Tag: MDP

Nasheed contests JSC’s claim that Supreme Court ‘ruling’ and ‘counsel’ carry equal legal weight

The High Court has granted former President Mohamed Nasheed additional time to respond to procedural matters raised by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) in the case submitted by his defense counsel, challenging the legitimacy of the three-member bench appointed by the JSC to his trial at the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

The JSC, raising procedural issues, stated that the High Court does not have the jurisdiction to preside over the case submitted by the former president’s legal team.

Nasheed and his counsel stated several times during today’s hearing that the JSC’s procedural points were not completely clear.

The High Court judges panel gave Nasheed’s lawyers the opportunity to ask the JSC’s legal representation for clarifications, while posing additional questions regarding the same issue themselves.

They then stated that it was unclear why the JSC had asked for the counsel of the Supreme Court in deciding the composition of the bench, and the justification under which the JSC considered the Supreme Court’s counsel to be of the same legal weight as a ruling of the court.

In responding to the questions posed to them, the JSC revealed that the names of the magistrates they had sent to the Supreme Court for their counsel were not the names nominated by the Hulhumale Magistrate Court.

The High Court bench questioned JSC if there it is a procedure in place which allows the assignment of judges for specific cases.

The JSC responded that there were certain circumstances in which judges can be assigned for specific cases, adding that the commission had done so previously in certain cases.

The bench further asked the JSC several times as to whether they considered the Supreme Court’s ‘counsel’ a ‘ruling’. The JSC’s legal team confirmed that they did.

The JSC’s legal representation stated that the Hulhumale’ Court Bench had been established under the counsel of the Supreme Court, and that this held the weight of a Supreme Court ruling.

Nasheed’s legal team contested this, stating that ‘counsel’ and a ‘ruling’ of the Supreme Court cannot be considered to hold the same strength.

Upon receiving answers for some of the questions posed, Nasheed’s lawyers requested for more time to prepare a response, which the bench granted.

In concluding the hearing, the High Court judge’s bench stated that the next hearing of the case would be arranged in the near future, at which Nasheed’s legal team is expected to respond to the procedural matters raised by JSC.

The bench added that in an additional hearing which will be held closely following the next one, the High Court will reveal its ruling on the same matters.

JSC’s request to expedite case

In April, the JSC sent a letter to the High Court requesting that the case be expedited.

The letter was signed by JSC Vice Chair Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Didi, and it was later revealed that it had been sent without consultation with other members of the commission.

JSC member appointed from among the public, Sheikh Shuaib Abdul Rahman, told media that he believed the letter was sent under orders of JSC Chair Adam Mohamed, adding that the Chair did not have the authority to make such decisions without consulting the commission members.

“I believe that whoever advised for this letter to be sent has done so with the intention of influencing Nasheed’s case to be concluded in a particular way,” he had said at the time.

Shuaib’s contention was later backed by Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid, who also sits on the commission.

However, JSC media official Hassan Zaheen stated that he did not believe that sending the letter would exert any undue influence or pressure, even though the JSC is currently looking into disciplinary matters concerning the Chief Judge of the High Court. He added that similar letters had been sent in the past at the discretion of the JSC Chair.

The case in question is one filed by the defense counsel of Nasheed, challenging the legitimacy of the panel of judges presiding over the case against him for the arbitrary detention during his administration of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Nasheed and his party contend the case is a politically motivated attempt to convict and prevent him from contesting in the upcoming September 7 presidential elections.

Lawyers representing the JSC has even previously requested the High Court dismiss the case, contending the court did not have the jurisdiction to preside on the matter.

Upon accepting the case, the HIgh Court issued a stay order on Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court to suspend all criminal trials concerning the arrest of the judge until a ruling on the legitimacy of the bench is issued.

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Spray-painting “irreligious” on people’s homes risks sparking hate crimes: former police intelligence chief

Former Police Intelligence Chief Mohamed Hameed has expressed concern that a recent outbreak of graffiti, in which dozens of homes and public buildings have been spray-painted ‘laadheenee’ (‘irreligious’), could trigger hate crimes in the capital.

Hameed said the “highly provocative act”  required precautionary action from the police.

“The ‘laadheenee’ graffiti on many walls in Male’ is a serious issue, possibly leading to hate crimes. This has come up at a time when politicians are often speaking of religion, and [former President] Gayoom has himself just recently said that there are two ideologies in the country: religious and anti-religious,” Hameed stated, referring to a recent speech by the autocratic leader of 30 years.

“The graffiti came up shortly after that, and is mostly in yellow paint. It can be said it is targeting a specific group of people. This can lead to retaliatory acts from the target groups,” Hameed contended.

“With the looming elections, this might be an act deliberately orchestrated by a particular group of people to attempt to create chaos and delay elections, saying the country does not have a conducive environment in which a free and fair election can be carried out,” he said.

“It seems like the graffiti was put up late at night. Now, since there are no shops or cafe’s open 24/7, there are only a minimal amount of people out late. The police are out patrolling the streets at all hours so it should not be too much of a task for them to find out who is responsible for this. I think they probably already have an idea. I believe it’s very important the police investigate this matter and take precautionary measures,” Hameed stated.

The graffiti has since been altered to form a variety of other phrases ranging from “MullahDheen” (‘Mullah religion’) to “BinLaadheenTha?” (‘Is it Bin Laden?’).

“Political activism doesn’t strip me of religion”

Minivan News spoke to people living in some of the houses who woke up to see the label “Laadheenee” scrawled over their walls.

“We are not a high profile family, and usually just stay to ourselves, so I was very surprised to see this derogatory word on our wall. Perhaps it is because one of my sisters is very active in the anti-coup protests,” said the eldest son of one such house.

“None of us, even my sister, is intimidated by this. Why can’t people with opposing political views be like us? That’s what my Dad said too. We don’t run around vandalising the property of those sheikhs who preach hate, or their followers.”

A small street in Maafannu ward had the graffiti on a quarter of the houses along it.

“This street definitely has a lot of people living on it who support the MDP, but that doesn’t make us anti-religious in any sense,” said one resident, a 53 year-old housewife. “Political activism doesn’t strip me of my religion. This just displays their lack of maturity and political ineptitude.”

Another resident, a 24 year-old man, called the act ‘childish’, adding, “Seeing the graffiti, it was mostly anger I felt. This is obviously politically motivated. What right do they have to go around damaging the property of people they do not know at all?”

A 38 year-old man who lives alone in a house in Henveiru said he felt the graffiti was the start of something “larger and more menacing.”

“It’s like they have marked down the houses of people they mean to attack. The saddest thing is, although the word refers to religion, I doubt their intentions are anything but political. I hope the police look into this and ensure that none of us come to physical harm.”

“‘Laadheeneee’ is an old song, no one’s interested”: MDP MP

MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy described the painting of the graffiti as “a desperate political move” and “an old song that  people simply are no longer interested in listening to.”

“All this talk of religion and being anti-religious is a politically-motivated ploy used by a handful of politicians who have nothing else to come to the public with. They have no pledges, no manifesto, no policies: and because they have nothing to speak of, they resort to labelling those who do with derogatory terms,” Fahmy said.

“This particular instance is a crime according to both international law and the local law; I refer to the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) and the Religious Unity Act respectively. Because of the state our law enforcement system is in at the moment, we see no action being taken against crimes like this,” Fahmy said.

“It is this failure to act that led to the February 7 coup d’etat. The sad thing is that both the law enforcement forces and the judiciary are not working to deal with serious matters like this,” he continued.

“Religion does not belong to any man. It is between God and oneself. There is no justification for abusing religion in the competitiveness of politics,” he said.

Police Media Official Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef was not responding to calls at time of press.

Religion and politics

During an address given in Denmark, former President and MDP presidential candidate Mohamed Nasheed stated that the Maldivian people had largely rejected Islamic extremism, and, in a veiled reference to the Adhaalath Party – the only local political party which claims to be based on a religious ideology – noted that “the Islamists were never a credible electoral threat.”

“The Islamic extremists also didn’t like the Maldives’ new democracy because they were unpopular. They failed to win the presidential elections in 2008, they failed to win local government elections – in 2011 they won less than four percent of the vote. But now, after the coup, extremists have been rewarded with three cabinet positions in government, and in many ways set the tone of the government communications. They are busy trying to indoctrinate people with a misguided version of Islam,” Nasheed said.

“There is idea of wanting to return to Hejaz as it was in the 7th century. This is Wahhabism in principle. And it is difficult and worrying,” he had said at the time.

The religion based political party condemned Nasheed’s comments, alleging that “Nasheed misled them about the party he fears and envies most: the Adhaalath Party.”

The next night, the National Movement – comprising of Adhaalath Party and a number of NGOs – organised a several hundred strong march around Male’ calling on authorities to penalise Nasheed, with some calling for him to be hanged. They alleged that Nasheed had mocked Islam, the Sunnah of the Prophet and verses of the Quran.

Meanwhile, the MDP has released a statement condemning the use of “irresponsible and misleading” political rhetoric against Nasheed over his remarks on Islamic radicalism.

The party said “misleading” statements were made in the media by political parties and “those wearing the hats of sheikhs to use religion as a weapon.”

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MDA takes Kendhikulhudhoo council seat during debut by-election contest

The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) has claimed a seat on the island council of Kendhikolhudhoo in Noonu Atoll following a two-way by-election contest against the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) yesterday.

According to Elections Commission figures, MDA candidate Ahmed Rizleen won the vacant seat on the island council with a 65 percent share of the vote (450 votes) against his MDP rival Umar Moosa.

Moosa lost out with 242 votes (35 percent).

MDA Leader tourism tycoon MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam told local media the party had managed to defeat the country’s largest political party – based on membership and number of MPs – during the first ever election in which it had fielded a candidate. Shiyam, who previously served as an independent MP, formed his party last year.

He was not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

MDA candidate Rizleen received 200 votes from the ballot box placed at Kendhi Kolhu Ward, 224 votes from Kulhudhoo ward and 27 votes from the ballot box placed in Male’, Shiyam’s Sun Online news service reported following  he conclusion of the election.

According to the same report, MDP candidate Moosa got 90 votes from Kulhudhoo ward, 124 votes from Kendhikolhu ward and 28 votes from Male’.

Just last month MPs of the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) – the country’s second largest party in terms of parliament representation – spoke of a need to reassess power sharing agreements over concerns at the size of crowds at recent MDP gatherings.

However, other parties in the coalition government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed today questioned the strength of the opposition party on the basis of the MDA’s single council win.

The government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) led by MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali today congratulated the MDA for its victory in a statement.

In its statement, DRP congratulated MDA candidate Ahmed Rizleen and the MDA leadership for the victory on behalf of DRP leader Thasmeen and members of the DRP.

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Civil Court dismisses case to invalidate outcome of PPM primary

The Civil Court has dismissed a case seeking to invalidate the outcome of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) primary vote in March, that saw MP Abdulla Yameen selected as its presidential candidate for September’s elections.

A Civil Court spokesperson confirmed to Minivan News that during Thursday’s hearing the presiding judge rejected the case, which was filed last month by a PPM member.

The member who filed the case alleged that thousands of voters were not officially registered with the PPM at the time they cast votes on their preferred party candidate. Further details on the case were not available to the court official at time of press.

Sun Online reported that the case was rejected on the grounds that the PPM member, Rahma Moosa, was not one of the candidates and therefore could not claim infringement of her rights.

Umar Naseer told the online publication that he would file the case in his own name on Sunday (May 5).

Confirmation of the trial’s rejection was announced as local media reported that a rally scheduled to be held Friday (May 3) to announce MP Yameen’s running mate for the presidential elections had been postponed as a result of adverse weather.

MP Yameen, half brother of PPM founder and former Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was not responding to calls at time of press. PPM MP Ahmed Nihan meanwhile had his phone switched off when contacted this afternoon.

Divisions

Divisions between PPM supporters appeared following March’s primary, when Umar Naseer – the only candidate to stand against Yameen during the contest – accused his opponent had controlled all of the party’s organs, including the council and election committee, and had “rigged” the vote in his favour by ballot stuffing, falsifying the count.

The allegations have been rejected by Yameen and the wider PPM, while Naseer found himself dismissed from the party late last month after he refused to respond – either verbally or in writing – during a seven day period provided by the PPM’s disciplinary hearing to retract the allegations.

Amidst the formation of divisions in the party at the time, PPM member Rahma Moosa lodged a case on April 18 at the Civil Court challenging the results of the party’s presidential primary.

Moosa reportedly filed the case claiming that 8,915 people who were not officially registered as members of PPM had been allowed to vote in the primary.

She contended that the move contravened the Political Party Act and compromised the rights of all general members of the party.

Coalition talks

The PPM, as the country’s second largest party in terms of parliamentary representation, last month said it would not rule out forming a coalition with President Dr Mohamed Waheed or any other fellow government-aligned parties ahead of the presidential elections.

PPM MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News at the time that the party had already engaged in talks over the possibility of forming a power sharing agreement with other parties in the government of President Waheed, although no final decision had yet been taken.

Nihan said that rival political parties needed to reassess their views on power sharing after thousands of people attended a gathering held by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on April 19 to announce the signing of Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid.

Nihan’s comments were echoed at the same time by current Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed – who is speculated in local media to be among the leading candidates to stand as the PPM presidential candidate’s running mate during the elections.

Dr Jameel told Minivan News last month that a changed political landscape since the country’s first multi-party elections in 2008, necessitated a willingness to share power more than ever.

“We have to recognise that the PPM and the [opposition] Maldivian Demoratic Party (MDP) are the two major political forces in the country capable of winning elections. Hence, if the governing coalition desires to forge an alliance, it cannot realistically exclude the PPM from any such move. Whether a coalition, inclusive of the PPM can be realised prior to the elections is possible or not, we cannot alienate major political parties in an election,” he said at the time.

“Therefore, the role of smaller parties attempting to win an election of this scale without the inclusion of major political parties is in my opinion, a risky business,” Dr Jameel added.

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DRP “moderate” alternative to divisive views of PPM, MDP: MP Mausoom

The government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has claimed it can offer the only “moderate” alternative to the country’s two largest political parties ahead of this year’s elections.

DRP Parliamentary Group Leader MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom said that between the increasingly “polarised views” of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the government-aligned Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), his party represented an alternative viewpoint for voters and politicians alike.

The comments were made amidst ongoing speculation over whether presidential candidates representing the country’s government-aligned parties will opt to stand alone in September’s elections, or seek to form a “broad” coalition ahead of polling.

Following the conclusion of the DRP’s fourth national congress on April 25, Dr Mausoom claimed that after the 30 year rule of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the previous government of former President Mohamed Nasheed, there was a growing hunger among voters for “something else” in national politics.

He claimed that this growing desire for political alternatives in the Maldives had led to increased interest in supporting the DRP from across the country’s political spectrum.

Yet despite MP Mohamed ‘Colonel’ Nasheed opting to join the DRP from the MDP back in March, the party witnessed a high-profile defection of its own last month with the resignation of Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid.  Shahid resigned from the DRP on April 15, shortly before announcing he would be joining the MDP.

Mausoom this week maintained that a growing number of MPs, voters and rival parties members had already expressed interest in joining the party in the build up to the election.

“We are getting pledges from many people that they will join us and we believe they are analysing the current situation,” he said. “Some [rival party] MPs have expressed support for the direction in which we are moving.”

Mausoom said he believed that a growing number of MPs were showing interest in the party – particularly from the PPM, which was formed by former President Gayoom.

Having formed the DRP back in 2005, former President Gayoom left the party with a number of his supporters back in 2011 to found the PPM. The split followed an acrimonious war of words between Gayoom and the DRP’s current leader, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.

However, on the back of divisions in the PPM following primary elections held back in March, Dr Mausoom said he believed there was disillusionment among the party’s members.  the primary saw MP Abdulla Yameen – Gayoom’s half brother – appointed as its presidential candidate in a two-way contest with Umar Naseer.

Mausoom alleged that MPs and former DRP supporters who joined the PPM on the back of “accusations” started by former President Gayoom, were now rethinking their allegiances.

“They have seen this was just a game by Gayoom to maintain power within his family,” he said. “We will see more people who moved to the PPM [from the DRP]  aware of this.”

Moving forward

Upon the conclusion of the DRP’s latest congress last month, Mausoom added that the party had filled several key posts within its council, as well as other senior roles such as appointing new deputy leaders including female MP Rozaina Adam.

Alongside implementing a new party structure, Mausoom said the other key purpose of what had been a “very productive” national congress was to draft a manifesto document outlining the party’s strategy for the upcoming presidential elections.

He added that discussions had already been held on a early draft of the party’s manifesto that had been well received by DRP members so far.

However, Mausoom said that no further details on the direction for the party would be shared at the present time.

“The plan now is to streamline the manifesto to the needs of islands communities. Once it is finalised, we will be sharing it with the media,” he said.

Having been drafted with input from members across the country, Dr Mausoom said that the manifesto would incorporate the interests of voters from islands in the outer atolls as well as those of municipal voters ahead of the election.

“We are now geared to move forward,” he said.

Coalition agreements

Among the DRP’s coalition partners currently serving within the government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed, both the religious conservative Adhaalath Party and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) have agreed to formally stand in a coalition with the country’s current leader though his Gaumee Iththihaadh Party (GIP).

The DQP and GIP are small political parties currently facing potential dissolution for lacking the minimum requirement of 10,000 members as stipulated in the recently passed Political Parties Act.

However, uncertainty remains whether other parties in the current coalition government would look to officially join with the president ahead of elections to stand against the MDP

Speaking to Minivan News this week, the government-aligned Jumhoree Party (JP) said it would not be looking to form a coalition with any party in the first round of voting.

JP Leader business tycoon and MP Gasim Ibrahim was last month reported in local media as telling supporters at a rally in Male’ that while he would consider forming a coalition with other political parties, but was not wiling to stand as the running mate of another candidate.

However, JP Spokesperson Moosa Ramiz claimed yesterday (May 1) that the party had decided to stand alone in the first round, adding that Gasim would take advice from the party council beyond that.

On the back of this commitment, Ramiz added that the party was this week working on finalising its own manifesto for the elections and would therefore be able give further details on its campaign strategy over the next week.

The PPM – the country’s second largest party in terms of parliamentary representation – has previously said it would not rule out forming a coalition with President Dr Mohamed Waheed or any other fellow government-aligned parties ahead of the presidential elections.

PPM MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News last month that the party had already engaged in talks over the possibility of forming a power sharing agreement with other parties in the government of President Waheed, although no final decision had yet been taken.

Nihan said that rival political parties needed to reassess their views on power sharing after thousands of people attended a gathering held by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on April 19 to announce the signing of Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid.

Meanwhile, MDP candidate former President Nasheed has meanwhile claimed his party had already ruled out joining a coalition during the elections, criticising the effectiveness of power sharing in Maldives politics.

Nasheed was brought to power during the second round of the country’s first multi-party democratic elections in 2008 through a coalition of numerous parties united against former President Gayoom. These coalition parties, many of whom now serve in the government of President Waheed, all later left Nasheed’s administration.

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Committee rejects secret voting for parliamentary no confidence motions

Parliament’s General Purpose Committee has rejected procedural amendments to allow secret voting for no confidence motions, such as one presently scheduled against President Dr Mohamed Waheed.

Committee Chair MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem said the decision, which will now be forwarded to the parliament floor for approval, meant that the existing regulations outlining procedures for no confidence votes approved back in March 2010 would remain in place.

The issue had been sent to the committee by Speaker Abdulla Shahid to settle a “way forward” for no confidence motions after the Supreme Court last month struck down amendments allowing secret voting in parliament, Raheem said today.

The General Purpose Committee Committee voted four to three against the amendment proposed by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Nazim Rashaad to specify instances whereby parliament could use secret voting and hold sittings behind closed doors, Sun Online reported today.

MPs representing several coalition parties in the unity government of President Waheed, which make up the majority of the committee’s members, all voted against the amendments, with the deciding vote cast by Chairperson Raheem.

Raheem told Minivan News that amendments for secret voting had been rejected over concerns that voting behind closed doors was unconstitutional and may lead to further conflict with the Supreme Court.

Secret voting was the subject of one of two Supreme Court rulings this year to be previously criticised by opposition, government-aligned and independent MPs as an unconstitutional “challenge to the separation of powers.”

In its judgement (Dhivehi) on the constitutionality of secret ballots for no-confidence votes, the Supreme Court majority opinion contended that the rule contravened article 85 of the constitution as well as parliamentary principles and norms of free and democratic societies.

Raheem added that in line with this ruling, the committee had instead chosen to retain existing regulations on no confidence motions that had been in use since March 2010. He claimed these measures had been previously approved by bodies like the International-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Priority issue

Addressing today’s vote, government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Parliamentary Group Leader Abdulla Mausoom claimed that the rejection of the procedural issue of secret voting had not been a major concern for the party.

“We do not see this is a priority issue at the moment. We are brave enough as a party to vote transparently on these matters,” he said.

Meanwhile, MDP MP and Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor claimed that the opposition party would not back away from trying to vote out senior government figures include President Waheed, despite failing to secure a secret ballot.

“[President] Waheed’s no confidence motion still stands, whether the vote is secret or not is irrelevant,” he claimed.

Ghafoor alleged that the party had originally sought to have a no confidence motion behind closed doors over fears MPs would be too scared to vote in the current climate following the controversial transfer of power on February 7, 2012.

The MDP has maintained that the transfer of power that saw former President Nasheed resign from office following a mutiny by sections of the military and police was a “coup d’etat”.

“This is not a normal situation at present, the Supreme Court itself is part of this coup government,” Ghafoor claimed.

He said that while that the MDP had withdrawn no-confidence votes against Home Minister Mohamed Jameel and Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim on April 8 this year due to a lack of confidence in the vote, the party did not rule out rescheduling at a later date.

MDP MPs claimed upon withdrawing the no confidence motions earlier this month that the government-aligned DRP had agreed to vote in favour of the motions before reversing the decision at the eleventh hour.

MPs of the government-aligned Jumhooree Party (JP) and DRP had voted in favour of a secret ballot for no-confidence votes in December 2012.

Ghafoor claimed that with the recent defection of Speaker Shahid to the MDP and ongoing changes to the composition of parliament, the intention remained to try and remove the defence and home minsters as well as President Waheed.

“The [no confidence] strategy is not failed yet. Though the vote is not in our favour at the moment, things are always changing.”

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“Posing as scholars, they sold out Islam to bring about a coup d’etat”: former President

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed has said February 7, 2012’s controversial transfer of power was by politicians posing as religious scholars “selling out on the religion of Islam.”

Nasheed made the comments while addressing a rally held in the island of Bilehdhoo in Faafu Atoll on Sunday night, where a number of new members signed to the party including the island’s council president.

Only aim of small parties is promoting self-interest

Addressing the crowds, Nasheed stated that the country was seeing the formation of a number of small political parties.

“These parties are not formed with any intention of promoting any specific ideology or philosophy. The objective of forming these parties are to increase the power of their private businesses through these parties,” he stated.

“When they have a political party they sit down for business discussions, and the government is forced to relent. This is the reason why these people create political parties,” Nasheed said.

“After forming such parties, they then contest in elections and say that if they are given cabinet posts, islands, judges and warehouses, then they will into a coalition. The people have no part in such a coalition, it’s only these leaders who enter it,” Nasheed continued.

He further added that although small party leaders did not consider the interests of the general members or citizens when entering coalitions, he regretted that such parties were initially formed by acquiring signatures from those among the public.

“These forms were filled  illegitimately using money as an incentive. We are seeing this for certain beyond any doubt. And once the party is formed, they then sell off the party to this coalition,” he alleged.

“One of the biggest things that this coalition has done is toppling the government which was legitimately elected in 2008.”

“This country has a ‘haram’ government”

“There is no greater sin in Islam than to orchestrate a coup,” Nasheed stated.

“Wearing hats of sheikhs and religious scholars, they have committed a huge sin, an act which is absolutely haram. Today, this country has a haram government. Being a 100 percent Muslim country, we must not let them continue carrying out this haram act in front of our eyes. God willing, we will win this presidential election in one round.”

“God willing, the righteous will always win. Human experience has never shown that a people who have committed a haram act, and remain in that state of sin, can succeed in what they are doing. We have never seen this happen in the past, and except for a few of our countrymen, no one believes they will gain that success even in future.”

During his speech, Nasheed spoke of the rhetoric used by political parties had against his administration prior to the contentious transfer of power in February 2012.

“In their ploy to topple our government, they spoke of two things. One is that it was for the sake of religion. In this context, one issue they raised was that the management of Ghiyasudheen School [in Male’] included foreigners. Meanwhile, we can clearly see that even here the principal is a foreigner, the teachers are foreigners.”

“After having preached this against Ghiyasudheen School, today it is the children of these religious scholars who are enrolled to study in that school. [Adhaalath Party MP] Muhthalib’s child goes to that school. The Supreme Court Judges’ children also go to that school. All the religious scholars have their children enrolled in this school, and this is because it is a school where the educational standards are very high,” Nasheed said.

“They toppled our government because we were establishing that school, and yet today their children are enrolled there,” he claimed.

“When they were overthrowing our government, they spoke about massage parlours. We are not seeing these places being closed down today. They spoke of the sale of alcohol, and yet the amount of alcohol being sold has not gone down.”

“I am absolutely certain that you will not see any issue that they have raised that has been stopped today,” Nasheed said, addressing many of the accusations that had been made against him by the then opposition coalition.

“By donning the caps of religious scholars and deceiving citizens in the name of religion, they gained power in a government and are now in the midst of the biggest worldly sin,” Nasheed alleged.

“The religion of Islam is a religion which has been given respect and honour in our hearts. They can always play with our hearts when they speak in the name of religion, especially when they do so in the guise of being Islamic scholars,” he said.

“We Maldivians are waking up to this now. We can no longer believe the things they say in the name of being religious scholars.”

“The Adhaalath Party did contest in the parliamentary elections, as well as the local council elections. They did not win a single seat in the first, and only two or three or seats on Fainu in the local council elections, out of a total of over 1700 seats,” Nasheed stated.

“Maldivians have never accepted that religious scholars should get entangled in worldly political matters. They are pious, righteous people who should be advising people like us on religious matters. It will not do when today they themselves are coming out and drafting laws to govern massage parlours,” Nasheed said.

“All of this is clear to us Maldivians now: a coup d’etat was brought about in the Maldives, and this coup was orchestrated by selling out the religion of Islam.”

“’Me, me, mine’ is the motto of small parties”

“The other issue that they spoke of when toppling our government is that we were putting up national assets for sale. They claimed we sold the airport on Hulhule’, which still remains there. No one has left taking the airport with them,” Nasheed stated.

“After the coup, the very people who claimed loudly that airport had been sold and partook in the coup, took the airport themselves. This they did not see as a national asset. The airport that we rent out for development was said to be a national asset, though. It is as if they become assets when they are in the hands of a certain people. As if it is not a national asset as long as it remains in their hands,” he said.

“The whole objective of a small political party is ‘for me, me, mine’; to see what is in it for them and to continue forming coalitions so as to increase the lot they will personally gain from it,” Nasheed continued.

“No development work was carried out in the Maldives in 2012 – the country was at a standstill. These people’s motto is to remain in a standstill. The government is at a standstill. They do nothing besides quarrelling among themselves,” Nasheed said.

“I think that if they make a large coalition, there is no relief for us Maldivians. It will be then be all about their coalition, their interests, their wealth, their businesses and their rule.”

“Children are not to be handled like tuna”

President Mohamed Waheed has meanwhile expressing “deep sadness” after a parent had stopped a child from shaking hands with the him during a trip to Meemu Atoll last weekend.

“The child won’t even know who I am even, but the father has taught the child a very bad lesson. To refuse to shake hands with anyone who approaches is not something Muslims do, not something Maldivians do,” Waheed was quoted as saying in local media.

Nasheed referred to this incident in his speech in Bilehdhoo.

“When ‘Baaghee’ (traitor) Mohamed Waheed went to an island and tried to harass a child, and the parents stopped him from doing so, he released a media statement expressing sadness about this,” Nasheed said.

“I have said even the other day, that parents will of course get angry when you try to hoist a child up like they hoist up tuna onto a fishing boat. I have said even then that we look at this child, carry this child, because their life is our party’s future, this nation’s future. This party has a policy which has to do with everything from their toe to their tip of their hair. This party is the child’s party. This party exists for the sake of the child’s future, for our future. To make their hopes and dreams a reality. And so, parents will not get angry when we approach their children and carry them,” Nasheed stated.

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Comment: Hope rekindled

It was with some trepidation that I awaited the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP’s) announcement of a ‘big gathering’ on 19 April 2013 and the news of parliamentary speaker Abdulla Shahid making his maiden speech that night after joining the party.

But, as on many other occasions before, the event was organised and carried out with such precision and grandiose style that it far exceeded any events, national or otherwise, that I had ever witnessed in the Maldives.

In fact, I don’t think it would be wrong to say that it was the largest gathering ever in the Maldives, certainly one held by a political party.

Watching, observing and listening to the speeches that night has certainly rekindled lost hope, at least for me personally, and I am sure there are many others who feel the same way I do.

The MDP showed that they as a party understood what democracy is through their maturity in willingly to embrac and welcome Shahid to their party and giving him a place of honour among their ranks.

Shahid had been in the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) before and being the Speaker of Parliament, should, as many MDP supporters have previously alleged, be held responsible for at least some of the difficulty that the MDP Government experienced in getting much needed legislation passed through parliament.

But, as was befitting a mature democratic party, MDP supporters set aside their differences and welcomed him with open arms – something which should have been the hallmark of the current government that keeps claiming they are responsible for bringing unity to the country.

What Shahid expressed in his speech about young technocrats joining the MDP will no doubt depend on the way that MDP treats Shahid and others like him. For it is no secret that, among his many other talents, Shahid is also one of the most highly experienced technocrats in the Maldives.

In the past, when the MDP had been in the government after winning the 2008 elections, it had acquired a reputation for being too hasty in throwing out well-educated, skilled, and highly competent staff whose only wrong-doing had been that they did not belong to MDP and had been in government service during Gayoom’s time.

But what MDP supporters had failed to recognise then, is that these people had very little choice of contributing to their country unless they worked with the then government.

What MDP also failed to recognise is that most of them were simply technocrats who had no political ambitions and therefore chose not to join any political party. As Shahid so eloquently stated in his speech, “there are many of us who firmly believe that MDP is the only party that can move the country forward and bring development through its policies and democratic values”.

What many may fail to recognise is that MDP’s strategies of focusing on the individual needs of citizen’s rather than targeting highly visible projects for gaining votes, places them far ahead of their rival parties in terms of protecting the human rights of Maldivian citizens.

Maldivians have over the years experienced a number of developmental activities which have not had any significant impact on improving either their livelihoods or their living conditions as had been stated as the objective of the many National Development Plans since 1985. Instead, these plans have been a wish list which the government had used to shop for donor financing.

However, the MDP Manifesto has shown quite clearly to the people that realistic plans to achieve equity goals are possible and implementable even within a short span of time, as was demonstrated within the three short years of the MDP Government.

There is no doubt that the average Maldivian, when they think about their situation rationally, would be extremely grateful to the MDP Government’s implementation of their inter-island transport network, the adequate housing policy, the single-session schools education policy, the technical and vocational skills development programme, and the social protection programs for the elderly, the disabled and single mothers, as well as the Aasandha health insurance scheme for all.

Similarly, there is no doubt that the new policies that the MDP is proposing for the 2013 elections will go a long way in consolidating the economic and social rights of many Maldivians.

Examples of these can be seen in their proposed expansion of guest houses policy and the development of mariculture in selected regions of the country — something that had in fact been suggested by the first UN fact-finding mission to the Maldives, way back in the late 1950s when the Maldives had not even gained its independence.

What I would like to see further is for MDP to announce their policies on how to tackle some of the pressing social issues as economic development needs to go hand in hand with social development for the people.

For instance, I would like to hear from the MDP on how they propose to bring back another Second Chance programme for reformative justice which has been proven overseas to be far more effective than incarceration, especially in the case of young offenders.

Additionally, I would also like to know how MDP plans to deliver a more effective and efficient public service that is befitting a modern Maldives in the globalised world of the 21st century.

As Maldives is highly dependent on its service sector, and given its geographic vulnerabilities, it is important in this modern era of internet communications to expand this technology for providing faster and efficient services to both its citizens and non-citizens who visit the country.

Efficient and effective service delivery should also take into account that a number of Maldivian tax payers reside overseas and in order to protect their rights and avail themselves of the services offered, it is important for them to be able to access services from where they reside. In certain instances this might mean making exceptions for them to be able to personally collect important documents such as national ID cards and passports.

I sincerely hope and pray that MDP can bring hope back and keep the window to democracy open for the many of us who are disillusioned and disgusted at the recent turn of events in our beloved country.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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“I have joined MDP to prevent window to democracy from being closed”: Speaker Shahid

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held one of the largest political rallies in the country’s recent history on Friday (April 19) to celebrate the signing of Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid as a member.

Shahid announced he was joining the opposition MDP Thursday (April 18), after resigning from the government-aligned Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) earlier in the week.

He yesterday addressed thousands of supporters gathered at the Alimas Carnival area of Male’ in his first address since signing with the party at a special rally entitled ‘A New Strength’.

“I am here today with renewed resolve to give new hope to the Maldivian people. I am here with you brave warriors to do all I can to find the best means for the people of the Maldives,” said Shahid,

“In 2008, a flicker of hope was kindled in the hearts of the Maldivian people. A window to democracy was opened. Maldivians used the light of this flame and the opportunities of this window to experience the beautiful gardens of democracy,” Shahid continued.

“As our hearts yearned to stay in these gardens for good, an attempt was made to try and close this window. An attempt was made to extinguish that glow of hope in people’s hearts. It was the courageous members of MDP who obstructed the powerful forces that tried to close this window to democracy.”

“Today, I am here with all of you brave, steadfast warriors to prevent that window from being closed,” Shahid stated.

In his first speech at a MDP podium, Shahid stated that many of his supporters, as well as “many young, assertive technocrats” who have worked with him, were now in the process of joining MDP alongside him.

“People from all over the Maldives called me upon hearing that I have joined the Maldivian Democratic Party. They told me that this decision of mine is in the best interests of the nation at this moment, and assured me that they will join this party with me,” he added, to loud applause from party supporters.

Will not them enslave us in the name of religion and nationalism: Shahid

“The strongest tool used to oppress citizens is to instill fear in their hearts, to make them weak psychologically, to create mistrust between each other, to create a culture of doubt and unrest. It is not surprising that these tactics are being used in our Maldives today,” Shahid said, criticising the present government and its coalition parties.

“The aim of these tactics is to make people lose faith in the democracy that rose in the Maldives, to delude people into thinking that democracy is a useless concept. And along with this, to utilize the ensuing chaos to usurp the power of the people, and to prevent the establishment of an administration that will work for the betterment of the people.”

“I want to say to those orchestrating such actions, that today, the Maldivian people will not give you the opportunity to pull that off. Today, Maldivians will not move away from democracy. They will not give up the powers of the people,” Shahid stated.

Shahid, who has previously spoken out against the MDP and its supporters, stated his reasons for now joining the party on Friday.  He claimed that he had taken the decision as the MDP was the only party that can move the country forward and bring development through its policies and democratic values.

“Allegations that [MDP] is working to undermine the religion of Islam, and the independence and sovereignty of the country are made with the intention of spreading such fear,” Shahid said of the criticisms, which continue to be levied against MDP by its political opponents.

“The easiest way out [for them] is to talk about the fear of losing independence or sovereignty. The minute anybody says a word, they are labelled a traitor, or an enemy. That’s all there is to it. In a space like this, we must question why this happens. In some other countries which are now developed, we saw people being enslaved under the name of religion and nationalism. We will not give them the opportunity to do that to us here,” he stated.

Shahid said that at a time when the Maldives had “more scholars than ever before seen in Islamic history”, rather than spread fear, it is vital to disseminate information that Islam is the religion of science, progress and development.

“Be it independence, or sovereignty, they only exist because of us citizens. They are things that exist for the sake of citizens. Those that speak of protecting sovereignty and independence today, without shedding light on the significance of the citizens, do so because they have nothing more they can speak of, because they do not have any plans or policies for the people. This is something that the Maldivian people will no longer accept,” he continued.

“We are now interconnected with the world. We will not let them isolate us from the world, and take us backwards.”

In conclusion of his speech, Shahid echoed the words of MDP leaders and stated, “The Presidential Elections are right in front of us. I can assure you with certainty that we will win that election from the first round itself. The reason why I am so sure of this is because of the immense support for this party that we see today.”

“Taking off at high speed”

MDP Presidential Candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed stated at the rally that the party was now taking off at high speed to win the September 7 elections.

Gesturing at the thousands of supporters which filled the rally grounds on Friday night, Nasheed stated that this was the sight of victory that was being witnessed at that moment.

Welcoming Shahid to the party, Nasheed stated that he is one of the most experienced politicians the country has ever seen.

“This day will be marked in history. This country’s historians and researchers will emphasize the reason why Shahid joined MDP,” Nasheed stated.

“We will not stay still or take half steps. Tighten your seatbelts. We are taking off at high speed and will stop only after taking oath as President once again this coming November. Shahid has left a campaign that proceeds in slow-motion to join one that moves much faster. We won’t go in slow motion. We take 3 feets steps and move with speed,” he said.

Among other speakers at the rally were MDP Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, MP and former Chairperson Mariya Ahmed Didi and Raa Atoll Councillor Mohamed Waheed.

Shahid’s switch comes almost exactly one year to the day that the opposition MDP submitted an unsuccessful no confidence motion against the speaker, accusing him at the time of making decisions relating to significant parliamentary issues without discussing them with various political parties.

Fall out

Speaking following the announcement of speaker’s switch on Thursday (April 18), DRP Deputy Leader Abdulla Mausoom told Minivan News at the time that the party had no present plans to pursue a no-confidence motion against the speaker as a result of him defecting to the opposition.

However, he claimed that in cases where any politician – whether a speaker or cabinet minister – was deemed to be compromising national issues, then the party “would not hesitate” to take action against them.

Meanwhile, Abdulla Yameen, Parliamentary Group Leader of the government-aligned PPM – the country’s second largest political party after the MDP and minority party of parliament – had his phone switched off today.

Earlier this week, PPM MP Ahmed Nihan said he had worked with Shahid for many years and personally found him to be very capable in his position as speaker.

However, he added that he was not sure how his fellow party members or other government-aligned MPs might view his decision to switch to the opposition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lu1rLkgH9IA

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