will suffer,” Ghafoor said.

MDP MP Mohamed Riyaz during the debate expressed concern that some parliamentarians were accusing the Commonwealth of trying to destroy the Islamic faith of the Maldives. He also expressed concerns about possible impending Commonwealth action against the Maldives.

Earlier, President Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News that although the government was not currently seeking to reassess its Commonwealth membership, it was concerned over the language in the CMAG statement.

“We condemn the language used and the foreign minister has conveyed this as well,” he said. “If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” said Riza at the time.

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Maldivian NGOs call for “immediate changes” to inquiry commission

Four NGOs working under the banner ‘Thinvana Adu’ (Third Voice) have urged President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan to “bring immediate changes to the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) so that it gains public trust and confidence and is able to achieve its objectives.”

Transparency Maldives, Maldivian Democracy Network, Democracy House, and the Maldives NGO Federation, itself representing 59 organisations, joined forces to declare that they are “deeply concerned by the recent political polarisations in the society.”

The CNI came under fire last week from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which released a statement giving the government four weeks to reform the body established to investigate the February 7 change of power lest CMAG consider “further and stronger measures”.

“The group was of the view that the Commission of National Inquiry, established to assess the events leading to the transfer of power on 7 February 2012, is not independent or impartial, and has failed to gain sufficient support in Maldives,” read the CMAG statement.

“What we see in the Maldives today is confrontation instead of political dialogue. Because of this political turmoil is increasing in the country,” said Aiman Rasheed, representing Transparency Maldives.

“Thinava Adu believes the citizens must know what happened. Citizens must know the truth. Maldives will find it difficult to take steps forward unless we know the answers. If the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) remains the same as it is today, we believe the inquiry cannot proceed in a way that citizens can trust or accept,” he continued.

Thinvada Adu said that they had previously written to the President on February 29 regarding the CNI as well as meeting with him on March 7. In both instances, the concerns of the group were expressed to the President. These concerns were said to have been “well received” without anything being “translated into action.”

In a press conference this morning, Ahmed Nizam of the Maldivian NGO Federation said, “Political opinion has become divided into two main thoughts since the change of power on February 7 and consequent events. Hence, we believe a third voice is very important in coming to a resolution.”

Reaction to CMAG criticism

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, leader of the coalition government’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), responded to the CMAG report by saying that the group had based their report on incomplete information.

President’s Office spokesman Abbas Adil Riza last week said that the government did not understand CMAG’s criticisms and was requesting clarification over the required changes.

In response, the NGOs amended their CNI recommendations to include the following:

  • Members of the CNI must be persons of integrity and should be nominated from groups such as the Human Rights Commissions (MHRC), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Police Integrity Commission (PIC), the Election Commission (EC), under the guidance of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
  • The mandate and scope of the CNI must be decided by agreement across the political divide.
  • The CNI must pool technical assistance for the international community to both expedite and give credence to the process.
  • There must be opportunity for observation of the process by international actors.
  • The CNI’s finding must be shared with the Parliament and independent state institutions as well as to the public.
  • The state and its institutions must cooperate and make sufficient resources available to the CNI.

All-Party talks

Thinvana Adu also focused on the importance of continued dialogue between political parties “without preconditions”. It was argued that, in order to resolve the current crisis, all parties must be permitted to join the discussions which must be attended by key decision makers.

The India-brokered all party talks have failed to build up momentum due to squabbles over the group’s composition and agenda. The MDP boycotted the first meeting on February 20, complaining that some of the parties represented had no democratic mandate, referring to representatives of former President Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) who at the time of the first meeting had no official representation in the Majlis.

Any MP having switched allegiance to the PPM after its formation in October 2011 was technically classed as an ‘independent’ according to parliamentary regulations. The PPM has since won its first official seat in the Majlis with Ahmed Shareef, formerly Secretary General of the Elections Commission, winning the Thimarafushi by-election on April 14.

The MDP was present at the second round of talks, at which a tentative agenda was defined without specific prioritisation, before the PPM and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) walked away from the meetings following the MDPs refusal to allow the Majlis’s opening session to commence on March 1.

After the eventual opening of the Majlis on March 19, the talks did resume but the latest round, again, made no progress, this time the MDP calling for the inclusion of all registered parties. Today’s Thinvada Adu statement appears to be taking a similar line.

The group of NGOs also criticised the availability of the talk’s convener Ahmed Mujthaba whose absence from the country has delayed the talks on more than one occasion. Explaining his absence after the last session, Mujthaba told local paper Haveeru, “I did not plan my life with the knowledge of the events of February 7”.

Mujthaba had not responded at time of press.

The group also stated that decisions on early elections should be decided through “participatory, transparent, political processes, via discussions amongst political parties.” Aiman Rasheed of Transparency Maldives added that this entailed any decision between parties that did not contravene the existing legal or constitutional framework.

Regarding the long term recommendations of the group, it urged legislation to enable independent commissions of inquiry to function effectively. It urged state institutions to show greater leadership and commitment to responding to the current crisis.

The group also repeated calls for the support of the international actors in the “process of democratic consolidation”.

“It is a concern that in the absence of such guidance it will be a challenge to the national institutions to nurture the infant democracy of the Maldives,” the group said.

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Commonwealth reiterates call for 2012 elections; government says July 2013

The Commonwealth has reiterated its call for early presidential elections in the Maldives before 2013, but said it will only consider “stronger measures” against the Maldives government should the administration fail to establish a “credible” independent Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan last week responded that “early” elections would be held in July 2013, the earliest possible date allowed under the constitution, and pledged to continue working with the Commonwealth nonetheless.

Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) has warned it would take “stronger measures” against the Maldives government – which could potentially include suspension from the body – should the CNI’s composition and mandate not be amended within four weeks. CMAG also stressed that it saw ongoing talks between “senior” political representatives and early elections as the best way forward to maintain the country’s democratic transition.

The CNI was itself formed by Dr Waheed to independently verify the legitimacy of February’s transfer of power and the legality of his tenure as president, both of which are contested by the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). The MDP contends that the CNI is stacked with supporters of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the country’s autocratic leader of 30 years who was displaced by Nasheed.

In a statement yesterday, the President’s Office claimed that the coalition parties making up Dr Waheed’s “national unity government” were all in support of elections being held in July 2013.

“The CMAG’s primary mandate is to defend the Constitutions of the Commonwealth member states, and the Maldivian Constitution is very clear on when Presidential elections can be held.  The government is confident that once the CMAG is fully aware of this, they will come out in support of July 2013 elections,” the statement read, also criticising the now opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for demanding early polls.

“The MDP’s advocacy for elections earlier than July 2013 merely serves to highlight the persistent constitutional violations of the previous administration.”

The now opposition MDP, which maintains that Waheed was brought to power in a “coup d’etat”, has contended that elections could be held within several months should Waheed resign and hand his powers to Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid.

Under the constitution should Waheed resign, the Speaker would run an interim government for  maximum of 60 days followed by a presidential polls. Earlier, Waheed’s government disputed the “conditions” for an early election, on the basis of high political tensions, economic viability, capacity of the elections commission, and weak state of the judiciary.

The United States has since pledged US$500,000 in technical assistance for elections, to be made available from July 2012.

Several parliamentary by-elections were also held last weekend, in which candidates from pro-government parties came to power in the Thimarafushi and Kaashidhoo constituencies.

“Stronger measures”

The exact nature of the “stronger measures” that could be taken against the Maldives remains vague, but could include suspension from the group. Fiji – another island nation – was expelled by the Commonwealth in 2006 following a military coup. The Maldives has meanwhile been suspended from participation on CMAG.

“Each country situation that CMAG has considered in the past has had its own particular characteristics. It would not be fair to compare one situation against the other,” said Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesperson Richard Uku.

“CMAG has always sought to engage constructively with member states, and the Maldives is no exception. We would not like to speculate about what ‘stronger measures’ might be considered by CMAG if warranted, but a range of options is available to CMAG, including suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth.”

Former High Commissioner Dr Farahanaz Faizal, who attended the CMAG meeting, has previously said that the nature of the “stronger measures” proposed against the government could potentially have serious ramifications for the Maldives ongoing membership in the Commonwealth.

Though she was not present herself at the time, Dr Faizal was led to understand that, when questioned about the possible nature of further action against the government, the meeting’s chair suggested that suspension of the Maldives from the Commonwealth would be pursued if concerns over the CNI were not met.

Despite having previously accused the Commonwealth of showing “bias” towards the MDP in calling for early elections, the government has said it remains committed to being a member of the Commonwealth.

“We wish to continue to be members in the organisation, but we only would do so under the regulations of our constitution,” President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said earlier this week.

Asked at the time if he was confident the government could satisfy the calls from CMAG relating to the impartiality of the CNI, Abbas again said that it would first be important to clarify what exactly was expected of President Waheed’s administration.

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, leader of the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), reportedly criticised CMAG’s investigation this week as being “incomplete” and “failing to address the views of the Maldivian people”.

Commonwealth obligations

Secretariat Spokesperson Uku claimed that the organisation’s “experience” had shown no member state wished to be placed in such a situation as to be suspended from the group.

“Commonwealth membership carries political, economic and social benefits for member states and is valued by our member states. It also carries obligations about adhering to certain fundamental political values,” he said.

“Suspension from the councils of the Commonwealth has practical ramifications in terms of a member state being excluded from official Commonwealth meetings at various levels and being barred from receiving new technical assistance in many areas.”

EU backing

Representing 54 nations, the Commonwealth’s stance on the Maldives is a bellweather for the rest of the international community. The European Union told Minivan News this week that it continued to back CMAG and its Special Envoy Sir Donald Mckinnon in pursuing early elections and an independent inquiry.

An EU spokesperson said that considering the Maldives’ recent political upheaval, it was working with the Commonwealth and UN over issues such as judicial reform. The issue of judicial reform was initially raised by former President Mohamed Nasheed, and ultimately led to his detention of Chief Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed, who Nasheed’s government alleged “held the entire criminal justice system in his fist”.

The EU spokesperson claimed that discussions on judicial matters had already been held with the Maldives minister of State for Foreign Affairs, adding that the country had also reportedly asked for Commonwealth assistance.

Former President Nasheed came under international scrutiny for detaining Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed in the run up to his controversial resignation on Febraury 7 – a resignation he subsequently said was made under “duress”.

The former government detained the judge, who stands accused of several charges of misconduct, on suspicion that he was abusing his position and acting as a threat to national security. Nasheed’s government sought to resolve the impasse by appealing for help from the international community.

In a recent interview Nasheed told Time magazine that he believed the international community had been “very late” in providing meaningful assistance in assisting with the crisis.

Responding to the claims, the EU spokesperson said that the organisation had been approached “only a few days” before Feb 7 to provide assistance.

“Events then overtook Nasheed’s request,” the spokesperson said.

Government supporters are now pushing for Nasheed to face criminal charges for the arrest of the judge, which would potentially scuttle his election campaign.

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CMAG call for CNI review based on incomplete information: Thasmeen

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)’s calls to review the composition of the Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) are based on incomplete information, Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has claimed.

Thasmeen’s comments were made last night during an interview aired on private TV station DhiTV.  During the interview the DRP head also claimed that the CNI investigation into the transfer of power on February 7 needed to be completed before early elections could be held.

CMAG stated Monday it would consider taking “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives government unless it reviewed the CNI composition and mandate within four weeks.  The Commonwealth body also repeated its call for early elections to be held in 2012.

The government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan later responded that although it would work with the Commonwealth over its concerns, it could not constitutionally hold elections until July 2013.  The President’s Office added that further clarification was also required on the nature of the Commonwealth’s concerns relating to the impartiality of the CNI – the body set up to assess the circumstances surrounding the transfer of power on February 7.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which alleges that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a coup d’état, has rejected the government’s claims.

Ahead of national protests scheduled for tomorrow, the now opposition MDP has claimed that elections could be held within two months without constitutional changes should President Waheed step down.

However, responding in local media to CMAG’s calls, DRP chief Thasmeen alleged that the Commonwealth had failed to conduct proper research before issuing its statement this week.

Thasmeen reportedly added during the televised interview that CMAG had decided the CNI inquiry commission did not have public support having only spoken to select groups of people.

“I was surprised that CMAG said so. How could they assess what the people of the Maldives think? Talking to a select few on their visits is not enough to determine that,” Haveeru reported the DRP leader as saying.

The CMAG must also provide further details on the measures the government is to take to ensure CNI’s independence, Thasmeen added.

“We don’t understand what they want to convey. They point out that the inquiry commission is not independent but they don’t specify what needs to be done to make it more independent,” Thasmeen claimed.

Moreover, no organisation can call for early elections until the investigation into the transfer of power is complete, he contended.  Thasmeen added that CMAG could only press for early elections if Commonwealth values had indeed been violated in the transfer of power, but such a conclusion had not yet been established through an investigation, Thasmeen added.

“They cannot set the terms on such requests, and even if they do, it is not on the hands of the government to organise an early election.  An early presidential election can only be held after revising the constitution,” he said.

When contacted by Minivan News, Thasmeen said he was unable to comment further at the time.

Resignation calls

In addressing both the DRP and government response to CMAG’s calls, MDP spokesperson MP Imthiaz Fahmy said early elections were possible without constitutional amendments.

Famhy claimed that under the constitution, if President Waheed resigned, Majlis Speaker Abdulla Shahid would become head of state, a development requiring fresh elections to be held within two months.

Otherwise, “political parties will need to come to an arrangement to agree that a 2012 election will elect the president for a five-year term,” Fahmy added.

“We are asking them for a date. Once a target date is set, then we can make all the necessary arrangements. A date is the test of their sincerity” he said.

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Government seeks CMAG clarification over CNI “independence” concerns

The Maldives government is seeking clarification over criticisms levelled against it this week by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) concerning the composition of an independent inquiry body set up to probe February’s transfer of power.

On Monday, CMAG set a deadline of four weeks for President Waheed’s government to review the Committee of National Inquiry (CNI)’s composition and terms of reference.

Speaking to Minivan News, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the administration was looking to speak with CMAG to clarify the exact nature of its concerns. He stressed the government would continue to work with the Commonwealth body over the latest set of calls regarding the CNI.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s administration has continued to face calls over the last month from CMAG to hold early elections during 2012. These calls, also backed by international political bodies like the EU, additionally require the government to ensure an independent enquiry is conducted into its legitimacy amidst opposition claims that it had come to power in a “coup d’etat”.

President Waheed yesterday said that the government was committed to meeting Commonwealth calls for an independent inquiry, as well as agreeing to hold early elections. However, the president added that this could only be done by July 2013 under the present constitution.

The CNI is the body established by the president to conduct an independent inquiry into the transfer of power that saw Dr Waheed take office on February 7.

The president later established a coalition government made up of former opposition parties. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had itself refused to join the government as it continues to question the administration’s legitimacy.

CMAG concerns “not communicated”

Abbas said that the government felt the exact nature of CMAG’s concerns in the report were “not communicated”, adding that any criticisms should be based on clear statements.

“The government will enquire with CMAG about what exactly their concerns are,” he said. “The Foreign Ministry will request more information on this.”

As of yesterday evening, a Foreign Ministry official contacted by Minivan News said that the ministry would be issuing a statement giving its response to CMAG at a later date.

In a statement released Tuesday, President Waheed announced that his government welcomed an offer from Commonwealth Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon to “assign a judge to advise and assist the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).”

The President also claimed he would hold early elections as requested by international bodies such as the Commonwealth and EU, but would do so by July 2013 – “the earliest date permitted under the Constitution”.

As part of its statement following its meeting in London this week, CMAG, the body charged by the organisation to deal with human rights issues, reiterated the need for long-term measures to strengthen the capacity of the country’s judicial sector. It also called for fresh party talks between the country’s most senior political representatives.

The need for long-term measures to strengthen the capacity of the country’s judicial sector, as well as fresh party talks between the country’s most senior political representatives in helping resolve the current political situation was also raised.

Abbas Adil Riza said that while the government did welcome the recommendations of CMAG in regards to establishing administration’s legitimacy, he added that the it would do so only within the bounds of the constitution and the laws of the Maldives.

When asked if he was confident the government could satisfy the calls from CMAG relating to early elections and the impartiality of the CNI, Abbas again said that it would first be important to clarify what exactly was expected of President Waheed’s administration in regards to establishing independent mechanisms in the CNI.

When asked, Abbas maintained that the Maldives was committed  to remaining as a member of the Commonwealth.

“Obviously,” he responded.  “We wish to continue to be members in the organisation, but we only would do so under the regulations of our constitution.”

Opposition response

Whilst the government continues to seek clarification on the nature of the commitments expected of it by the Commonwealth, the now opposition MDP said this week that it too welcomed CMAG’s latest statement.  The party’s calls for presidential elections to be held later this year –  a stance former President Mohamed Nasheed continues to promote internationally – were also backed by CMAG.

MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor expressed particular encouragement for the Commonwealth’s decision to set a four week deadline to address concerns about the impartiality of the CNI.

However, Ghafoor believed that foreign assistance may be needed on the basis of mediation to move forward in resolving questions over the legitimacy of President Waheed’s position.

“The government has continued dragging their feet on both holding meaningful road map talks towards securing early elections and in ensuring the independence of the CNI,” he said.

“The next step now could be in third party mediation.”

Ghafoor claimed that mediation could be provided by asking a Commonwealth nation like India to try and help facilitate fresh talks such as all party roadmap discussion.  Previous attempts at such talks have stalled on several occasions during the last two months owing to disagreements between the MDP and several parties in Dr Waheed’s national unity government.

“In the next four weeks, we are willing to engage with the government on CMAG’s recommendations,” he claimed at the time. “We resumed [roadmap] talks but there are eight pro-government representatives compared to just one of us wanting to make decisions on a vote basis. Obviously we have a problem on how to move ahead right now.”

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MDP eyes mediation as next step forward following CMAG recommendations

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said third party mediation -possibly from India – may be needed to help resolve the present stalemate between itself and the coalition government as the Commonwealth steps up pressure for early elections.

Party spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor today claimed that such mediation was needed as the government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan had continued “dragging its feet” in committing to international calls to hold early elections before 2013.  He also criticised what he claimed was a government failure to establish a suitably independent inquiry into the nature of February’s transfer of power.

The comments were made as the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) yesterday met to discuss developments within the Maldives.  The meeting came one month after the Commonwealth body, which is charged with dealing with human rights issues, called for polls to be held as soon as possible to remove any doubts over the legitimacy of President Waheed’s government.

Following yesterday’s meeting, CMAG set a deadline of four weeks for President Waheed’s government to address concerns relating to a perceived lack of impartiality in the Committee of National Inquiry (CNI).  The CNI is the body established by the president to conduct an independent inquiry into the transfer of power that saw him take office.

Following yesterday’s meeting , CMAG continued to push for early elections to be called by the end of 2012 at the latest, whilst also committing to strengthening democratic institutions like the judiciary in the country by working with international partners like the UN.

The Commonwealth body, which consists of foreign ministers from a number of member states including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica and Tanzania, said yesterday that failure by the government to amend the CNI would result in the organisation taking “further and stronger measures”.

When contacted by Minivan News today, a spokesperson for the CNI said that it was aware of the latest statement released by the CMAG, but added the commission was itself unable to enact changes to its composition.

“The CNI was set up by the president, so it will be for the government to discuss this [CMAG’s findings],” the spokesperson said.

President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that with the official visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the country today, the government had not yet drafted its official response to CMAG’s statement.

Abbas said he expected an official government response to be released during the next 24 hours.

Opposition perspective

In addressing CMAG’s concluding statement yesterday from an opposition perspective, MDP spokesperson Ghafoor welcomed the Commonwealth’s continued calls for early elections, as well as the organisations concerns about the impartial structure of the CNI.

However, Ghafoor believed that foreign assistance may be needed on the basis of mediation in going forward to resolve questions it held over the democratic mandate of President Mohamed Waheed’s government.

“The government has continued dragging its feet on both holding meaningful road map talks towards securing early elections and in ensuring the independence of the CNI,” he said.  “The next step now could be in third party mediation.”

Ghafoor claimed that mediation could be provided by asking a nation like India to try and help facilitate fresh talks.  All party roadmap discussions have already taken place with Indian assistance, but have stalled on several occasions owing to disagreements between the MDP and several parties in Dr Waheed’s national unity government.

“In the next four weeks, we are willing to engage with the government on CMAG’s recommendations,” he claimed. “We resumed [roadmap] talks but there are eight pro-government representatives compared to just one of us wanting to make decisions on a vote basis. Obviously we have a problem on how to move ahead right now.”

During an session of all-party roadmap on April 7, MDP representative and former Home Minister Hassan Afeef called the day’s meeting a “farce” after questioning the likelihood of a successful outcome during the talks.

However, representatives from other parties during the day’s talks told local media that the stalemate during the session had resulted from the MDP failing to notify other representatives that it would be calling for greater inclusion of all the country’s political parties beyond those in the government.

The talks had previously stalled last month over the MDP’s decision to block President Waheed’s constitutionally mandated address to the People’s Majlis on March 1. This led at the time to the withdrawal from the talks of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), Adhaalath Party and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP).

However, Ghafoor claimed that the MDP was still committed to using the talks to outline a program of measures to facilitate early elections – something the government had said this week might not be needed this year following the weekend success of two of its coalition partners in parliamentary by-elections.

“We have participated at talks and we accepted the way forward at the talks put forward by India and its mediator Ahmed Mujuthaba,” the MDP spokesperson said. “We actually agreed to the plan outlined by India in the talks, they [coalition government parties] disagreed.”

Meanwhile, former High Commissioner Dr Farahanaz Faizal, who represented Mohamed Nasheed at the CMAG meeting yesterday, said that the party was “delighted” with the meeting’s outcome.  She stressed that the party particularly welcomed calls from the Commonwealth for greater impartiality in the investigation regarding February’s transfer of power, as well as the need for early elections in the country.

Dr Faizal said that, from her understanding, the nature of the “stronger measures” proposed by CMAG against the government could potentially have serious ramifications for the Maldives ongoing membership in the Commonwealth.

Though she was not present herself at the time, Dr Faizal was led to understand that, when questioned about the possible nature of further action against the government, the meeting’s chair was reported to have suggested that  suspension of the Maldives from the Commonwealth was an option on the table.

Dr Faizal did not wish to speculate on what such an action could mean for the Maldives, but she said that the ramifications for the country could be quite counter-productive for its future international standing.

“The Comonwealth is an institution made of a wide and varied selection of member states,” she said.

Speaking to Minivan News before yesterday’s CMAG meeting, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the government felt the success of its coalition partners in three out of four by-elections over the weekend was an indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people.

Abbas therefore called on international bodies such as CMAG to take the results of the weekend’s polls into consideration when reflecting on the need for early presidential elections before the ones already scheduled for 2013.

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CMAG warns of “stronger measures” against government unless CNI is reformed

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action (CMAG) has said it will consider taking “further and stronger measures” against the Maldives government unless the composition of its Committee of National Inquiry (CNI) is revised in the next four weeks.

During a meeting held in London today that was attended by representatives of both the government and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), CMAG continued to call for fresh elections to be called this year.

The need for long-term measures to strengthen the capacity of the country’s judicial sector, as well as fresh party talks between the country’s most senior political representatives to help resolve the current political situation was also raised.

Following the conclusion of today’s talks, CMAG said its members were critical of the government’s attempts so far to establish an independent enquiry into the exact nature of how President Mohamed Waheed Hassan came to power earlier this year.

The CNI, which is charged by the government with looking into the legality and legitimacy of the transfer of presidential power on February 7, was set up amidst international calls to provide an independent assessment of the legitimacy of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s administration.

The now opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which alleges that former President Mohamed Nasheed was deposed in a coup d’état, has refused to work with the CNI claiming it lacks impartiality and had no international representation.

While reiterating its previous calls for presidential elections to be held by the end of this year, CMAG said it was with “deep regret that there had been little progress towards a political understanding in the Maldives” during the last month.

“The Group was of the view that the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI), established to assess the events leading to the transfer of power on 7 February 2012, is not independent or impartial, and has failed to gain sufficient support in Maldives,” CMAG said in a statement.

“Ministers urged the Government to review immediately the composition and terms of reference of the Commission to make it genuinely independent, credible and impartial. CMAG reiterated the Commonwealth’s offer to provide assistance in this regard.”

Amidst the concerns said to be held by the CMAG over the independence of the CNI and its ability to conduct an independent enquiry into the change of government back in February, the body also set out a time-line for the government to adhere to in order to enact reforms.

“Further and stronger measures”

“Should the composition and terms of reference of the [CNI] not be amended within four weeks in a manner that is generally acceptable and enhances its credibility, CMAG would be compelled to consider further and stronger measures,” the body concluded.

Aside from continuing to push for the establishment of fresh elections by the end of 2012, CMAG added that it also supported Commonwealth’s assistance in order to “strengthen democratic processes, institutions and culture in the Maldives.”

“In this context, it expressed support for the Commonwealth Secretariat’s technical assistance for strengthening for the long term the capacity of the judicial sector, as agreed with the authorities in Maldives,” CMAG added.

“It also welcomed the Secretary-General’s offer to provide elections-related assistance. The Group further called for the capacity of the Majlis to be strengthened.”

In supporting these stated aims, CMAG additionally welcomed ongoing collaborations between other international parties such as the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The CMAG panel that presided over today’s talks was comprised of Foreign Ministers from member states including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, Sierra Leone,Tanzania and Trinidad and Tobago.

The representatives during the course of the talks were updated on the current situation in the Maldives by the Commonwealth Secretary General and his Special Envoy, Sir Donald McKinnon who has visited the country to meet with various representatives from both sides of the political divide.

The Maldives government was represented at the talks by Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor, who presented evidence during the day to the CMAG panel. Dr Farahanaz Faizal also met with the CMAG panel as a representative for former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Azima Shakoor could not be contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press for her reaction to CMAG’s conclusions.

By-election “mandate”

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday ahead of today’s CMAG meeting, President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said that the government felt the success of its coalition partners in three out of four by-elections over the weekend was an indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people.

Abbas therefore called on international bodies such as CMAG to take the results of the weekend’s polls into consideration when reflecting on the need for early presidential elections before the ones already scheduled for 2013.

“It is clear that there is public support in the country for this government and that there are not any problems with its constitutional mandate to be in power. In three out of the four elections held, the coalition won by a clear majority,” he said at the time. “The MDP has continued to call for early elections, though yesterday’s elections show that the public backs the government until early elections can be held in July 2013.”

In a statement released Saturday whilst polling was being conducted, the MDP maintained the by-elections indicated that the country was able to hold “free and fair elections” as soon as possible.

“The MDP has consistently called for early presidential elections in the Maldives to resolve the political deadlock that exists since the unlawful transfer of power on February 7 following police and military backed coup in the Maldives,” stated party spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor .

“Elections today are held at a time when [former President Maumoon Abdul] Gayoom has publicly stated early Presidential elections would not be held in the Maldives citing conditions for elections are not right and also that Elections Commission does not have the capacity to hold early elections in the Maldives.”

CMAG was last month accused by members of President Waheed’s government of showing “bias” towards certain political parties in calling for general elections as early as possible to resolve questions over the administrations legitimacy.

The government later said it was concerned over the “language” used by the Commonwealth in its statement.

The President’s Office said last month said that although it was not for the time being looking to leave the Commonwealth, it added that such a move could be considered if CMAG continued to use similar language in the future.

“If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News at the time.

The government later denied it had made such claims, alleging to local media that the report in Minivan News had been “politically motivated”.

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Attorney General Shakoor in London for CMAG meeting

Attorney General (AG) Azima Shakoor is representing the government during the latest round of Commonwelath Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) talks being held today, local media has reported.

Speaking to Haveeru, the AG said that she had travelled to the UK following an invitation to attend the event. She added that the Commonwealth’s special envoy to the Maldives, Sir Donald McKinnon would also be in attendance.

CMAG has previously called for early elections and an investigation into the transfer of power on Februray 7 and will give a press conference immediately after the meeting’s conclusion today.

Minivan News was unable to contact AG Shakoor or Special Advisor to the President Dr Hassan Saeed at the time of press.

Dr Saeed is reported as having claimed in local press that the Commonwealth would hold off from further calls for early elections until the Committee for National Inquiry (CNI) had completed its investigation.

The CNI committee, assigned to look into the events of the presidential changeover by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, is due to publish its results by the end of May.

The party of former President Mohamed Nasheed has nonetheless refused to work with the CNI, arguing it lacks impartiality.

International groups, including the Commonwealth, have strongly urged that the committee to feature an international element but progress on this front has been slow.

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Gayoom claims “special motive” behind international calls for early elections

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has claimed that international calls for early elections are driven by a “special motive” that poses a direct threat to the Maldives’ sovereignty and religious heritage.

Gayoom, currently the leader of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), alleged that during his 30 year reign, international parties had always been attempting to influence the Maldives because of its 100 percent Muslim status.

The comments were made during a PPM rally on the island of Guraidhoo, Thaa atoll, where people had gathered to celebrate a weekend parliamentary by-election victory for the party.

Reporting from the island, Minivan News’ Hawwa Lubna witnessed hundreds of people in the audience for Gayoom’s address, which was made ahead of a meeting of  the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) today.

The ministerial action group is expected to discuss the controversial transfer of power that brought President Waheed into office on February 7 amongst a number of issues during today’s meeting.

CMAG was last month accused by members of President Waheed’s government of showing “bias” towards certain political parties in calling for general elections as early as possible to resolve questions over the administrations legitimacy.

The Commonwealth has since been supported by both the EU and US in calling for programs to be put in place to facilitate early elections before 2013.

The calls follow allegations by former President Mohamed Nasheed that he was removed from office in a “coup d’etat” on February 7 after sections of the military and police mutinied.

On the back of international pressure for fresh polling, Gayoom has claimed that the PPM – as part of the national unity government bought to power under President Waheed – has been given a public mandate following the weekend’s by elections.

Speaking at Monday night’s rally held to celebrate party candidate Ahmed Shareef’s win in the Thimarafushi parliamentary by-election, Gayoom contended that the “by-elections are the early elections”.

“The results prove PPM has the support of people,” the former president said.

Gayoom therefore argued that there was no room for early elections in the country, adding that the next constitutionally mandated election should be held in 2013.

“We must not not talk about holding an election which the constitution does not allow. However, several foreign parties are calling for this [early elections]. They are talking about it with a special motive,” Gayoom claimed.

“We must protect our sovereignty. We must protect our independence. We must not let anyone [foreigners] to intervene in our internal affairs.”

Gayoom also alleged that “different foreign parties are influencing Maldives because we are a 100 percent Muslim nation” and added that he “knows clearly why the international community is attempting by different means to restore Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s rule.”

“A very reliable person had told me former [President Nasheed’s] government had said that within a year of them coming to power, a church, a Christian church will be built in Maldives. But [Nasheed] could not do it,” Gayoom claimed.

Nasheed’s opponents have repeatedly accused his government of cooperating with “Christian missionaries” and “Jewish parties” to “wipe out Islam” from the Maldives.

Independence

Meanwhile, Gayoom further alleged that even during his 30 year rule, several foreign parties had “offered money” in return for implementing their proposals in Maldives, although he did not articulate on those proposals.

“But I put the nation’s interest first. I put the nation’s independence first. No matter how much money was offered, how many things they proposed to do in return, we did not want to give even the smallest part of our land. We did not want to handover any part of our independence to foreigners.” Gayoom contended.

The comments by Gayoom, who served in office for thirty years before being voted out in the country’s first democratic general election in 2008, mirrored earlier claims by the government that presidential elections were not needed this year – despite international calls to the contrary.

The government said that it believed victory for its coalition partners in the weekend’s two parliamentary by-elections was a clear indication of its “mandate” amongst the Maldivian people to remain in power until 2013.

Government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza additionally called on international bodies like CMAG to take the results of the polls into consideration this week when reflecting on the need for fresh national polls.

From a government perspective, Abbas claimed that the two parliamentary and two island council by-elections should be seen as a “vote of confidence” by the public in the national unity government made up of several national parties.

Commonwealth membership

Following CMAG’s calls last month for early elections to be held in the Maldives at the earliest date possible, the government said it was concerned over the “language” used by the commonwealth in its statement.

The President’s Office said that although it was not for the time being looking to leave the Commonwealth, it added that such a move could be considered if CMAG continued to use similar language in the future.

“If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth],” government spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News at the time.

The government later denied it had made such claims, alleging to local media that the report in Minivan News had been “politically motived”.

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