Gasim Ibrahim rather than the Leader of JP and MP, is known to the grass-roots and middle class Maldivians as the philanthropist who embodies more than the democratic hopes and aspirations of our nation. Generations of Maldivians were and are helped by Honourable Gasim Ibrahim, helping them to gain higher education and employment. He is one of the most prominent Leaders behind the democratic reform process, and heralded the Constitutional reforms through the parliament. He is also known as the backbone that helped the current President to come to power, not only endorsing him and getting him to win the election, but also financing a huge part of Nasheed’s Presidential campaign.
Today we are seeing Hon Gasim Ibrahim, the hand that fed Nasheed getting bitten by him. It was only few weeks ago President Nasheed in what he himself refers to as acts outside the Constitution arrested Hon Gasim and threw him into Jail. Following a High Court ruling the Police for once decided to obey the order of the Judiciary and released him.
However when we though that Hon Gasim can breath in peace, it emerged in today’s local newspapers that his case is being send to the Prosecutor General with the trump up charges of trying to “Oust” the government of MDP and Nasheed. Sedition charges are filed against Hon Gasim Ibrahim and a conviction on this ground can cause destitution to all the Maldivian people that depend on him for their life.
For many Maldivians across all islands, anything bad happening to Hon Gasim is a very personal matter. Still thousands of Maldivians and their families depend on Hon Gasim Ibrahim for their livelihood with the jobs he provide in his Tourist resorts and other Villa companies.
It looks like Dictator Nasheed who has misled the democratic hopes of the Maldivian people will not have any sleep until he puts an end to Leaders that he sees as threats. Hon Yamin and Hon Gasim were both arrested at the same time. This means Hon Yamin will also meet a similar fate pretty soon unless we do something about saving Hon Gasim.
Deciding to file a case on sedition charges against Gasim, dreaming that by doing so is the only way that he will remain the undisputed leader beyond this tenure; in this modern day and age is the stupidest thing Nasheed can do. The fight for democracy will continue with a vigour, if he keeps up with the act of cracking down on the prominent Leaders of our main opposition political parties. The impractical acts of Nasheed and his always violent activist followers has caused enough chaos and hardship for the Maldivian people who are already at the end of their tethers where the economic and social deprivations are concerned. The dangerous tactics that he use against people with the aid of his paramilitary thugs will soon not be enough to restrain the Maldivian people.
We have taken as much we can. His inability to govern the country and then turning to dictatorial acts of intimidation to keep the croynism and nepotism he brought alive makes him easily disposable.
We are calling on the President to leave Hon Gasim Ibrahim alone and immediately take back the case against Gasim, as we all know Hon Gasim has done nothing to bring Nasheed’s government down. Continuing with the case will trigger political unrest so bad his Presidency will not be spared and we will make sure we do everything we can to stop him.
Despite of calls from the international community his continuation of this sort shows, how he is still stepping out of the boundaries in order to eliminate perceived threats for the protection of his own status quo. This will not go down well for him and also for the Maldivian people. We could soon be deprived of the aid we receive from our donors and that means the people will have to suffer more. Before the pressure comes, we are calling on the President to leave Honourable Gasim Ibrahim alone and free him from these kind of persecutions. Refraining himself and restraining his urge to harass the opposition leaders is a better option to follow for the moment, and we hope that he gets that through his head and act up on it by annulling the case he send to the Prosecutor General charging Honourable Gasim Ibrahim with sedition.
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