FEAR; inhibiting rights and freedoms of the Maldivians

Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm according to modern dictionaries. It is an emotion that allows us to do a lot but also refrain from doing somethings. Fear is the tool the oppressor uses to suppress those who threatens his power. Fear is an emotion like many other that we choose to experience and can learn to overcome. Though fear is an important emotion to protect one in times of dangerous paths it can also inhibit one’s own rights and rightful gains.

Since the reign of Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom (1979-2008) in the Maldives, Fear towards the public institutions was instilled rigorously with arbitrary detention and torture in the jails. Fear was first used by the old National Security Service to deter persons from not crime but political activities. There is clear evidence and this is something that simply cannot be denied by anyone. The fear of the institutions and the government worked very well allowing Gayyoom to rule over the Maldives for a long period of time without much challenge.

Then, the fear from Gangsters and drug cartels was the second reign of fear that arose within the Maldivian society. Though Gayyoom did suppress and ‘control’ the gangs and the streets of the capital Male’, was relatively safe during his rule; the moment he was toppled, the gangs roamed free. They were up for the highest bidding. The gangs used intimidation, knife attacks, beatings and theft to reinstall a new form of fear. Now the people once more ‘needed’ the government to protect them from these gangs. The gangs are ‘used’ by all sides of the political spectrum. The gangs that are made up of the young unloved children of Maldives who only seek to be loved and belong.

The next question is, who are these gangsters? Simply put, they are the UNLOVED CHILDREN of a society that is a by-product of a supposed democracy with religious connotations within a fragile constitution. The society that hides sexual abuse and incest and other heinous crimes within families, in fear of being punished by the state and in fear of being shamed by the public. A society that is so sick that it sends their children to a known paedophile to educate them. A society that allows their children to be abused by the religious teachers and afraid to say anything against the teacher since they are ‘religious’. A society that learned nothing but to sweep everything under the rug and live a charade of a life pretending all is good and dandy; because of FEAR!

Does not the Quran the book of the Muslim people of Maldives as per our constitution state, that It is only Shaitan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya' (supporters and friends)? Why should we fear these persons of Gangs and the State when they amount to far less in numbers and power as a whole compared to the society? It is only when we shed this fear of the evil persons and embrace them with love and when required stronger strength in numbers, shall we see a true good change. As long as we shop from these businessmen who finance and use the gangs to do their bidding including money laundry and drug trade, we are only financing our own demise. Unless we as an individual begin to change ourselves we will not experience and peace and unity in Maldives. Unless we learn exactly when to be merciful and when to be strong we shall continue to fall on our faces while trying to change the society.

“…Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves…” 13:11 Surat Ar-ra’d.

Maldives says "What Democracy?"!

First of all Congratulations to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for surviving 10 years in the Maldives as the only party with even the slightest stance towards democratic change :) 

Ex-president and leader of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Nasheed is now under house arrest (though for medical reasons), the leader of the religious party that recently left the government coalition, Adhaalath Party (AP) is still locked up on charges of inciting to bring down the government and refusing the orders of the Police. Other opposition persons are self exiled in the UK and Gasim Ibrahim (the rich businessman who basically owns the political party Jumhooree Party,JP) has not been heard of since he left abroad. 

The supposed 'deal' between the opposition MDP and the Regime that is to allow Nasheed to stay at home rather than complete his jail sentence in jail (for the dubious made up charges of terrorism and a 13 year sentence). Then last week we heard the MDP say that it is now ready to work with the regime to change the system of governance to a Parliamentary system under the conditions that current president Abdullah Yameen remains as president and his party, the PPM, will elect the Prime Minister and that the current parliament will remain as it is unchanged. Though no one has clearly said that there would be no public referendum on the decision of a new system, it seems like there wouldn't be any. The PPM and MDP worked together last week to change the age of Vice President from 30- 65 years of age (reducing the age from 35) and are publicly campaigning on social media for the current Minister of Tourism and the ever notorious Ahmed Adheeb to be the new VP. The current VP Mohamed Jameel has also gone to the UK though the PPM has said they will go ahead with the vote of no confidence against him even if he was not in Maldives. 

The question that arises now is if PPM wishes Adheeb to be VP how can they change the system of governance to a parliamentary system and have a ceremonial President elected by the people with a Prime Minister elected from the parliament; then allow for Adheeb to be the PM? Will one of the MP's simply give away his chair for Adheeb since the agreement is for the current members of parliament to remain as they are? What gains does the MDP receive by this decision? Do they hope that the split between the ex-dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom (the head of PPM) and the current president, his half brother will be further emphasized and brought up by pushing Adheeb to a higher position (whom Gayyoom is not a supporter of)? If MDP is betting the change of the constitution so rapidly merely on a whim that PPM will fall into internal chaos if MDP supports Adheeb, then it is one huge bet with the public to loose everything. 

One might get criticized by MDP supporters for creating such doubt over their decision but it is the ability of a party to communicate and involve larger amounts of persons in their decision making that makes them more democratic. When the few elite tell the public that they will do everything in our interest and merely carry out decisions that the lay public are left feeling confused and disillusioned then there is something wrong. Not everybody will understand the games and moves of a political party but what everybody does understand is that the elite of the party work FOR the people and not the other way around! I Pray we see something positive within the next few weeks.

Ex-president Mohamed Nasheed’s Arrest and days ahead:

The Maldives has seen radical changes within the past 7 years. From a 30 year old dictatorship to a elected democracy to the toppling of that government to a Supreme Court that is way too powerful than it should be. 

My two cents on the arrest of Nasheed are as follows. Firstly, he is being charged under the Terrorism Act for the “Kidnapping” of a Criminal Court chief judge, Abdullah, which happened in 2012. It has taken two years, and sudden call for street protests with government coalition parties abandoning the government to support the opposition MDP, for the government to suddenly arrest him. The Criminal Court issued an Order to the Police to lock him up for ‘he might flee”. This is a clear political decision. In fact, this now means there will be no free, unbiased investigation or court case with regards to the arrest of the Judge by Nasheed. 

Secondly, the government, especially the President Abdullah Yameen, is quite rapidly alienating himself and backing himself into a corner. Parliamentarians are defecting and leaving his party as well (while it has to be acknowledged that one MP has signed over form opposition JP to PPM, the governing party as well). The opposition coalition will hold a street protest on the 27th to show their strength. These are ploys by Nasheed, who says that the CONI report, done with support from the Commonwealth to investigate his own “forced resignation”, has legitimized the methods that the opposition will utilize to over throw the current government. The government has played into their hands by arresting Nasheed and being intimidated by the oppositions ‘show of strength’. Nasheed has clearly stated in an interview to a leading newspaper that while MDP accepts the CONI report they do not believe it is how things happened and that there was a Coup on February 2012. Nasheed seem to have to do very little, since the government has manged to entangle themselves in their own personal agendas. The Defence Minister is being tried under the Terrorism Act and being accused of trying to “Kill” certain government officials by smuggling in a pistol and three bullets, which the Police found at a midnight raid of his apartment. The Home Minister who commands the Police has not been heard of nor have we seen or heard from the Vice President as well. The only Prominent minister is the Tourism Minister and the rest are either unheard of or keeping themselves out of the politics. The government organized a street rally with Gang Members with their faces covered and this probably lost them a lot of public sympathy. Nasheed is now once more locked up, and so is the minister of Defense, Nazim, and the new Defense minister, Moosa Jaleel, of the government is being tried for being part of the Nasheed government and for ordering the Military to take up arms during the whole events of the day of Nasheeds resignation. It is like a Hindhi Drama, the Defense Minister Nazim who is being tried now, was the one who was key to stand against Nasheed and lead the Police and Military to riot against Nasheed’s government; but now the current government has him locked up. The newly appointed defense minister, Jaleel, (who is also a war hero as close to it as it gets in Maldives) was the one who stood with Nasheed back in 2012. The roles have been reversed so badly I am certain that these persons themselves at times forget which side they are on. 

Future of the country is full of chaos but it is not hopeless. With current rumors that Nasheed will not compete for presidency but lead the movement to change the current government is good news. It means the MDP will now have a chance to provide a new leadership that is open to any of its members. Nasheed also could set an example and precedence for the rest of the old dinosaurs of politics in other parties to step aside and let a new generation take over. Some people say this conflict is the worst in our history. I say that there is much more hardship ahead with more refining required of our constitution and our models of governance and economy. There is much more work that will be required after the government has changed. For we have seen how the first elected government of MDP, with president Nasheed, failed after toppling the dictator. We need to elarn from the mistakes of the past. We need more educated persons involved in societal change and development. We need more educational opportunities and increase our local food production and agriculture, reduce our dependency on imports and tax the rich and provide opportunities for the poor. We need to lead the youth away from gangs and drugs and violence and confusion by providing jobs. Island councils need to be of the people and accountable to the people and the utility companies be owned and run by the people. The unhealthy competition created by the privatization of utility companies has been a bad experience. Nasheed was successful in so many ways as a champion of free speech and a democracy activist and much more. I would hold much greater respect for him if he pushes new people to lead his party and praise him for his humility. The future looks stormy but there is always new growth and life and fertility after the rains. 

Regime Defection's Once more!

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? 

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! 

Aamu Raiyithunge Party- a Common Man's Party, in Maldives???

The AAP of India has seen radical success with their push for anti-corruption and Right to Information legislatures to be implemented, with Mr.Kejriwal at it's helm. The party that was founded in 2012 has seen notable success in the Lok Sabhah. So how has such a new party been able to defy the veteran political giants of India? It seems to me that the appeal of the AAP lies in its foundation of grass root connections that they hold dearly, and the actions that follow their words, of allowing "clean politicians" to be developed. Rather than resurrecting dinosaurs, that had previously been part of a corrupt system, AAP resorted to giving opportunity for newer leaders with backgrounds that their constituents can be proud of. It is yet soon to say how far they will go or if they will stay true to their words; and for how long. For Politics and Power Corrupts most people, but unless we Hope and Desire we can never develop or take the chance for that development, for our nation.
To look at Maldives, a much smaller nation with less than 400,000 persons, it should not be difficult to find leaders that have not let the people down. Leaders, who will not forget their roots and their promises. Call me a romantic or an ideologist, but the world is showing examples of such ideologies and fantasies coming true. Which society would reject a Political Party that is comprised of the Common Man and represents their true interests, and pushes for an Open and Transparent government, and is adamant on implementation of Anti-Corruption measures? Which society would reject the man with the broom who will sweep their roads clean and flush their toilets and wash their cloths for them? An entity that would only be as powerful as it's members and supporters let it be, and directed by open good governance policies, has no hidden agendas and works for the common good for all; such can be a common persons party. The question is, is there room for such a new party in the Maldives? Are we capable of following in the footsteps of AAP? Why does Transparency scare the current regime of politicians? Maybe because they all belonged once, to a government that ruled the nation for 30 years with a so called 'iron fist' that they once revelled under!

Maldives NEEDS Change Once MORE!

AT SOME POINT we start to find ourselves looking back; at what we have accomplished and what we have failed at. The chances are we will repeat our own mistakes over and over again, unless we do something drastic about it. Eventually we have to break free from this circle of repetitive mistakes. Such is life.

MARCH 2014, we are back to where we once started. We are with the uttermost need for change once more. The only difference is, this time we need to change ourselves. Maybe Mahatma Gandhi was right; we should become the change we wish to see in this world. Maybe, that was our mistake then; we can correct it now. 

TODAY WE ENJOY the luxuries of technology and freedoms we did not have 5 years back, we only lack the luxury of time. The goals of yesterday are once more goals for us today. It would be easy to say forget the differences and unite to change the government; but we know that is not the way. We cannot forget how we came back to this situation once more, in full circle. We cannot let apathy grip the nation to its last breath. We cannot let a minority govern the majority simply due to mere lack of will and blatant laziness. We can easily say the past is the past and move on; but that will not be enough for history and the sake of our future generations.

THE ONLY WAY to do this, would be to educate and be aware. To learn and crate a knowledge based society that is strong in their beliefs and even stronger in their determination for development; of self and the nation. The duty owed to ourselves and the nation are ones we need to fulfill for we shall be judged on these duties.

UNLESS WE CAN EDUCATE and protect our younger generations we cannot create a future generation. If the political parties fail in creating younger generation of leading politicians and statesmen, and the withering veterans remain in power; there will be no future. There is almost no hope for the current failed politicians and if we are to wait until they; very likely pass away; then what would happen to the parties themselves? Wither and waste as well?

 NO WE CANNOT! The Parties need stronger programs for youth development and recruitment. Our education system needs an overhaul as we need more thinking and questioning and curious young adults. People who will not take anyone’s words merely for the sake but research and learn and make an educated decision. We need young adults that balance life, enriching their soul, physical body and life as a whole. Young people who are passionate in their beliefs, and love their nation.

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! We cannot just throw in the towel now! We have been lead to this moment by visionaries and idealists and believers in freedom and democracy and strong faith. It is time that we all chip in and collectively carry that torch. A nation is a structure that never finishes being built; we need to reinforce and redecorate regularly. It is a tree that needs constant watering, and a book that has to be carefully handled and read with an open mind. A Nation is an empty vase unless we plant the flowers of different colors and shades. A Nation is a boat that sails against and with the wind, depending on who is steering. 

What we could become as a Nation!!!

The Maldives is the Island in the Sun; with so much sun that we should probably start experimenting with solar technologies. Why are we not? Can we not bring in foreign investments in the shape of technological firms that research on renewable energies rather than making political statements of utilising Green technologies just to make headlines? The government Flats and Office's and other buildings for public and it's own usage can be of renewable technologies right? I wonder why we make all these studies and report on Green Technologies but really do not do anything on it? Is it the Capital costs that are too high or is it because specific companies and businesses might lose their profits if we invest in Green Technologies?
What about research from our Oceans and Coral Reefs? Professor Ugail has an island now in Lhaviyani Atoll that i await to see some solid research come out of. What about the Marine Research Centre? Can we not expand it? Is there no investment in new medicinal developments or Marine research that might be beneficial to the world as well as Maldives?
I wonder often why we do not produce world class Divers? Can our Coast Guard be turned into one of the finest Diving Units in the world and maybe specialise in salvage? Maybe then we will have more vessels donated from international donors.
What about a Solar Hybrid Hydro kind of technologies that can make a electricity grid that can power up the whole country as well as power one of the most advanced Information Technology hubs? The IT Hub can support and host servers for world renown multi nationals and banks and so forth. IT is a great field for a nation that has limited resources and land to utilise. Our dependency on Fisheries is vulnerable. Another nuclear leak into the oceans can deplete our fishes and contaminate our waters.
Then there is the clear blue waters that surround us. International standard Ocean swimmers? Maybe in the long run that can be something we develop.
We have limited land and limited human capital; but if effectively utilised we can grasp development at rates our neighbours cannot. We have lesser problems as a society than the rest of the nations. We are unique but we refuse to capitalise on that uniqueness.
Of course we need a stable government to do all this; but more than that we need a ready to move population; that is aware and up for it. Unless the people demand these changes from our politicians, we will be stuck in this loop of building sea walls and flats. There are so many areas of development and technology and productive activities that can preserve our fragile ecosystem and protect our islands. It is just too easy to say "or we are tiny islands far away and we cannot develop them it is too expensive"; since we it is not expensive to build Bridges between those islands a hundred airports we do not need. Healthcare, Education, Sports Centres and much more can be amongst the list of productive and economically viable areas of development that we can invest and benefit from. Maybe one day we will see it a reality!

Maldives Chamber of Commerce raises Concern over the EU decision to tax Maldives Fish exports!

From January 2014 the European Union has decided to discontinue its Duty Free Fish imports from Maldives (under the Generalised System of Preference), based on the fact that Maldives has not ratified 27 International Conventions. While this might immediately affect the Fisherman as the Price of Fish vary between 10-3 USD per Kilo, the politics behind the decision is interesting.
The Maldives National Chamber of Commerce, lead by its President Ismail Asif has now made a statement saying that the EU decision was based solely to force Maldives to have Freedom of Religion in Maldives. He says that the EU is not willing to discuss the issue and continue their stance under the "ratify the conventions" argument. Asif also said that this was not democratic that Maldives is expected to be a fully fledged Democracy overnight when the European countries took hundreds of years to be where they are now today. He also said that he was waiting to see which NGO's (almost referring to Transparency Maldives) taking money from these organisations will try to justify these sanctions by the EU.
One main argument raised by Asif was that he questioned how the Government could allow an EU delegation to be present in the Maldives for Election Observation when a more important issue related to the second largest industry of Fisheries, was looming over head. He asked why the MNCCI was not allowed to meet with the delegation. I find it as an attack against the Government saying one side you Stand against EU and on the next you are supporting them.
All in all we need to remember that Asif was the person who cut the Democracy Cake and was arrested numerous times and was the right hand man standing with Mohamed Nasheed during the beginning of MDP and was one of the first Youth Wing leaders of MDP as well as many other actions for the democratic fight that lead to the 2008 Multi Party Election. Then on, he was stabbed by unknown persons and he was seen to depart from the MDP and he rose to the post of President of the MNCCI. I only hope that his intentions with this interview, where he said that the Fishermen might protest against the EU Election Observer teams in Male', is one still based on values of democratic reform. I cannot know if this is a strategy to support the current government or one that has much deeper meaning to it.
Asif has always stood on the right side up till now and i will give him the benefit of doubt. The points raised by Asif on some of the issues seems valid at some level. EU could have been more strict and effective, way before this, and their help would have been much appreciated, if it happened during the fight to remove dictator Gayyoom. They should have pressed Nasheed on the issues as well. So let us see how this plays out. I have a feeling that with the Supreme Court's decision to arrest all the members of the Election Commission should be addressed by the EU and the International Community as well.  Video Interview of MNCCI on EU

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and it's Primaries!

I am not a member of MDP but i was a strong advocate for their ideals and beliefs back in 2004 to 2008. With the winning of the first multi party elections, we had so much hope for MDP and it's leaders. Our dreams of a democratic state were inadvertently linked to MDP. Let us leave what happened during their 3 years of rule for a later date.
Today, MDP once more is the opposition to the old dictatorial regime that has won the presidency via the peoples popular vote. PPM is the current face of the regime and it's broad coalition is made up for the rest of the political parties, all other than MDP, are united.
The parliamentary election in March 2014 will be a decisive moment; if the people want MDP back in power or it could also show the public to vote for qualities of candidates rather than their political alliance. MDP already threatened the current president that they would take a vote of no confidence against him if MDP wins majority seats in parliament.
MDP PRIMARIES!
When the DRP candidates joined MDP for the last presidential election, it was no real surprise. There were few parliamentary seats with DRP that were critical for MDP who are now with them. These seats belonging to Thasmeen Ali (ex-leader of DRP) and his wife's seat along with senior DRP leaders who joined MDP, like Rozaina, probably accepted to join MDP to secure their seats. There is nothing wrong here except politics itself. The issue arises when under suspicious circumstances, Thasmeen is allowed to win the primary without the inclusion of the votes of the largest island in his constituency based on the lack of "proper environment to vote". Surprisingly, all the DRP candidates who joined MDP now would have secured their seats in the MDP primaries. Thasmeen's rivals in the primaries are now calling foul play.
It is sad to see that many MDP members do not see the issue here. MDP no longer is owned or represented by few individuals but is a creature all by it's own independence. It has a responsibility to uphold the true values it promoted and inclined so many supporters towards it. Such issues of "undemocratic actions" should not taint it's image. If MDP wants democracy they cannot give it to the people in comfortable sips as they please; for that is exactly what ex-dictator Gayyoom said; "...Maldives is not ready for full democracy it has to be given in bits...".
MDP should allow for their incumbent Parliamentarians to be tested truly by their  constituents in the democratic manner that they have preached all these years. There should be no doubts, or room left for allegations of undemocratic behaviour. MDP is an ideal and it had given so many people so much hope for a better country and life. The members and it's leaders should not forget, they are to serve the people not themselves.