Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Abdulla Abdulraheem has rejoined the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), a year after leaving his original party while it was in opposition.
Raheem joined the MDP in the footsteps of former DRP Deputy Leader, now MDP MP Ali Waheed, former DRP Sports Wing head Hassan Shujau, and deputy head Assad ‘Adubarey’ Ali.
On Tuesday late afternoon at the DRP Office there was a small ceremony to mark his signing and a meeting afterwards with the press.
Speaking at the meeting, Raheem said he came back to DRP because his views did not match those of the MDP leadership, and because he felt that in the future the number of MDP supporters would deteriorate.
When a journalist asked him whether he believed that the current government was legitimate, he replied that he was obliged to stay behind the stand of DRP after signing with the party.
Raheem also said that he believed that the current government was constitutional and was formed according to the law.
MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa today told Minivan News that Raheem’s resignation from MDP was “regrettable”.
‘’We are in a very difficult situation and he worked with us very well,’’ Musthafa said. ‘’I don’t think that any of the MDP members saw this coming.’’
Musthafa said he think that Raheem left MDP because he wanted to stay with the government at the time.
‘’But his action will make his constituents lose confidence with him, and if he is to run for the parliament election next time I do not think he can win the seat,’’ he said. ‘’More than 70 percent of Male’ citizens are MDP supporters.’’
Musthafa described the move as a “big challenge” to Raheem’s political career.
MDP Spokesperson and MP Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy said he would not like to comment on the matter.
‘’We did not have a clue that this was about to happen,’’ he said. ‘’But there are people like that who come and go.’’
MDP current Deputy Leader and MP Alhan Fahmy is also from DRP, along with figures such as Ali Waheed and Shujau.
Alhan joined MDP in February 2010, after DRP Disciplinary Committee decided to take action against him for voting against a no-confidence motion passed to the parliament by the then-opposition to oust the then-Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed.
Four by-elections announced by the Elections Commission will take place on April 14, with two seats in parliament and two island council seats being contested.
These include elections of councilors for the vacant seat in both Thaa Atoll Gaadhiffushi Island council and Haa Dhaal Atoll Kumundhoo island council, and the election of MPs for the parliament seats of Thaa Atoll Thimarafushi Constituency (formerly held by MDP MP Mohamed Musthafa) and Kaafu Atoll Kaashidhoo Constituency (formerly held by Independent MP Ismail Abdul Hameed).
The two MPs were unseated after the Supreme Court recently upheld court sentences against the pair, and disqualified them.
Former MDP MP Musthafa was unseated after Supreme Court on February 20 ruled in favor of a case lodged by the Interim Vice President of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Umar Naseer, in which the court had found that Musthafa had an unpaid debt. Musthafa owed US$500,000 to the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
According to the Maldives Constitution, an MP with a legally proven unpaid debt who is found to be not paying the debt regularly will be disqualified as an MP.
Former Independent MP Hameed lost his seat after he was found guilty of a corruption case during his tenure in Male Municipality as a Director.
Hameed was found guilty of using his position as then Director of Male Municipality to buy a barge for the waste management unit, claiming that it had been received when it had not, and paying the remaining 50 percent of the bill to the company concerned.
The Criminal Court sentenced Hameed to to one and a half years banishment. According to the constitution, an elected MP loses his seat if the MP is found guilty of a criminal offence, and if the sentence counts to more than a year.
Political parties including the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Jumhoree Party (JP) and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have announced that their candidates will be contesting in the by-elections.
Two parties, the MDP and PPM, have fielded candidates for all four elections while DRP and JP have each fielded a candidate in one election.
However, PPM after fielding their candidate Mohamed Waheed for the Kaashidhoo constituency parliamentary seat, former lawyer of Ex President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom , decided to support the JP candidate for the seat, business tycoon Abdulla Jabir, amid reports of internal conflict within the party over the decision.
The ‘out of favor’ candidate of PPM openly called in a PPM rally held recently that he would not support JP candidate Jabir, whilst the PPM’s leadership, including former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, stated that PPM had fully backed Jabir for the sake of the “national interest”.
The unseated MP for Thimarafushi Constituency, Musthafa, has decided to re-run in the election for the same seat he lost, while PPM fielded former People’s Alliance (PA) and Elections Commission’s Secretary General Ahmed Shareef.
Two other parties had also filed their candidacy to the elections commission, which included the a lost candidate in the primary held by MDP to decide to whom the party ticket would be given.
The second candidate, prominent lawyer Abdullah Shair, who filed his candidacy as an independent, was rejected by the elections commission citing that he had not submitted the required documents within the specified time period. Shair has filed a case in High Court asking the court to order the Elections Commission to accept his candidacy.
Three candidates are contesting the island council by-election of Haa Dhaal Atoll Kumundhoo island. They are Abdul Hameed Abdul Kareem from DRP, Aishath Hassan from MDP and Mohamed Shaafee from PPM.
Two candidates are contesting the island council by-election of Thaa Atoll Gaadhiffushi island: Hussain Shiyaau from PPM and Mohamed Irushaad from MDP.
Both the MDP and the PPM have expressed confidence in winning the elections and are heavily campaigning for the seats.
DRP and other coalition partners of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan have backed the PPM candidate for the Thimarafushi Constituency parliamentary seat, and backed JP Candidate Abdullah Jaabir for Kaashidhoo Constituency Parliamentary seat.
The Elections Commission has also announced a by-election for the Noonu atoll Maafaru Island Council after the MDP Councilor Anwar Abdul Ghanee lost his seat after he was removed from the Party.
According to the law, a councilor loses his seat if he is removed from the party in which he had been elected.
The Maldives government has said it may “consider” its membership in the Commonwealth in the future after the body’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) repeated calls for early elections in the country.
President Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza told Minivan News today that although the government was not currently looking to re-assess the country’s role as a member of the intergovernmental organisation, it was concerned over the language used in a statement by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on Friday.
“The government is concerned at the language that has been used by the Commonwealth [in the latest statement] and we condemn it. The foreign minister has conveyed this as well,” he said. “If this language continues, we will look to consider our position [in the Commonwealth].”
Riza added that the government would also forward its concerns about the language of the CMAG statement to the Commonwealth’s Special Envoy, Sir Donald McKinnon, who arrived in the Maldives on Friday.
Commonwealth role
Debate over the role of the Commonwealth in the Maldives has intensified over the last week following the political uncertainty generated by the ongoing controversy over the transfer of power that saw Dr Waheed replace Mohamed Nasheed as president on February 7, 2012.
In Friday’s statement, CMAG said it “continued to be strongly of the view that the earliest possible expression of the will of the people was required to establish universal faith in the legitimacy of those who govern the [Maldives].”
The government has since responded that discussions, road map talks, and other constitutional amendments designed to set out plans for any early elections remained an “internal issue”. Riza therefore called on the Commonwealth to refrain from issuing further statements with “language like that”.
Speaking yesterday about the elections calls, Foreign Minister Dhunya Maumoon said that CMAG, which serves as the Commonwealth’s democracy and human rights arm, had shown some bias in its comments. However, she added that the statement had been positive about some of the government’s initiatives to try stabilise the country’s fractured political structure.
“The statement somewhat promotes the interests of a certain party or a certain individual. But I don’t want to say that exactly. Because there are many statements that are positive towards the government,” the foreign minister told reporters.
Majlis concerns
Meanwhile, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said it will continue to try and prevent the Majlis from functioning until a date for early elections is set.
The CMAG had raised concerns regarding the obstruction of parliament by MDP MPs during the opening on March 1. It expressed regret over the disruption of parliament on March 1 and urged “all parties to engage in dialogue without delay, in earnest and in good faith with a view to achieving agreement on the date of early elections”.
MDP spokesperson, Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said continuing to try and block the Majlis was a “thorny issue,” but believed the party could viably continue its attempts to block parliament.
He added that from the party’s perspective, it had little choice but to continue to try and prevent parliament from holding its opening position to “protect” the integrity of the Majlis.
“The moment we allow a coup leader to address parliament, the public will begin to question the integrity of the Majlis,” he claimed.
Former President Nasheed told his supporters that he himself planned to be on the front lines of the protests outside the reconvened Majlis session tomorrow and claimed that authorities “would have to shoot him” before they could proceed with the opening.
Constitutional requirement
The government maintains the allowing the Majlis to open and Dr Waheed to speak to parliament was a constitutional requirement and not related to calls for Waheed to concede early elections.
In addressing the MDP’s comments, Abbas Adil Riza said that the Majlis operated as a separate entity from the president and therefore calls to hold fresh elections were not related to allowing parliament to function.
Riza added that the government was therefore calling on former President Nasheed to “stop advocating violence” particularly among young people, in regards to blocking the Majlis and opposing the government.
“More than 200 youths currently face charges for torching public buildings since February 8,” he added.
Though Riza said that the public would be free to gather on some of the capital’s roads to protest, he added that inside the parliament chamber, it was for the Speaker of the Majlis, Abdulla Shahid, and not the government to ensure parliament functioned correctly.
The government spokesperson added that just as under the government of Mohamed Nasheed, the speaker had control of 60 Majlis guards that had the power to remove disruptive elements from the parliamentary floor.
Despite CMAG’s criticism of efforts to block parliament from functioning, Ghafoor claimed that international calls from groups like the Commonwealth for early elections and constitutional reforms showed that there were questions to be answered over the legitimacy of the present government.
“We do not believe Dr Waheed to be a legitimate leader,” he said. “The MDP’s position is to try and find a political situation to agree on an election date and the corresponding constitutional reforms required to do this before opening parliament. This was highlighted and agreed by MDP members, but rejected by the opposition.”
Ghafoor claimed that the MDP has been working with the government and opposition politicians to try and secure an end to the current political deadlock. However, the spokesperson claimed that Parliamentary Group leader Ibrahim Mohamed ‘Ibu’ Solih, has previously expressed concern that Dr Waheed was not open to finding a potential solution on a timetable for elections.
Opposition parties including the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) have so far withdrawn from the roadmap talks aimed at finding a political solution to the current upheaval in protest at the MDP blocking parliament earlier this month.
The Maldives government has dismissed the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)’s call for early general elections as biased, claiming the nation is not capable of holding a free and fair vote at present.
The CMAG on Friday reiterated its call for early elections after former President Mohamed Nasheed accused the government of his successor, Mohamed Waheed Hassan, of coming to power in a “coup d’etat.”
CMAG said it strongly believed “that the earliest possible expression of the will of the people was required to establish universal faith in the legitimacy of those who govern the [Maldives].”
However, at a press conference today, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon criticised CMAG’s statement, which she alleged served to promote the interests of specific parties or individuals.
“The statement somewhat promotes the interests of a certain party or a certain individual. But I don’t want to say that exactly. Because there are many statements that are positive towards the government,” she told reporters.
The state minister added that she was “astonished” by CMAG’s continued call for early elections, calling the transfer of power to President Mohamed Waheed Hassan as “legitimate”.
Early elections in the Maldives without sufficient parliamentary-mandated reform could potentially lead to “civil war,” she said.
“We have to build a peaceful and secure atmosphere. We have to strengthen our institutions so that they are independent. Otherwise, I have no doubt that if we hold elections, the political situation of the country will deteriorate further. It is already quite divided. If there is an election, and if some people do not accept the election results, I cannot say there won’t be a civil war. I do not want to see such a thing happen in the Maldives,” she said.
Dhunya added that no other international body other than the Commonwealth has expressed concern over the current political uncertainty in the Maldives.
The EU has also raised issues over judicial reform and the exact nature of how President Waheed come to power last month.
“My hope is that the UN and other neighboring countries help the Maldives on its request. Not for them to impose their interests on us,” she added.
The government will also support the Commonwealth’s Special Envoy to the Maldives Sir Donald McKinnon, she said.
Positive aspects
However, she conceded that CMAG’s statement wasn’t entirely “biased” against the current government’s actions, claiming it was positive about some aspects of the executive’s work.
“There are many statements that are positive towards the government, such as the initiative for all-party talks, and other statements. Also, they have expressed concern on the obstruction of parliamentary proceedings,” the state minister added.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs comments were reportedly shared by PPM MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla, who yesterday accused CMAG of favouring certain political parties in the country and failing to recognise the need for wider judicial reform as part of all-party road map talksdesigned to secure fair presidential elections.
A coalition of political parties including the PPM and DRP have boycotted the road map talks, designed to overcome the current political stalemate at present, in response to the Maldivian Democratic Party blocking a parliamentary sitting earlier this month that prevented President Mohamed Waheed Hassan from delivering his inaugural speech.
The MDP maintains that President Waheed came to power in a “coup d’etat” sponsored by opposition figures, certain business leaders and sections of the military and police force, leading to calls for early elections to settle the dispute that saw President Mohamed Nasheed “resign” from office. Nasheed later alleged he had been forced into resigning under military pressure.
Abdulla told reporters gathered at yesterday’s press conference that CMAG’s calls for early elections were unrealistic without securing further talk on amendments to the country’s constitution and judiciary – issues he said would be vital in ensuring an “appropriate environment” for elections.
“I also note that their [CMAG’s] statement is biased and that it harbours the interests of a particular individual” he was quoted as saying.
PPM members Ahmed Mahloof and Ahmed Nihan were unavailable for comment when contacted by Minivan News at the time of going to press over the exact nature of the judicial and constitutional reforms called for by MP Abdulla.
Adding that the roadmap talks were designed to establish the correct preparations for any early elections, Abdulla claimed that CMAG should be issuing statements free from “predjudice” that would serve the interests of the whole nation rather than certain individuals, Haveeru reported.
CMAG investigation
Following a fact-finding mission in February and an extraordinary meeting on the situation in London, the Commonwealth suspended the Maldives from participation in CMAG and called for an internationally-assisted independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the change of government on February 7.
The Commonwealth also expressed concern about early efforts on behalf of Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s new government to arrest former President Nasheed, following the issuing of an arrest warrant in the immediate days following the change of power.
In its most recent statement, CMAG expressed regret over the disruption of parliament on March 1, and “urged all parties to engage in dialogue without delay, in earnest and in good faith with a view to achieving agreement on the date of early elections, and the processes required to do so, including any necessary constitutional amendments and supporting legislation.
“The Group also noted that the Commission of National Inquiry in Maldives had commenced its investigation into the events between 14 January and 8 February 2012, but that it had not secured cross-party support.
In this context, CMAG acknowledged that international assistance for the investigative mechanism has been requested, and noted that the Commonwealth could be of potential assistance. It reiterated its strong belief in the importance of the work of the Commission and the conviction this should carry in Maldives and internationally.”
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan this morning met with Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary Group leader Ibrahim Mohamed ‘Ibu’ Solih, who has been representing the party at the India-sponsored all-party roadmap talks.
While a seven-point agenda – including the subject of early elections – was established during the roadmap talks, the order of preference was not, and the talks subsequently stalled with the withdrawal of the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP), Jumhoree Party (JP), Adhaalath Party (AP), and the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) following MDP’s disruption of Dr Waheed’s address to parliament.
The MDP has also been holding separate, closed-door talks with the DRP, after previously challenging the involvement of parties such as the PPM and AP, which it argued had no electoral mandate. Together the DRP and MDP control a two-thirds majority of parliament, capable of forcing through legislation, constitutional amendments and even impeachments.
In a statement to the media on Wednesday following his meeting with Dr Waheed, Solih said “I don’t believe the former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed is willing to seek an agreement, that both parties can agree to through peaceful dialogue.”
Solih said the MDP was “concerned” about the current state of political affairs in the Maldives, and contended that despite criticism to the contary, had attended all meetings requested by the current administration “and worked hard to find a peaceful solution [to the current political crisis].”
“No progress” was made in the meeting with Waheed, the party stated.
“It is disappointing that former Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik does not seem prepared to find a peaceful means to achieve a solution that is acceptable to all,” said Solih.
Dr Waheed’s Press Secretary Masood Imad referred Minivan News to Dr Waheed’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza, who was not responding at time of press.
Speaker of the Majlis Abdulla Shahid meanwhile declared that parliament would reconvene on Monday March 19, despite the failure to reach an agreement with the MDP. The party’s MPs barricaded themselves inside the chamber on March 1, preventing Shahid from entering and Dr Waheed from giving the presidential address.
That evening, Shahid held a press conference and announced he had cancelled the session because he was unable enter the chamber despite several attempts, and on one occasion had fallen and injured himself. Given the current political tensions, Shahid said he was unable to guarantee the safety of members and had decided to proceed through negotiation, rather than force.
MDP has not made any official announcements on what it plans to do, however one grassroots MDP supporter said following the failure of negotiations, the party would continue to block “the coup leader” from addressing parliament.
President of the Elections Commission (EC), Fuad Thaufeeq has said regulation under which political parties operate in the Maldives is too vague, when it comes to their requirements of party activity and membership.
Thaufeeq told Minivan News that the commission has drafted and submitted a bill dictating the operation of political parties in the Maldives.
Thaufeeq highlighted loopholes in the existing regulation on political parties, originally introduced by presidential decree by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom in 2005.
The largest party in the Maldives is the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of former President Mohamed Nasheed, following an acrimonious split of the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) in late 2010 and the formation of an offshoot party, the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), by Gayoom the following year.
DRP remains the second largest party in the country, and has competed for members with the PPM. The remaining parties in the Maldives are relatively small, have little representation in parliament, and relatively small based around usually one particular political figure. An exception is the religiously conservative Adhaalath Party, which has no MPs and few island councillors, but has a strong voice through the Islamic scholars who make up its membership.
Parties require 3000 members to be created, but this number does not need to be maintained: “There is no stipulation in the regulation highlighting the requirement of 3000 members,” said Thaufeeq.
“The regulations are very vague, because you require 3000 members to form a political party but after formation what happens with smaller parties is that the membership drops tremendously,” he explained. “There are parties which have less than a thousand members, and some with less those than 2000.”
The regulation did not explicitly mention that parties needed to maintain this membership in order to continue to receive political party funding from the EC, Thaufeeq explained.
In an audit report on the elections commission, the Auditor General recently advised the commission not to grant funds to inactive political parties. However, “As a principle, we usually give funds to any parties which are active and follow our requirements, such as producing an annual audit report of the party every year.”
“Whenever we hold the funds, the parties take the issue to the court. When the court orders us to pay the money, we don’t have any option but to release the funds,” Thaufeeq explained.
Asked on what basis the court is making the decision, he said “The court in its order states that the elections commission does not have the authority to withhold the funds of political parties.
“But I believe the commission has the authority to hold funds when we are not certain of how the funds are being used. This is the money from the people that we are giving out to the parties, and it shouldn’t be misappropriated,” Thaufeeq said.
According to Thaufeeq, funds for six politicial parties in the 2012 budget were withheld initially, but were released after proper monitoring. Thaufeeq said funds for the remaining two political parties cannot be released because the parties had not adhered to the commission’s requirements.
The Maldives National Congress (MNC), a political party with a current membership of 1536, has sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid regarding the matter, asking parliament to look into it.
However, Thaufeeq said that he and the commission had high hopes for the proposed political parties’ bill which was drafted by the Attorney General’s office and the commission.
“I believe the political parties’ bill currently in parliament will be the solution. We have included a stipulation in the bill requiring the maintaining of party membership at 3000, but the figure might change,” He said.
“We were hoping the bill would pass by the end of last year but there came in other bills of higher priority. Many MPs have assured us that when the parliament starts this year, the bill will be given high priority,” he said.
The ousted MDP currently has the largest membership of all political parties with a membership of 47,614 members. The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) is the second largest political party in terms of membership with 29,143 members, followed by the newly formed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) which has 14,271 members. President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s party has approximately
Current political party membership:
Party membership as of February 27:
MDP 47,614 (Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s party) DRP 29,143 (Gayoom’s former party, now headed by Ahmed Thasmeen Ali. Speaker Abdulla Shahid is also a member) AP 6070 (Adhaalath Party, headed by Sheikh Imran. Spokesperson is Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed) IDP 3597 (Umar Naseer’s former party, prior to his move to the DRP and later PPM) MSDP 1976 SLP 683 PP 1803 MNC 1536 JP 5177 (Party of Gasim Ibrahim, resort tycoon, VTV television station owner and member of the Judicial Services Commission). PA 2608 (Party of Gayoom’s haf brother, Abdulla Yameen, and Deputy Speaker Mohamed Nazim) GI 2625 (President Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s party) MLP 938 DQP 2299 (President’s Special Advisor Dr Hassan Saeed’s party, also the party of Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel) MRM 2606 PPM 14271 (Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s party, split from the DRP. Vice President of the party is Umar Naseer)
The European Union has called on political parties in the Maldives to commit to early presidential elections “and to determine the legislative and constitutional measures required to ensure that these are free and fair.”
Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, also said that the EU “is of the view that the legitimacy and legality of the transfer of presidential power in the Maldives should be determined by an impartial, independent investigation as agreed by all parties in the Maldives. “
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed members to such an inquiry, however former President Mohamed Nasheed’s party has disputed its impartiality, and called for the involvement of an independent international body.
The EU said it was ready “to offer further assistance in the field of governance, including in the justice sector, in conjunction with existing actions financed by Member States.”
In the meantime, Ashton said, “the EU calls on all parties to refrain from violence, inflammatory rhetoric and any provocative actions which could threaten the future of democracy in the Maldives.
“The police and army should exercise maximum restraint in the execution of their duties which must remain strictly within their constitutional mandate.”
In response to the EU’s statement, Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) issued a statement “warmly welcoming the conclusions and sentiments contained therein”, and called for “immediate dialogue between responsible political parties possessing a democratic mandate (i.e. having seats in the Majlis or local councils) to agree on the date and conditions for free and fair elections, and to determine the constitutional and legislative measures required to make this happen.”
The MDP earlier this week boycotted a round of talks held in Nasandhura Palace Hotel, describing them as a “clear effort to delay substantive discussions”
The minority opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), headed by the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was present in talks but does not have official representation in the parliament or on an elected council. Under parliamentary regulations, MPs who joined Gayoom’s PPM from the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) technically count as independent MPs until elected on a PPM ticket in the next parliamentary election.
China defers to India
A report in India’s Hindustan newspaper meanwhile suggests that China has “quietly conveyed” that it has no interest in “fishing in the troubled waters of the Maldives”, and was prepared to “help New Delhi settle the political crisis”.
“Top government sources said after inspired reports that Chinese were behind the overthrow of liberal Mohamed Nasheed’s regime, Beijing used diplomatic channels to assure at the highest levels that it has no political interest in Male’ and wanted New Delhi to take the lead in sorting out the current political crisis,” the Hindustan repored.
“While China offered help in case India wanted it in settling Male, it made it clear to New Delhi that it would be concerned if US, UK and other western powers moved in to resolve the crisis.”
India’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-led government “is confident of helping Maldives resolve the political crisis,” the paper reported. “It knows that the local people on streets are with Mohamed Nasheed but that the state power and institutions including army are with Abdul Gayoom, backed by Dr Mohammed Waheed Hassan.”
“Indian diplomatic managers want Waheed to step down and pave way for an interim government under Speaker which could hold free and fair elections for a stable government as early as possible. But the pragmatic picture shows that India will deal with both Waheed and Nasheed for a stable government in Male and does not expect the current President to step down before elections.”
Yesterday’s large anti-government protests ended peacefully in the early hours of the morning, and look set to continue for a second day.
Demonstrators danced into the night as a bodu beru band played, and were joined by a number of elderly women. Police kept a low profile.
Amid the yellow banners, capes, badges and bandanas of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, were a noticeably large number of the formerly politically un-engaged, most of them young. Many said they were joining or had already joined the MDP, and there were reports that the party had temporarily run out of application forms.
“We never used to discuss politics around the dinner table,” one yellow-shirted demonstrator, previously unaffiliated with any political party, told Minivan News. “But after I was beaten [by police] on Wednesday, my whole family – sisters, cousins – have joined the MDP.”
Former President Mohamed Nasheed took the podium shortly after midnight, stating that all-party talks were scheduled for Sunday to decide a date for an early presidential election. He said he was confident a date would be set before Parliament resumed on March 1.
Nasheed – who said he was forced to resign under duress in a bloodless police and military coup d’état February 7 – said people had stood up against the 30 year regime of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom because of the inhumane treatment people suffered at its hands and had witnessed, a day after the first democratically-elected government was overthrown, a brutal police crackdown on the people who protested against the coup.
“I was repeatedly asked to unlock the arsenal and if so the mutinous police officers would have been easily arrested. But I was not elected to hurt the people of this country,” Nasheed said.
Nasheed explained that for a while after the coup he was “unable to get out of Muleeage [the President’s residence]” and was not able to call anyone to explain what had happened.
“The international community had not received word of the coup as I was unable to leave Muleeage,” he said. “It took some time for them to realised that the information they had been receiving was not genuine, and by then some had urged us to join this illegal government. But I have now informed them of the real situation.
“The coup leaders did not conceive of or anticipate the people’s reaction to the change in government,” Nasheed added.
They believed, he said, that they could consolidate their hold on power “by arresting me after the coup and beating members of the MDP and the Maldivian people into submission.”
He added the public, who had been “nurturing the country on the path to freedom”, were not willing to recognise as legitimate a government they did not elect.
The “peaceful political activity” would continue until a date for early elections was announced, Nasheed said, urging people to return the following day.
“People can swim, play sports, music and give political speeches here. Our aim is to gather people from all over the nation,” he said.
Following talks with India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Thursday, Nasheed said Dr Mohamed Waheed’s government was supposed to announce early elections on Friday night, after which other parties, MDP and Nasheed were to welcome it.
The announcement did not come, except for a vague press conference by new Attorney General Azima Shukoor. The all-party discussions have been set for Sunday.
MDP’s President, former Fisheries Minister Dr Ibrahim Didi, said that Maldivians had voted for the MDP’s manifesto for five years, “and hence the rule of this party should remain even now. That is why we are pressing for an election and by the grace of God it will be achieved.”
Dr Didi claimed that Ahmed Thasmeen Ali’s Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DRP), the second largest party in the Maldives and the subject of an acrimonious split with Gayoom’s Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) last year, had “given the green light” for early elections.
A statement on the DRP website said the party “welcomes and supports this important initiative because we value the importance of strengthening the democratic foundations of the Maldives and the restoration of peace and calm amongst our people. We believe this initiative would help to further strengthen the role of independent institutions in the Maldives and prevent serious distruptions to economic development and prosperity.”
“In supporting this initiative the DRP is willing to participate in a dialogue among all relevant political parties regarding the holding of early elections as stipulated in the roadmap. The DRP would also extend its cooperation in carrying out any necessary amendments to the constitution in order to facilitate such an election.”
Dr Mustafa Lufty, Chancellor of the Maldives National University, former Education Minister and one of the founding members of President Waheed’s Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP), also addressed the crowd.
“Pointing a gun at the head of our beloved president and forcing him to resign is the same as pointing a gun at all of us,” Luftee said. “If we give up now generations to come will have to live at gun point.”
“I came here today because I could no longer bear this travesty.”
“This has been carefully planned. One plan was to force Nasheed to resign and if he did not, then the arsenal would have been opened for the opposition. That would have meant major bloodshed and military rule – they would have kept the country under such rule for a long time. Nasheed was wise enough to step aside and save the country from a massive tragedy.
“The second plan was to arrest Nasheed when he resigned, which would prompt his supporters to take matters into their own hands giving an excuse to beat them down. They would have charged us under terrorism.
“Freedom is a god given right of every human being and must not be violated under any circumstances,” he said.
Mathai had endorsed a ‘road map’ backing early elections “as soon as feasible”, and said at a press conference that MDP had as a result been “reconsidering” Friday’s demonstrations.
In a statement yesterday from the President’s Office, Dr Waheed said he was “disappointed” with Nasheed’s decision “to go ahead with his demonstration in Male’ today despite assurances and promises that were given to the Indian Foreign Secretary Mathai yesterday that it would be cancelled and a smaller meeting will be held in its place.”
Dr Waheed said MDP’s claim that he had not respected agreements reached in the Indian-mediated negotiations was “a completely untrue and irresponsible suggestion”.
“I can understand whilst it is easy to march your forces to the top of the hill, it is much harder to march them down again. I also understand that at this critical juncture in our country’s history that showing strong leadership can be challenge. But I’m hopeful that Mr Nasheed can show the good judgement in the future that will be necessary to make the road map a reality. It’s the very least that the people of the Maldives deserve,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member of yesterday’s crowd told Minivan News that he was “proud of everyone who came today in spite of intimidation by the military and the PPM rumor mill warning of large-scale violence. Not to mention whatever lies the media axis of evil is spewing. A lot of people were apparently scared off.
“A friend I met there who had sat in the square with Anni in 2005 said he didn’t think we’d have to do it all over again. I always tell people that the post-2003 pro-democracy movement separated the conscience-challenged cowards from those who value justice and were willing to fight for it. People are clearly not scared anymore.
“It wasn’t that long ago that they got the courage to paint their houses yellow in defiance of Gayoom. Today they are willing to wave a yellow flag under a military government.”
Islam will not be at the center of the current National Unity government’s agenda in the coming months, however judicial reform should proceed in close alignment with the constitution, opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Mavota Shareef has said.
While unable to provide details of the government’s plans, Shareef emphasised a need for cohesion.
“There is so much distrust among political parties, we cannot allow for further divisions,” Shareef said, adding however that the party does not expect any serious problems to arise as the new ‘national unity’ government moves forward. “We will have to heal these wounds.”
Shareef is also a member of the 23rd December Coalition’s steering committee, which organised a protest on that date in 2011 calling for the the defence of Islam in the Maldives. Although international media has reported today’s events – described by Nasheed’s party as a military coup – as a sign of growing fundamentalism, “those values [of 23 December] are not really a central concern right now,” Shareef told Minivan News.
Opposition-led protests began on January 16 when Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the military, after blocking his own police summons. Former President Mohamed Nasheed was criticised by the opposition for ordering the judges’ “unlawful” detention, while the government requested international legal assistance from the United Nations’ (UN) Human Rights Commission to resolve the growing judicial crisis.
That UN delegation was due to arrive in the Maldives on December 9, along with “technical expertise” from the Commonwealth. Representatives from the UK High Commission, the Commonwealth and the UN now due to arrive in the Maldives for related discussions this week.
However in a sudden shift, a detachment of police last night assisted opposition demonstrators in an attack on the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) camp. Police subsequently clashed with the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) early this morning, triggering violent riots, an assault on the MNDF military base in Male’, and an overthrow of the state broadcasting station.
By late morning the government had declared the situation a military coup.
Stating that he would have to use military force and possibly open the Maldives to international intervention in order to stay in power, Nasheed said those terms were against his values and resigned from office.
The MDP subsequently issued a statement this evening that the opposition had taken control of the police and army, and “offered an ultimatum to President Nasheed: step down or be faced with a bloodbath in the capital. President Nasheed thus resigned in order to protect the public from further violence. His resignation was involuntary in that he had no choice.
Shortly after his swearing-in, Dr Waheed addressed the nation saying he was grateful to the police and MNDF who had made “great sacrifices” to defend the constitution.
“Today is the day the rule of law has been established in the country perfectly,” Dr Waheed said.
“I will not order the police, military or any person to do anything against the law – I promise it to the public. Everyone will have the protection of constitution and laws.”
According to the constitution, Waheed must appoint a new Vice President to be approved by Parliament. Elections may be held within six months, or Waheed may complete the remaining two years of Nasheed’s term.
Shareef said he was confident that no elections would be held, and advocated that the new President “will have to form a cabinet as soon as possible.”
Although no members of Nasheed’s cabinet have resigned, Minivan News understands that the names of 57 individuals from the cabinet and the parliament, as well as the recently replaced chiefs of police and military forces Ahmed Faseeh and Moosa Ali Jaleel and former President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair, have been forwarded to immigration for no-travel restrictions. The list is said to be growing.
Shareef believes judicial reform will continue to be at the forefront of the government’s agenda, however he said it “should be done lawfully”. Nasheed, he said, “made several mistakes. The [MDP] party called for chaos and anarchy, using well-known gangs and thugs in Male’ to lead to armed forces’ frustration,” he alleged. The government at the time made similar claims against the opposition.
“If there is an issue with the judiciary, please use legal means- such as parliament and passing new laws- to reform it. For two years we have waited for a criminal justice policy, a penal code and other amendments to be passed but they haven’t been done. Instead we’ve had three attorney generals in the last three years, and none could get those things done,” he said.
“Since we changed to a new constitution, we need supporting laws to become functional,” he added.
Minivan News inquired whether the international legal delegations would be consulted in spite of the change of power.
“Foreign expertise is necessary to enact judicial reform,” he said, noting that many laws are pending Parliament’s approval.
Opposition leaders on January 30 met with the Vice President, pledging allegiance and urging him to assume control of the executive.
Following that meeting, Vice President of the PPM Umar Naseer said all the parties in the opposition alliance had agreed to “pledge support to the Vice President.”
“After these discussions we are now calling upon the nation’s security forces, on behalf of our ‘December 23 alliance’ of all the opposition parties in the country as well as the NGO coalition, to immediately pledge their allegiance to the VP,” Naseer said.
“I repeat, all members of the December 23 alliance are now calling on the security forces to immediately pledge allegiance to Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and, as Mohamed Nasheed has violated the constitution, to not obey any of his orders and to pledge allegiance to the Vice President.”
Members of PPM could not be reached at time of press.
Reaction
UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon has issued a statement expressing “his strong hope that this handover of power, which has been announced as a constitutional step to avoid further violence and instability, will lead to the peaceful resolution of the political crisis that has polarised the country in recent months.”
Ki-Moon “calls on all Maldivians to refrain from violence and engage constructively in addressing the challenges their country is facing and to protect and build upon the important gains the Maldives has made in recent years in establishing democracy and rule of law.”
The Secretary-General acknowledges the important contributions of President Nasheed, the country’s first democratically-elected president, to the establishment of democracy in the Maldives and his role in raising international awareness of the dangers of climate change and rising seas. The United Nations will remain a close partner of the Maldives and will continue to extend its support in the period ahead.”=Indian High Commissioner Dynaneshwar Mulay told Minivan News that India was “in dialogue with all stakeholders n the aftermath of the day’s events.”
“All parties are committed to peace,” he said, adding that he had been “assured things are handled in a mature fashion.”
He did not comment on whether Nasheed’s government had requested or been offered Indian intervention.
The Commonwealth said it was “gravely concerned about the political and constitutional developments in Maldives. At the request of the Chief Justice and Government, a Commonwealth Secretariat team of five officials arrived in Maldives on 6 February, to explore how the Commonwealth can respond to the country’s urgent priorities, including strengthening the judiciary and the separation of powers. The Secretariat team includes political, legal and human rights officers.
“The Commonwealth team is consulting with the full spectrum of stakeholders to assess the current situation and the Commonwealth’s possible contributions in the short, medium and long-term.
“All Commonwealth member countries have committed themselves to the Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles, including a commitment to constitutional democracy, peace, the rule of law, and human rights.
“The Commonwealth stands ready to continue to support Maldives to uphold its constitution, strengthen its institutions and reinforce the culture of democracy. We urge all to respect the rule of law and the constitution, and to refrain from acts of violence.”
Travel warnings
Several countries have issued travel warnings for Male’ after today’s surge in political turmoil.
The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth advised against “all but essential travel to Male’ island. There are political demonstrations in the capital Malé, which have resulted in violent clashes between government and opposition supporters, and later the police and defence forces. The situation remains uncertain. If you are in Malé, or choose to travel to Malé, you should exercise caution, avoid demonstrations and beware of spontaneous gatherings.”
There are currently no reports of social unrest or demonstrations at Malé International Airport, or at the tourist resorts and other islands, the FCO said, asking tourists to check the situation with travel and tour operators.
(0)Dislikes
(0)
