22nd January 2012, Male’, Maldivestoday.com

Nasheed, a chameleon a masters of disguise

A two-faced man

The Maldives is currently besieged by internal unrest and turmoil that is largely the government of President Mohamed Nasheed’s own creation, as observed by diplomatic missions and claimed by opposition. Nasheed has been a two-faced man long before he climbed up to the ladder of power. It was during the period in opposition he managed to unceremoniously dump two of his predecessors who were democratically elected to head his party. He schemed to force them not only to leave the position in the party but abandon the party itself. Two of his predecessors went on to form their own party after they were chased out from the party. Once in control of the party, he manipulated every single organ and voice of the party to serve his needs and orders. It was not long ago that many independent, moderate and sensible individuals realized the one-man show, a freaked attitude to any dissenting opinions. There was no question of standing up for a democratic belief, it was the case of either to fall into line or be prepared to vacate their post and membership.

Abuse of newly found status

This was the road; Nasheed opted to reach the helm of power. He has his friends in the West, no doubt in that, who advice him to carefully prepared lines to pick up at international forums, giving him unparalleled exposure that would not have given to any other leader of a third-world nation.  He was determined to use the newly found status, a sort of fame and his status as a leader of small nation laying in South East Asia. His rhetoric often echoes that of big leaders of the world, trying to jump up high beyond his position, calling the world to do more on environment and strengthen democracy. Even at these forums and international platforms he was not be mindful of contradictions and misrepresentations and most importantly blatant lies.

At home the language is far from democratic

At home, addressing to a crowd in the atoll during a campaign rally he was not apologetic when he stunned the gathered crowd by saying “I will be very kind and do whatever required to help my party members but when others approach me, they will witness the evil side of me”, it would have engulfed a nation if a leader of a democratic nation has expressed such a thing. He has issued direct threat to opposition parties and used vile language to describe educational background of their leaders at different occasions. He has challenged the nation into accepting drugs as a means to resolve the plague and crisis the nation faces. He said on the occasion of drug rehabilitation “everyone shall loose senses once in a while, when hashish or marijuana remains the sole option to get high, people will use it.

Power of fist- total disregard of the constitution

Nasheed arrested two sitting MPs who were leaders of opposition parties and in one occasion sent military tank to arrest VP of the Parliament over the opposition to his policies of privatization and surging corruption in the country. He relentlessly attacked judiciary over their decisions, setting up his own Kangaroo Courts and ultimately padlocking the Supreme Court, which stunned the entire nation as it was unthinkable even during the long reign of 30 year rule of former President Qayyoom. In his final attempt to silence critics and  dissenting voices he managed to get arrested in as many as three times in a week, the leader of a Opposition Party Dr. Jameel, in all three occasion the court declared his arrest illegal. Nasheed , unsatisfied with the decision of the judiciary, sent military to take top judge of Criminal Court , who is still in false disappearance , though military now acknowledges he is in their detention.

A perfect example of Obama’s Cairo speech.

It took some time for the West and democratic nations to realize their actions in several Muslim nations and understand the Qadafi, Mugabe league leaders.