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Religion extensively used for political control in the Maldives: Himal magazine

Islamic radicalism, which played a key role in the ouster of the government of Mohammed Nasheed, continues to grow in the Maldives several months after his ‘resignation’, writes Yameen Rasheed for Himal Southasian magazine.

“While Nasheed has repeatedly warned of the danger of growing religious intolerance, political polarisation around the issue has also meant that for the first time space has opened up that allows protests and criticism of religious extremists.

Religion has historically been extensively used for political control in the Maldives. While the active targeting of political opponents as apostates might be relatively modern, the Maldives has had a xenophobic view of ‘foreign religions’ for much longer. This state of fear has been carefully preserved and cultivated instead of being eradicated by modern dictators like former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who found it a useful political tool.

As anti-Gayoom sentiments spread, religious radicalism gained acceptance as a legitimate avenue of dissent. Towards the end of the democratic uprising in the late 2000’s, as the restrictions on media and freedom of speech were gradually lifted, Salafi radio stations mushroomed and bookstores began to sell fiery, jihadi titles publicly. A casual stroll down the capital today reveals an overwhelming majority of women wearing burqas – a dramatic transformation that took less than a decade.

Unlike in the Gayoom era when Islamic fundamentalism was harshly suppressed to project an air of stability and peace, perhaps with the tourism industry in mind, Nasheed’s administration publicly acknowledged the problem of widespread religious fundamentalism. Consequently, his government made the calculated move to align itself closely with India and the West, while controversially renewing ties with Israel – a move that sparked an outcry from the religious right.

Nasheed often defended the traditionally liberal, moderate and Sufism-influenced Maldivian belief system, and appealed to the public to reject imported practices such as female genital mutilation and keeping concubines. He also publicly threw his weight behind cultural activities such as music and dance which had long been under attack from the ultra-conservative religious right.

Perhaps as a result, the events leading up to the dramatic toppling of the first democratically elected government in February 2012 had a distinctly religious nature. The first major protests against the MDP government launched in early 2010 were against the government’s alleged plans to permit the sale of alcohol to foreigners in an upmarket hotel in the capital. Following the success of that protest, all the subsequent protests against the MDP government took on a religious tone, labelling the MDP as a promoter of ‘irreligiousness’.

In October 2011, during the 18th SAARC summit in Addu city, opposition parties organised strong protests with radical religious overtones. When monuments such as the statue of a lion gifted by Sri Lanka were declared ‘idols of worship’ and vandalised, the vandals were hailed as ‘national heroes’ by the parties which are now represented in Waheed’s cabinet. These parties also condemned Navanetham Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, when she spoke against medieval practices such as public flogging, which are still prevalent in the Maldives. Protesters on the street raised placards demanding that Pillay be flogged.

The series of religious protests culminated in a massive rally on 23 December 2011, when a coalition of opposition parties came under one umbrella to label the government ‘un-Islamic’.

The December rally exposed a dangerous strategy employed by the then-opposition coalition – a disturbing willingness to steer the rhetoric to the far, militant right. The official website for the protest even put up a demand for people who ‘went against Islam’ to be killed. The article was soon taken down, citing ‘technical errors’, but not before it was reported in the local media.

Although the 7 February police and military mutiny that eventually led to the fall of the Nasheed-led government was sparked off by clashes between pro- and anti-government groups, it ended up emitting strong religious tones by the next day. Videos from that fateful day show uniformed military and police personnel marching down the streets to loud chants of ‘Allahu Akbar!’, as they proceeded to attack the MDP party campus.

Ironically, by giving voice to an Islamic party, Nasheed allowed the Adhaalath Party to run programs preaching the conservative form of Islam to targeted sections of the society, including prison inmates, police and military personnel. When Nasheed announced his ‘resignation’, top police officials, along with the alleged coup leaders, chanted religious slogans loudly in celebration.

Meanwhile, vandals had broken into the national museum and smashed ancient coral statues of the Buddha and other priceless artefacts from the Buddhist period of Maldivian history.

Stanford-educated President Waheed personally holds modern, secular, liberal views much like Nasheed. However, unlike Nasheed, he simply does not have enough political clout to stand up to the religious right. Indeed, in late-February in an effort to cement his support base among the Islamists, Waheed gave a fiery speech, invoking jihadi phrases and calling upon the ‘mujahideen’ to protect the national identity. Recently the Ministry of Islamic Affairs requested Waheed to allow the military and police to grow beards. Given that his fledgling National Unity Party has no elected members in either the Parliament or the local council, it remains to be seen how Waheed will respond to pressure from ultra-orthodox sections in his government.”

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Two thirds of MDP membership vote in party’s single candidate elections

Two-thirds of the MDP’s 48,181-strong membership base turned out to vote in the party’s single-candidate internal elections, held over the weekend to determine its presidential candidate.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed ran unopposed in the party’s election of its presidential candidate, however the party’s regulations require any candidate to receive at least 10 percent of the party’s vote to secure the nomination.

Following the final count of the 258 ballot boxes, Nasheed recorded 31,798 votes in favour to 269 against his being the party’s presidential candidate.

Chairperson candidate Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik had 29,044 votes in favour to 2160 against, while Deputy Chairperson candidate Ali Shiyam had 563 in favour to 7 against.

The MDP has maintained calls for early elections following its ousting from power on February 7, with Nasheed resigning during a police and military mutiny under what he subsequently claimed was duress. The party has held regular demonstrations since that time calling for early elections.

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Government, MDP Chairman, trade threats of jail time

Fresh from his election as Chairman of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik has said the those found guilty of being involved in what his party alleges was a coup would be jailed for a long time, reports Haveeru.

Moosa’s comments comes two days after the same newspaper quoted the Home Minister and Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) Mohamed Jameel Ahmed as saying that former President Mohamed Nasheed’s crimes would see him go to prison .

Nasheed’s alleged crimes, said Jameel last week, were due to reach the Prosecutor General’s desk within a week.

“[The charges] include the case known to all which is the unconstitutional arrest and subsequent detention of Criminal Court’s Chief Judge. I’m quite certain that Anni (Nasheed) would be found guilty in that case by a court of law,” Jameel claimed in Haveeru.

Moosa responded to these claims today that it is Jameel, amongst others, who will be jailed.

“We will not be afraid of Jameel, we will not be afraid of Habeeb, neither will we be afraid of Nazim,” Moosa is reported to have said.

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Comment: Maldives politicians take to twitter, results mixed

This article first appeared on DhivehiSitee. Republished with permission.

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, when asked for his views about politicians on Twitter, famously replied: ‘Too many tweets might make a twat.” Cameron was discussing the instantaneousness of modern communication, and the perils of politicians tweeting without thinking.

It should be said that neither side of the divided Maldivian political landscape are too keen to listen to Cameron right now. The authoritarians have a bone to pick with him for declaring President Nasheed his ‘new best friend’ and ‘ideal stag party-companion’ not long before the coup; and Nasheed’s supporters aren’t happy with him for abandoning his new best friend at the first sign of trouble. But, on lessons about tweeting, Cameron’s advice is spot on for Maldivian politicians.

Twitter is as popular in the Maldives as it is in all other countries going through political turmoil. Ordinary Maldivian Twitterians and Tweeps have the same behavioural patterns as those of their foreign counterparts. Both supporters of the government and opposing democrats are on Twitter everyday, expressing their divergent opinions, heckling the opposition, drumming up support for and covering protests, having fun, and of course, trolling.

The behaviour of Maldivian politicians and other leaders on Twitter, however, is an entirely different matter. Their Twitter life is remarkably different from tweeting politicians in other countries. Like the sheer amount of time they seem to have to devote to Twitter for one thing. Whereas other leaders such as American President Obama or say Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian PM, all have their staff tweet for them, President Waheed likes to do it himself.

To be fair, Dr Waheed has only tweeted just over a hundred times but, clearly, he does it himself, and also thinks it is about himself as a person rather than about his presidency. He likes to post pictures with supporters (an inordinate number of them appear to be children), and at times provide some intimate insights into his life such as how he enjoys taking the time to smell flowers on weekends.

Then there’s the large number of fake accounts that have sprung up pretending to be some politician or another. By fake accounts I don’t mean those that are obviously parodies. The new president Dr Waheed and his wife Ilham Hussein both have good ones. Witty and insightful, they satirise the couple well:

President Waheed became the butt of many jokes when his first Tweet as president was one about having his account verified as authentic by Twitter. It was a similar story with newly appointed Attorney General Azima Shukoor. Her first order of business after assuming office was to send out a press release – on official letterhead of the Attorney General’s Office – to confirm which of two Twitter accounts in her name was the authentic one. Don’t know why she bothered. She doesn’t have much to say anyway. Perhaps Twitterians shouldn’t have laughed at their antics so hard. Differentiating between fake accounts and real ones has become important, given the content of some Tweets. One of the most dubious ones is that of the President’s Spokesperson Abbas Riza. He has said on television that the account is his, but I still inadvertently do a double-take at some of the Tweets he sends out. He never refers to MDP (Maldivian Democratic Party) – to which President Nasheed belongs – as MDP. He prefers to call it ‘NDP Terror Wing’. Presumably the N stands for Nasheed. Any protest that MDP organises, the President’s Spokesperson refers to as activities of ‘NDP Terror Wing’. What’s worse are his personal attacks on Nasheed. His most offensive Tweet of late has been:

‘Run’di Kaalhu’ is an insult in Dhivehi. Loosely translated, it means ‘whoring crow’. That’s the name the President’s spokesperson has decided to refer to the protest camp MDP had on the South eastern corner of Male’. I don’t think the rest of the tweet needs any explanation. These types of tweets on a regular basis, from a person in such a job, would be regarded as highly offensive, and often defamatory, in any other country which claims to be a democracy. In the Maldives, however, they go un-remarked upon by the mainstream media or anyone else. The only people who seem to care are the Twitter community. Pro-government Tweeps find it hilarious, the other side is outraged. But they remain on record, and the President’s Spokesperson keeps on tweeting. The Commissioner of Police, Abdulla Riyaz, has an account which nobody doubts is his, and is quite possibly the most frequently updated timeline of all leaders appointed to high ranks after February 7. He is convinced that his role in 7 February events [he was one of the three civilians who ‘negotiated’ President Nasheed’s resignation inside the military headquarters] was heroic, and has boasted on Twitter that he has nothing to apologise for as he’s ‘proud of what he did’. Here’s a typical example:

And it’s not uncommon for him to come out with an absolute shocker, something that a police commissioner wouldn’t say even in your wildest dreams. Like this one:

Another account that caused consternation among the Twitter community is that purported to be of Masood Imad, Dr Waheed’s Media Secretary. Masood’s timeline is less shocking than that of the President’s Spokesperson, but it seems to have got the President’s goat more than any others.

Dhivehi Sitee has come upon some evidence to show that the President has tried hard to stop the ‘Masood Imad’ account. Not because it’s insulting, but because it was deemed to be providing ‘somewhat accurate projections of the administration.’

Here is a screen shot of the President’s son – it is not known in what capacity he is acting – trying to get the owner of the account to hand it over to the Real Masood Imad.

I guess this means that although the Masood Imad account is fake, it is one that we should follow if we want to have some ‘somewhat accurate projections of the administration’.

Azra Naseem holds a doctorate in International Relations.

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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Police arrest Chief Superintendent for helping compile Ameen-Aslam ‘coup report’

Additional reporting by Ahmed Naish

Police have arrested former head of police intelligence, Chief Superintendent Mohamed Hameed, following his contribution to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s report (Dhivehi) into the controversial transfer of power on February 7.

Reports surfaced yesterday that police officers who had cooperated with the report were being rounded up and detained, and their houses searched. A group of protesters had gathered outside police headquarters this morning.

Police initially denied the allegations of a “witch hunt” and issued a statement accusing the media of “circulating baseless and false reports”. However court warrants for the arrest of Hameed and Staff Sergeant Ahmed Naseer were subsequently leaked.

Hameed was taken into custody this morning and transferred to the detention centre on Dhoonidhoo, ahead of a court hearing this afternoon. Naseer and a third, lower-ranking officer are also believed to be in Dhoonidhoo.

During the court hearing the Criminal Court extended Hameed’s detention to five days. The Chief Superintendent was led out the back door of the court away from the crowds of MDP protesters who had gathered outside. Riot police pushed the crowds back to the STO Trading centre.

The Criminal Court arrest warrant stated that Hameed is accused of “misusing” or leaking information acquired through his position for “the political gain of a particular group” and participating in the compilation of the “misleading” Ameen-Aslam report, which undermines “the public’s respect for the security services.”

It justified his detention on the grounds that Hameed might influence witnesses and attempt to get rid of evidence as “others are suspected of involvement in the case.”

The evidence submitted to obtain the court warrant stated that a draft of the report with recommended changes was found in Hameed’s gmail account, and messages were found that suggested Hameed was consulted prior to the release of the report.

The family of Chief Superintendent Hameed expressed concern over his detention and noted that he was widely respected in the force as “a man of principle”. He has been in the service for over 17 years and has a masters in policing, intelligence and counter-terrorism.

Following the raid and extrajudicial dismantling of the MDP’s protest site at Usfasgandu on May 29, Hameed tweeted: ” Called a ‘baaghee’ [traitor] on the road twice today. Rightly so when our own actions are unjustifiable and thuggery like!”

Police issued a statement this afternoon confirming that Hameed had been arrested on charges of leaking “important information collected by the Maldives Police Services intelligence related to national security” as well as providing “untrue and false information” intended to benefit a specific [political] party, which could pose a threat to national security and create “divisions between the police and the public.” Hameed’s actions were in violation of the Police Act, the statement insisted.

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GMR opens new air cargo office complex

Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) on Sunday opened a new office complex for the Maldives’ air cargo facility, and introduced a computerised records system to monitor and track cargo for the first time.

The first order on the new system, used by airport developer GMR at its other airports in India, was printed by chief guest Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shafeeu at the inauguration event.

“Previously it was done using stacks of paper, reams of it,” said CEO of INIA, Andrew Harrison, adding that the system would allow greater transparency and monitoring for customs officials.

The new office complex includes offices for airlines and customs officials, as well as sales counters, and greatly increases the amount of room available for storage. Other innovations included a women’s washroom: “Previously the ladies working here had to walk all the way down to the domestic terminal,” noted Harrison.

The new air cargo facilities give the Maldives the capacity to become a regional trans-shipment hub, Harrison explained, observing that airlines such as BA already used the Maldives to carry goods such as garments from Sri Lanka.

There was, he said, a ‘build it and they will come’ philosophy which had worked well for the company in Hyderbad following its opening of pharmaceutical storage facilities.

Particularly in such an import-dependent economy such as the Maldives, cargo was attractive to airlines as was a more consistent revenue stream compared to fluctuating ticket revenue, and more able to withstand economic shocks.

“When the 2003 SARS epidemic hit, Cathay Pacific only survived because by then it was deriving 43 percent of its revenue from cargo,” Harrison explained.

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Maldives promotes Islamic tourism

The Maldives is pitching itself to the Islamic tourism market following a surge of interest in the destination from the Middle East region this year.

The Maldives registered a 77.8 percent increase in tourist arrivals from the region in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period last year, while traditional markets, including the UK and Italy, recorded steep declines.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and head of the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, highlighted the appeal of the Maldives as a destination for Islamic travellers during the recent World Islamic Tourism Mart (WITM) in Malaysia.

The event was held simultaneously alongside the Malaysia International Tourism Exchange (MITE) 2012, and the international conference on Muslim Tourism (InCoMTHU).

The MMPRC noted that during the conference, Jamal gave a presentation entitled ‘Maldives: A Perfect Destination for Muslim Travellers’.

“The Maldives is a perfect destination for these travellers as all the food items in the resorts are halal, apart from the pork and alcohol, and all the islands have mosques,” Jamal told Minivan News.

Alongside the Middle East, the MMPRC had identified Malaysia as a key emerging market, he said, with growth of 18 percent from January to May 2012, compared to the same period last year.

“Thirty percent of Malaysia’s population are Chinese and they are quite well off,” he noted, explaining that the existing adaptation of the resorts to accommodate the surge in Chinese
market growth would also attract guests from Malaysia.

A key appeal of the destination to the market was the isolation and privacy offered by resorts in the Maldives, Jamal explained.

“One of the unique things about rooms in the Maldives is that you can go seven days without seeing anybody,” he said. “Many resorts have rooms with private spas and pools – privacy one of the key market factors.”

One of the key drivers of the Middle Eastern market in the Maldives was increased investment from the region, he observed, particularly with the opening of properties such as Jumeriah.

“We’ve found that one of the best ways of building an emerging market is to get investment from that market,” Jamal said, explaining that this was also key to the early development of the Japanese market in the Maldives.

The introduction of Sharia-compliant tourism to the country, with the opening of a Lootah property expected in 2013, would build the appeal of the destination, Jamal said.

“There’s not much difference,” he explained. “One little thing might be that the prayer direction is indicated in the room, and designed so that people can pray inside. It’s a niche segment, and the Maldives is the perfect place to develop it as it has an open economy – just look at the blonde island.”

Tapping into emerging destinations was key to reaching the country’s goal of one million tourists in 2012, Jamal said, offsetting the decline in markets such as Italy, Spain and France due to the economic decline in Europe.

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Former CNI’s timeline proves coup d’etat: MDP

The timeline of events made public by the former Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) last week “proves that former Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik participated in the coup d’etat that took place on 7th February 2012,” the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said, calling on President Waheed to offer his resignation.

In a statement yesterday, the MDP contended that facts included in the CNI timeline proved Waheed’s involvement in the alleged coup and established that former President Mohamed Nasheed “was forced to resign under duress.”

The CNI timeline referred to representatives of the December 23 coalition meeting the then-vice president at 1am on 31 January, where they pledged allegiance to Dr Waheed and urged him to take control of the executive.

The MDP argued that Waheed’s assurance to the opposition leaders that he was prepared to fulfill his responsibilities was in violation of the constitution.

“Article 117(a) of the constitution states that the Vice President’s responsibilities are those which are delegated to him by the President,” the statement explained.

“Thus, when the Vice President met with opposition leaders plotting to overthrow the government and told them that he was ‘prepared to fulfill his constitutional duties’, these duties were in fact those delegated to him by the President. By participating in the government overthrow, Vice President Waheed clearly defied the mandate given to him by President Nasheed, and it is clear that Waheed’s actions were not in accordance with the Constitution.”

The CNI timeline acknowledged that police officers in uniform entered the MDP haruge around midnight on 7 February, the MDP statement noted, where they vandalised the premises and assaulted supporters inside the camp.

However, point 90 of the timeline stated that Vice President Waheed issued a statement via opposition media shortly after the attack on Haruge “characterising the police protest as peaceful, without condemning these violent actions.”

“In the statement the Vice President said: ‘I fully support the peaceful activity that many Maldivians are carrying out,'” the MDP statement noted.

The former ruling party observed that the timeline confirmed that “police were mutinying in Republic Square, which is an area where gatherings are prohibited, calling for the resignation of the President and senior officials of government.”

While the President, Home Minister, Defence Minister and Commissioner of Police were all advising the protesting police to vacate the square, the MDP noted that “the Vice President’s statement via the media encouraged them to carry on their rebellion.”

Moreover, points 158 through 166 of the CNI timeline stated that “the mutinying police and civilians were conducting an uninterrupted assault on the headquarters of the Maldives National Defence Force.”

Point 156 meanwhile acknowledged that police officers at the square charged and attacked MDP protesters on the morning of 7 February, resulting in “serious injuries” to party members.

Points 167 and 168 confirmed that weapons and shields from the police headquarters were distributed to civilians at the Republic Square, the MDP observed, which was “under the control of mutinying police and the civilians that had joined them.”

Moreover, point 207 stated that according to media reports, an announcement was made at the square that President Nasheed was detained inside the MNDF headquarters. Minivan News journalists at the scene on 7 February heard the announcement at about 10am.

The CNI timeline also referred to current Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim emerging from the MNDF barracks to inform the crowd that he had demanded the “immediate and unconditional resignation” of the President, adding that the demand was “non-negotiable.”

Nazim, a retired colonel, was a civilian at the time.

“During all these events, point 170 of the timeline reveals that Vice President Mohamed Waheed did not go to the President’s Office despite it being an official government day and the day of the regular cabinet meeting,” the MDP observed.

The MDP statement went on to note that the timeline confirmed the presence of Nazim and current Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz inside the President’s Office after Nasheed was escorted there under heavy military guard, “despite having no official capacity or status.”

Points 236, 241, 242 and 244 of the timeline revealed that Nasheed’s resignation letter was not delivered to the Speaker of Parliament by official dispatch, the statement added.

Photos emerged on 7 February of Nazim and Riyaz carrying the resignation letter to parliament.

“The biggest revelation from the timeline released by the Commission of National Inquiry, and as proved by the points listed above, is that power changed hands on 7th February 2012 through a coup d’état conducted by the police and military with the support of opposition political leaders and Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed,” the MDP statement concluded.

“Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has repeatedly stated during meetings with diplomats and international partners that he would resign if it were proven that the events of 7th February 2012 were a coup d’état. Given these statements, the Maldivian Democratic Party calls on Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik to offer his resignation.”

In an interview with the BBC last week, Dr Waheed said that should the CNI “find out that I had a role in bringing about a coup, then I would definitely resign.”

He however added, “But if I have no role – if somebody else has done it – it doesn’t mean I have to resign, according to the law of the Maldives.”

Contacted by Minivan News for a response to the MDP statement today, President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the government had “no comment”.

Riza however noted that the MDP was “not an investigative body.”

Points noted by the MDP from the former CNI’s timeline:

  • Point 14: Vice President met with some leaders of the [Opposition] Coalition on the night of 30 January 2012 at Hilaaleege, his residence. He was asked at the meeting whether he was prepared to carry out his legal responsibilities. He said he was ready to do so. Coalition leaders held a press conference after the meeting to announce their endorsement of the Vice President [for President].
  • Point 17: Following Coalition discussions, protests began at Artificial Beach on 2 February 2012. At the protest, Adhaalath Party leader Imran Abdulla calls for police to arrest President Nasheed within five days [by 8 February].
  • Point 27: At the protests Adhaalath Party announces that its National Council had unanimously decided President Nasheed was not a worthy leader and had declared their full support for Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.
  • Point 29: Home Minister asked Police Commissioner to remove police from the area where protests were being held.
  • Point 34: President Nasheed called the Commissioner a second time and ordered him to remove the police from the area, saying confidence in the police has been lost.
  • Point 41: When the military officers asked the police to leave the area, the Police Commander said they would not leave unless replacements arrive. President Nasheed phoned the Deputy Commissioner to say he was not adequately carrying out his responsibilities, and asked him to stay at home.
  • Point 47: On receiving the order from President Nasheed to have his officers removed from the area, the Male’ Area Commander considered the situation and, seeing the atmosphere as uneasy, gave the order for them to move to the Saw Mill area instead of the HQ. He thought they may have to return to the Artificial Beach soon if they left.
  • Point 113: When President Nasheed entered the main gates of Bandaara Koshi, he addressed some military officers gathered there and said police out there had mutinied and needed to be arrested. He then went inside and into the Defence Minister’s office.
  • Point 143: Suddenly, without consulting with the military, President Nasheed went to the Republic Square and began addressing the police. In addition to the bodyguards who accompanied him, Defence Minister and Chief of Defence Forces were with him. When he spoke, some MPs were also beside him.
    “I am still talking to the Maldivian police. I think you have done something wrong. I accept that given the way things happened you may not have properly realised what you were doing or where you were going. But, it is still my wish that you hand yourselves over to the police station or to the military. I assure you that I will not allow anything bad to happen to you.”
  • Point 144: Police refused to accept President Nasheed’s proposal to hand themselves over to the military.
  • Point 145: President Nasheed called over to him one of the policemen who he sent over to the military. When he called a second policeman, even though he came over, returned to sit with the police who had started protesting.
  • Point 156: As the police were finishing their recital, a group of MDP protesters holding hands approached the police from the back. Police and Coalition protesters confronted them and dispersed them. Several MDP people and police were injured during the attempts to stop the confrontation. Rumours spread among the police that one of their members had been stabbed in the neck with steel rod.
  • Point 158: When the noise outside the main gate area of Bandaar Koshi became very loud, members of the military who were waiting to meet with the president ran towards the main gate assuming that people were trying to force their way into the military headquarters.
  • Point 163: From here onwards police released a lot of gas. A large number of the military and public at Republic Square dispersed from the area as a result. The way the wind was blowing that day, all the gas travelled south towards Bandaar Koshi. Shortly afterwards, the police moved forward spraying tear gas as they approached. The police and the public threw at the military anything they could get their hands on. The confrontation on both sides was intense and the public, military and the police sustained varying degrees of injuries.
  • Point 164: Public and the police confronted the military and pushed them back as far as their main headquarters. As the military retreated, they were firing riot guns.
  • Point 165: Once most of the military on retreat had entered the headquarters, the main gates were shut. Some members of the military could not get in and had to remain outside.
  • Point 166: Police and public were throwing bottles and various other things in the whole area. Chairs and various other household equipment were also thrown onto the streets and into the Bandaara Koshi from within the building.
  • Point 167: Windows on the first floor of the military headquarters were opened and shields were distributed to military personnel and the public.
  • Point 168: All areas near the Republic Square were brought under police control. The area was under the supervision of the police and the public.
  • Point 170: Cabinet Secretariat notified all cabinet members via SMS, except Vice President, that the cabinet meeting was on that day. Although the Vice President’s secretariat was aware of the meeting, Dr Waheed did not receive the message. Two senior members of the Vice President’s secretariat did not report for work that day.
  • Point 207: Media reports reported members of the public at the Republic Square as saying President Nasheed had been arrested.
  • Point 210: After Abdulla Riyaz and Nazim conducted their negotiations inside Bandaara Koshi, Nazim emerged to address the Republic Square. He said he had made two proposals.
    “Assalaam alaikum. I hope everybody is okay. Yes, I have just met with the Defence Minister and all high-ranking military personnel and made a proposal of ours. The proposal was that the President should resign without condition. And, after that, to transfer all powers to the Vice President. Our second condition was that the Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh and both his deputies resign at once. We told them these are non-negotiable conditions. These are not things up for further discussion. We assure the beloved Maldivians, military and police who are with us that, God willing, these things will happen this way by the deadline we have set for 1:30 today. When I entered the military headquarters I was given a very happy scene. Everyone within the military lifted me up and very completely revealed their support for me. God willing, things will happen today as we want. I ask the military, police and people to patiently remain with us.”
  • Point 228: Minister of Defence and National Security, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport and Communication, Special Envoy to the President, Chief of Staff at the President’s Office, and Cabinet Secretary were in attendance [at the cabinet meeting].
  • Point 229: At the meeting the President said he had to resign and gave his reasons. He said under the circumstances he saw it best to resign.
  • Point 232: While he was at the Ghaazee Maalam, Nazim, Fayaz and Riyaz also came in.
  • Point 233: Nazim told President Nasheed that Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid had enquired after the resignation letter President Nasheed was sending to the Majlis.
  • Point 234: President Nasheed asked the Cabinet Secretary about the resignation letter who replied that it had not yet been prepared. The president asked him to bring a pen and paper. When the President’s official Letterhead paper and a pen were brought, President Nasheed wrote the resignation letter in his own hand and signed it. He was standing at a podium in the room.
  • Point 236: President Nasheed announced his resignation himself, in the presence of the cabinet members, in front of the media, live, at 12:57 p.m.
    “Beloved citizens of the Maldives. I see that if I were to continue as President of the Maldives a lot of harm may befall Maldivians and the Maldives. Therefore, as of today, I am resigning from the post of the President of the Maldives. I have never wanted to rule by force. I came to this decision because, in my opinion, I sincerely believe, that if this government is to be maintained, it would require the use of extreme force and cause harm to a lot of citizens. Also, in my opinion, if attempts are to be made to maintain this government, it is very likely that the Maldives will become susceptible to foreign influences. I have always wished the best for Maldivians and will continue to do so in the future. I have made the decision today to resign for the benefit of Maldivians, with sincere respect and keeping in mind the high levels of support Maldivians have shown me. I hope that Maldivians will see a more prosperous tomorrow and I pray our lives will be good now and in the hereafter.”
  • Point 241: Before he left, the military arranged a three-line strong cordon to reinforce security in the area.
  • Point 242: Riyaz and Nazim accompanied President Nasheed. Riyaz had the President’s resignation letter in his hand at the time.
  • Point 244: Speaker of the Parliament received President Nasheed’s resignation letter at 13:43.
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One million rufiya expected in donations for mosques: Islamic Ministry

The “Help Mosques Fund” set up by the Islamic Ministry received approximately Rf 950,000 Rufiyaa (US$61,608) within one hour on Friday.

Thirty-two donation boxes were placed on Friday in mosques around Male’ to collect money for mosque repairment works in preparation for Ramadan.

Permanent Secretary for the Islamic Ministry Mohamed Didi said the fund is expected to collect about one million rufiya by the end of the week, reports local newspaper Haveeru.

“We noticed how prepared some people were to help the mosques. Some of them just put 10,000 rufiya in an envelope and donated it,” Didi told Haveeru.

The fund will be open for donations at the Islamic Centre in Male’ until June 14, according to the ministry.

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