The Long Walk to Freedom :: Maldives News :: Editorial:: Dhivehi Observer

Editorial

The Long Walk to Freedom

A.S.I. Moosa (Sappe'), Editor-in-Chief, Dhivehi Observer, 23 September 2007

"You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South Africa to a democracy" so wrote Nelson Mandela in The Long Walk To Freedom, And so we seem to be in a similar junction in our beloved Maldives. By rigging the referendum and trying to fill the hearts of our people with dismay and despair, the Dictator has succeeded in delaying our own transition to democracy. But do not let that fool you for one minute. Like Nelson Mandela, we must believe in our noble path to establish a democratic Maldives. We must stand steadfast together to lead the Maldives into the 21st century. If not for our sake, then for the sake of our children. Struggle we must. And struggle we on.

The main reason why the people are so dismayed is because the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly) failed dramatically to deal with the issue of the vote rigging, despite the fact that many members of the parliament raised very serious concerns about how the regime had used its influence and power to change the results by various methods. The 11-member committee formed by the Special Majlis is of course at the helm of this political upheaval, especially its chair Moosa Nizar, who has single-handedly destroyed the hopes and aspirations of the vast majority of the Maldivian people who wanted to see a change in the system of government in the country, which was to have a multiparty democracy with a proper parliamentary system.

But let us say this to the Dictator. Let us say this to Moosa Nizar. Let us say this to those who are trying to prevent a democratic Maldives. We will take good from whatever you throw at us and we will continue with our fight for freedom. By you rigging the referendum we are better off in two ways. It has given us reformists renewed impetus to work harder to ensure that such acts are not repeated in future. It has also given us the opportunity to lobby with the international community and raise our main concern that it is impossible to hold a free and fair election in the Maldives as long as this Dictator and his regime is in power. So do not for one-minute fool yourself into believing that you have killed the heart of the reformist.

In this context, let us be absolutely sure that the issue of the vote rigging will not stop haunting the Dictator for weeks and months to come. Several cases of fraud and vote rigging are being filed at the courts and the international community has been given detailed accounts of what happened on 18th August 2007. The issue is very much on the agenda and a lot can happen in the coming days. However, while we are optimistic we are also realistic. Whether we get what we want through the courts or not, we must remember that we are making Maldivian history. The future generations must be able to see that we tried at every opportunity and pulled every stop to achieve our objectives through peaceful and legitimate means. That is not something that this dictatorial regime can ever claim.

History has proven that one cannot get rid of a tyrant overnight. In fact, one of the determinants of a power-hungry Dictator is his longevity to cling on to power. Yet a determined people have always ultimately defeated tyrants. What we need is just two weapons to destroy him – will and determination. Armed with these, we are sure of success in the end. When he pushes us into a hole, we will climb out again. When he throws us into a rough and choppy sea, we will swim to the safety of land. When he corners us against a brick wall, we will turn around and break that wall. For there is no turning back now. So, let us not forget that we are on the right path and we will emerge victorious. I call on all reformists to once again reenergise and get back to their usual selves, so that we rid our nation from this evil Dictator.

We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel so let us redouble our efforts and push on. The three New Maldives Ministers (Dr. Hassan Saeed, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed and Mohamed Jaleel) that he had long used as a shield against criticisms from the international community are no longer there. The international community can now see the holes and gaps in the dictator’s fake democratic wall. So in one sense, whether he rigged this referendum or not is irrelevant. The dictator is slowly crumbling from the inside.

Of course one can understand why some people may ask, "Will we ever get rid of this Dictator?" The answer is a most vehement YES. Inshallah, we will get rid of him. There is not an iota of doubt about it. We may not be able to do it today. We may not be able to do it tomorrow. But if we stay together and work hard, one day soon, we will. For the sake of our beloved and beautiful Maldives, for the sake of our future generations, WE MUST.

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always." Mahatma Gandhi

click here to visit kobaaNet