Roadblocks to democracy

MOZAIK image of ex-president & presiden Nasheed

Lets compare this info with present political situation in Maldives:

Roadblocks to democracy

Sun, 2006-01-15 06:00 — admin

By Alok Bansal

After promising multiparty democracy in Maldives, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled Maldives uninterruptedly since 1978, seems to have developed cold feet. The government has already missed a pledge to implement widespread democratic reform by January 2006. The arrests of opposition leaders in recent past have severely jeopardized the island nation’s planned transition to democracy and have severely dented the credibility of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

They have put question mark on President Gayoom’s commitment to the establishment of a genuine multiparty democracy in Maldives. Mohammed Nasheed, the leader of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), who had returned to Maldives only on April 30, 2005, after prolonged exile was arrested on August 12, 2005 for making comments against President Gayoom.

Initially officials had stated that he was detained for his own safety, but after keeping him in detention for ten days without charges, he was charged with sedition and terrorism.

On October 18, 2005, another pro-democracy activist was sentenced to 10 years in prison on terrorism charges. Jennifer Latheef, was sent to jail after being identified as "one of the instigators" of pro-democracy riots in September 2003, in the capital Male. She is the daughter of the exiled founder of the MDP, Mohamad Latheef. The government has also targeted the Maldivian journalists abroad and has succeeded in disrupting some of their activities.

These actions of the Maldivian government have not only dented the credibility of the Maldivian Government, but have also turned the clock back on the recent momentous events in the country. It was only on June 2, 2005 that the Maldivian parliament (Majlis) had voted to allow multi-party democracy for the first time in the tiny atoll nation that has been ruled by President Gayoom since 1978. The Majlis had unanimously approved a resolution to allow political parties to seek recognition and contest elections, thereby ending the partyless system in force. The motion was moved on a request from the President, to review the earlier parliamentary decision not to allow political parties in the country. The opposition parties had welcomed the change and had termed it to be a revolution. The main opposition party MDP had claimed credit for forcing the change.

Consequent to the passing of resolution MDP had become the first political party to be registered after completing the enlistment of 3000 members, to fulfil the requirement of registration as a political party. Subsequently, other parties like Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party of President Gayoom, Islamic Democratic Party, a moderate Islamic party of former policeman Umar Naseer, Maldives Labour Party and the Adhaalaath Party led by religious scholar Sheikh Hussain Rasheed Ahamed followed suit. Most of these are expected to provide the options for governance to the citizens of Maldives, in any future elections; that were hitherto not available.

The Maldives were for a long time a sultanate, first under Dutch and then under British protection. The country attained independence in 1965 and became a republic in 1968. Past two years have been tumultuous; the political dissent has been building up in Maldives and has often found expression in sudden bursts of violence.

2004 especially was a landmark year for the Maldives. The smallest state of South Asia was not only hit by tsunami that derailed the fastest growing economy in the region, the tremors also shook the foundations of the political establishment in the state.The dissent, which had surfaced in late 2003, continued to change the political landscape in this tiny Indian Ocean nation.

In the face of protests from the opposition, President Gayoom in August 2004 declared a state of emergency, arresting many pro-democracy activists and using tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who rallied in a rare show of dissent in the capital Male, which is the home to approximately one third of the island nation’s population. The Tsunami that struck Maldives diffused to some extent the animus that had been generated between the supporters and opponents of President Gayoom.

The elections that took place on January 2005, clearly exhibited that a significant section of the society was opposed to the policies of the government and was clamouring for a multiparty democracy. Faced with international pressure and demands from dissidents in exile, President Gayoom promised democratic reforms in 2005. Earlier, the Majlis elections scheduled on non-party basis were postponed initially to December 2004 and when the tsunami hit the islands to January 22, 2005.

The elections were held on non-party basis and 42 legislators were elected by more than 70 percent of the 156,766 eligible voters. All the 20 atolls and the capital Male elected two legislators each. The MDP claimed that it had won 18 of the 42 seats in the parliamentary elections, with pro-government candidates winning 22 and independents two. However, the government claimed that at least 30 of the elected candidates were pro-government, and only eight were pro-MDP. The figures could not be reconciled because the Election Commission cannot identify candidates by their political parties, which were banned at the time of elections. All 150 candidates had officially contested as independents, although most voters knew their political leanings. The election of large number of opposition candidates especially from Male was indicative of the growing disenchantment with President Gayoom. The opposition members actually represented the constituencies with most number of electorates and in terms of electorates represented the combined opposition members probably represent more electorates than the government members.

Though the government had vacillated in the past on the question of democratic reforms, it seemed as if it had accepted the inevitability of multiparty democracy in Maldives. The recent crackdown, however, indicates that it was at best a tactical retreat to deflect growing international pressure.

In May 2005, President Gayoom when he had arrived for a meeting at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, was confronted by protesters including volunteers from ‘Friends of Maldives’, a group based in Salisbury. The protestors had demanded improved human rights and an end to torture and political oppression in the Maldives. The parliamentary resolution was probably the result of these hostile demonstrations that the President faced on his visits abroad. However, subsequently, the growing public support that MDP elicited seems to have unnerved him and is probably the reason behind recent crackdown. He has also tried to create dissentions within the opposition ranks and has succeeded in weaning away some of the members from MDP. Ghasim Ibrahim, a top businessman and a former member of the MDP, who was arrested after anti-government riots in Male last year, was inducted in the government as the Finance Minister after he had severed his links with MDP.

After registering as a political party, MDP set up its branches in all atolls and started the procedure for electing its chairman and the leader of the party, who is expected to take on President Gayoom in the next presidential elections. The process was extremely transparent and was based on the process followed by the political parties in the US to elect their leaders. MDP finally elected Mr Ibrahim Ismail as its leader in a process that was extraordinarily democratic for any political party in South Asia. Ismail had been arrested in 2004, charged with treason and held in solitary confinement for more than two months. He has replaced Mohamed Nasheed, who did not contest the leadership but was briefly freed from house arrest to take up his new role as the party's chairman.

There has been widespread criticism of recent crackdown by various human rights groups. Amnesty International as well as Asian Centre of Human Rights have criticised the Maldivian government. Asian Centre of Human Rights has urged the UN Secretary General and the government of India to intervene with President Gayoom for the release of political detainees, ensure fair trials and due process of law for those who are arrested and likely to be charged, and initiate national reconciliation process with MDP to ensure the establishment of a stable, prosperous and democratic Maldives. Maldivian government has paid no heed to these appeals till now but a country that is still struggling to come to terms with the devastation caused by the tsunami, may not be in a position to withstand international pressure for too long. As it is the economy is expected to decline by 2.4 percent this year as against an 8 percent growth last year. The tourism, which is the mainstay of the economy, is heavily dependent on International goodwill and domestic tranquillity.

Recently the Friends of Maldives (FOM), the UK-based aid and campaign group, used the recent World Human Rights Day to launch a campaign to boycott selected tourist resorts in Maldives that are operated by owners known to be closely linked to the regime of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. FOM has not called for a travel boycott to the Maldives; rather the group has called the tourists to choose a resort that is not associated with the regime. Though it has stated that the reason why they have not asked for a complete boycott is because they do not wish to affect the economy of the Maldives, nor the fragile economic state of individual Maldivians, who are still struggling with the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami; it may actually have more to do with the fact that MDP is also dependent on the tourist resorts for most of its funding.

The pressure on Gayyoom is increasing and the recent temporary release of MDP chairperson Mohamed Nasheed who had been charged with terrorism and treason and international pressure on Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- Asia's longest-serving leader -- suggested that the government may be softening up. At the recent Commonwealth meeting it reiterated its commitment to ushering in a new democratic Maldives.

Though small, Maldives is strategically important and in the past housed a British air base at Gan Island. Off late China has exhibited interest in acquiring bases in the islands. President Gayoom’s regime has maintained friendly ties with India and has often expressed gratitude for the assistance rendered to quell the attempted coup in 1987. MDP also appears to be favourably disposed towards India and the West, but the other political parties are unknown entities and some of them especially the Islamic outfits may not be favourably disposed towards India or the West. Suppression of popular democratic aspirations has often led to the ushering in of radical regimes, which is neither in Indian interest nor of the West.