Sunday, 5 February 2012
We all know that Nasheed wants secularism at any cost as the world’s far-right networks that funded his Presidential campaign in 2008 will abandon him
President Nasheed and MDP today announced that they will counter protest against the mega protest planned by NGO’s and opposition political parties to express against, MDP and President Nasheed’s secularism crusade. They have also decided that they will protest on the same day as the Mega-Protest; 23rd of December.This goes on to show that President Nasheed is ready to do anything to revive his “Maldives secularization project”. Although tonight’s MDP Council meeting ended with a decision to counter attack this mega direct action against Nasheed’s so called religious freedom quest, some members including the Vice President of the party implored the council to put safety, peace and stability of the people first and refrain from acting on anger. This kind of anarchical approach; fire with fire could indeed start a civil war; a calamity that our vulnerable country cannot withstand at these dire times.The last three years has shown to the people that Nasheed does not care about the Maldivian people unless they are yellow. Therefore the people are fed up and ready to fight back. Most of all Nasheed and MDP coalitions’ longest lasting ally Adhaalath Party abandoned them solely for this reason. Since then (particularly after the MDP loyalist’s short-lived protest calling for religious freedom last week) they have declared themselves Nasheed’s worst enemies that he should be very wary of.In his quest for religious freedom in Maldives Nasheed is going at it hammer and tongs and this time around he claimed that he is ready to protect those that fight his cause by spilling his very own blood before any of theirs. The strong messages given by the Mega-protest organisers indicate that they are not going to back off either. This is indeed very scary for the nation grappling with multiple economic deformities.Although the reason why Nasheed became President is; in 2008 all most all the political parties got together, broke their back day and night to secure the needed votes and give him power on a silver platter. But now he is disputing this very naked truth. Today he boasted calling those former allies; minute, powerless and too insignificant to stop him. This means he is on a direct collision cause with the political parties that got him elected, as well as the Maldivian people. Even though they silently took the hunger and poverty that Nasheed and his MDP Co destined them to; they are ready to break their silence now in order to defend the long standing Islamic religious culture of their country.On 23rd December, if Nasheed did not stop them first; (already he has got the Police to summon the Organisers on different excuses) we will see who wins this unforeseen battle. MDP’s secularism crusaders with the advantage of state machineries including a Police and a Military force that is completely subservient to them so far successfully repressed and even banned protests, although it means mass arrest, beating, gassing, pepper spraying; well the whole dictatorial nine yards. But the Maldivian political parties, citizens and NGO’s are also very determined this time around.
Nasheed and MDP heavily influence the imminent local island and atoll election by using state funds and state machinery to travel and campaign in each and every of the 202 inhabited islands within a matter of few weeks
Elections alone do not assure democracy since dictators can use the resources of the state to tamper with the election process
The Universal declaration on free and fair election state that the government of the state should; provide for the free functioning of political parties, regulate the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, ensure the separation of party and State, and establish the conditions for competition in legislative elections on an equitable basis.
All hopes of a free and fair local election getting carried out in the Maldives is lost. The President is using state resources, and funds to travel around the country to almost all the 202 inhabited islands within a matter of weeks. In each trip, a huge team of loyalists, party officials and MP’s join him.
Travelling in the Maldives is costly. For each and every trip; the President and his team flies first class and in some cases hire the costly air-taxi to travel to some of the islands like Fuvahmulah.
Opposition politicians and the people of the country watch corruptive acts of their President silently and helplessly. Over the past 3 years the man who convinced the people; that the former President is a Dictator, has turned himself into a ruthless Dictator who puts everybody including MP’s in solitary confinement if they utter even one word against his foul plays.
Days before starting the campaign; he got the annual budget through the Parliament and is using it to make these expensive trips, covering several islands on a daily basis . There is no doubt that Public money and the state coffer is used for MDP’s local election campaign but the country conveniently for him, has been without an Auditor General for sometime now. The current President influenced people to vote against the Former President in the Presidential election after getting the former Auditor General a loyalist of his to generate a 25 page long report about the institutions under President Maumoon, within just days of the Presidential election. The same man as President; is using government transport including the Presidential Ferry(a high speed cruise fit for a king), and other resources to campaign for his party.
The MP’s and MDP officials that join him in his trips in their speeches to the islanders warn the people and the President himself keeps saying to the islanders; that to get any kind of development for their islands they have to elect the MDP candidates for the Island and Atoll Councils.
This kind of active engagement in corruption; right under our nose; by the President is ignored by the Parliament responsible for making him accountable. He has covered the majority of the inhabited islands within a matter of few weeks, each visit costing the people millions. Whichever island he visits he promises them public infra structures like sewerage systems, harbours and promises to fulfil other needs of the people that needs addressing. In the case of many of these islands including Fuvahmulah the same promises made during the current round of visits were made in 2009 in the eve of the Parliamentary election.
As President he is treating the money in the state coffers as his and his party’s own; their’s to use for campaign trips to and from each and every inhabited island of the country each visit costing the people millions. The President and his officials on each and every visit are also using the state machinery including the Maldives Police Force, Maldives Defence, Atoll Offices, Island Offices, and government venues. With promises ranging from fixing of broken bridges, roads and harbours, to sewerage systems and airports, the President and his party MDP officials are engaging in acts corruption that are chargeable in any Court of Law where democracy works. A Justice system with a Supreme Court Bench and Judges hand-picked by the President is giving a blind eye to his crimes.
Those who used to be vocal against him in the Parliament including MP’s Yamin and Gasim are silent because they have faced arbitrary arrests and have been thrown into solitary confinement recently for doing so. However we still have the option of appealing to the international communities.
We call on the Maldives Election Commission and the Maldives Human Rights Commission to actively engage in stopping this shameful act of corruption. It is a shame on us the people, the country and the Institutions; that we remain quite in the face of such blatant rampant corruption. If you are silent in fear of the madness of Dictator Nasheed and his wrath; we appeal to you to at least seek help from the international community including the UN, US, UK, UNHRC, AHRC.
The Universal declaration on free and fair election state that the government of the state should; provide for the free functioning of political parties, regulate the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, ensure the separation of party and State, and establish the conditions for competition in legislative elections on an equitable basis.
All hopes of a free and fair local election getting carried out in the Maldives is lost. The President is using state resources, and funds to travel around the country to almost all the 202 inhabited islands within a matter of weeks. In each trip, a huge team of loyalists, party officials and MP’s join him.
Travelling in the Maldives is costly. For each and every trip; the President and his team flies first class and in some cases hire the costly air-taxi to travel to some of the islands like Fuvahmulah.
Opposition politicians and the people of the country watch corruptive acts of their President silently and helplessly. Over the past 3 years the man who convinced the people; that the former President is a Dictator, has turned himself into a ruthless Dictator who puts everybody including MP’s in solitary confinement if they utter even one word against his foul plays.
Days before starting the campaign; he got the annual budget through the Parliament and is using it to make these expensive trips, covering several islands on a daily basis . There is no doubt that Public money and the state coffer is used for MDP’s local election campaign but the country conveniently for him, has been without an Auditor General for sometime now. The current President influenced people to vote against the Former President in the Presidential election after getting the former Auditor General a loyalist of his to generate a 25 page long report about the institutions under President Maumoon, within just days of the Presidential election. The same man as President; is using government transport including the Presidential Ferry(a high speed cruise fit for a king), and other resources to campaign for his party.
The MP’s and MDP officials that join him in his trips in their speeches to the islanders warn the people and the President himself keeps saying to the islanders; that to get any kind of development for their islands they have to elect the MDP candidates for the Island and Atoll Councils.
This kind of active engagement in corruption; right under our nose; by the President is ignored by the Parliament responsible for making him accountable. He has covered the majority of the inhabited islands within a matter of few weeks, each visit costing the people millions. Whichever island he visits he promises them public infra structures like sewerage systems, harbours and promises to fulfil other needs of the people that needs addressing. In the case of many of these islands including Fuvahmulah the same promises made during the current round of visits were made in 2009 in the eve of the Parliamentary election.
As President he is treating the money in the state coffers as his and his party’s own; their’s to use for campaign trips to and from each and every inhabited island of the country each visit costing the people millions. The President and his officials on each and every visit are also using the state machinery including the Maldives Police Force, Maldives Defence, Atoll Offices, Island Offices, and government venues. With promises ranging from fixing of broken bridges, roads and harbours, to sewerage systems and airports, the President and his party MDP officials are engaging in acts corruption that are chargeable in any Court of Law where democracy works. A Justice system with a Supreme Court Bench and Judges hand-picked by the President is giving a blind eye to his crimes.
Those who used to be vocal against him in the Parliament including MP’s Yamin and Gasim are silent because they have faced arbitrary arrests and have been thrown into solitary confinement recently for doing so. However we still have the option of appealing to the international communities.
We call on the Maldives Election Commission and the Maldives Human Rights Commission to actively engage in stopping this shameful act of corruption. It is a shame on us the people, the country and the Institutions; that we remain quite in the face of such blatant rampant corruption. If you are silent in fear of the madness of Dictator Nasheed and his wrath; we appeal to you to at least seek help from the international community including the UN, US, UK, UNHRC, AHRC.
How Gross national Happiness of Maldivians stayed static at zero for the past 2 years
One of the SAARC countries that we share membership with; Bhutan introduced a concept called Gross National Happiness in an attempt to show commitment to making the country democratic and free and most of all in an attempt to make their citizens happy by adopting the democratic governing process. Maldives similarly embraced democracy a few years ago and the people decided to change a 30 year old Presidency in the pursuit of happiness. It’s being two years since Maldives under went the transition and bringing happiness to the people looks like the last thing on the minds of the leaders of the first multi-party elect government.
Socio economic struggles of the people are at an all time low. Maldives dived 30 places down the world corruption index. Crimes including murder are widespread, while suppression of freedom and attacks sponsored by the security forces including both the Police and the Military puts a permanent hold on freedom of expression and association of all forms.
The 200 or so inhabited island communities and the people struggle with fear rising from daily murders and crimes committed out of economic desperation. Failure to deal with crimes put people’s lives in permanent danger while job cuts exercised by the government keeps exacerbating the desperate social situation.
Hard hit by economic and social crisis there are many people expressing a longing towards bringing back the much loved former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who lost by a small margin; back to power. Despite of promises of a better next year by the President the people exercise a permanent blame on falling for the alliance of political parties that got them to vote for MDP and then break away, to do nothing except engage in the blame game of how they were hoodwinked by MDP and Nasheed. It seems that the Maldivian people that lost confidence in the promises made by the MDP and Nasheed during the Presidential campaign and the repeated empty promises have nothing else to do but suffer helplessly. Year after year their desperate call for help fall on deaf ears and disappointed they see no way out under the current administration that is resorting to autocracy in every decision they make.
Unemployed, economically desperate, daily stabbing and murders, and waiting for the change they voted to take place over two years have led to unhappy communities in Maldives. Small scale business men including shopkeepers are murdered for money on a daily basis. Foreign workers are stabbed and killed for small amounts of cash and minute things like their mobile phones. Failure to catch the perpetrators led to a permanent mistrust on the Maldives Police force and further failures by the legal system to deliver justice means the people have lost faith in the legal system too.
If gross national happiness is to be measured in the Maldives in Bhutan style, the current Maldives government failed to make the people happy big time. Maldives experiment with democracy had proved to be a very unhappy experience. There is no hope for stopping the country’s downward spiral under the first democratic multi-party elect government.
Political parties and the rivalry between the major parties are blamed by many people over the social crisis. A small population of three hundred thousand is deeply divided in the quest for power by ambitious individuals and parties that fail to put the people’s happiness and national interest over winning the upcoming local election and the 2013 Presidential election. The ambitions of the President and his party to secure those elections one way or the other mean making the people happy and attending to their desperate needs is the last thing on the President’s mind. Every Policy and act of the government is motivated by an obsession of increasing the loyalist base and increasing the party membership and serving only those that demonstrate their loyalty. In the process, corruption, nepotism and cronyism have squandered and claimed the democratic essence of the Constitution, many times the President undermining the Constitution to engage in dictatorial decisions. The newly established Constitution keeps getting amended and undermined by the legal system on a daily basis headed by the Supreme Court bench hand-picked by the President.
Maldives only can be described as a country where all hell is let loose and political greed of the governing party and the agendas of the rest of the politicians mean the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the Maldivian people worked so hard for through democratic reform had failed. Maldives has become a disaster zone, claimed by anarchy and ruled by a failed state. God knows how long we will have to grapple with this state of anarchy and social crisis!!
Socio economic struggles of the people are at an all time low. Maldives dived 30 places down the world corruption index. Crimes including murder are widespread, while suppression of freedom and attacks sponsored by the security forces including both the Police and the Military puts a permanent hold on freedom of expression and association of all forms.
The 200 or so inhabited island communities and the people struggle with fear rising from daily murders and crimes committed out of economic desperation. Failure to deal with crimes put people’s lives in permanent danger while job cuts exercised by the government keeps exacerbating the desperate social situation.
Hard hit by economic and social crisis there are many people expressing a longing towards bringing back the much loved former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who lost by a small margin; back to power. Despite of promises of a better next year by the President the people exercise a permanent blame on falling for the alliance of political parties that got them to vote for MDP and then break away, to do nothing except engage in the blame game of how they were hoodwinked by MDP and Nasheed. It seems that the Maldivian people that lost confidence in the promises made by the MDP and Nasheed during the Presidential campaign and the repeated empty promises have nothing else to do but suffer helplessly. Year after year their desperate call for help fall on deaf ears and disappointed they see no way out under the current administration that is resorting to autocracy in every decision they make.
Unemployed, economically desperate, daily stabbing and murders, and waiting for the change they voted to take place over two years have led to unhappy communities in Maldives. Small scale business men including shopkeepers are murdered for money on a daily basis. Foreign workers are stabbed and killed for small amounts of cash and minute things like their mobile phones. Failure to catch the perpetrators led to a permanent mistrust on the Maldives Police force and further failures by the legal system to deliver justice means the people have lost faith in the legal system too.
If gross national happiness is to be measured in the Maldives in Bhutan style, the current Maldives government failed to make the people happy big time. Maldives experiment with democracy had proved to be a very unhappy experience. There is no hope for stopping the country’s downward spiral under the first democratic multi-party elect government.
Political parties and the rivalry between the major parties are blamed by many people over the social crisis. A small population of three hundred thousand is deeply divided in the quest for power by ambitious individuals and parties that fail to put the people’s happiness and national interest over winning the upcoming local election and the 2013 Presidential election. The ambitions of the President and his party to secure those elections one way or the other mean making the people happy and attending to their desperate needs is the last thing on the President’s mind. Every Policy and act of the government is motivated by an obsession of increasing the loyalist base and increasing the party membership and serving only those that demonstrate their loyalty. In the process, corruption, nepotism and cronyism have squandered and claimed the democratic essence of the Constitution, many times the President undermining the Constitution to engage in dictatorial decisions. The newly established Constitution keeps getting amended and undermined by the legal system on a daily basis headed by the Supreme Court bench hand-picked by the President.
Maldives only can be described as a country where all hell is let loose and political greed of the governing party and the agendas of the rest of the politicians mean the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the Maldivian people worked so hard for through democratic reform had failed. Maldives has become a disaster zone, claimed by anarchy and ruled by a failed state. God knows how long we will have to grapple with this state of anarchy and social crisis!!
President Nasheed declares war on the Parliament and states he will yet again go outside the Constitution to keep on employing the Ministers that failed to secure the Constitutional Parliament Endorsement
Breaking the norms of the Constitution is the only thing that the Man we call President is consistently engaged in over the two years he spent in power. First, he got all his Ministers to resign because just one Minister in the Cabinet faced a no confidence vote. When the whole world started taking a second look at his irrational behaviour, several weeks later he decided, to once again employ them in their old Cabinet positions. But there is a problem. The Constitution stipulates that Ministers need Parliamentary endorsement before they can be appointed to the position of a Minister.
Next the President over the next few months used several tactics to delay the Parliament voting and endorsement process, mostly getting his party MP’s to disrupt the Parliament to the point the Parliament was unable to function for months.
Finally today the vote took place and five performing Ministers got Parliament endorsement, while seven failed to secure the needed endorsement.
The Ministers that failed are those that the Public hated from day one due to their disregard to rule of law and the Constitution repeatedly in the running of their Ministries. For example Home Minister Mohamed Shihab that failed to get endorsed resort to the use of Police as a paramilitary force to suppress political freedom and liberty of the people using violent methods. Most of all he ignored the crisis of daily stabbing and murders and failed to do anything to stop them. Similarly the Defence Minister who on a regular basis resort to arbitrary arrest of opposition political party leaders failed to secure an endorsement.
By keeping the Ministers that abused their position of power in government the MDP and President Nasheed failed to act in the national interest. But then again for them government and power is only and always about securing more membership for MDP and securing the next election and finding financial incentives for those that demonstrate loyalty to them.
For two years Nasheed as President of Maldives ignored the economic sufferings brought out by the recession. He deceived the IMF by firing thousands of civil servants while employing more loyalists triple the amount paid to the dismissed civil servants.
He failed to stop the escalated violence and growth of knife related crime that as we speak lead to death and murder on a daily basis. To top it all he kept on employing party activists and political neophytes as Ministers and use them to administer a Dictatorship where they engage in selling of national assets, the land and even the sea on a daily basis. He also kept using them to twist and turn the Constitution to suit his particular need. He changed the Judges in the Supreme Court and the Judiciary in order to use the Judiciary to manipulate the functions of the Parliament, the only power that he cannot secure a control, despite of daylight bribery of MP’s.
Now he is saying he is going to hold onto the Ministers that failed to secure the Parliament endorsement. Many of these Ministers are the reason why Maldives performed so badly in the World corruption index, dropping backward 33 places lower just in two years under his Presidency. Ministers that order the Police to attack journalists and civilians with baton, gas canisters and pepper spray, an Attorney General who manipulates the law and Constitutional clauses to fit the needs of the President like a straight jacket, a Defence Minister who gets the Military to break into peoples houses, take them by force at gun point and then hold them in solitary confinement for weeks without explanation do not deserve the Parliament endorsement.
The Parliament in this matter acted in the national interest. The people have been calling for the resignation of the likes of Home Minister Shihab and Foreign Minister Shaheed from day one and it is time the President act in the national interest. His weakness is he undermines the Maldivian people and want to hang on to some very despotic people despite of their fatal defects as Ministers. Although many from the MDP and the President himself see the messy Cabinet affair he started as a battle between them and the main opposition dominated Parliament this is what the people want. The people want to see the back of these Ministers.
There are very competent capable trustworthy people in the Maldives that the President chose to ignore acting in self interest and in the interest of his party activists over the national interest. The employment of an incompetent bunch of ignorant novices in the Cabinet is the reason why the President landed in the mess and instead of wedging deeper and deeper in it; it is time he respects the Constitutional and not waste any time in prolonging this crisis further.
It is time he move forward and for a change declare that he will respect the Parliaments’ decision and will look for more competent capable candidates to join his Cabinet. That will be music to our ears. Cabinet reshuffle and renewal brings health and competency to the administration process and it is high time the President explores such venues. We strongly call on the President to not repeat the mistake of going outside the Constitution this time. The number of times he went outside the Constitution is the reason why he is labelled as a Dictator in the Maldives as well as losing respect internationally. We all know what the Constitution says about this matter. Continuing to employ people as Ministers who failed to secure the Parliament endorsement is a desperate crime and it will not be justified, no matter what he says or does. It will leave a permanent stain on his leadership that people will find it hard to overcome. Specially with an election looming ahead it is not his activists he needs to impress but the Maldivian people.
Autocrat Nasheed’s control over the Judiciary is confirmed with the Supreme Court’s crony Judges decision to undermine the Constitution and rip off the Parliament’s power to perform checks and balance on Cabinet Appointments.
Maldives follows a Presidential system that people voted for when they decided in a referendum held in 2007 that it is the best system of governance for Maldives.
In all Presidential systems of the world the Parliament is responsible for performing checks and balances on the Ministerial appointments that the President makes. Even in the mighty United States the President has to go through the Congress approval process before appointing members to the Cabinet. The Constitution in every Presidential system provides the Parliament with the power to perform checks and balances on Ministerial appointments. This increases the accountability and transparency of the Cabinet Ministers that take the high stake responsibility of administration of the country and government through their ministries and departments. Therefore making sure that Ministers go through the Parliament approval process is a perfect way to make sure that they deliver to the people and take the country on right path in every necessary. This is the norm and culture followed in every country that follows the Presidential system. Even where Parliamentary systems are followed, where often the Cabinet Ministers are also members of the Parliament, they still provide the Parliament with the prerogative to perform such checks and balances on the Ministers to make sure they are ethical transparent and accountable in performing their job.
However in the Maldives currently with a, New Supreme Court Bench handpicked by the President filled with loyalists to save the President from blunder after blunder including the enmasse resignation of all the Cabinet Members and their re-appointment few days later; undermined the Maldives Constitution and stated that the Constitutional clause that gives the Parliament power to perform checks and balances on Ministerial appointments undermine the power of the President therefore will no
longer be followed by the Parliament.
There has been a pattern emerging in the Maldives; a move by the new President now referred by many as Dictator Nasheed to change the Maldives new found Party political system to a fast tracked Dictatorship. He is unstoppable in his selling of national assets to friends and loyalists, dismissal of Public Sector Staff to appoint loyalists, and get his Cabinet to resign enmasse in a PR stunt; then appoint them a few days later and get them to run the Ministries with iron hands for months without first getting the Parliament approval needed stipulated in the Constitution.
The President is hell-bent on keeping each and every one of the resigned Ministers and he has been buying time by engaging in one delaying tactic after the other in order to avoid them getting the Constitutional scrutiny and endorsement. In a very well executed plan he locked the Supreme Court and got rid of the Judges there to appoint an army of loyalists. Then he got his Attorney General whose job is in jeopardy if not approved by the Parliament; to challenge the Checks and Balance of Ministerial Appointments Clause of the Constitution, finally getting the newly employed loyalist Judges to pass today’s Judgment and the Supreme Court ruling by the crony Judges further diminished the powers of the Maldives Parliament.
The Parliament has lost its power to perform checks and balances on the Ministerial Appointments and the decision by the Supreme Court is intended to help the President carry on with his illegal unapproved Cabinet, although some of those Ministers in the current Cabinet engaged in corruption and scandals on a daily basis in a very public way. Rule of decree is the method adopted by the President and his Ministers, and he is further consolidating his Dictatorship, obsessed to hang onto power in a very hostile environment with citizens openly seeking his resignation in mass protests, almost on a daily basis due to poverty, deprivations, suppression of freedom and rights, lawlessness and murder.
The President in total control of the Executive; it has not been enough for him. So he acquired control of the Judiciary seeking to build the highly authoritarian system that we thought we left behind following the Political and Constitutional reform Process carried out by former President His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom . Controlling the Executive and Judiciary is not enough for him so he is decapitating the Parliament. It is a sad Day for Democracy and definitely for the Maldivian people as; today more than ever; it looks like the Democratic dreams of the Maldivian people are not meant to be.
In all Presidential systems of the world the Parliament is responsible for performing checks and balances on the Ministerial appointments that the President makes. Even in the mighty United States the President has to go through the Congress approval process before appointing members to the Cabinet. The Constitution in every Presidential system provides the Parliament with the power to perform checks and balances on Ministerial appointments. This increases the accountability and transparency of the Cabinet Ministers that take the high stake responsibility of administration of the country and government through their ministries and departments. Therefore making sure that Ministers go through the Parliament approval process is a perfect way to make sure that they deliver to the people and take the country on right path in every necessary. This is the norm and culture followed in every country that follows the Presidential system. Even where Parliamentary systems are followed, where often the Cabinet Ministers are also members of the Parliament, they still provide the Parliament with the prerogative to perform such checks and balances on the Ministers to make sure they are ethical transparent and accountable in performing their job.
However in the Maldives currently with a, New Supreme Court Bench handpicked by the President filled with loyalists to save the President from blunder after blunder including the enmasse resignation of all the Cabinet Members and their re-appointment few days later; undermined the Maldives Constitution and stated that the Constitutional clause that gives the Parliament power to perform checks and balances on Ministerial appointments undermine the power of the President therefore will no
longer be followed by the Parliament.
There has been a pattern emerging in the Maldives; a move by the new President now referred by many as Dictator Nasheed to change the Maldives new found Party political system to a fast tracked Dictatorship. He is unstoppable in his selling of national assets to friends and loyalists, dismissal of Public Sector Staff to appoint loyalists, and get his Cabinet to resign enmasse in a PR stunt; then appoint them a few days later and get them to run the Ministries with iron hands for months without first getting the Parliament approval needed stipulated in the Constitution.
The President is hell-bent on keeping each and every one of the resigned Ministers and he has been buying time by engaging in one delaying tactic after the other in order to avoid them getting the Constitutional scrutiny and endorsement. In a very well executed plan he locked the Supreme Court and got rid of the Judges there to appoint an army of loyalists. Then he got his Attorney General whose job is in jeopardy if not approved by the Parliament; to challenge the Checks and Balance of Ministerial Appointments Clause of the Constitution, finally getting the newly employed loyalist Judges to pass today’s Judgment and the Supreme Court ruling by the crony Judges further diminished the powers of the Maldives Parliament.
The Parliament has lost its power to perform checks and balances on the Ministerial Appointments and the decision by the Supreme Court is intended to help the President carry on with his illegal unapproved Cabinet, although some of those Ministers in the current Cabinet engaged in corruption and scandals on a daily basis in a very public way. Rule of decree is the method adopted by the President and his Ministers, and he is further consolidating his Dictatorship, obsessed to hang onto power in a very hostile environment with citizens openly seeking his resignation in mass protests, almost on a daily basis due to poverty, deprivations, suppression of freedom and rights, lawlessness and murder.
The President in total control of the Executive; it has not been enough for him. So he acquired control of the Judiciary seeking to build the highly authoritarian system that we thought we left behind following the Political and Constitutional reform Process carried out by former President His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom . Controlling the Executive and Judiciary is not enough for him so he is decapitating the Parliament. It is a sad Day for Democracy and definitely for the Maldivian people as; today more than ever; it looks like the Democratic dreams of the Maldivian people are not meant to be.
Maldives Secret Dictatorship: The Developed countries & Human rights Organisation watch silently as President Nasheed Use the Maldives Police and Military to attack Journalists and Peaceful Protestors on a daily basis.
The Maldivian people unhappy with President Nasheed’s attempt to claim all three separation of powers and the dire economic situation of the country have been holding series of protests led by the main opposition coalition of political parties DRP/PA, despite of heavy crackdowns by the Police that follow the President‘s order to end the protests using whatever force necessary.
Last night the Police went one step further and brought the protest to a violent end by attacking journalists, beating them with batons, boots, pepper sprays and attacking them with gas canisters.
The Police dispersal of the crowds by beating the protestors and arbitrarily arresting MP’s have been the norm and culture, but last night they went out of control and attacked journalists in a frenzy.
Journalists from the few private media that dared to try and cover the protest, they were all targeted. Dozens of journalists brutally attacked are recovering in the Hospital including a women who was beaten up with baton, and officers wearing riot gear caused her further injuries by trampling on her and hitting her with their riot boots.
The systematic use of violence and brutal crackdown by the Maldives Police Force, many believe; the order comes directly from President Nasheed. Journalists severely beaten repeatedly tried to show their badges however the beaten continued with many journalists hit violently on the chest with batons and blinded by pepper spray, sprayed inches away from their faces.
Demonstrations are taking all over the country as people are very unhappy with the way president Nasheed not only claimed the Judiciary but is now attempting to control the Parliament by using the Supreme Court he control through the appointment of loyalists. Moreover citizens are disgruntled and restless everywhere, as the President immediately after coming to power severely cut public sector spending through dismissal and salary reduction of thousands, only to employ often violent groups of MDP activists loyal to him. Higher inflation rate, public sector cuts leading to Hospitals watching and waiting for patients to die unable to treat them, and the education system in the doldrums, growth of violent crimes including murders means citizens are dissatisfied everywhere and want to change the government.
The President adamant to hang onto power at any cost is using the Police to attack, conduct arbitrary arrests and intimidate those who protest into silence. Crackdown on the few independent media that try to report the events mean the developed countries, and human rights organisations of the world are oblivious to the human rights abuse that the President is resorting to on a daily basis by using the Maldives Police as his rubber stamp.
Although previously during the reform process the Former President made Maldives Police independent Nasheed after coming to power claimed it by putting his loyalist political appointees in control of the Police. Similarly although the Former President made the media independent, President Nasheed claimed the national media by putting his close relatives and loyalists in control. The handful of private media outlets and the journalists that work for these outlets are subjected to systematic abuse and physical intimidation including stabbing by the President’s loyalist gangs in a recent attack. Loyalist gangs many believe sponsored by the President keep the pressure on the private Media outlets by constant vandalising of their premises, throwing them out of the ruling party MDP meetings and also carrying out random attacks against the journalists and their family members. However this is the first time the riot Police targeted the journalists in such a violent way and many believe they were following the orders of the President, who is frightened of the international media, developed countries and most of all human rights organisation finding out about the political crisis and his abuse of power.
We are calling on the Developed countries, Donor organisations and International Human Rights organisation to closely monitor the situation in Maldives. The Maldivian people deserve better. We need help, immediate attention and intervention.
A man who got the sympathy of the international human rights organisation claiming to be a journalist now turned himself into a Dictator and looks like his first and foremost target is use his Police to eliminate and attack the few independent journalists in the country.
Last night the Police went one step further and brought the protest to a violent end by attacking journalists, beating them with batons, boots, pepper sprays and attacking them with gas canisters.
The Police dispersal of the crowds by beating the protestors and arbitrarily arresting MP’s have been the norm and culture, but last night they went out of control and attacked journalists in a frenzy.
Journalists from the few private media that dared to try and cover the protest, they were all targeted. Dozens of journalists brutally attacked are recovering in the Hospital including a women who was beaten up with baton, and officers wearing riot gear caused her further injuries by trampling on her and hitting her with their riot boots.
The systematic use of violence and brutal crackdown by the Maldives Police Force, many believe; the order comes directly from President Nasheed. Journalists severely beaten repeatedly tried to show their badges however the beaten continued with many journalists hit violently on the chest with batons and blinded by pepper spray, sprayed inches away from their faces.
Demonstrations are taking all over the country as people are very unhappy with the way president Nasheed not only claimed the Judiciary but is now attempting to control the Parliament by using the Supreme Court he control through the appointment of loyalists. Moreover citizens are disgruntled and restless everywhere, as the President immediately after coming to power severely cut public sector spending through dismissal and salary reduction of thousands, only to employ often violent groups of MDP activists loyal to him. Higher inflation rate, public sector cuts leading to Hospitals watching and waiting for patients to die unable to treat them, and the education system in the doldrums, growth of violent crimes including murders means citizens are dissatisfied everywhere and want to change the government.
The President adamant to hang onto power at any cost is using the Police to attack, conduct arbitrary arrests and intimidate those who protest into silence. Crackdown on the few independent media that try to report the events mean the developed countries, and human rights organisations of the world are oblivious to the human rights abuse that the President is resorting to on a daily basis by using the Maldives Police as his rubber stamp.
Although previously during the reform process the Former President made Maldives Police independent Nasheed after coming to power claimed it by putting his loyalist political appointees in control of the Police. Similarly although the Former President made the media independent, President Nasheed claimed the national media by putting his close relatives and loyalists in control. The handful of private media outlets and the journalists that work for these outlets are subjected to systematic abuse and physical intimidation including stabbing by the President’s loyalist gangs in a recent attack. Loyalist gangs many believe sponsored by the President keep the pressure on the private Media outlets by constant vandalising of their premises, throwing them out of the ruling party MDP meetings and also carrying out random attacks against the journalists and their family members. However this is the first time the riot Police targeted the journalists in such a violent way and many believe they were following the orders of the President, who is frightened of the international media, developed countries and most of all human rights organisation finding out about the political crisis and his abuse of power.
We are calling on the Developed countries, Donor organisations and International Human Rights organisation to closely monitor the situation in Maldives. The Maldivian people deserve better. We need help, immediate attention and intervention.
A man who got the sympathy of the international human rights organisation claiming to be a journalist now turned himself into a Dictator and looks like his first and foremost target is use his Police to eliminate and attack the few independent journalists in the country.
Anti Government Protestors in Maldives who protested against how President Nasheed has been manipulating the three separation of powers to his advantage and holding them at ransom are beaten and injured brutally by the Maldives Police Service over two consecutive nights
Thousands of anti government protestors in the small Capital of Maldives have been taking it to the streets over the past two nights protesting against how the current President of Maldives has taken control over the Maldives Judiciary and using it to hamper the functions of the Parliament.
The Parliament has been unable to do it’s job, unable to function because the President after getting rid of the independent Judges in the Judiciary and appointing his loyalists is constantly using the Judiciary to barricade the function of the Parliament.
Thousands of Maldivian protestors over the last two nights the first night alone five thousand people filled the streets of the Capital to show their anger at the President and how he is playing with the country and the people like a toy.
Few months ago he got his Cabinet to resign enmasse. After a couple of weeks he decided to once again come up with a new Cabinet and now he is adamant that his Cabinet is his to do whatever he like, whenever he like, so he need no approval, nor endorsement from the Parliament. Maldives follows a Presidential system and as in every Presidential system the Parliament’s approval is necessary before the President can appoint them and put them in control of our Ministries and public institutions. However the newly appointed Cabinet and Ministers are getting paid mountain high salaries and carrying on with the fulfilling of Nasheed’s every whim instead of the people’s and now the President is trying to change the Constitution so that he can carry on life for him and his appointed loyalists as normal disregarding the rule of law and the Constitution..
There have been many controversies involving some of the people he appointed as Ministers, ranging from rampant corruption involving cash for honour and status deals as in the case of Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed, abuse of power and status by Defence Minister Ameen Faisal and forceful introduction of anti-religious, anti-cultural education policies in the education system by Education Minister Mustafa Luthufee.
Thousands of protestors that marched the streets over the two nights were attacked with tear gas, pepper spray and severe beatings by the Maldives Police Force. The Police heavily armed attacked the helpless protestors in a bid to bring a violent end leading to broken bones, collar bones, one protestor losing his teeth due to the heavy bashing with police batons.
Although no one died many sustained life time injuries leading to hospital admissions. To top it all the Police both last night and the night before violently arrested protestors and MP’s from the main opposition part DRP.
The young Western educated President has shocked his friends from the West that backed him by resorting to rule by decree when he lost the Parliamentary election held few months after he came to power in 2008. His heavy arm tactics and bold claims to rule the country by showing those who do not follow his party an iron right hand and a left hand doing unimaginable things to those who don’t support him, means the political parties that formed an alliance and got him to power, alienated him and immediately started calling for his resignation.
Even if a dozen people gather to the streets he orders the Police to use heavily armed tactics and mobilise the Police to use beating, pepper spray, gas to disperse the crowds.
After a constant battle with the Judges in the Judiciary finally few months ago he locked the Supreme Court doors and threw all the Judges out, then he appointed his loyalists to the Supreme Court. Now he is using the loyalists in the name of Judges not only to control the Judiciary, but use the Judiciary to control the functions of the Parliament where majority rests with the main opposition DRP/PA and Independent MP’s. Trying to change the Constitution with the help of a Judiciary controlled by his newly appointed loyalists is the last series of injustice and the Maldivian people lost their calm.
The President and his party holds no credibility in the country and is constantly engaging in emergency rule and tactics to continue with his despotic rule.
People are sick and tired of his sacking of Public servants in order to bring in more and more loyalists on a daily basis many of them that lack basic education, and have violent pasts. Similarly people are sick and tired of his deception over the promises he made in order to come to power, not fulfilling even one, while selling the national assets that the people proudly called their own to friends and families within the country and
The Parliament has been unable to do it’s job, unable to function because the President after getting rid of the independent Judges in the Judiciary and appointing his loyalists is constantly using the Judiciary to barricade the function of the Parliament.
Thousands of Maldivian protestors over the last two nights the first night alone five thousand people filled the streets of the Capital to show their anger at the President and how he is playing with the country and the people like a toy.
Few months ago he got his Cabinet to resign enmasse. After a couple of weeks he decided to once again come up with a new Cabinet and now he is adamant that his Cabinet is his to do whatever he like, whenever he like, so he need no approval, nor endorsement from the Parliament. Maldives follows a Presidential system and as in every Presidential system the Parliament’s approval is necessary before the President can appoint them and put them in control of our Ministries and public institutions. However the newly appointed Cabinet and Ministers are getting paid mountain high salaries and carrying on with the fulfilling of Nasheed’s every whim instead of the people’s and now the President is trying to change the Constitution so that he can carry on life for him and his appointed loyalists as normal disregarding the rule of law and the Constitution..
There have been many controversies involving some of the people he appointed as Ministers, ranging from rampant corruption involving cash for honour and status deals as in the case of Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed, abuse of power and status by Defence Minister Ameen Faisal and forceful introduction of anti-religious, anti-cultural education policies in the education system by Education Minister Mustafa Luthufee.
Thousands of protestors that marched the streets over the two nights were attacked with tear gas, pepper spray and severe beatings by the Maldives Police Force. The Police heavily armed attacked the helpless protestors in a bid to bring a violent end leading to broken bones, collar bones, one protestor losing his teeth due to the heavy bashing with police batons.
Although no one died many sustained life time injuries leading to hospital admissions. To top it all the Police both last night and the night before violently arrested protestors and MP’s from the main opposition part DRP.
The young Western educated President has shocked his friends from the West that backed him by resorting to rule by decree when he lost the Parliamentary election held few months after he came to power in 2008. His heavy arm tactics and bold claims to rule the country by showing those who do not follow his party an iron right hand and a left hand doing unimaginable things to those who don’t support him, means the political parties that formed an alliance and got him to power, alienated him and immediately started calling for his resignation.
Even if a dozen people gather to the streets he orders the Police to use heavily armed tactics and mobilise the Police to use beating, pepper spray, gas to disperse the crowds.
After a constant battle with the Judges in the Judiciary finally few months ago he locked the Supreme Court doors and threw all the Judges out, then he appointed his loyalists to the Supreme Court. Now he is using the loyalists in the name of Judges not only to control the Judiciary, but use the Judiciary to control the functions of the Parliament where majority rests with the main opposition DRP/PA and Independent MP’s. Trying to change the Constitution with the help of a Judiciary controlled by his newly appointed loyalists is the last series of injustice and the Maldivian people lost their calm.
The President and his party holds no credibility in the country and is constantly engaging in emergency rule and tactics to continue with his despotic rule.
People are sick and tired of his sacking of Public servants in order to bring in more and more loyalists on a daily basis many of them that lack basic education, and have violent pasts. Similarly people are sick and tired of his deception over the promises he made in order to come to power, not fulfilling even one, while selling the national assets that the people proudly called their own to friends and families within the country and
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