Dancing with the Golhaas: MDP introduces democracy to Maldives :: Maldives News :: Dhivehi Observer

Editorial

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Photo: MDP's certificate of registration in the Maldives on 26th June 2006

Dancing with the Golhaas: MDP introduces democracy to Maldives

By the Dhivehi Observer editorial team, June 26, 2006

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has consolidated its support and become a more mature political organization in its first year as a registered party in Maldives. The party has existed since the end of 2003 when Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed Latheef, Ahmed Moosa (Sappe) and many other Maldivians moved off-shore to officially establish the democratic movement from safe havens in Sri Lanka and UK.

Enthusiasm for the new party was so strong in the Maldives atolls that even the dictator's closest backers, his in-laws Abbas Ibrahim and Ilyas Ibrahim, pretended to be MDP candidates as they campaigned for their majlis seats in the islands. The vote for unofficial MDP candidates must have been strong in that election, because Gayyoom permitted the opposition to occupy nearly 30 seats. The MDP became a noisy rump in the Maldives parliament, and although the party's members are relatively powerless, they have raised the level of debate and honesty during majlis sessions.

This undeniable evidence of local electoral support combined with MDP's diplomatic lobbying in South Asia, UK and Europe, forced Gayyoom to permit the public return of Mohamed Nasheed to Maldives, and then to allow the official registration of the MDP.

During the last twelve months the MDP has demonstrated peacefully many times in the face of open intimidation by the dictator's TV, radio and press media, and brutal violence from the NSS police Star Force squad. Electric truncheon blows to the genitals and heads of peaceful demonstrators and bystanders of any age, have become a Star Force specialty. The dictator has also used Male's criminal gangs to harass, beat and stab demonstrators and opposition activists, and to attack the houses of opposition leaders. The MDP has refused to retaliate, maintaining discipline and momentum in their campaign for the removal and prosecution of Maumoon Gayyoom and for democratic government in Maldives.

Minivan Daily and Minivan Radio journalists and editors, and writers for independent magazines have been targeted by the dictator. Some are under house arrest or in jail, like Fahala Saeed, now serving a long sentence after bogus drug charges were laid against him.

MDP leaders from Thinadhoo island on southern Huvadhu atoll are in jail, and there are over 100 people incarcerated by the dictator for recent political offences. They endure daily mistreatment at Maafushi and Dhoonidhoo prisons. Many others are detained under oppressive house arrest restrictions.

Despite these set-backs and open threats and hostility from the dictator and his supporters, the MDP organized highly successful public demonstrations and rolling civil disobedience campaigns. A march in support of workers' rights, and another protest against NSS mistreatment of women, highlighted important failures of the dictator's regime.

In May, days of unrest in Male' provoked the dictator who then attempted to sentence the MDP chairman Mohamed Nasheed to life imprisonment on blatantly fake treason charges. Court sentences in these cases are communicated directly to the judges by the dictator's office. Rules of evidence and rationality are irrelevant concepts in the Gayyoom's political courts. So far, he has been prevented from passing the sentence by international pressure, and this stand-off between the dictator and the MDP chairman is exposing the failure of NSS violence to suppress the democratic movement. Gayyoom has the power to imprison for life anyone in Maldives, but in the case of Mohamed Nasheed, neither the dictator nor his various attorney-generals over the years, have been able to present a single convincing case against him.

The other influential MDP member held by Gayyoom is Jennifer Latheef who has actually been convicted of treason on minor and flimsy charges. Guilty only of being an effective and peaceful democracy activist, Latheef is forced by the dictator to live her daily life either in jail or under strict house arrest.

The MDP is a party with many talented people, and despite the detention of two of its most powerful younger members, this year, the MDP leadership has made successful trips to India, USA, UK and other EU states, and the party has a good reputation among government officials and the general public in many countries. The party has weathered the resignation of Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra) without major public splits. Within the party, members have had plenty to say about the issues raised by the MDP president's resignation, and this debate has been healthy and largely devoid of slander and trivial gossip. One outcome has been a better understanding among party members of the nature of leadership. The MDP, like country it wants to rule, is made up of potentially conflicting interests, and leadership of those interests requires accommodation and tolerance - real political skills - as well as bold ideas and the ability to command. The MDP is showing the value and power of collective leadership by a talented group of men and women. The role of dictator is already an anachronism in Maldives, and titles of office confer little honour to the ministers and officials he commands. It is what the MDP stands for, rather than who leads it, which gives the party the support it needs to defeat Gayyoom.

In Maldives, party supporters will fly their yellow flags proudly today. Many flags have been made, and they are freely available. Flags are flying from houses and fishing dhoanis throughout the atolls. Fares-Maathodaa, an island attacked by the NSS Star Force in January, has received thirty flags.

In Male', the party will be mixing business with pleasure over the next few days. Tomorrow, 27 June, there is a bondi-baiy eating festival, with the MDP general meeting scheduled for the following day. A music show concludes the gatherings on Thursday 29 June.