According to Article 289 of the Constitution, the Anti-Corruption Commission has to be established within 60 days of the ratification of the Constitution. Article 200 stipulates that there should be 5 members in the Commission.
60 days have passed since the ratification of the Constitution, and we still don’t have a 5 member Ant-Corruption Commission.
But, surprise, surprise… the sky hasn’t fallen on our heads, and ordinary Maldivians are going about their daily lives! I don’t see lawyers jumping up and down, groping to find their way in the utter darkness of The Void. To be or not to be, is that the question? Or I am therefore I exist?
Oh! The things people say and do, just to have their way! Thousands of Maldivians have lost their right to vote and the right to a fair election, simply because some selfish people in positions of power declared that not meeting a certain constitutional deadline would put the entire country into a Void, out of which there would be no climbing out. If a President elected outside a constitutionally declared deadline would have no validity, would an Anti-Corruption Commission set up outside a deadline prescribed in the same Constitution have any validity? Only a discerning lawyer could differentiate between the two, I suppose. Us, mere mortals couldn’t even start to fathom this out.
Question : Should we deem that the Anti-Corruption Commission which will be established out of the prescribed constitutional deadline is invalid in order to legitimize an election which was held without following due process, or should we open the door to a multitude of people to seek a ruling from the Supreme Court to declare tomorrow’s election as invalid because citizens were denied their constitutional right to vote, by deeming the Anti-Corruption Commission as legitimate because the delay occurred in order to allow following due process?
My poor brain, and even poorer intellect doesn’t allow me to answer this question. Oh God Almighty, what will happen to our nation?
Hi ibra,
ReplyDeletei am a fan of yours and a supporter as well! i stand by you in this presidential election because you have shown that you can be a great leader, an interesting orator who speaks with facts, and a humble and down to earth person as well!
I just want to let you know that there was a bit of decline on supporters because of the running mate that you chose, was not a good choice! But i am still with you and hope that we could win this elections and have a better maldives!
Cheerios, and best wishes!
Ibra, we want to realise your manifesto. It's a regret that people really don't pay more attention to issues. I wish you don't lose hope but come back at least next time, even if you lose this time.
ReplyDeleteTo all readers:
ReplyDeleteCampaigning is over now, at least for the first round. I can't publish any comments regarding campaign issues until the stipulated time period is over.
However, I will publish comments on the issues raised in the Post, as this has nothing to do with my campaign. It is simply an issue related to the interpretation of the constitution.
Some readers have commented that I am campaigning after 6.00 pm of the 7th October. That is not so. Candidates are also allowed to express their thoughts which do not try to convince people to vote for them! Afterall, they also can't remain dumb for 24 hours!
Make sure you excercise your right to vote, and vote for the candidate who, in your mind, will serve this nation best. Also, encourage everyone that you know to do the same.
hello ibra
ReplyDeletei am a very dedicated (but junior) supporter of yours, and your policies.
very recently i wrote an article to express my opinion about the election and the candidates. i posted it on 'ibra for president' group on facebook. a blogger came by it and now, he has published it on his blog.
with the requests on many, i post a link to that article on your blog.
thank you
[ http://subdreams.blogspot.com/2008/10/change-we-can-change-we-shall.html#links ]
H.I.S:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sentiments. I read your article, and I would not say you are a "junior" in Mldivian politics. The depth of analysis you have shown is most impressive, and your coherence is far above most I have come across in the Maldives. Wisdom doesn't always come with age only. I see a potential intellectual emerging. Keep it up. And keep your heart in the right place. I can see the love you have for this country from your writing.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI support you 100%. But its time for reality. You have repeatedly said that according to your polls you are going to win enough votes to go to the second round. Although you are a very capable person I dont think you will get that much of votes. You should have joined hands with MDP or Dr. Hassan. Hopefully you will get the message from the results.
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteYou miscalculated big time. Too many candidates is showing to be an advantage for Gayoom.
dear ibra, you are unclear and incoherent to the majority of the maldivian public. what you have going is a small music band along with aathif, his family, yours and buddies. and this blog to spam us with ur sordid, verbose intellectually elitist rhetoric. wish u the best with ur gig.
ReplyDeleteps. thanks for ur part in spoiling the election.
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteIf all candidates backed one person for the elections, the results would have been different. You were wrong Ibra! So what happened to clear majority you said you would get? Why is Gayoom getting so many votes?
i'm sure a majority of opposition voters respect and admire ibra, but i know a lot of people decided to change their vote to anni because they felt he had a better chance of winning.
ReplyDeleteit became a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. the irony is that most people would agree that ibra has strong reformist credentials and performed very well at the debate.
i'd love an answer to this question from ibra: do you still believe that the cost of forming a coalition with MDP outweighed the benefits? wouldn't it have been better to overcome personal differences for the purpose of presenting a unified opposition?
couldn't you have put aside pride and dislike to work something out with MDP? (a cabinet portfolio perhaps?)
it's frustrating to see a majority of maldivians voting against gayyoom but for five different candidates.
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteIf there is going to be a second round, I hope you will support Anni. Clearly Ibra is Ibra only because of MDP.
ibra amila edhumaigen dhivehi rayitunah dhey ulhunu bodi miothy libifai. koba ibraah soi kuri 3000 meehun. dhen dhevana burega mulhi baithulmaalu huskolaigenves vote gannegena egomigothun ithuru 10 percnt hodhiagen maumoon verikamah faibaa vadaigannavaaney. raiyithuna ithuru 5 aharuge dhuthuraa jesimeehege zinmaa ibraves jeheyne nagan. ma mee male meeheh. ma vote dheegen ibra male ge gondiah hovifa thihiree. ekamaku thikahala go dhoonukuraa meehaka dhen vote dhinume ney. vasalaam.
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteWhat a disappointment to your party? What went wrong? If I were you I'd join MDP again.
Congratulations Ibra for winning more votes than I expected. I really wonder what went wrong. I am sure that you will blame it on the people? right?
ReplyDeleteAnyway. You have got so much less than all votes you got to get elected as the MP for Male' on an MDP ticket. You will loose that chair as well. Come down to earth my friend Ibra. Mr. Baathil who never campaigned won more votes than you did. Something is wrong with the people, or you or your campaign.
dear ibra,
ReplyDeletei feel you were right in ur aim to split the vote. but i have this feeling if u had endorsed mdp the result would have been better.
anyway, hope u will join hands for change and press on for gayoom's immediate and urgent removal from the seat that's sadly clinging to his bottom.
many regards and wishing u the best
I am a citizen of Male' and i voted for you for the majlis but after seeing you frolic in the party field i will never vote for you.Because of the split of the vote you caused ( partly blamed for it) we will have to suffer gayoom for 5 years again. SAY NO TO IBRA for Majlis.
ReplyDeleteibra,
ReplyDeleteno matter what others say, abide by your principles. like always, even when if your words are "unclear and incoherent" to the public, there are some who believe in it.
people say u are idealistic. people say politics is dirty, and idealism doesn't go well with politics.
i agree, but maldivians will soon learn that politics is dirty because they want it to be, and that the ideals that we aspire to can't be reached if a man compromises his principles, even to bring down a dictator.
i believe that you are a person of great integrity. i believe that you won't sell your soul to money, power and influence.
u've made me believe. make us believe.
with respect,
jaisham
i'm 12.09
ReplyDeletei also was an angry person first for what happened. we want a scapegoat and a punching bag for that and ibra is ideal candidate for it.
after seeing his news conference and after soem time passed, i understand ibras point. there is a danger that if all these people
did not run in the first place maumoon could have easily won and we would not get the true picture of effects of reform movement like now.
as for him not getting 3000, -ppl would have thought that a vote for ibra would be a waste and our first and foremost priority is getting rid of a dictatorship and for that anni is ideal. let anni finish what he has worked for his whole life. its not over yet.
we need a strong opposition and i'll vote for ibra for majlis.
sorry for earlier, very harsh outburst.
the difference between anni and ibra is anni worked in the streets and ibra worked in the parliment. ibra needs anni's pressure and muzaharaa tactics to pass good laws and anni needs ibra to topple a dictator peacfully without any bloodshed.
ReplyDeletei respect ibra for standing firm on what he beleive. We need ibra to fight the next battle and beyond.
Hello Ibra,
ReplyDeleteYour objective was to drive Qayoom to a runoff. You succeeded. People voting so little for you was because they thought they had a better chance with the more popular candidates-the ones who had more resources at their disposal in the campaign. Also, you made choices that didn't go well with the people (female VP?)
This was more of a calculated move than a right out rejection.
Hope you will continue your work in majlis and society as a gifted educator, legislator and orator to improve the state of things.
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI heard what you said last night regarding the election. Don't be dissapointed that you got so little votes. Don't let it hinder your work in the majlis and don't let it affect your future political plans. I still believe that you are one of the few genuine people in the majlis, and I congratulate you for the hard work you did to ensure we had a better constitution.
I think there are two reasons why people did not vote for you. Firstly they believed that you were not getting a large majourity of the votes so and they did not want to divide the MDP vote. The reason I said MDP vote was because I believe that this was the voting bloc that your campaign targeted even though it might have been unintentional at your end. The reason I did not vote for you was also similar
The second reason was I think your choice of a female VP. I don't think maldivians are as liberal as the Americans. People were also watching the American elections and perhaps they identified your thinking with the ever deceptive John Mccain.
So, my point (and also what I disagree with you) is that this time around I don't think people voted for you based on your policies. I think only Hassan Saeed managed to attract that crowd , 'the ponderers'. People still identify you with MDP, (remember you were once leading that party, and most of your party seniors are ex-MDP members) be it to your gain or to your loss.
So I hope my little analysis is useful for you. I urge you to stick to your principles and policies and work hard for the people.
I also applaud you for your humbleness yesterday.
I am writing with tears in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI am really sad. Ibra u are hero for me. Its high time you forget about Maldivians. You should not spend any miniute in life for the people from now on.
please stay away from politics. take a different path.
Ibra, yor are also among one of those who wanted the power for yourself alone. You all talked about a change for the god of the common people. Tell me why you guys couldnt get together and be that way from the begining. Just to give us a hard time or you reall thought that you had a chance to become the president of Maldives? I find it funny to when you said that you had a deal....TO RUN SEPERATELY AND IF FAILED TO JOIN. It only shows how greedy you all are.-be
ReplyDelete