After 4 years of struggle for Reform in the country, we finally managed to bring about a regime change. Unfortunately, along with the change in government, many seem to have lost sight of what we set out to do : Reforming the country. We have become complacent again. I have said this before many times, and I say it again, deposing Qayyoom was not a panacea. The real work has to begin, before the new government and its supporters succumb totally to the head rush and ecstasy of power and privilege. History is rife with these examples.
The honeymoon is nearly over, President Nasheed. Time to face real life again. For a government which came into power on a platform of reform, the honeymoon can’t be too long. We have to start seeing some real Reform. Reform in Governance.
Continuous bashing of the previous government as an excuse to veil non-performance is wearing thin. As Bob Marley said, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” We can’t expect the “getting-rid-of-Qayyoom-panacea” to be replaced by “the-five-promises-on-a-bed-of-roses-panacea”. Our society is cracking, has cracked, and we better do something quick before it disintegrates totally.
The economy is worrying. But there are more important things than even the economy. We live in a society which is headed towards a systems break. All the signs of this are there to be seen, only if we care to look in the right direction. Trends in the political arena are driving wedges (thick ones at that) into the cracks and festering the wounds. Unless we quickly take steps, however bitter they may be, to get the public to believe in the system and establish credibility in institutions, the situation looks to worsen.
That senior State Officials would declare blatantly on public television that the government has no intention to follow the Constitution says it all. That particular gentleman appears to believe that the last Presidential Election was a public referendum on whether the Constitution should be replaced by the Five Promises! Oh! God! I wonder what Thy Wisdom was when Thou placed comics amongst us.
After all, maniacs find relief in their lunacy. It gives them the opportunity to reject reality and live in a world of make believe. A world where 50 translates to 12.
I am with you on this. You're a leader. Use us for your needs. Tell me what research I can do, articles I can write, models I need to give you, etc. Make a framework for reform, compartmentalize the work, and issue openings to us and we will perform for you.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Still there seems not much of solid action in the present government. Changing the name of Presidential Palace to residence of President is no different than the change of health posts to health centers or hospitals in the previous regime.
ReplyDeleteif the Maldivian politics has taught you nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that only 1000 people of the whole Maldivian voting population is sane
ReplyDeleteAs someone who voted for change for the better, I am very concerned about the direction the country is headed.. I had thought following Gayyoom's fall the new government, notwithstanding the immense challenges it faces, would set very high standards of itself and work towards nation building.. Instead, I see a president who is only obsessed with consolidation of power..
ReplyDeleteThe cracks are being ignored by everyone in the government. if they have there way you will loose your seat and your voice of dissent will be muted.You are campaigning silently, maria is loud and has the whole mdp and government machinery behind her.You are running in a country where people vote not by there achievements but by whom they know. The president and every other con in male' are backing mdp. You better get off your ass and start moving or get your yellow shirt ironed.
ReplyDeleteYou are making a good point in this post Ibra our society is at it breaking point. These festering social problems in a society of bigotry, is just alarming. The real problems are not identified. Quick awareness and educational projects for the population as a whole is needed. I am not talking bout the youth alone here. Corruption still rampant this is a crazy society.
ReplyDeleteWhy are the Maldivians still find it hard to acknowledge the dire situation we are in.
agree with 7.25
ReplyDeleteyou need to do more campaining. the sane voting pop is only 1 percent. the rest dont know what they are doing. voting for mdp this time is first step for a third dictatorship. voting drp and PA is not an option. the only viable options are people like you, kutti, hassan saeed and real independants. so get going. have a real webiste. list bills submited by you to majlis and list what you plan. please.
People are anxious, I mean, sanity depends literally on social predictability, on some sort of stability and repetition of life events. As has been noted, not only in Maldives but all over social stability, or social security seems a fantasy, in fact it is a fantasy, their is nothing that does not fade away, no security, no earthly hope is forever.
ReplyDeleteAnxiety is the base of addiction, of agression, of narcissism, in fact of most psychological disorders including depression, and what do people do when they are insecure? They become needy and become deeply aggressive in an attemt to regain control, but it is never stable control and the will to control becomes more overwhelming and all consuming.
What Maldives is going through is probably not unique but as Maldives is such a small, tight knit community everything, politics, society, seems much more personal to most and therefore much more magnified. Because, we are not just talking about the President, who is some guy you only ever saw on t.v., we are talking about the guy my brother went to school with who is actually my fourth cousin from this family etc... it is all sort of personal. And when we talk about Maumoon, he's not just the ex President he's the guy who put my cousin in jail and etc... etc...
In a way, some tell me, if Anni did just override the constitution and become a dictator, well if their was a dictator at least predictability may be restored and many could be secure existentially.
No this will never happen, even if Anni wanted, the taste of power has been had by too many and Anni would not be able to have absolute power even if he wanted, which he doesn't I don't think.
Where their is power their is resistance, said Foucault, and this is especially so amongst the Dhivehin, he also said, well he would have said that I am sure were he alive and critiquing the Maldives today.
Solution?
Well, I believe Ibra's vision of providing training and education, workers rights will help provide hope and stability for the economic security of all and that will be a great help.
Only Allah will never perish, so, if you want security, begin praying, not fanatically, but stably. If you never pray except on Eid, maybe jusy beging by praying Fajr and Iishaa (early morning and beofre bed time)
I know that as this is a political blog it would be more appropriate to be offering secular solutions to these problems on your forum, Ibra, but in a broad sense I think spirituality is a necessity in developing security in these times and the separation between religion and politics is something some Maldivians have not yet come to terms with as for so long Maumoon's mai role was as Imam and before that a Sultan ruled by divine decree.
And I agree, this forum is probably not the place for religious solutions, so I will offer this opinion for securing Maldives economically and politically...
I think that the fishermen should get a greater profit margin, I think that eco or cultural tourism has to be brought in but that religious violence has to be rooted out and no alcohol should be allowed (the religious could see it as an opportunity for Da'wa to Westerners, for showing the beauty of Islam that would take away the incentive to attack non-Muslims), i think, that decentralisation has to be pursued in conjunction with more agricultural produce in Maldives (the unemployed could become goat farmers on some islands for goats milk for example) and I think that enough agriculture has to be their so that everyone can and must work!
Politically, i favour a semi-presidential constitution where their is proportional representatuion in the Majlis but agreement is forced by the threat that Majlis can be dissolved in case of gridlock. With the constitution the way it is, like the US parliament, I foresee gridlock galore with 13 parties and a million opinions.
But, as it is too late to revamp the constitution, at least it would be too much at this stage, I suggest that the social liberal party, MDP, Quamee and Jumhoree work damn hard to shut PA and DRP out of parliament so their is constructive dissent and opposition not destructive opposition.
Abdul-Rahman
I think we Maldivians get what we voted for.. the lesser of the two evils...whether to stick with a 30 year regime.. or start over with a new one that with every passing day seems more like the old one in a new suit.. Our country is headed towards disaster, first.. socially.. politically, economically..
ReplyDeleteAnd the excuse of "Maumoon used to do it worse" is just starting to get really old.. but I guess when we vote for "marginal change" that's what we get...
Being in the right moment of history doesnt make one a great leader.... that's exactly what Anni was... if not you Ibra would have been the President...
@Abdul Rahman :
ReplyDeleteIn general, I agree with you on many points...and...I believe that politics should not be based on religious belief, but I believe that politicians should engage in spirituality and spiritual experience...and yes...Doing your prayers does have earthly benefits in the calm that it brings to highly vexed souls in addition to the benefits in the hereafter.
@Athifa :
Very astute indeed. However, no point in wallowing in wishful thinking. Time to do something concrete. Let us save what we can of this nation.
Abdul-Rahman - Isn’t your “secular solution” for “securing Maldives economically and politically” a little too paradoxical? You are advocating for the introduction of “eco or cultural tourism” to create “an opportunity” for the religious elements in the society to engage in “Da'wa to Westerners”. Aren’t you sort of talking about exacerbating an already intractable situation? ;-)
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteJust to correct you; President Abraham Lincoln said "You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time" Bob Marley just repeated him.
You are right, Naimbe', ARe you THE GREAT ARTIST NAIMBE' (who once started an art school with Naushad before he was arrested etc...? or another Naimbe?'
ReplyDeleteactually in response to your query I was just responding to an article on minivan news which spoke about ecotourism representing hope, equity etc... One of the critiques of it was, would islanders accept westerners seems westerners might drink or spread anti-Islamic behaviour? I was just trying to figure out a way to counter that criticism of the concept as it really did seems like a positive concept for Dhivehi pride and equity spreading so surplus from tourism would be more evenly distributed. Actually it was more my way of trying to counter argue the religious objection to what I felt may be a good idea, but certainly it is a very old idea. Abdul-Rahman
Naimbe', I read what I wrote and I realize I have explained myself poorly, sorry. By the way, I have since realized you are another Naimbe' to the great Artist Naimbe' whose pictures of Maldivian life capture the beauty and grace of Maldivian simplicity. He is, the artist, a very great soul and as you share the same name as him though you are not him I like you for your name's sake.
ReplyDeleteSo, what I meant was, ok, there is this idea of Maldives going into eco-tourism, it was on minivannews a few weeks ago, or was it last week or this week anyway one of the objections was that the religious may fight against the westerners, you know, be unwelcoming toward the wetserners and make Islam look ugly, hate filled. So, what I was saying was to the religious, I was saying, do not scare the westerners off, do not fight them and make islam look racist, hostile and violent, why can't you welcome the westerners as an opportunity to show Islam is merciful, gracious, beautiful. I was trying to eradicate the threat of religious extremism, I was trying to promote the true, merciful islam so as to eradicate hostile Islam, and I was trying to convince the religious not to ruin a potentially good plan for equity and empowerement of the islanders through hatred by turning it around to see it as an opportunity. So, you see, I was attempting to lessen extremism, not increase it.
I have had a heck of a lot on my plate lately I am finding it hard to write clearly, but what I am trying to convey is or may be an imporetant point if only I could get some help expressing it clearly. Abdul-Rahma
@James:
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I first heard the quote in a Bob Marley song, and it had stuck with me as such. But later I read it was an American President who said it. I am not sure whether it was Lincoln or some other President.
When I wrote the Post, it slipped my mind. Sorry for that slip, guys.
Your are right and I can't agree more with you! People voted for change, a better change. But I still don't see any signs of a better change. It's not the five pledges we voted but the improved system of governance that was portrayed during the election campaign - that the powers of the state will be separated in action not in writing, state media will be freed and converted into a public service broadcaster not a state controlled media in the guise of a public service broadcaster, etc...
ReplyDeleteAbdul-Rahman,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like my harmless passing remark on your comment awakened a Sherlock Holmes in you. I’m sorry to disappoint you with my identity. Of course, I’m not “the great artist Naimbe”. And as a matter of fact any vestige of my childhood fantasy of greatness being thrust upon me has long dissipated :-D. So, there’s definitely no need for you to be intimidated or overly concerned about my identity. I am a very average man, thinking and talking about very average things. “Great”, by the way, when used in association with a word like “artist” could be very misleading. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to upset the ghosts of Monet, Rembrandt, Van Goh or Picasso ;-)
Dhivehi pride, critiques, arguments and counterarguments on the perception and outlook of Islam and its dynamics on this highly ‘sophisticated’ Dhivehi society are topics beyond the reach of ordinary men like me :-D. Anyway, thanks for attempting to explain your argument. Salaams
you know ibra, I am glad you wrote on this topic. Specially about the worrying state of the economy.
ReplyDeleteMy humble request to you is to ask below mentioned questions to our business tycoon's who are currently campaigning in this Election.
1- If they care so much about the poor citizen's of this country, then why are they spending all their time campaigning for this election than on their business (it is no secret our economy is in a crisis and we need all our businessmen totally focused on ways to navigate us through this crisis)
2 - If they care so much about the people why do they not show the same care to their employees?, after all they are also citizen of this country. I heard many of the business tycoons are actually withholding some employee benefits to utilize these funds for their campaigns
2 - If they care so much about the people, why are they not setting pension funds, profit-sharing schemes and other bonus schemes for their employees? (This i believe is something that can definitely help to improve the situation of majority of the Average maldivians.)
I am so looking forward to see someone confront these business people with above questions , who seems to be finding it difficult to "keep their legs close together" to HELP the poor/neglected/ citizens of this country.