The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is the largest political party by public support and activism for one party. They are the first democratic political party to come to be in the Maldives. Now people raise questions on how democratic the party is today.
ISSUE 1: the regime defections of old political elites of the ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom’s government, when MDP formed, was the first such incident. The members were confused as to support these defections to the party. There would be some who had been wronged and rights violated directly by these people. Some members justified the acceptance of the defections as a necessitous action to allow the MDP to stay a movement with a lot of support from non-members as well; towards the change of the 30 year old regime. The party and its members accepted the defections simply to keep the movement strong, to defy Gayyoom. It has to be said the defections had some level of power and public support to MDP and disappointment and defeat for the regime.
ISSUE 2: MDP had to make a coalition to win the election in 2008, and it also pushed for the rush to complete the new constitution. These two issues combined would later come to test the resolve and strength of MDP government and president, from the day of his election in the first multi party election in 2008. The coalition would be dissolved soon after taking over, and they joined the old regime elements to stand up against the MDP government. They raised the issue of illegitimacy of the government after breaking up of the coalition and also claimed President Nasheed was supporting non Islamic ways. Nasheed by then had appointed his close friends and activists of the party, to key political positions and his government was facing issues of corruption and mismanagement. Some of his power elites included old regime members as well.
ISSUE3: After being removed from power via a Coup De’etat, MDP faced the issue of holding its members together and uniting against the new ‘elected’ government lead by the younger brother of the old dictator. MDP had to elect a new party president, and no one contested against Mohmamed Nasheed. As an onlooker it seems to depict a ‘yes sir’ attitude towards Nasheed rather than a democratic process within the party. This was exactly one issue that MDP raised against the old dictator. MDP lost many of its Council members and Parliamentarians, who switched too quickly to the government party. Some of these members who switched, were ones whom Nasheed had himself campaigned for their election.
ISSUE 4: after the government of MDP was overthrown, the CONI, report supported by the Commonwealth stated there was no Coup and MDP accepted the report and reduced their street protests but maintained that there was a Coup in their opinion. Then the key figures of the Coup, who included the new Defense Minister and the Commissioner of Police, are removed from the newly ‘elected’ government of the Progressive Party (dictator’s party). Then these Coup leaders, now have joined in coalition with MDP against the current government. Is MDP going to justify that these members of the very Coup that they had criticized and ridiculed before can now be their partners? Then again is this any different from the situation when they first began? They could be accepted if MDP believes that the current government need to be overthrown and changed before its constitutional term; then it is once more a movement for change rather than a political process. Should they not decide which of it it is? Can MDP hold on to Democratic values and refuse acceptance of such defections, stay strong to their convictions?
ISSUE3: After being removed from power via a Coup De’etat, MDP faced the issue of holding its members together and uniting against the new ‘elected’ government lead by the younger brother of the old dictator. MDP had to elect a new party president, and no one contested against Mohmamed Nasheed. As an onlooker it seems to depict a ‘yes sir’ attitude towards Nasheed rather than a democratic process within the party. This was exactly one issue that MDP raised against the old dictator. MDP lost many of its Council members and Parliamentarians, who switched too quickly to the government party. Some of these members who switched, were ones whom Nasheed had himself campaigned for their election.
ISSUE 4: after the government of MDP was overthrown, the CONI, report supported by the Commonwealth stated there was no Coup and MDP accepted the report and reduced their street protests but maintained that there was a Coup in their opinion. Then the key figures of the Coup, who included the new Defense Minister and the Commissioner of Police, are removed from the newly ‘elected’ government of the Progressive Party (dictator’s party). Then these Coup leaders, now have joined in coalition with MDP against the current government. Is MDP going to justify that these members of the very Coup that they had criticized and ridiculed before can now be their partners? Then again is this any different from the situation when they first began? They could be accepted if MDP believes that the current government need to be overthrown and changed before its constitutional term; then it is once more a movement for change rather than a political process. Should they not decide which of it it is? Can MDP hold on to Democratic values and refuse acceptance of such defections, stay strong to their convictions?
CONCLUSION: the current system of Politics that is in Maldives, is where we will accept all those whom we hate and despise, if we see fit they can be ‘used’ to gain more power. It is all about power, with little regard for the constitution or education and empowering the public and upholding their rights. If they do in fact, involve and allow the public to realize and accept the situation we face (which is quite dire), then would not the public once more come together against a new regime? Or do we really need the support of colluded and despised defecting members of the current regime to support us? Is MDP so weak that it needs their support? The public are not STUPID nor BLIND, but a lot of them are apathetic to the Politics and disillusioned. Independent institutions and bodies need to have more teeth and the ‘unions’ stand up for their members and the Journalists mature and be more responsible.The disappearance of the Journalist and Blogger and Rights activist Ahmed Rilwan, showed how the various entities used the issue to their own needs. Will it be another mistake to rush and make a change or are we in such a dire state we need to do it? If so the public needs to know for they are the most powerful of all institutions and bodies and entities of the nation!
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