Among much furore, we wrote a Constitution, which by and large, provided for the practice of democracy in the country. A key feature of the Constitution was that it provided for, and necessitated the separation of the three powers of the state. In addition, it also provided for the establishment and operation for Independent bodies, charged with specific functions.
It might bring some nostalgia to some people to remember the events leading to the famous August 12/13 incident. Prior to the incident, those who became active in the Reform Movement were gathering every night at the east end of Male’, which was the start of the Reform Bon’dibaiy. Remember what that area came to be known as? Yes …. “Thin baaru vaki kuraa sarah’adhdhu”! People were so tuned into the need for the separation of powers. If we were to sum up the sentiments among “rayyithun” those days into a catch cry, it would easily be “separation of powers”. Almost everyday, we were calling for the removal of the appointed 8 or 29 members from the Majlis, and for MP’s who were Ministers to choose one or the other. The underlying rationale was that The Majlis should be free from the Executive, and hence the influence of the President. That the President should not represent any Party as he was the Head of State, and above all, he should not interfere in the business of the Majlis in any way. That the President and the Executive Branch of the State should not try to influence the outcome of the Majlis elections in any way. Beautiful and idealistic sentiments, to say the least.
These are standards and norms followed in democracies. As I understand it, even in the States, though the President is elected on a Party ticket, once he assumes that office, he becomes largely non-partisan. Even in selecting people for key posts, he concentrates on the best that the country has. Partisan politics is by and large confined to the Congress, and the President immerses himself in the task of running the government. As I write this, Barack Obama is getting ready to assume office and putting Team Obama together, and he is not doing it on a partisan basis.
Closer to home, how are things panning out?
Twice, the Speaker of the Majlis, from the Speaker’s Chair has lost all dignity in singing his praise to the President and the Government. The beginning of God knows what is to come. I had hoped that the days of Thanking the Government for simply doing its job, especially form the Speaker’s Chair, had been left behind.
The first thing that the President did after being sworn in was appoint 8 members to the Majlis! Leaving aside breaches of the Constitution, I wonder where we may place this in the rhetoric-ethics-moral nexus.
Members of the Majlis and the Elections Commission are getting so cozy that the Elections Commission wants to put into law things that the Commission has full responsibility and authority to do, and which is clearly out of the mandate of the Majlis as per the Constitution. And all discussions are taking place in the presence of the Attorney General.
The Government is proposing a Federal System for governance, and they have the audacity to expect the Majlis to pass it ( which the Majlis most probably will), when the Constitution quite clearly, and specifically says that the Republic of Maldives is a Unitary State. The justification? The President says that the “people” voted for his manifesto, and therefore it is the will of the “people”.
The President has publicly announced that if he is to carry out his “promises” to the people , the people must give a majority to his Party in the Majlis elections! I am sure that this does not constitute an attempt at influencing the elections.
The Majlis Standing orders are breached everyday because “we have to get these things done quickly”, and therefore let us rubber stamp the Executive’s wishes!
Oh! My God! I had better stop here. I have already committed sacrilege and blasphemy as per the New Religion. It is still early days, and I must give them time. Time to do things properly (or to twist everything up and consolidate power so that it cannot be undone?)
Blimey, here I go again…..but dammit, someone has to say it. Everyone seem to be so bloody starry eyed they can’t see the forest for the trees.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Living Years
It was with deep sorrow that I heard of President Nasir’s passing away last night. I was sad for many reasons. First and foremost is that President Nasir is someone that I had admired for a long time, and it is he, that I believe, is the person who laid the foundation for the “modern Maldives”. I have said this publicly on a number of occasions. Second is that as a nation, as a people, Maldivians have failed horribly to honour him appropriately. Third is that we never had the opportunity to benefit by his wisdom after he left the Office of the President. He was, and will always remain in the history books as a Great Maldivian, and one who was abandoned by his people in spite of all he had done for them.
One of the first thoughts that occurred to me after President Nasheed was sworn into office was to request him to invite President Nasir back to the country, and to bestow on him the honour that he deserved. President Nasir was, of course, quite ill by then. Nevertheless, the gesture would, I am sure, given him great happiness in his final days.
I hope that President Nasheed will consider restoring on President Nasir the titles of RBK, NGIV which were stripped off from him by the Qayyoom regime. Of course he still holds the title KCMG because the Queen of England never withdrew it from him.
That President Nasir has been brought back to the Maldives for the state burial he has earned should not be seen as an honour on him. Rather, we should be humble enough to admit with humility and gratitude that it is an honour for the country that he did not, in his will and testament leave instructions for him to be buried elsewhere. And we should be thankful to his family that they were gracious enough to allow him to be brought back here for burial, giving us a final chance to at least try to honour him in death.
When I heard news of his passing away, I was reminded of this song from Mike and the Mechanics. I hope that what has happened in the case of President Nasir will force us to re-evaluate our petty feelings towards events in history.
Every generation; Blames the one before; And all of their frustrations; Come beating on your door; I know that I’m a prisoner; To all my father held so dear; I know that I’m a hostage; To all his hopes and fears; I just wish I could have told him; in the living years. Crumpled bits of paper; Filled with imperfect thought; Stilted conversations; I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got; You say you just don’t see it; He says its perfect sense; You just can’t get agreement; In this present tense; We all talk a different language; Talking in defence.
Say it loud, say it clear; You can listen as well as you hear; It’s too late when we die; To admit we don’t see eye to eye; So we open up a quarrel; Between the present and the past; We only sacrifice the future; Its the bitterness that lasts. So don’t yield to the fortunes; You sometimes see as fate; It may have a new perspective; On a different day. And if you don’t give up, and don’t give in; You may just be o.k. Say it loud, say it clear. You can listen as well as you hear. It’s too late ; when we die; To admit we don’t see eye to eye.
I wasn’t there that morning; When my father passed away. I didn’t get to tell him; All the things I had to say. I think I caught his spirit; Later that same year. I’m sure I heard his echo; In my baby’s new born tears. I just wish I could have told him in the living years. Say it loud, say it clear. You can listen as well as you hear. It’s too late when we die. To admit we don’t see eye to eye .
May Allah grant President Nasir rest in his grave, and may Allah forgive him his sins, and may Allah grant him a place in Heaven.
One of the first thoughts that occurred to me after President Nasheed was sworn into office was to request him to invite President Nasir back to the country, and to bestow on him the honour that he deserved. President Nasir was, of course, quite ill by then. Nevertheless, the gesture would, I am sure, given him great happiness in his final days.
I hope that President Nasheed will consider restoring on President Nasir the titles of RBK, NGIV which were stripped off from him by the Qayyoom regime. Of course he still holds the title KCMG because the Queen of England never withdrew it from him.
That President Nasir has been brought back to the Maldives for the state burial he has earned should not be seen as an honour on him. Rather, we should be humble enough to admit with humility and gratitude that it is an honour for the country that he did not, in his will and testament leave instructions for him to be buried elsewhere. And we should be thankful to his family that they were gracious enough to allow him to be brought back here for burial, giving us a final chance to at least try to honour him in death.
When I heard news of his passing away, I was reminded of this song from Mike and the Mechanics. I hope that what has happened in the case of President Nasir will force us to re-evaluate our petty feelings towards events in history.
Every generation; Blames the one before; And all of their frustrations; Come beating on your door; I know that I’m a prisoner; To all my father held so dear; I know that I’m a hostage; To all his hopes and fears; I just wish I could have told him; in the living years. Crumpled bits of paper; Filled with imperfect thought; Stilted conversations; I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got; You say you just don’t see it; He says its perfect sense; You just can’t get agreement; In this present tense; We all talk a different language; Talking in defence.
Say it loud, say it clear; You can listen as well as you hear; It’s too late when we die; To admit we don’t see eye to eye; So we open up a quarrel; Between the present and the past; We only sacrifice the future; Its the bitterness that lasts. So don’t yield to the fortunes; You sometimes see as fate; It may have a new perspective; On a different day. And if you don’t give up, and don’t give in; You may just be o.k. Say it loud, say it clear. You can listen as well as you hear. It’s too late ; when we die; To admit we don’t see eye to eye.
I wasn’t there that morning; When my father passed away. I didn’t get to tell him; All the things I had to say. I think I caught his spirit; Later that same year. I’m sure I heard his echo; In my baby’s new born tears. I just wish I could have told him in the living years. Say it loud, say it clear. You can listen as well as you hear. It’s too late when we die. To admit we don’t see eye to eye .
May Allah grant President Nasir rest in his grave, and may Allah forgive him his sins, and may Allah grant him a place in Heaven.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Power Pendulum
I had a discussion on the state of affairs in our country with a learned friend the other day. A rare luxury for me these days it is, to engage in academic discourse, devoid of politics. Rarer still is the opportunity for me to engage in conversation with someone who does not have political interests. Hence it was a most refreshing hour and a half for me, just to have a cup of coffee, in a quiet setting, discussing potential opportunities and pitfalls for our country, with someone who had no political interests. Something which my friend said has prompted me to write this Post.
The late Twentieth Century has seen a shifting of power in the world, both in the international arena, as well as in the domestic contexts of nations. The fall of the Soviet Union has triggered a whole series of events in the entire world, the consequences of which are still being played out. Much of the inter-relationships of events and consequences are too profound for me to dwell on. Nevertheless, one thing is obvious : the world order is changing very rapidly.
The immediate “flow on” from the fall of the Soviet Union could be seen in the Eastern and Central European countries. An increased push for the exercising of the people’s will in these countries was most palpable. All these culminated in the “various coloured” revolutions and movements. Sequentially, we could see this wave spreading to the New World and Greater Asia and down to the tiny archipelagic nation in South Asia. Finally, the people of the world, the downtrodden, enslaved, disempowered people of the world were slowly awakening to reality. The hegemony which had controlled the masses of the world was slowly being broken. Human Rights and Democracy were quickly becoming synonymous with bread, butter, rice, curry and even water in many households. Is the New World Order gathering momentum?
If one reviews what has happened, is happening, in Burma, Georgia, the Ukraine, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Cuba, Tibet, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, and many other nations in transition to democracy, one may observe one common factor which is driving the dynamics of social aspirations in these countries. It is a rebellion by the people against tyranny, injustice and disempowerment. However, it can easily be argued that while this rebellion has surfaced strongly, the very people who aspire to “something different” may not be awfully clear as to what constitutes the “something different”. As a result, the term democracy now has almost as many meanings and definitions as the number of people who aspire to “something different”.
If one translates these simple aspirations of people into academic language, they want Democracy. They want a system where Government has the power to execute policy for the public good, where the public good is determined by their representatives, and their representatives to act as watch dog over the government. They also want a justice system which is free from bias and undue influence. Together, and in concert, these three powers of the state have to perform to provide the checks and balances which will protect the people from tyranny. Tyranny of the executive, tyranny of the majority in the Legislature and tyranny of authoritarian judges. Excesses from the one will have to be curbed by the other two.
Depending on the socio-political scenario in a country, the pendulum of power shifts slightly from one to the other at times. However, if the shift exceeds the tolerance levels of the system taken as a whole, the system could easily crash. Look at the cases of Pakistan and Thailand. Power has shifted from the Executive to the Judiciary to the Legislature in excessive fashion at various points in time, and the system balance was upset every time. When the three branches of the state fail to balance each other, a fourth power has to intervene, or the space for a fourth power intervention is created and such intervention can easily be justified. This fourth power invariably becomes the military. The cases of Pakistan and Thailand illustrate this amply. The result is disastrous and often quite difficult to reverse. Because power corrupts, and the military is the strongest power. When the strongest power is corrupted, what can anyone do?
Something which has been weighing on my mind is the history and status quo in the Maldives. The Maldivian society still has a strong element of feudalism in it. Except for a brief period during Kilegefanu’s Prime Ministership, and Nasir's Presidency, the country has never even seen a semblance of the rule of law. The last thirty years has left almost indelible marks of an authoritarian executive. The Legislature and the Judiciary were almost non-existent. The Reform Movement has shifted some power to the Legislature. It looks like the next Parliamentary election may bring about even stronger power to the Parliament. However, judging by the way things are going now, I would make a tentative prediction that if MDP wins a majority in Parliament, we will start seeing a weakened Parliament again with too much influence of the President creeping back into Parliament. The Judiciary is extremely weak. Public expectation for good governance is at an all time high. If the Judiciary is not strengthened rapidly and proper independence is not accorded to it, the Pendulum of Power may shift back and forth for a while and settle on one or the other, out of tolerance range again.
The big question is, will the military move in then?
The late Twentieth Century has seen a shifting of power in the world, both in the international arena, as well as in the domestic contexts of nations. The fall of the Soviet Union has triggered a whole series of events in the entire world, the consequences of which are still being played out. Much of the inter-relationships of events and consequences are too profound for me to dwell on. Nevertheless, one thing is obvious : the world order is changing very rapidly.
The immediate “flow on” from the fall of the Soviet Union could be seen in the Eastern and Central European countries. An increased push for the exercising of the people’s will in these countries was most palpable. All these culminated in the “various coloured” revolutions and movements. Sequentially, we could see this wave spreading to the New World and Greater Asia and down to the tiny archipelagic nation in South Asia. Finally, the people of the world, the downtrodden, enslaved, disempowered people of the world were slowly awakening to reality. The hegemony which had controlled the masses of the world was slowly being broken. Human Rights and Democracy were quickly becoming synonymous with bread, butter, rice, curry and even water in many households. Is the New World Order gathering momentum?
If one reviews what has happened, is happening, in Burma, Georgia, the Ukraine, Thailand, Pakistan, Mexico, Cuba, Tibet, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, and many other nations in transition to democracy, one may observe one common factor which is driving the dynamics of social aspirations in these countries. It is a rebellion by the people against tyranny, injustice and disempowerment. However, it can easily be argued that while this rebellion has surfaced strongly, the very people who aspire to “something different” may not be awfully clear as to what constitutes the “something different”. As a result, the term democracy now has almost as many meanings and definitions as the number of people who aspire to “something different”.
If one translates these simple aspirations of people into academic language, they want Democracy. They want a system where Government has the power to execute policy for the public good, where the public good is determined by their representatives, and their representatives to act as watch dog over the government. They also want a justice system which is free from bias and undue influence. Together, and in concert, these three powers of the state have to perform to provide the checks and balances which will protect the people from tyranny. Tyranny of the executive, tyranny of the majority in the Legislature and tyranny of authoritarian judges. Excesses from the one will have to be curbed by the other two.
Depending on the socio-political scenario in a country, the pendulum of power shifts slightly from one to the other at times. However, if the shift exceeds the tolerance levels of the system taken as a whole, the system could easily crash. Look at the cases of Pakistan and Thailand. Power has shifted from the Executive to the Judiciary to the Legislature in excessive fashion at various points in time, and the system balance was upset every time. When the three branches of the state fail to balance each other, a fourth power has to intervene, or the space for a fourth power intervention is created and such intervention can easily be justified. This fourth power invariably becomes the military. The cases of Pakistan and Thailand illustrate this amply. The result is disastrous and often quite difficult to reverse. Because power corrupts, and the military is the strongest power. When the strongest power is corrupted, what can anyone do?
Something which has been weighing on my mind is the history and status quo in the Maldives. The Maldivian society still has a strong element of feudalism in it. Except for a brief period during Kilegefanu’s Prime Ministership, and Nasir's Presidency, the country has never even seen a semblance of the rule of law. The last thirty years has left almost indelible marks of an authoritarian executive. The Legislature and the Judiciary were almost non-existent. The Reform Movement has shifted some power to the Legislature. It looks like the next Parliamentary election may bring about even stronger power to the Parliament. However, judging by the way things are going now, I would make a tentative prediction that if MDP wins a majority in Parliament, we will start seeing a weakened Parliament again with too much influence of the President creeping back into Parliament. The Judiciary is extremely weak. Public expectation for good governance is at an all time high. If the Judiciary is not strengthened rapidly and proper independence is not accorded to it, the Pendulum of Power may shift back and forth for a while and settle on one or the other, out of tolerance range again.
The big question is, will the military move in then?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The King, The Cat and Rats
Once there lived a King who was extremely scared of Rats. His Palace was infested with the vermin and every time he ventured into the garden he saw these Rats running around and he had to run indoors. Try as he might, he could not rid the Palace of these Rats. Finally, one of his Ministers advised him to employ a Cat to keep the Rats away from him.
He employed a Cat to go wherever he went, and the Cat would snarl at any Rat in sight, and the frightened Rats would runaway. The King was mightily pleased with his new employee and the Cat was given preferential treatment throughout the Palace.
Years went by, and the Cat was growing old. He decided it was time for him to retire, so he went to the King and said the to the King that he wished to retire as he was getting old. The King was a bit upset as he knew that with the Cat out of sight, the Rats would be back to plague him. The Cat then said to the King that he need not worry, as he had a son who was young and energetic and would serve the King well if he employed the Cat’s son. The King agreed, and retired the Old Cat and employed the Young Cat.
The Young Cat started off well, and very soon, he wanted to please his Master even more. He came up with a brilliant idea. Why not chase all the Rats even when the King was not around, and kill all the Rats? That way he would have more time to enjoy his position in the Palace, and the King would be pleased with his vigour and ingenuity. So he went about his task and before long, not a Rat was to be seen in the Palace grounds. The King was very pleased with the Young Cat and praised him and rewarded him.
After some time, the King decided to terminate the Young Cat from his employment because he had no job to attend to as there were no more Rats. The Young Cat was heart broken and went whimpering to his Father and complained about how ungrateful the King was. The Old Cat sighed and said, “Son, don’t you think that I could have killed all the Rats just as easily as you have? Let this be a lesson for you.”
He employed a Cat to go wherever he went, and the Cat would snarl at any Rat in sight, and the frightened Rats would runaway. The King was mightily pleased with his new employee and the Cat was given preferential treatment throughout the Palace.
Years went by, and the Cat was growing old. He decided it was time for him to retire, so he went to the King and said the to the King that he wished to retire as he was getting old. The King was a bit upset as he knew that with the Cat out of sight, the Rats would be back to plague him. The Cat then said to the King that he need not worry, as he had a son who was young and energetic and would serve the King well if he employed the Cat’s son. The King agreed, and retired the Old Cat and employed the Young Cat.
The Young Cat started off well, and very soon, he wanted to please his Master even more. He came up with a brilliant idea. Why not chase all the Rats even when the King was not around, and kill all the Rats? That way he would have more time to enjoy his position in the Palace, and the King would be pleased with his vigour and ingenuity. So he went about his task and before long, not a Rat was to be seen in the Palace grounds. The King was very pleased with the Young Cat and praised him and rewarded him.
After some time, the King decided to terminate the Young Cat from his employment because he had no job to attend to as there were no more Rats. The Young Cat was heart broken and went whimpering to his Father and complained about how ungrateful the King was. The Old Cat sighed and said, “Son, don’t you think that I could have killed all the Rats just as easily as you have? Let this be a lesson for you.”
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Shaneedh
On the 28th of October 2008, the Maldivian people have unequivocally stated their desire for change in this country. Most of the people who voted for Anni probably did not consider what Aneh Dhivehiraajje may look like. While there were five issues proposed in the election by Anni, there really was no comprehensive set of policies on the election agenda. I believe people just wanted a change of government. This was for the simple reason that they had trusted Qayyoom for 30 years and he was not able to make a difference in their lives. Of course, the level of depravity of DRP which was evident in the media in the final few days before voting clinched the deal for change. ANYTHING different from Qayyoom-rule was preferred by most voters.
The last week of campaigning confirmed for me what the result was most likely to be. However, it also made evident that Qayyoom was not prepared to step down whatever the cost. I was expecting turmoil in the country and bloodshed any minute. But by the Grace of Allah, we have been spared from it to a large degree as of now.
While we might like to claim that we achieved change without bloodshed, this claim would be an injustice to the families of the number of innocent victims who lost their lives due to political maneuverings. It all started with the life of Evan Naseem and others who lost their lives in jail. Then came the life of an innocent 14 year old who was killed by a group who came out of a DRP meeting (no one even remembers now that this kid was killed). This violence quickly spread to numerous incidences of violence with cutters, knives, clubs, iron bars…you name it and it was used against people in violence. All these were very quickly dismissed as “gang violence” and “paatey fights”. This was of course, a myth created and sustained by the government. If there was no government involvement in these incidents, why were, why are, the perpetrators still at large?
The last in this series of political violence was another innocent young boy who lost his life. A young lad who did not have an inkling about his destined role in this ruthless game. I wonder what was going through his mind as he set out to distribute those Wathan Edhey Gothah CDs? Was he thinking about a bright future for him and others of his age? Was he wondering about what Aneh Dhivehiraajje would look like? Or maybe he was hoping that he might at least get some decent housing with a new government in place? I suppose we will never know. Ever since I heard the news of his death, I have asked myself a thousand times : what were his final thoughts? Hope? Agony? Despair? Hopelessness?
Ironically, this lad was also attacked by a group who came out of a DRP gathering. The demise and downfall of an authoritarian regime, sandwiched between the violent deaths of two innocent 15 year olds? Life can be so twisted sometimes.
Question is, if people have gone to such lengths over a four year period to deter change and to protect the regime, is there any limit to what the same people will do to hang on to the final threads? In our moment of seeming victory, we may be tempted to turn a blind eye to reality. I have been observing the unfolding drama of Qayyoom and DRP over the past few days, and it is very clear where that drama is leading us. They may say that they have accepted defeat, but their actions and the sequence of events, the sms messages that are being floated around, the rumours that are being spread, reveal a carefully choreographed series of events and activities which is setting the stage for the ultimate denial of election results. If key people in the contingent leave town one after the other in quick succession, that will be the final signal of what is to come.
It is not unusual for the end of these kinds of regimes to be associated with violence. The reason is that the regime gets into a vicious cycle. The have to hang on to power at any cost to prevent negative consequences of actions within the regime. In order to hang on to power, more atrocities have to be committed and so it goes on and on and on. Nelson Mandela broke South Africa out of this cycle by his famous Truth and Reconciliation Council. But maybe, for the Maldives, this may not be an alternative; simply because the community is too small to absorb these kinds of things without ostracisation coming about.
Freedom in most nations has come with a cost. We have already paid heavily for the freedom we have got so far. The final breakaway from servitude will definitely invoke further costs, but I fervently hope that it will not be in the form of further bloodshed, damage to property and a general loss in the sense of security of the Maldivian people.
May Allah protect us all, and may he pardon the sins of Shaneedh and all others who have been the unknowing sacrificial lambs in this unholy ceremony of power transfer. May Allah grant them a place in heaven.
Rest in Peace, Shaneedh, my son. Rest in Peace. How I weep for you and all the others who have been brutally murdered to pacify the wrath of selfishness.
The last week of campaigning confirmed for me what the result was most likely to be. However, it also made evident that Qayyoom was not prepared to step down whatever the cost. I was expecting turmoil in the country and bloodshed any minute. But by the Grace of Allah, we have been spared from it to a large degree as of now.
While we might like to claim that we achieved change without bloodshed, this claim would be an injustice to the families of the number of innocent victims who lost their lives due to political maneuverings. It all started with the life of Evan Naseem and others who lost their lives in jail. Then came the life of an innocent 14 year old who was killed by a group who came out of a DRP meeting (no one even remembers now that this kid was killed). This violence quickly spread to numerous incidences of violence with cutters, knives, clubs, iron bars…you name it and it was used against people in violence. All these were very quickly dismissed as “gang violence” and “paatey fights”. This was of course, a myth created and sustained by the government. If there was no government involvement in these incidents, why were, why are, the perpetrators still at large?
The last in this series of political violence was another innocent young boy who lost his life. A young lad who did not have an inkling about his destined role in this ruthless game. I wonder what was going through his mind as he set out to distribute those Wathan Edhey Gothah CDs? Was he thinking about a bright future for him and others of his age? Was he wondering about what Aneh Dhivehiraajje would look like? Or maybe he was hoping that he might at least get some decent housing with a new government in place? I suppose we will never know. Ever since I heard the news of his death, I have asked myself a thousand times : what were his final thoughts? Hope? Agony? Despair? Hopelessness?
Ironically, this lad was also attacked by a group who came out of a DRP gathering. The demise and downfall of an authoritarian regime, sandwiched between the violent deaths of two innocent 15 year olds? Life can be so twisted sometimes.
Question is, if people have gone to such lengths over a four year period to deter change and to protect the regime, is there any limit to what the same people will do to hang on to the final threads? In our moment of seeming victory, we may be tempted to turn a blind eye to reality. I have been observing the unfolding drama of Qayyoom and DRP over the past few days, and it is very clear where that drama is leading us. They may say that they have accepted defeat, but their actions and the sequence of events, the sms messages that are being floated around, the rumours that are being spread, reveal a carefully choreographed series of events and activities which is setting the stage for the ultimate denial of election results. If key people in the contingent leave town one after the other in quick succession, that will be the final signal of what is to come.
It is not unusual for the end of these kinds of regimes to be associated with violence. The reason is that the regime gets into a vicious cycle. The have to hang on to power at any cost to prevent negative consequences of actions within the regime. In order to hang on to power, more atrocities have to be committed and so it goes on and on and on. Nelson Mandela broke South Africa out of this cycle by his famous Truth and Reconciliation Council. But maybe, for the Maldives, this may not be an alternative; simply because the community is too small to absorb these kinds of things without ostracisation coming about.
Freedom in most nations has come with a cost. We have already paid heavily for the freedom we have got so far. The final breakaway from servitude will definitely invoke further costs, but I fervently hope that it will not be in the form of further bloodshed, damage to property and a general loss in the sense of security of the Maldivian people.
May Allah protect us all, and may he pardon the sins of Shaneedh and all others who have been the unknowing sacrificial lambs in this unholy ceremony of power transfer. May Allah grant them a place in heaven.
Rest in Peace, Shaneedh, my son. Rest in Peace. How I weep for you and all the others who have been brutally murdered to pacify the wrath of selfishness.
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