Tag: parliamentary elections

DRP to contest six seats in parliamentary elections

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced that the party will field six candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22.

Along with present leader, MP Mohamed ‘Colonel’ Nasheed – who will be standing for the Laamu Isdhoo seat – the other candidates are Badrudeen Naseem for the Kanditheemu constituency, Ismail Zakariyya for the Dhuvafaru constituency, Ahmed Shareef for the Galolhu South constituency, Assad Shareef for the Machangoalhi South constituency, and Lirqam Saeed for the Maavah constituency.

Nasheed told the press on Thursday that the constituencies were determined by the DRP council based on the party’s support in the selected islands.

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Adhaalath announces five Majlis candidates for JP reserved constituencies

The religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) has announced five candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in constituencies reserved by the government coalition for the Jumhooree Party (JP).

Unveiling the candidates at a press conference today, AP Spokesperson Sheikh Ali Zahir revealed that discussions were ongoing with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) on allocating “three or four constituencies” for AP candidates.

“Adhaalath Party worked from the start to try and field candidates together [with the ruling coalition] or without conflicts. At the final stage of these efforts, we are still really awaiting an answer from PPM,” he said.

While the parties were not engaged in “official” discussions, the AP has asked the ruling party to cede five constituencies for its candidates, Zahir added.

“They have promised to give us constituencies out of [the requested five seats]. PPM has even revealed that through the media. So we hope that it will be concluded as soon as possible because there is very little time left,” he said, referring to the February 11 deadline to submit candidacy papers to the Elections Commission.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on March 22.

“They said they might not be able to give all [five] constituencies. But they will determine from among [the five seats]. We have said we can work together if we get three or four seats,” he said.

The three parties in the governing ‘Progressive Coalition’ reached an agreement last week to allocate constituencies among the coalition partners, with 49 seats assigned for the PPM, 28 seats for the JP, and eight seats for the Maldives Development Alliance.

Following its exclusion from the coalition’s parliamentary election plans, the AP began discussions separately with the three parties on the possibility of allocating constituencies to its candidates.

However, negotiations with the JP ended unsuccessfully after it refused to cede the Vaikaradhoo and Makunudhoo constituencies as requested by the AP.

JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim told the press that the AP President Sheikh Imran Abdulla had refused to accept an offer of four constituencies, including three of five constituencies requested by the party.

Following the breakdown in talks, the AP announced that it would be fielding candidates in the 28 constituencies reserved for JP candidates.

Compromise

While 35 AP members have submitted forms to contest the parliamentary elections on the party’s ticket, Zahir said today that the party was considering reducing the number of its candidates.

The AP was willing to compromise with the coalition if the parties agreed to cede constituencies where Adhaalath’s support was strong, Zahir said.

“If we contest a lot of seats, it is likely that it will adversely affect the government coalition and they could lose a lot of seats. As this government was brought [to power] with our support as well, we do not want that to happen,” he said.

However, the AP began announcing its candidates today due to the lack of progress so far, he added.

“Even if we go together or through a coalition, the principle we believe is that we will contest in constituencies where we have supporters and a big chance of winning. Winning seats using the support of others is not a philosophy we believe in,” he said.

The five AP candidates announced today were Anara Naeem for the Makunudhoo constituency in Haa Dhaal atoll, Aishath Haleela for the Vaikaradhoo constituency, Ahmed Zahir for the Komandoo constituency, Asadhulla Shafie for the Kaashidhoo constituency, and Hisham Ahmed for the Meedhoo constituency in Addu City.

While candidates from JP will be contesting all five constituencies on behalf of the Progressive Coalition, Zahir said that the AP had complete confidence of securing the seats.

Stressing the competence and academic qualifications of the AP’s candidates, Zahir said the party’s aim was to address public dissatisfaction with the People’s Majlis and ensure that MPs have the respect of the public.

Zahir criticised other parties for “forcing” candidates of questionable character and “low behaviour” on the public.

The AP candidates were selected without a primary by the party’s consultation council, which Zahir said was in the process of selecting candidates for a number of other constituencies.

Zahir also announced that the AP would be contesting the Nolhivaram constituency with a candidate to be finalised at a later date.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Home Affairs Abdulla Mohamed – vice president of the ‘Civil Alliance’ of local NGOs – signed for the AP today. Abdulla had previously expressed interest in contesting the Nolhivaram seat.

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Comment: Balancing political myth and poll realities

Barring the symbolic pay-cuts for junior ministers at its inception, an 80-plus team for a 77-member parliament appears to fly in the face of President Abdulla Yameen’s promise of a lean and efficient government.

It also adds fuel to the off-again/on-again debate on the existing presidential form of government as, under the Westminster parliamentary scheme, there cannot be more ministers than MPs, which there are now. The situation is not going to change, even with the addition of eight more MPs at the end of the 22 March parliamentary polls.

Yet, the numbers also speak for the reality of ‘coalition politics’ that the Maldivian psyche has come to acknowledge – and, in a way, accept. Whether or not it will find continued acceptance will be influenced by the conduct of the coalescing partners. Independent of the players involved, for the concept to succeed, the present-day players have the arduous task of ensuring that theirs is ‘collective governance’ and not ‘collective non-governance’ under mutual threat and political blackmail.

The concept of ‘coalition politics’ was overlooked at the inception of multi-party democracy in 2008. Whatever the defence, former President Mohamed ‘Anni’ Nasheed and his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) paid a heavy price for wantonly overlooking this reality. Five years later, ‘coalition politics’ is becoming institutionalised, going beyond the half-hearted ministry-making of 2008, now extending to seat-sharing for the local council polls (17 January) before the upcoming parliamentary elections.

This is how coalitions begin, but it is not how they should work. It is inevitable under the circumstances, however, considering that the monolith MDP opposition is threatening to ‘impeach’ President Yameen if they get closer to a two-thirds majority in the post-election parliament. The price that the incumbent may have to pay has the potential to make a mockery of the ‘coalition’ concept as a whole. Yet, such threats could irritate voters.

It is here that the Maldives and Maldivians will have to search for answers to some of the questions on the ‘coalition compulsions’ of Third World democracy. At the other end of the spectrum was the possibility of ‘anarchy’ as one such answer. The Maldives has already had a taste of it while under the scheme of multi-party democracy.

Thankfully, the nation rejected it even as it was cooking. Circumstances leading up to religious NGOs’ hijacking of what was essentially a political process at the height of the post-SAARC social turmoil was where it started – but more and new could follow at intermittent intervals if the polity and society are not vigilant.

In a democracy, it is not the job of the opposition to keep the government together and/or efficient. The shoe, for all concerned, is on the other foot. Either they can all learn the lessons that the nation’s short stint with democracy has taught them. Or, they can continue with their waywardness and the accompanying blame game. They will end up blaming the nation in the end, for what they would then say was the ‘wrong choice’. Given the consolidation of democracy in the country over the past five years, it would not be among the casualties. Or, that is the hope.

Either way, the Maldives and Maldivian polity have enough to learn from Third World democracies like India, not because it is the largest neighbour but more because it is also the world’s largest democracy – and a ‘coalition democracy’ at that. Going beyond national politics, which too is in its infancy, India has enough lessons for itself and the rest on how governmental coalitions should be run, as in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are also examples of either in other South Asian nations like Sri Lanka and Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Maldives and Maldivians need not insist on re-inventing the wheel.

‘Two-party system’ that was not

After having shown the door to coalition partners from the presidential polls of 2008, the ruling MDP said at the end of parliamentary polls only months later that Maldivians had settled for a two-party system of sorts. It flowed from the relatively high number of seats that the pre-split Opposition Dhivehi Raayathunge Party of predecessor President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had won, followed by the MDP.

Subsequent events and developments, including the controversial power-transfer of February 7 2012 proved otherwise. In a way, the 2013 election consolidated political ‘gains’ in favour of ‘coalition politics’ – with distinctive political and non-political ‘social’ groups coming together on a single-point, anti-Nasheed agenda.

Prior to the evolution of the ‘December 23 Movement’ in 2012, the Gayoom leadership had taken pride in having promoted the Maldives as a ‘moderate Islamic State’, and having opened up island-resorts to improve the nation’s economy during his decades-long presidency. Under the new banner of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), they found strange bedfellows in religion-centric parties and NGOs that campaigned on the platform of ‘Islam’ platform to have President Nasheed ousted.

What is interesting in the reverse just now is that the 2013 presidential polls were not fought exactly on religious lines. The MDP may well complain about the presence of the Islam-centric Adhaalath Party (AP) in the fold of the opposing coalition. The party had sought and obtained the AP’s support in the second-round of presidential polls in 2008. It had accommodated the AP in the Nasheed government at all levels even when the party did not win a single seat in the subsequent parliamentary polls of 2009.

Though too early to say, the Yameen administration has successfully marginalised religious NGOs from any active-say in the day-to-day affairs of the government. They did not have any big role in Elections-2013. Whatever the end-game, the Jumhooree Party partner in the PPM coalition has thus far displayed calculated reluctance in accommodating the AP in seat-sharing for the parliamentary polls. The AP has since announced its decision to go it alone for the parliamentary polls.

‘Malé dynasties’ and beyond

Whatever the results of the parliamentary polls in March, and whatever the political consequences, the nation’s polity should be prepared for the day when emerging social changes are reflected in electoral politics. Independent of political and economic differences (purportedly based on ideology but personality-driven, mostly), Maldivian politics is driven by the ‘Malé dynasties’. The tendency for the nation to move away from Malé-centric, urban middle class politics was visible during the presidential election, and in more ways than one.

On the one hand, former President Nasheed’s MDP vote-share in the 2013 polls was no more urban-centric than in 2008. He did establish considerable leads in the islands as well. At the same time, Nasheed also lost some percentage points against expectations in the urban centres in what turned out to be a three-phase poll.

What cannot be similarly overlooked was Gasim Ibrahim improving upon his 2008 first-round tally of a 15-plus percent vote-share to 23 percent five years hence. In the final analysis, it was seen that Gasim, an ‘outsider’ to the ‘Male dynasty’ politics in ways, could transfer his vote-share in favour of PPM’s Yameen in the decisive second-round, almost in its entirety. It is doubtful if President Nasheed, who is acknowledged as the most charismatic leader in the country and the MDP, the single most popular party, could similalry transfer his votes to any other candidate of his choice.

Yet Yameen and the JP have other things to prove to themselves and the rest. In the 2009 parliamentary polls, for instance, Gasim could not ‘transfer’ his vote-share to party colleagues. He was the lone JP candidate to bag a seat in the People’s Majlis. His ‘transferability’ is again under test in the approaching March polls, where the JP has nine seats to contest in the PPM coalition.

It is acknowledged that the Nasheed votes this time owed also to the ‘Gayoom factor’ that the MDP could successfully propagate, just as the divided opposition of the time could do in 2008. Then, as now, the election in a way was won in the second round, on a ‘coalition plank’ against a single candidate – former President Gayoom then, and former President Nasheed now. Crudely argued, it could mean that both faced the same predicament of not being acceptable to the majority of Maldivian voters, however contrived it be, through coalition means.

Urban voters in the country comprise a substantial number of islanders. Shorn of their current identification with the ‘urban elite’, the ‘islanders’ are the deciding factor in national elections. The ‘Gasim factor’, of a rags-to-riches ‘outsider’ making it big in business and politics, has the potential to provide the trigger for the medium-term change-over. For historic reasons, it is then bound to find further electoral expression between the ‘South’ and the ‘North’, with urban Male holding the middle and decisive ground in its time.

Between now and five years ago, the new-generation voter will have moved further away from the ‘Gayoom era’, which alone continues to be the mainstay of the MDP’s political agenda and election propaganda. It was visible in the presidential polls last year, when fewer of the first-time urban voters than expected were believed to have voted for the MDP, upset as they were by the street-violence and months-long demonstration that followed the 7 February power-transfer.

With parliamentary elections now due in March, political parties and their leadership will wait until then for stock-taking about their past behavior and plans for the future. They would face different and differentiated issues and problems – from the PPM’s problem of changing with continuity, to the MDP’s need for continuity with change, and the JP’s compulsion for not changing yet continuing.

The answer for each one of them, and others outside of the list, lies as much with the rest as with themselves. Coalitions come in all forms, it is for the polity to decipher the intent and content of the society and act accordingly. At the advent of multi-party democracy in the Maldives, it took the natural, political course of coalition politics. It has been thus across the world in post-colonial democracies. But over the past decades of post-colonial survival as democracies, most if not all those nations have adapted western democracy to their ways and waywardness.

The Maldives is still in the process of discovering/re-discovering the local idiom for democratic change. It will take time, but it is inevitable under the circumstances. Modern education, moderate Islam, et al, are only one phase of the process – it is not the complete face, either. It is the preparedness of the nation and its evolving polity to identify those changes and acknowledge them in their framework that will make the difference, both to their own political future and to the future of democracy in the country.

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Q&A: MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom – Kelaa constituency

In a series of interviews to lead into the 2014 parliamentary elections – scheduled for March 22nd – Minivan News will be speaking with incumbent MPs.

All 77 sitting members have been contacted, from across the political spectrum, to be asked a standardised set of questions with additional topicals. The interviews will be published as and when they are received.

Dr. Abdulla Mausoom – who represents the Kelaa Constituency – is a member of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

Besides being a parliamentarian, Dr Mausoom is also currently working as the General Manager of Sun Island Resort.

Mariyath Mohamed: What made you enter the political arena and how?

Abdulla Mausoom: Because I wanted to participate and compete in the democratic transition.

Initially, I thought of forming a new party. But then, when two parties were established, I decided to join one of them instead of creating a new party. I later decided that if the need arises in the changing political arena, I would then form a separate party.

MM: You have previously worked in government positions, notably in the tourism sector. How many years of experience do you have of working with the government?

AM: Many years, between going abroad for studies and working in the government. I spent most of the time in the civil service sector, about nine years. Then, in the executive branch of the government, as a political appointee, I spent about a year.

MM: Based on your attendance and work in this ending term, how would you judge your performance as an MP?

AM: I am very pleased with my performance. When it comes to attendance, I believe I will rank as number one through out the 17th parliament.

I also participated in debates in a productive manner. I made research based contributions both to the debate on the parliament floor, as well as the committees.

Generally, I am happy with my personal performance, however the parliament is a collective institution. So it is with the collective input of all members that the parliament can reap results.

MM: What are the main committees you were acting on?

AM: I mostly worked on the public accounts committee and the economic committee. I also worked on the tax related committees, except for the one that was recently compiled.

I also worked on all the budget committees – compiled with a combination of those in the public accounts committee and the economic committee.

I also worked on the government oversight committee, as well as the social affairs committee.

MM: What particular bills did you focus on? Which of these would you describe as having worked most passionately on?

AM: It is not passionately that we view bills – I would not call it passion. However, it is with interest that I work on every bill. Every bill that comes to the committees are bills I work on with utmost interest.

I have higher interest in bills that have to do with the general public or common people.

More than what I would call limiting bills, I support bills that expand people’s rights.

MM: What would you say are the biggest achievements within your term; in terms of what you have accomplished for your constituency and the country as a whole?

AM: What people of my constituency want most is to be able to reach their MP. I am the member who is most easily reachable. It cannot be true if anyone – be it a member of my constituency or any other citizen – claims to be unable to reach me via phone. They can call me. I have been able to give access to myself for all citizens and constituents, and that is something I am pleased about.

When debating on matters that have to do with the common people, I deliberated with local councils, and their input is included in my debates. On other such bills – like the Thalassemia Act – I discussed it with stakeholders from my constituency before speaking on the parliament floor.

The thing with gathering the public’s view is that you get opposing views from different people. So from within that mix, some people may not be happy with the stances I take during debates. Often in debates, I tend to take one side of the argument instead of taking a neutral stance. And so, this might result in being in a way that some constituents may not agree with. But as an MP, the constituents have given me the mandate to do so. However, if it is a very sensitive matter, I try to solicit views of as many people as possible.

The other achievement is that I have been able to fulfill all the pledges I made in my campaign. One of which is the establishment of a Constituency Clubhouse in Malé, where they are able to do the administrative work needed for the area.

The other thing is social help, which albeit not being part of a parliamentarian’s mandate, is something which society expects of a parliament member. So I did provide such help as best as I was capable of. While there might be instances where I was not able to help, I have done so on many occasions.

I am confident that people of my constituency are aware that if Mausoom has something, the people will be able to get it from me.

Another thing I have done is building a community space – a small house – near the beach in Kelaa under my own personal spending. I have prohibited the space from being painted in any party colours as I want it to remain a space where all persons can gather to relax regardless of their political affiliation.

I also want to note some things I have done for the constituency through the parliament. There are certain necessary development projects, basic infrastructure needed for islands in my constituency.

After having included it in the budget every time, finally work has been commenced on building a jetty and seawall in the island of Vashafaru. Establishment of a sewerage system in Kelaa has also been contracted out now. Additionally, the building of a jetty and a sewerage system in Filladhoo have also been included in the budget.

I believe that inclusion of these projects in the budget is an achievement as an MP. It is then the executive branch of the state which must deliver these.

Furthermore, I have incorporated into the budget requests that come from schools in my constituency.

MM: What would you say is the biggest blunder or worst decision you have made in your political career? Why?

AM: I do not see any political blunders of my own. However, I am concerned with how the public perception of the parliament has changed.

While the parliament is an institution that must have the respect of the people, we were not able to completely obtain that respect. Like I said before, the parliament is a collective institution.

As a whole, the 17th parliament has achieved a lot. It has held more meetings than ever before in history, or than in any other country of the world. It has passed a record number of bills, and accomplished a lot of work.

And yet, citizens do not consider parliamentarians as noble persons. That is a concern I have.

MM: Are you taking the optional committee allowance of an additional MVR20,000? Why or why not?

AM: Yes. Even when the committee allowance first came into public scrutiny, I have maintained that the committee allowance is something I spend on my constituency. It is something I give to the people of my constituency, under plans I have made with a group of youth from each island in the area on how to disperse this money. Nevertheless, I spend even more than what I get as committee allowance in this manner. Even the Clubhouse in Malé needs about MVR25,000 to be spent on it as cost every month.

No one in my constituency harbours any displeasure about my taking the committee allowance. They are aware that Mausoom spends on clubs and organisations more money than he earns as committee allowance. Others understand that I have the capability to earn more money if I were to take up another alternative profession, and therefore that I am not in the parliament for the purpose of making money.

I think what citizens want is to have a connection with the MP. Therefore, I have never received any complaints from the Kelaa constituency about my salary or allowances.

MM: What is your view about parliamentarians and other public servants declaring their financial assets publicly for the electorate to be able to refer to?

AM: I personally have no issues with declaring my financial assets, and am doing so as per current regulations. I also have no reservations about showing it to any individual who requests it of me.

However, as an MP, I do not support making it mandatory to declare an MP’s financial assets. One reason for this is that there is a need to bring in rich ideas into the parliament; which means businessmen and intellectuals should be among parliamentarians.

My child said to me one day that people consider me to be a millionaire, but actually I’m broke. Now, if financial assets are publicised, people will know I am broke. The question is, will people vote for someone who is broke? So viewing it from a materialistic view, some people will view it as a disadvantage.

The other thing is, even someone who has a lot of money will be faced with social spending and such pressures.

I did some research on this matter, and most people are of the view that we shouldn’t place such restrictions if we want the parliament to have high calibre people in it. And to introduce other dimensions through which a member’s acts can be vetted for corruption.

For example, have them lodge any increments to wealth gained after they are elected to parliament. This is the kind of approach I support.

MM: Are you re-contesting in the next elections? Why or why not?

AM: It is very unlikely that I will re-contest.

I have told you the reason; that is, that being a parliamentarian is not savvy anymore. So there are other ways to get more decent jobs and serve the nation in other ways.

I am not moving away from politics. But, I don’t think I will contest this time unless there is a need from a particular political affiliation.

Personally I have no interest in re-contesting, but if there is a desire for me to contest from a particular political institution – even if it is some political party – then I may consider it. At the moment, I don’t fancy being a parliamentarian.

For the time being, I don’t think it is a very savvy job. It is, I think, people look upon an MP as someone who is not very clean. Maybe when times change and people begin to believe that being a parliamentarian is a respectable job, I think that will then be a good time to contest for a position there.

But I will remain in touch with the people, and people can be in touch with me in the meantime.

MM: You have recently revealed that you have taken on the job of General Manager at a resort. What made you make this decision?

AM: Yes, I am now the General Manager of Sun Island.

MM: As the resort is owned by leader of Jumhooree Party Gasim Ibrahim, your acceptance of the post of GM there has led to public speculation. Would you say it is a political decision on your part?

AM: Some people are asking me that, but I am not affiliated to Jumhooree Party. It is a professional decision.
The question was whether I should take up the job after the parliament term ends or before that. Then I thought, why not start even now? So I did. Because when I took up the post, very few meetings were scheduled and parliament was not being held properly.

Even after starting work as GM, I am the only MP who has attended all the meetings. January and February was supposed to be parliament recess, but now that we are having special meetings – I am attending them.

Next will be March, when the parliamentary elections will also be held. I don’t think there will be many meetings then.

April and May will be the two remaining months and I will do my parliamentarian job to its best until the term ends.

Many people expect me to run, and I get requests from various constituencies. All of them have seen my contributions to parliamentary debates. I am happy that they accept me as being among the few who make meaningful contributions. However, I will not run this time.

MM: What improvements do you feel the 18th Majlis will need to make to improve as an institution?

AM: I believe it is political parties who can do this, and not individual members. Because the parliament is multi-party and the government itself is not really in the party system. It is not really because of the party affiliation that we have the current president, the government is through a Jumhooree, PPM, Adhaalath, and other parties’ coalition.

In this system of government, when we have a party system parliament, the functioning of the institution is very much dependent on the psyche of the parties. So if the parties take away their personal agendas and focus on development ideas and democratic reforms, I think the next Majlis will be more productive.

The 18th Majlis will be less challenging. I say this because the 17th Majlis was given the huge task of forming institutions and law that were required due to the changes to the Constitution of the Maldives. That is almost done now, and only a few things remain for the 18th Majlis to do in this regard.

Nevertheless, I think the behaviour of the 18th Majlis members will depend on how people vote this time. If the behaviour of members of the 17th majlis was accepted and endorsed by public as good behaviour which merits re-election, then – I think, as per human nature – the same behaviour will be repeated in the 18th majlis. So I believe the electorate has a major responsible decision to make.

MM: What are your thoughts on party switching – do you think it undermines the party system?

AM: I think so, yes.

But then again, here it is not so. This is because parties are not identifiable by ideologies or what they stand for. If you listen to what they say, they are all singing the same song. There might be minor changes in tempo or beats, but it is the same song ultimately.

Therefore when people change to parties, it does not really change the direction the parliament is going to. But I think the electorate gets disappointed as they vote for the party.

When I say party, I don’t mean an ideology but the party – let’s even put it into inverted commas – or an individual that party represents. Right now when we say MDP, we mean Mohamed Nasheed, with PPM it is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and with JP it is Gasim Ibrahim.

My party DRP, and Adhaalath Party, we don’t have any major individual figures, and so we are no longer key parties.

People elect you because you support a person they also support. And then when you change parties, you are going to someone who they don’t necessarily support, so the people may harbour negative hard feelings against you. But I don’t think it makes an impact on the nation as a whole, because political ideologies of the parties are not distinguishable.

MM: Any final thoughts you would like to add?

AM: I hope that the political dimension will bring in peaceful parameters, instead of moving into violent parameters.

We saw some violence in the 2008 and 2009 elections, but I am happy to see that the recent local council elections as well as the presidential elections went by peacefully without violence. And I hope the upcoming parliamentary elections proceed in the same manner.

Any attacks – against a politician or the general public – due to a political motive is unacceptable. My wish is that the political arena becomes a safe zone for everyone, along with freedom of expression and the freedom to engage in politics without any fear.

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Adhaalath Party to field parliamentary candidates in constituencies reserved for JP

The religious conservative Adhaalath Party has decided to field parliamentary candidates in 28 constituencies reserved by the governing coalition for the Jumhooree Party (JP), following a breakdown in talks between the parties.

In a press statement today, Adhaalath accused the JP of offering seats with the intention of “exploiting the trust and support of the public for Adhaalath to win as many seats as possible in the election for the Jumhooree Party.”

“The party does not believe now that [fielding candidates for] the 28 seats the Jumhooree Party will be contesting through the Progressive Coalition falls outside the party’s ethical responsibility,” the statement read.

Adhaalath assured its members that it would compete “to the best of our competence and ability” in constituencies the party believes it could win.

An Adhaalath Party council member told Minivan News last week that the party’s members have expressed interest in contesting for 32 constituencies.

He added that Adhaalath’s candidates may be the most qualified, with almost all having educational qualifications at a postgraduate level.

Coalition agreement

The ruling coalition – made up of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the JP and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), led by resort tycoon Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam – meanwhile reached an agreement last week to allocate parliamentary constituencies among the coalition partners.

Of the 85 electoral constituencies, the PPM will contest 49, the JP will contest 28, and the MDA will contest eight seats.

Following its exclusion from the coalition’s parliamentary election plans, PPM Deputy Leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla told the press that the Adhaalath Party was not “an official partner of the Progressive Coalition.”

“So the parties’ idea is to give them what we can from the seats which have been allocated to us,” Raheem said.

The Adhaalath Party began negotiations with coalition parties last week and requested the JP to assign five constituencies for its candidates.

The talks however ended unsuccessfully after the JP refused to cede the Vaikaradhoo and Makunudhoo constituencies in Haa Dhaalu atoll – two seats the Adhaalath Party believed its candidates had the best chance of winning.

“Instead, the [JP] proposed constituencies where the Adhaalath Party’s support is weakest,” today’s press release stated.

The party noted that it had decided to contest the parliamentary elections with the Progressive Coalition to prevent the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party from securing a parliamentary majority.

The Adhaalath Party was prepared to compromise and accept a few constituencies to campaign jointly with the governing coalition, the statement added.

However, if an understanding could not be reached, the party’s intention was to independently contest as many seats as possible, the party stated.

“Despite not reaching an agreement with the Progressive Party of Maldives in the discussions held on this issue so far, if the [PPM] cedes the few constituencies that we have requested, the Adhaalath Party will not compete in the other constituencies that the [PPM] will be contesting for,” the press release concluded.

No deal

In last year’s presidential election, the Adhaalath Party initially endorsed former President Dr Mohamed Waheed before eventually backing JP candidate Gasim Ibrahim, who finished third in the first round of the contentious polls.

In the second round, the party backed PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen without a formal coalition agreement.

Following the unsuccessful talks last week, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim told the press that Adhaalath Party President Sheikh Imran Abdulla had refused the JP’s offer of four seats, including three of five constituencies requested by the party.

“[Imran said] ‘no, no, we don’t want those constituencies, we cannot give up certain constituencies.’ So I said thank you very much. What can I do when they did not accept?” Gasim said last Thursday.

The business magnate noted that the JP had “no commitments” to the Adhaalath as the coalition agreement formed ahead of the presidential election no longer existed.

On the same day, Imran tweeted that the party would “not find it easy to make a deal” that did not involve allocating the Makunudhoo, Vaikaradhoo, Komandoo, Inguraidhoo, and Fares-Maathoda constituencies to Adhaalath candidates.

“Adhaalath could only contest the Majlis [election] with the coalition if the coalition concedes areas where Adhaalath has support,” Imran tweeted today.

Meanwhile, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, spokesperson of the Adhaalath Party, took to Facebook yesterday to condemn remarks in the media by senior JP members that he contended “undermined Adhaalath Party’s dignity.”

“Adhaalath does not have to ask the JP to contest for the Majlis,” he wrote.

An unnamed senior JP official told newspaper Haveeru on Friday that the Adhaalath Party had forfeited the opportunity to contest the parliamentary election on coalition tickets.

“Despite not having an official agreement with Adhaalath Party, our leader decided to give seats to the party because he loves Adhaalath. But they wanted too many seats,” the senior member was quoted as saying.

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PPM members in Laamu call for democratic polls for Majlis candidate

Members of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in Laamu Atoll, Maavah constituency, held a protest on Friday over the party’s alleged decision to grant the ticket to incumbent MP Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakr without a primary.

Azeez, however, has said the PPM is still in discussions over candidates for the primary and that he has not yet been granted the PPM ticket.

The Maavah constituency consists of Maavah, Hithadhoo and Kunahandhoo constituencies in Laamu Atoll. Protests were held only in Kunahandhoo Island.

Speaking to Minivan News, PPM member Simad Adam said an estimated 240 members took part in Friday’s protest.

“Azeez is very close to President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and we have heard they are handing him the party ticket on a tray,” he said.

Simad claimed Azeez had pledged to work closely with constituents during the 2009 parliamentary elections, but upon election he stopped answering phone calls and refused to see constituents when they visited him.

“The party’s constitution says primaries must be held. There are others who want to contest the seat. We are just asking for a primary. If Azeez wins the primary, we will support him regardless of any issues we may have with him,” he said.

Pictures of the protest show complainants holding signs calling on the party to implement democratic principles and hold primaries.

Azeez dismissed the protests as a ploy to get him to buy off contestants.

“I am ready to contest. I will not be angry if I do not win. I will accept it as the PPM member’s decision,” he said.

According to Simad, Judge Mujuthaz Fahmy’s son – Azhan Fahmy – will be standing against Azeez.

The governing coalition – which also includes the Jumhooree Party (JP), and the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) – reached a deal last week on reserving a set number of seats for each party.

Of the 85 seats, PPM will contest 49, JP will contest 28, and the MDA will contest 8 seats.

The PPM is to hold primaries on February 4. All 150 candidates who applied for the 49 seats will go through a screening process where they will be evaluated and graded on the extent to which candidates uphold the party ideology, on their length of time as a party member, experience in the parliament, participation in campaigning for the presidential candidate, and service to the party.

Applicants who do not receive 75 percent will be disqualified from the primaries.

Simad said that Kunahandhoo residents will hold pro-longed protests and if the party leadership does not respond to their demands, party members will boycott the parliamentary elections and any internal party vote.

Meanwhile, members of JP have also spoken out against the party’s decision to grant the ticket to eight incumbent MPs and former Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz without a primary.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held primaries for 56 seats this weekend after a first attempt on January 24 was called off due to poor organisation and voter registry issues.

The Elections Commission has announced it will be accepting applications for the People’s Majlis elections between January 29 and February 11.

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Parties prepare for Majlis elections as EC calls for applications

The Elections Commission (EC) has announced it will be accepting applications for the People’s Majlis elections between January 29 and February 11.

A fee of MVR5000 (US$ 324) is required for every application.

The parliamentary elections are scheduled for March 22, and results are to be announced on March 29. The commission also published the Elections Regulation 2014 today.

As the Elections Commission (EC) gears up for the elections, all major political parties contesting have begun to select their candidates.

Maldivian Democratic Party

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – who narrowly lost the presidential election last November -will be contesting for all 85 seats of the People’s Majlis. 27 candidates have won the party’s ticket without contest, being the sole contender in those areas.

Tickets for the remaining 58 seats – sought by 176 candidates – are to be awarded through party primaries. The primaries were held for 20 seats on January 25, after being called off the previous day due to administrative and voter registry issues. Winners in these areas have also been announced.

Polling is expected to take place tomorrow for Baarashu constituency tomorrow, and primaries will be held for another 30 constituencies this weekend.

Governing coalition deal

The governing coalition led by President Abdulla Yameen’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has decided to compete as a group. The parties in the coalition have reached a deal to reserve a set number of seats for each party.

As per the deal, 49 seats have been reserved for PPM candidated, 28 seats have been allocated for tourism tycoon Gasim Ibrahim’s Jumhooree Party (JP), and Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam’s Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) will run for 8 seats.

Progressive Party of Maldives

President Abdulla Yameen’s PPM, which has the majority of coalition seat allocations, has scheduled part-primaries for February 4. By 4pm yesterday – the deadline to apply for party tickets – 150 candidates had applied for the allocated 49 seats. These candidates will now go through a screening process where they will be evaluated and graded based on the following criteria;

  • upholding the party ideology
  • how long the person has served in the party
  • experience in the parliament
  • campaigned for the party presidential candidate
  • belonging to a ‘special category’ recognised by the party
  • the amount of service provided for the party

The screening will be carried out by a committee formed by the party council and the strategic planning committee. Applicants who don’t get at least 75 percent marks will not be qualified to compete in the primaries. In constituencies where one person is qualified for the primary, that candidate will automatically win the ticket. If all the applicants for a seat fail meet the criteria, a primary will be held among them.

Jumhooree Party

The JP yesterday opened applications for 19 of their 28 allocated seats before 30 January. Applications for the remainder of the seats will also be announced soon. Applicants will initially be reviewed by a special committee formed by the party council, giving them points through a set of criteria. The applicants with the most points will receive the party tickets. In case of a draw,the party will attempt to find a solution through dialogue – failing this, the party will discuss a primary election.

Maldives Development Alliance

The Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) have decided to reserve two of their eight allocated seats for sitting MP s – party leader and Dhaalu Meedhoo MP Ahmed ‘Sun Travel’ Shiyam, and Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir. Tickets for Kendhikulhudhoo and Hoarafushi were won by uncontested candidates. Primaries will be held in for Manadhoo and Velidhoo tickets on 30 January, while the application for Holhudhoo constituency is still open.

The MDA has decided not to contest for Gaddhoo constituency, despite being allocated the seat by the coalition, as there are no party members in the area.

Adhaalath Party

While the PPM has earlier discussed allocating coalition seats for the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) through the coalition deal, no seats were allocated for them through the coalition’s parliamentary election deal, as the party is not officially a coalition member. The PPM has said, however, that other members of the coalition are free to share their allocated seats with AP.

In this regard, the JP has proposed an interest to share some of it’s tickets with Adhaalath. According to JP Secretary General Dr Ahmed Saud, the party will propose 1 to 3 seats to Adhaalath with a set of conditions such as not competing with the JP for any other seat. Both JP and Adhaalath has confirmed their leaders will soon hold talks to decide on the matter.

An Adhaalath official told Minivan News that it is unlikely for the party to settle for that amount of seats when the party is already confident about several constituencies.

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PPM initiates discussions with Adhaalath Party to jointly contest elections

The ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has initiated discussions with coalition partner, the religious conservative Adhaalath Party (AP),  to jointly contest in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

While dismissing rumours of having left the government coalition, the AP has announced that it will be contesting in both the parliamentary and local council elections separately from the other coalition members.

The party has further announced that all of its parliamentary candidates will possess educational qualifications to a postgraduate level.

Last week, the AP announced that it had made no agreements regarding working together in the local council and parliamentary elections with the government coalition. Party spokesperson Ali Zahir informed local media that, having worked with the coalition to succeed in the second round of 2013’s presidential elections “without setting any conditions”, the party did not have any subsequent obligation in the upcoming elections.

He said that unlike the other parties in the coalition, the AP was not promised a specific percentage of slots to contest in the upcoming elections. While admitting that the separate candidates could give rise to complications in some constituencies, Zahir claimed that there was no misunderstanding between the party and its coalition members.

“While there were no discussions among the parties’ leadership, in most areas contestants came out after discussion with coalition members in that particular constituency. However, there are some areas in which there might be have been some clashes between who is contesting,” Zahir was quoted as saying.

On Saturday, AP leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla stated that, while the party had held discussions with the Jumhooree Party (JP) about contesting local council elections, no “meaningful or detailed discussions” had been held with the main coalition party PPM.

“When there is less than 24 hours left, and PPM still does not decide on the matter or speak with us about it, and we proceed to separately submit the candidacy form of our contestants, I don’t believe it can be termed as our initiative to separately contest,” Imran said then.

He stated that at an island-level, the parties still worked together, with a view to resolving matters amicably through inter-party deliberations. He too admitted that certain disappointment had arisen in a small number of constituencies regarding those contesting.

Imran asserted that the AP had no issues with coalition members and repeated that he remained steadfast in his belief that the AP had backed PPM in the presidential elections as a crucial sacrifice to protect Islam and the nation.

“Perhaps the PPM is so busy with handling other governing matters within the executive. This might explain their delay in initiating discussions with us,” Imran opined.

PPM initiates discussions with AP

On Monday, the PPM announced that it had commenced discussions with the AP to jointly contest in the parliamentary elections.

“We have started discussions on the matter with Islamic Minister Shaheem and AP President Imran. AP has decided to compile a special team to engage in these discussions. Our intention is to allow opportunities for AP to contest within the coalition with, of course, consideration to other member parties,” PPM Parliamentary Group Deputy Leader Moosa Zameer told local media.

Zameer stated that while an agreement could not be reached in regard to the local council elections – owing to its immensity – he remains positive that a mutual agreement can be reached in relation to the parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a rally in Dhaalu atoll on Sunday, President Abdulla Yameen called on AP to raise national above personal interest.

“Adhaalath Party has now decided to leave the coalition and contest individually in the upcoming elections. However, we must not allow space for disintegration and creation of factions within the coalition as a result of this,” Yameen said then.

He stated that Adhaalath’s decision would lead to votes being split between the coalition parties and would facilitate opposition parties in winning seats.

“Things don’t end just by getting elected to run a government. We come to power to serve the people. For that, it is vital to get the cooperation of councils and the parliament,” Yameen said, adding it will be impossible to reach goals without the support of these institutions.

“Despite coming to government with numerous pledges, it is reasons like this that inhibit a government from fulfilling its promises. This is what citizens must think about. You elected me to accomplish certain things for the citizens. For me to able to complete this, you citizens must ensure that you elect the cooperation that I require, that you give me the empowerment that I need,” Yameen stated.

Yameen called on the AP to extend cooperation to the coalition during the upcoming elections similar to their support during the past presidential elections.

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MDP reveals candidates competing in Male’ area primaries

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has announced the names of candidates competing in its parliamentary primaries for thirteen Male’ City constituencies.

The party also announced that three candidates won the ticket without a primary because they were the only candidates contesting in primaries for those seats.

The three candidates in question were Medhuhenveiru MP Ali Azim, Galolhu Uthuru MP Eva Abdulla, and Maafannu Uthuru MP Imthiyaz Fahmy, who contested for the constituencies they currently represent.

Among other sitting MP s who are contesting in the primaries are Hulhuhenveri MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, Medhuhenveriru MP Ali Azim, Henverirudhekunu MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, and Machangolhi Uthuru MP Mariya Ahmed Didi competing for the seats they currently hold.

Majlis Chair and Keyodhoo MP Abdulla Shahid will compete for the newly introduced Henveiru Uthuru constiuency ticket and Maafannu Dhekunu MP Ibrahim Rasheed ‘Bonda’ for the newly introduced Maafannu Medhu constituency (formerly Villi Maafannu).

Candidates competing in the primaries for all constituencies other than the thirteen Male’ City areas were announced last month.

The only sitting MDP MP s who are not competing in the primaries are Maafannu Hulhangu MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem, Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed, Komandoo MP Hussein Waheed and Gaddhoo MP Zahir Adam.

In addition to sitting MPs, former members of the Majlis and the Constitutional Assembly, senior members in the MDP government, prominent party activists, and other famous national personalities will be competing in the MDP primaries scheduled to be held on 24 January.

The parliamentary elections are to be held on March 22 to elect the 85 members of the 18th Peoples Majlis for a five year term.
The complete list of candidates competing in the MDP primaries for Male’ area constituencies can be seen here.

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