Archive for July, 2010

31st July 2010, 21:45, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

A 17 year old boy has been been knifed and murdered this morning around 6am in the capital Male’. Mohamed Hussain of M. Beauty Flower died in a gang fight. Six others received injuries. Our sources have confirmed one of them is still in critical condition.

Following the resignation of all cabinet ministers of Maldives the tension in the capital Male’ remains high. Government orchestrated protests and gatherings are common. The attack on the judiciary by the government continues. The gang fights and murder have been quite common under Mr. Nasheed’s regime. So far they have failed to find any constructive solution to the drug abuse in Maldives.

31st July 2010, Male’, Maldives.

The peace talks currently underway between opposition coalition and government of Maldives was disrupted this afternoon when MDP representatives didnt turn up for the meeting which was scheduled to be held at 4pm in the parliament house.

All the opposition coalition representatives were present at the meeting hall.

more updates coming soon.

31st July 2010, 12:30, Male’, Maldives. Maldivestoday, An open letter to Guardian UK

Open Letter

October 20, 2009

To: President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives

From: Nils-Axel Mörner, Stockholm, Sweden

Mr. President,

You have recently held an undersea Cabinet meeting to raise awareness of the idea that global sea level is rising and hence threatens to drown the Maldives. This proposition is not founded in observational facts and true scientific judgments.

Therefore, I am most surprised at your action and must protest its intended message.

In 2001, when our research group found overwhelming evidence that sea level was by no means in a rising mode in the Maldives, but had remained quite stable for the last 30 years, I thought it would not be respectful to the fine people of the Maldives if I were to return home and present our results in international fora. Therefore, I announced this happy news during an interview for your local TV station. However, your predecessor as president censored and stopped the broadcast.

When you became president, I was hoping both for democracy and for dialogue. However, I have written to you twice without reply. Your people ought not to have to suffer a constant claim that there is no future for them on their own islands. This terrible message is deeply inappropriate, since it is founded not upon reality but upon an imported concept, which lacks scientific justification and is thus untenable. There is simply no rational basis for it.

Let me summarize a few facts.

(1) In the last 2000 years, sea level has oscillated with 5 peaks reaching 0.6 to 1.2 m above the present sea level.

(2) From 1790 to 1970 sea level was about 20 cm higher than today

(3) In the 1970s, sea level fell by about 20 cm to its present level

(4) Sea level has remained stable for the last 30 years, implying that there are no traces of any alarming on-going sea level rise.

(5) Therefore, we are able to free the Maldives (and the rest of low-lying coasts and island around the globe) from the condemnation of becoming flooded in the near future.

When I was president for the INQUA commission on Sea Level Changes and Coastal Evolution, we spent much effort on the question of present-to-future sea level changes. After intensive field studies, deliberation within the commission and discussions at five international meetings, we agreed on a “best estimate” for possible sea level changes by the year 2100. Our figure was +10 cm ±10 cm. This figure was later revised at +5 cm ±15cm (as given in Fig. 1). Such changes would imply small to negligible effects.

Such a small rise would pose no threat for the Maldives. Rather, it would be a natural return to the conditions existing from 1790 to 1970; i.e. to the position before the sea level fall in the 1970s.

So, Mr. President, when you ignore available observational facts, refuse a normal democratic dialogue, and continue to menace your people with the imaginary threat of a disastrous flooding already in progress, I think you are doing a serious mistake.

Let us, for Heaven’s sake, lift the terrible psychological burden that you and your predecessor have placed upon the shoulders of all people in the Maldives, who are now living with the imagined threat that flooding will soon drive them from their homes, a wholly false notion that is nothing but an armchair fiction artificially constructed by mere computer modeling constantly proven wrong by meticulous real-world observations.

Your cabinet meeting under the water is nothing but a misdirected gimmick or PR stunt. Al Gore is a master in such cheap techniques. But such misconduct is dishonest, unproductive and certainly most un-scientific.

Nils-Axel Mörner

31st July 2010, Male, Maldives, Maldivestoday, a comment taken from the Guardian UK.

Dear Ms Faisal,

Your article would have been better received were you not indebted to President Nasheed for appointing you to your current position as Maldivian High Commissioner to the UK, entirely without merit and not based on any prior service to your country. Indeed, being one of the highest-remunerated beneficiaries in President Nasheed’s nepotism-filled administration (to name just one, I understand the current Minister of Defence is a member of your family?), it is entirely understandable that you should praise Nasheed to the high heavens.

However, your inherent partiality aside, your article suffers from glaring misrepresentations:
- there were no journalists or prisoners of conscience imprisoned to be released by President Nasheed; could you name a single one? On the other hand, kindly refer to news reports of the period which described the immense public outcry when President Nasheed summarily pardoned convicted drug offenders and other violent criminals onto the streets of the capital; perhaps these are the prisoners of conscience you were referring to?
- there was only one jail in the Maldives when President Nasheed took office; please note that it was this regime that opened the country’s second jail in the farthest-flung corner of the Maldives in an island whose former inhabitants had been relocated by the previous government due to the island being continually isolated from the rest of the atoll even given the slightest inclement weather. No information has yet been released as to who are the prisoners (enemy combatants, perhaps?) who have been banished to our very own Chateau d’If. Seeing as you are occupied in London, it might have escaped your notice that the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has also condemned the prison conditions as inhumane?
- President Nasheed’s “modest bungalow” is the former palace of the Sultans of the Maldives; the secretive “essential refurbishments” required to prepare the 18-room mansion (not including a 12-room annexe) for the First Couple’s arrival is currently the subject of corruption investigations by the independent Anti-Corruption Commission.
- re your assertion of dismantling corrupt networks, presumably this sterling effort included the summary dissolution of the elected local development committees on each inhabited island (190 in all) and their replacement with loyal party members as committees appointed by the Home Minister and “councillors” appointed by President Nasheed himself? Not to mention the expropriation, almost entirely always under threat of police intervention, of all communal assets, power distribution machinery & equipment, and the seizing of an average per island of a couple of hundred of thousands of Maldivian Rufiyaa (in some well-publicised cases, the amount was in excess of two million rufiyaa) in community development funds? This despite the fact that some island communities obtained local magistrates’ rulings that all forcibly seized assets were to be returned immediately, as well as a landmark Civil Court ruling that the elected committees were dissolved unlawfully?
- would your references to “breaking up the patronage system and freeing people for independent lives” also include the dismissal (under the guise of cost-cutting) of thousands of civil servants and slashing the pay packets of the remainder to near-impoverishment levels (with arbitrary reductions of up to one-half of the salaries of the most lowly civil servants) whilst simultaneously appointing cronies to ministerial-level “political posts” at ludicrously-high wages? For example, most of the civil servants dismissed “to save the Treasury money” earned less than Mrf 4,000 per month on average; on the other hand, each of the more than six hundred new political appointees earns approximately MRf 15,000 per month. Do the math, Ms Faisal. No corruption, cronyism or nepotism here, obviously.
- Much as President Nasheed would like to take credit, the state pension introduced under the Pensions Act 2008 to replace the earlier pensions schemes, introduced by President Gayoom in the early Eighties under the name of “Provident Funds” and long-service pensions, was itself promulgated into law under President Gayoom. A grace period of 2 years (from May 2008 till May 2010) was provided to allow for both public and private sectors to implement this, which is why you’re only hearing about it now.
- you fail to reveal that the MPs being hounded by the regime were first arrested on charges of attempting to overthrow the government; when these charges were ridiculed, they were replaced by corruption allegations based upon, as the police stated to the court, a letter sent by the President’s Office. Leave aside the fact that the Supreme Court ruled that the police had acted unconstitutionally, nothing must be allowed to get in the way of massaging the message.

In August 2008 Maldivians got a state of art 21^st century constitution. It contained a wonderful chapter on fundamental rights. Built iron walls separating executive, legislative and judicial arms of the State. As an additional safeguard it build numerous independent institutions such as Anti-corruption Commission, Human Rights Commission, Election Commission, and Civil Service Commission with fat salaries, security of tenure and big offices.

Constitution said anyone who had served for ten years (two terms) as the President should not be eligible to contest presidential election. But President Gayyoon did. He ruled for 30 years and yet was found eligible to contest! Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed gave the green light. MDP cried foul!

The Blue Book, they call, said no one convicted of theft should be eligible to contest presidential election. President Nasheed was charged, prosecuted, convicted, lodged appeal, lost the appeal and served his sentence. Yet he was found eligible! He is now the President. Again Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed gave the green light. MDP hailed it as a symbol of judicial independence.

The supreme law of the country said that first Parliamentary election should be held before 15^th February 2009. Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed said the deadline must be met at any cost. MDP supporters ran amok. Ridiculed and abused him. Election wasn’t held until May 9, 2009. Some lawyers cried foul but not many cared.

The sacred document commanded to hold local election before the end of June 2010. Dead line passed. And election is not likely for several months. No one noticed.

The supreme law gave two year transition period to appoint a permanent Chief Justice, Justices of the Supreme Court and the High Court and lower court judges. Only lower court judges have been confirmed (that too against government will). Within the transition period Constitution also mandates to enact some 80 laws and to confirm members to independent institutions.  Two year deadline ends next week. No task will be accomplished. But no one will lose sleep over it!

Sacrosanct book allows president to nominate his cabinet ministers. Parliament then assents or rejects the nominations. Only then ministers take oath of office and assume official responsibility. On 29^th June 2010 the entire cabinet resigned and 9 days later (on 7^th July 2010) they all took oath of office and assume responsibility! They are traveling as ministers, entering into agreements, contracts, signing treaties, representing the government, buying and selling state assets, issuing sovereign guarantees. Parliament is yet to give confirmation! But who cares?

Constitution says ministers are answerable to Parliament on what they do. Parliament can impeach or discipline them. But since there are no ministers Parliament has confirmed no minister can be impeached or disciplined!

Constitution says that Chief Justice and Justices of the Superior courts should be confirmed by Parliament. Some two months back the justices announced that they don’t require such confirmation! They have announced their lifetime tenure! It barely made to local newspapers!

So what is the big deal if the?

• President publically declares that he will bypass the Constitution
• President sends armed forces with tanks to arrest MPs (by law members of armed forces cannot undertake arrests)
• holds citizens without a charge, court warrant as long as he pleases (constitutionally within 24 hours detainees must be brought before a judge).
• President refuses to release people court orders to be released.
• President disregards court orders.
• President’s Deputy Home Minister publically declares that he will defy court orders.
• President’s Commissioner of Police refuses to comply with court order and appear before the court.
• MPs belonging to the President’s ruling MDP refuses to appear before the Court.
• President, Vice President, cabinet Ministers and Parliamentarians refuse/fail to disclose their assets as required by the constitution.
• President disregards parliamentary appointee to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
• President declares that he will disregard Pubic Broadcasting Act which he himself has assented to in order to facilitate independence of state media.
• President ignores Parliamentary advice and subsequent passage of law to prevent sale of enterprises.

These actions are certainly illegal and unconstitutional. But in a nation with an unconstitutionally constituted Parliament (elected after constitutionally set deadline), an unconstitutional government (cabinet not approved by the Parliament as required by the Constitution) and an unconstitutional Chief Justice and a Supreme Court (self-appointed) everything is justifiable. But then does anyone need a justification! Or is there a need to give any justification!

Does it stink? Probably it does. But when you live in shit it doesn’t smell that bad after all!

Welcome to the Maldivian style of rule of law.

The following article by Anand Kumar was originally published in IDSA.

Multi-party democracy in Maldives is facing a major crisis after less than two years of its establishment. A bitter political struggle has emerged between the president and opposition-led national parliament since June. This has resulted in several street demonstrations in Male, in which scores of policemen and civilians have been injured. A situation of political deadlock exists, which may not be good for the nascent democracy in Maldives.

The seeds of the present impasse go back to the 2009 parliamentary election when the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) led by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom managed to get a simple majority in parliament with the help of the People’s Alliance (PA) and some independents. President Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has 28 MPs and the support of four independent MPs in the 77-member Parliament.

Under the Maldives’ system of government, the president handpicks his cabinet and each nomination must be approved by parliament. Parliament also has the power to remove a minister through a no-confidence vote. Though DRP gained control of the legislature it fell short of a two-thirds majority that it would need to impeach the president. At the same time, Nasheed cannot dismiss the assembly until it completes its full five-year term. The outcome has been a political deadlock.

Some of the opposition parties have not been happy with the education minister for his liberal views. To remove him from his post, the opposition-controlled parliament planned to bring a no-confidence motion against him. The cabinet however pre-empted the move by resigning en masse on 29 June. This decision also triggered a political crisis and left the country without any government for two weeks. The government claimed that opposition MPs were not allowing the executive to function properly and making it impossible for ministers to discharge their constitutional duties. On the same day police arrested three key opposition MPs for allegedly offering cash to bribe parliamentarians to vote against the government. This move worsened the crisis.

Some key members of the opposition were also creating trouble for the government because they were not happy with its decision to privatize Male airport. These MPs, who are actually business tycoons, benefitted from the earlier system. Hasan Sayeed, leader of another opposition party Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) was allegedly receiving huge legal fees from two MPs, Yameen and Gasim. Hence, his party was also opposing the government’s decision to privatize Male airport.

President Nasheed has attributed the ongoing political crisis to the constitution adopted on August 7, 2008, which is based on a presidential system of governance though it has also vested wider powers with Parliament, aimed at maintaining tenecessary checks and balances. This system becomes problematic in case parliament is controlled by the opposition as is the case in Maldives. It allows the opposition to obstruct the core functions of the executive, such as raising taxes and providing subsidies.

Nasheed is of the view that only amending the constitution would bring political stability. He is also willing to change the political system into a parliamentary system and seek immediate re-election. Nasheed feels some laws passed in Parliament are making it difficult for him to play the role of the executive according to the constitution. He wants this to be rectified.

To defuse the crisis in Maldives, the international community has offered mediation. US Ambassador Patricia Butenis and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have mediated talks between the government and opposition parties. But the opposition leaders of Maldives feel that their mediation has already failed. The Commonwealth and the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) too have offered to mediate. President Nasheed believes that no amount of foreign mediation can solve the country’s internal political crisis. He has suggested the option of a Maldivian Repporteur acceptable to all parties, to take up the role of a peace envoy. This Maldivian Repporteur could be even a senior civil servant of Maldives.

Meanwhile, the government and opposition in Maldives have started a dialogue to ease tension on the advice of United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake. Blake also felt that the current political unrest in the country could only be solved through dialogue and compromise. To facilitate talks, Nasheed has released opposition leader Yameen. In an attempt to reach out to the opposition, Nasheed has congratulated the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party on the fifth anniversary of its formation. He also expressed confidence that the DRP will cooperate with the government in its efforts to find an amicable solution to the current political impasse.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Maldives is looking for a solution to the political crisis. A section of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs have declared that they will forward a no-confidence motion against President Nasheed to parliament for violating the constitution. Nasheed also seems to be prepared for all outcomes. The government is considering a referendum to decide on a system of governance, if negotiations fail. The government thinks that there is a need to define clear cut boundaries on the system of the governance.

Political instability in Maldives is not in the interest of India. The Indian government should encourage Maldivian-led mediation to defuse the political crisis in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Over the years, religious extremists have been gaining ground in Maldives. A political vacuum could be used by them to harm Maldivian democracy. Nasheed’s popularity at home has waned, as he struggles to deliver the political and economic reforms he had promised, in the face of parliamentary resistance. More importantly, the peaceful transition to multi-party democracy that was taking place under President Nasheed has come under a cloud as a result of the present political crisis in Maldives.

(Press Release by Hon Gareth Thomas MP)

The Maldives, a dream destination for UK honeymooners and holidaymakers, celebrates 45 years of independence from the UK today, in turmoil.

President Nasheed, former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience and friend of William Hague, is at the centre of growing international concern over the health of democracy in the islands just two years since the country’s first democratic elections.

Concern at the rise in political tensions has prompted a Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel warning for British tourists.

Opposition MPs have been arrested, troops deployed on the capital’s streets and the Chief Justice and other members of the judiciary are facing intimidation.

Gareth Thomas MP has called on William Hague to intervene, as Hague knows President Nasheed well having invited him to speak at the Conservative Party Conference last year.

Gareth Thomas, Shadow International Development Minister said;

‘The threats to the independence of Parliament and to the Judiciary demand our interest given Britain’s historical ties and trading relationship with the Maldives.

William Hague is in the region this week and should visit the Maldives to register at the highest level our growing concern over the health of democracy in the country.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

For more information contact Gareth Thomas MP’s Parliamentary Office on 020 7219 4243

Bellow is a comment on the article “President Nasheed Divine or Devil”

SACRILEGE! Please don’t insult all that is holy by mentioning President Nasheed & The Divine in the same line ever again (or anywhere even close!). Divinity symbolises Truth & Justice. Our new president is the absolute antithesis of such qualities.

Prisoner of conscience? What a joke! I doubt he has one or even knows the meaning of the word for that matter. The average Maldivian has no illusions that all his ‘brushes’ with the law (13-15 times in jail, was it not?) was for freedom/human rights/reform! Forgiving Gayoom contradicts totally with his witch-hunting “Riyaasee commission”. Nasheed’s perfect excuse/deflection whenever there is the slightest criticisms about his policies is to use his loud, foul-mouthed, rowdy street thugs-cum-MDP personnel to abuse Gayoom’s 30 years in office! Why can’t he ever try a new line to explain his own shortcomings? Despite his great love for dramatics & sensationalism, it’s always so predictable!

But, unlike the Devil, president Nasheed did not get into his position & seat (where he deems himself to be in “total control” of all subjects’ lives) all by himself, did he now? I doubt his “aides” back then were all that unfamiliar with his shady character (as some of them now claim) when they decided to support & endorse him. So, what of their “agendas”? Are we supposed to forget & forgive them for deliberately misleading us now that they have disassociated themselves from/been dismissed by Nasheed & Co.?

What of our Islamic Sainthood (self-titled under the guise of “Adhaalath”!) who needed & needs Nasheed to stay the absolute authority of Islam in the country (funny, my teachers have always emphasised that Muslims do not need “mediators” to commune with God!). These hypocrites still continue to ignore Nasheed “indiscretions” with Islam. Do they think that the length of their beards & the selfish ambitions (which they pass of as “noble intentions” to save us from our own selves’ evils!) are going to shield & protect them from God’s wrath (either on earth or in the hereafter)? Sometimes I strongly feel these people are A LOT worse than Nasheed & MDP (at least, they haven’t used religion as a cover-to date, that is) combined! Truly, these people must be the “munaafiqun” & “fahu zamaanunge dhannabeykalun” that the Quran & Hadiths mention!!!

There are also those of us who still continue to turn blind eyes, deaf ears & mute lips to the havoc president Nasheed is wreaking with our beloved nation. They chant their favourite meaningless sotto slogan: “Anni is da bestu” & go on with their normal lives. I wonder if they find themselves psychologically unable to admit, even to themselves, that perhaps they had made the wrong decision “for a change”, back in 2008 (For this reason-for having the courage to say that he was wrong & ask a public apology, I’ve a new-found respect Gasim Ibrahim). I refuse to call it “for change”, because that suggests that these people had some sort of an idea of the change they had in mind. A change without a substance to it is completely meaningless, as we are finding out the hard way today. Unfortunately, most of us just wanted a change just for the heck of it/to see a new face/to “modernise” the outlook of presidency in Maldives/Gayoom ah verikamakee eynage tharika mudhaa noon kan dhakkalaan. We claim that we have come far from the period of the kings & sultans, but no matter how “educated & aware” (another often used phrase) we claim to be, the truth is that our mentality about “verikan” has changed little from that period.

But the worst of all are the “yes men” in our society. These people are fully conscious of what is happening around them, but refuse to say anything/raise their voices against the “people in power”, so that their own lives don’t get disrupted. Anni (like he was known & liked to be known back then, to promote the image of his “accessibility” to the common man) had referred to this bunch when mentioned the bit about a percentage of population always supporting the current government, just before the runoff elections in 2008. They don’t care for right or wrong, good or bad, consequences & the future. All they care about is their present. Talking morals, ethics & principles with them would be useless because they have little value for such “huvafenee dhuniyeyge” concepts. “My child needs his formula milk now, his education would come later. Period”. I do understand their need to remain as inconspicuous as possible & their wish for their lives to be free of added complications, but what about our great national spirit? What about our aspirations as a peoples of a proud nation? Must the individual interests always collide with the collective? Must we let the “bad guys” win just so that our real lives are drama-free? Why is it suddenly a crime to dream of a better tomorrow? Why is it wrong to raise our voices for the truth? Why do we remain cowering in fear & let these injustices being done?

So, I wouldn’t call president Nasheed the Devil himself either. That implies that he is an independent agent who orchestrates all evil. Nasheed would be completely powerless minus the “security forces” (who’s job is to safeguard him/his position in spite of & despite the citizens!) & his yellow henchmen (like hardy Reeko Moosa, trusty Maria & abominable Kuda Shahee etc). Nasheed was/is never alone. Nor was/is he ever a free agent either. There are many who actively & indirectly support him. Stop letting the “hate campaigns” win, Stop letting the people who cheated you once brainwash you all over again, Stop judging people based on baazaarumatheega dhekevey vahaaka & Start letting go of your personal phobias & vendettas. Take a long hard look in the mirror (that’s right, you yourself aren’t exactly “angelic” material). Be the bigger person: control the senseless blood thirst overtaking us & extend your hand first. Let’s start uniting as a cohesive unit. The problem was never just with Anni, but it lies within us; our inability to become, remain & act as a cohesive unit.

The question is, (when) will we choose to truly stand up for ourselves?

British Government tells President Nasheed to follow the rule of law. This was revealed to the Parliament by a British cabinet minister and the Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young on 22 July 2010.

The former State Minister for Home Affairs and current Shadow Minister and Labour MP for Harrow West Hon Gareth Thomas (http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/gareth-thomas/25273) demanded an explanation from the Foreign Office about the health of democracy in the Maldives. Hon Gareth said “given that the Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for British tourists to the Maldives, that opposition MPs there are still being detained and that the Chief Justice has been intimidated, will the right hon. Gentleman redouble his efforts to secure such a statement?”

In response to the question the Hon. Minister said “I am grateful to the Hon. Gentleman for raising the issue again. As he will know, this country, the UN, the US and EU heads of mission have issued a public statement urging the political parties of the Maldives to engage in a constructive and open dialogue, to address the challenges to which the hon. Gentleman. We have stressed to the Government of the Maldives the importance of upholding the rule of law and we remain a strong supporter of the democratic reform process in the Maldives.”

This must be disappointing to President Nasheed and his ruling MDP which has close relationship with the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party has provided training as well as advice to MDP. President Nasheed was the guest speaker in the last Conservative Party Convention in which the President announced that there are no political prisoners in the country. However, during the last 30 days alone President Nasheed has arrested four MPs – two of them without any court warrant. Two of them are facing sedition charges – the same offence Nasheed was charged when in opposition.

Conservatives are fast realizing that Nasheed is betraying the very cause he championed while in opposition. His refusal to give any access to the opposition to the state media, disregard of court orders, intimidation of judges, clear disregard of laws passed by the Parliament, encouragement of mob rule through street marches by Ministers and other senior government officials, setting up his own mob rule courts in which “people tried and sentenced”, sending tanks and heavily armed soldiers to arrest MPs and to hold them without any charge or a court order, are fast becoming intolerable.

While the Conservatives are forced to defend a President and a government which blatantly disregards values, ways and beliefs Conservatives and the British public so dearly holds, Labour would happily and rightly claim that it did more to introduce reform in the Maldives through the British High Commission and Commonwealth.

At a time when President Nasheed is behaving badly, employment of the President and First Lady’s relatives in the Office of the British High Commission to the Maldives could embarrass even further.