In the first round of 2008 Presidential election, Mr. Nasheed (MDP) got only 25.09% of the votes. With the support of first round presidential candidates Dr. Hassan Saeed (Independent/New Maldives Movement with 16.78% votes), Mr. Qasim Ibrahim (Republican Party with 15.32% votes) and Mr. Ibrahim Ismail (Social Liberal Party with 0 .078% votes) the coalition was able to convince the citizens to vote for him. As a result Nasheed was able to increase his share of the vote from 25.09% in the first round of voting to 54.21% in the second round.

But once elected, Nasheed not only renegades his promise of midterm election but also abandons the Patriotic Front Alliance which was instrumental for his election victory. In the Parliamentary election held months later the public punished Nasheed and his government by not giving a parliamentary majority because he did not abide by the understandings of the coalition government and his sincerity was questionable to the citizens. Only after 21 days in office as the new government home minister Hon. Gasim Ibrahim was forced to resign. Weeks later the Attorney General Fathimath Diyana was dismissed without any reason.

Less than 2 years in power today president Nasheed shamefully has detained his coalition partners and put them in the notorious Dhoonidhoo detention centre and miraculously charging them of sedition under the article 29 of the constitution which was same charge that he was charged by the past government. However, in a recent British Conservative Party congress speech he said that the first thing he did after coming to power was freeing his political opponents. Today two of the opposition political leaders and members of parliament are in Jail. While the deputy speaker of the parliament refuses to surrender to police without a court arrest warrant. Arrest of more MPs are imminent.

President Barack Obama has said that some people come to power in the name of democracy and turn to be dictators. The parliament and countries independent institutions have suspected that they are seeing these signs from president Nasheed in less than 2 years in Power. We are experiencing a real life example of President Obama’s speech right here in the Maldives.

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