THIS POST IS WRITTEN ONLY FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT ME IN MY BID TO WIN THE MACHCHANGOLHI UTHURU SEAT.
I formally launched my campaign for Machchangolhi Uthuru seat this evening. When I went there, I went with mixed feelings and some degree of uneasiness as I did not know what kind of reaction to expect. After all, this is increasingly becoming a highly charged election and emotions are starting to ride high.
However, I was pleasantly surprised at the warm and genuine reception I received from the crowd of 200 or 300 people who gathered on Chandhanee Magu. I could feel the sincerity with which I was received. The people who greeted me were simple folk, and almost all of them were from the area. About 90% of those who turned out were eligible voters for the constituency. It gave me a sense of schievement as I could see from the interactions I had with them that they came there to greet me because they truly acknowledged the work I had done both in the Majlis and outside for Reform in the country. Many of them volunteered to work for my campaign, which was most heartening. When I shook hands with them, and saw the genuineness of their feelings, my confidence in being able to win this seat against all the political forces acting against me grew.
So for all readers of my blog who have supported me in my work, and more specifically those who support me for a seat in the Majlis, I have to say this : For the next 20 or so days, I need your help. You may not be eligible to vote in this constituency, but I am sure there is something that everyone of you could do; from a prayer to contacting people you know in the constituency, or if you are in Male', just drop into my office, as there is plenty to do. Hope to hear from you.
Its more like a full-out gang war than an election;- the prize is big, too. But here's hoping you do better than last time. Good luck!.
ReplyDeletePS: When I read your article title, I thought of the Beatles.
keep up:) gud luck
ReplyDeletei never thought ibra will lie.
ReplyDeletebut when you said if MDP gets a majority, 3 powers will become one...you clearly lied.
how can a majority in parliament have an effect on the justice system and the independent commisions?? any change in these institutions need 2/3rd majority to pass.
its all politics, isnt it?? all politicians lie...
Sadly, I can't come back to Maldives till way after elections but I will try contact as many ppl as possible and tell them to go to see you, vote for you etc... Abdul-Rahman
ReplyDeleteGood Luck.
ReplyDeleteI am a supporter of you and appreciate of the work you do at Majilis.I felt very sad and questioned myself about the reason why you have not voted to accept the decentralization (laamarukazee) bill forwarded by government. Even if the bill is not sound and have loopholes we believe its one of the most important bill that should be accepted by majilis and make necessary amendments and should passed soon. But we found DRP and PA members and some members like ShaheeD Zaki and Abdulla Jabit voted against the bill.It shows how the Majilis would be if DRP and PA got the majority of the parliament. I am sure they will not pass important bills that helps to fulfill the famous 05 promise of ruling MDP .Its really sad, anyway I will campaign to elect the parliament again. Hope you will be with us and work hard to save parliament from DRP/PA
ReplyDelete@adhu :
ReplyDeleteI am sorry if you think that way. I have not lied. Your understanding of what the constitution says is erroneous. To appoint Judges to the Supreme Court and and Independent Commissions does not require a 2/3 majority. A simple majority of those present and voting will do the job.
If Anni gets a majority in Parliament, he will get the opportunity to nominate judges, MDP simple majority will confirm them, and we will end up with an Anni as President, his majority in Parliament, and a Supreme Court appointed by him. If that does not mean the three powers will become one, I don't know what will. In addition, we will have a set of "independent" commissions, prosecutor general and auditor general appointed at his whim and fancy.
All state organs defined in the constitution will be dominated by the President. Do you really believe that is a good scenario for the country?
Btw, all judges to the Supreme Court will remain in office until they are 70 years of age, too. That is the scariest bit for me.
But of course, I am a politician, and therefore by default I must be a liar.
@Anonymous (Apr 17; 9:24) :
ReplyDeleteI did not vote against the bill. However, as I have repeatedly said, I am all for decentralization. But the bill presented by the government does not give power to the people. It puts people under the control of the government. For example, the bill gives power for the government to dissolve elected councils! DO you want me to approve a bill like that?
The government still controls the media. Don't believe everything you hear on the media. The bill has a lot of fundamentals which are not right. The whole bill has to be re-written, I believe.
Most importantly, the current Majlis still has 8 members appointed by the President, and there is only 20 days left in its life. I strongly believe we should wait until the new Majlis, which will have all elected members and no appointed members, is convened.
Don't worry. If I get elected, I will try my level best not let anyone dominate the Majlis. Have faith. We have seen worse times. We can see this one through too, Insha Allah.
thanx for clarifying that...i believe you said the truth then.
ReplyDeleteAssalaam Alakum .Hope you are doing well
ReplyDeleteI don’t think MDP will get the majority. By analyzing current political spectrum of the Maldives I could say DRP/PA will hold the majority of the parliament. You, Modi, Lhaviyani Ibu,Jesus Afeef.Kutti Nasheed.Gasim Ibrahim,Yameen, Jangiyaa Nazim,Thasmeen,Red Wave Saleem,Maseeh ,Ex-Minister Shahid,Yoosuf Naeem(DRP),Sun Travel Shiyam,ADK Nashid ,Jabir will get a seat in the parliament. I am a MDP member, even though I will vote to you, I believe you are more capable and sincere to the public We were expecting Maria and You may not contest same constituency. What we worry is what would happen if DRP/PA got the majority? We don’t want them to control the parliament after their 30 years of ruling.
I support you ibra, but sincierly I want to say.. Im a maldivian. but i dont understand english. not uneducated though .seriously.. plese post ur idias in dhivehi . atleas for one guy like me who cant understand this and suport you
ReplyDeleteIbra please dont give up, even if you dont win,people have brought huge revolutions without much of power, like no violent movement of Gandhi
ReplyDelete"The government still controls the media. Don't believe everything you hear on the media. The bill has a lot of fundamentals which are not right. The whole bill has to be re-written, I believe."
ReplyDeleteQFT. Thank you.
i had a dream about Anni last night that he is so stressed out to win that he no longer really cares about the ppl as much as he does his victory??? I wish to hell you had bcome the President Ibra.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly do you mean this post is written only for your supporters? Others should simply not read, visit or comment here? Is this the kind of democracy you promote? Zero tolerance to anything negative?
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteEven if MDP gets a majority they cant fire a judge. So I dont understand what you are talking about here? IF this is so undemocratic, so bad for the country, so guaranteed to mix all 3 powers of the state, why on earth did you guys write the constitution in such a way that the a sitting presidents party can be elected to have a majority in the parliament? Why do ALL the worlds democratic countries allow this, if it brings so much negative effect to its people? This is just politics. Nothing more, nothing less.
@JJ :
ReplyDeleteIf you read the Post carefully, you will notice this Post is a call for those who support me to help me in my campaign. Obviously those who don't support me will not. This Post does not express any view on a national issue. I don't see anything undemocratic in that.
@Anonymous (Apr 19, 6:15 pm) :
If you read the Constitution carefully, you will see that the current SUpreme Court will be dissolved automatically after the election, and judges will be appointed again on a permenant basis. This will be the only time all 5 judges will be appointed at once, and it does not require a 2/3 majority. ALL democratic countries don't do it. We are also doing it because this is the first time a SUpreme COurt is being established. AFter this, appointments will happen only when a judge retires, dies, or is impeached. It is unlikely that all five judges will retire or die or will be impeached all at once. Impeaching a judge is not easy, nor desirable. That is why it requires 2/3 majority to impeach a judge.
Seeing that you are really interested in what the constitution says, I suggest you read it thoroughly.
Yes, it is all politics if the President is seeking to contro the SUprme COurt.
Ibra,
ReplyDeletePlease allow me to repeat myself a bit more clearly:
IF this (giving a majority to a sitting presidents party in the parliament, in a presidential system) is so undemocratic, dangerous, so bad for the country, so guaranteed to mix all 3 powers of the state, why on Earth did the parliament (which includes you) wrote the constitution in such a way that the a sitting presidents party can have a majority in the parliament? Why, knowing all this, didnt you even try to propose a clause which would simply ban a sitting presidents party from running for parliament, because that would mix up all state powers? Why do ALL the worlds democratic countries allow this (a sitting presidents party to have a majority in the parliament, like they currently have in the USA) if it brings so much negative effect to its people?
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI am an avid reader of your blog, I tend to click the 'Agree' button at the bottom of the posts almost on every occasion, but this is my first comment.
My issue with your theory/argument, and to that of the DRP, QDP, etc, and correct me if I am wrong in this, is that it is NOT ILLEGAL. It is simply not illegal for an MDP majority to sit in Majlis, just like it is not illegal for an opposition majority in Parliament. No laws or regulations nor the constitution purport to prevent any such incidence from occuring. This seems to me to suggest that it is only INCIDENTAL (and if at all it will happen) that an MDP majority in Majlis may lead to the dissolution of seperation of powers. And if at all that will happen, that is simply UNDESIRABLE, and not preferrable. Not Illegal, just undesirable and not preferrable. Undesirable to whom? the opposition politicians. It is certainly desirable to ruling party because it will enable them inter alia to pass the necessary legislation to get their policies in action. Similarly an opposition led Majlis will have the opportunity to block or slow down the same process. But then again, I would seem to think that an MDP majority in Majlis would be undesirable to the oppositon, REGARDLESS of any issues of seperation of powers, or any other issues.
Consider this for a sec - Lets say if the MDP does not get a majority, and DRP-PA gets one - then they can get their cronies appointed to independent institutions, and the supreme court, who will still remain till they are 70. That is both ideal and desirable for DRP-PA, right? Scared? I know I am. Same way, if SLP had fielded enough candidates, and if they get a majority, same situation. Same with MDP or QDP, JP or the Islamists. What is ideal to the population at large would perhaps be no majority to one single party.
Now therefore, my question to you - if you were to further the interests of your party and garner support for your candidates and your goodself, wouldnt you simply promote them and campaign for them, rather than using this theory/argument that arguably amounts to anti-campaigning against the MDP, and is highly misleading to the voting public?
Regards, A Friend
@Anonymous (Apr 20, 12:50 am)
ReplyDelete@Szhu :
Since both of you are taking up similar issues, let me combine my reply.
It is not undemocratic for a sitting president to enjoy a majority in the Parliament. However, there are many factors which bear on this.
Firstly, in most mature democracies, MPs usually put national interest before party interest. There is strong internal democracy within parties so that the executive cannot control the Parliament (even with their majority) to the extent that state machinery can be used by the executive to ursurp fundamental rights and interfere in the judicial process. MPs will hold the executive from their own party accountable.
Our democracy is still budding, and we do not see this level of maturity in MPs or the executive. For example, if you have listened to the debates in the Majlis of recent, you will have noticed that many seasoned MPs and heavy weight MPs from MDP are continually arguing to pass government proposed bills and motions AS PROPOSED BY THE GOVT, without debate or amendment. During Question Time, government MPs are defending the government when they are in clear breach of the constitution. You see government MPs trying to silence opposition voices and dominate every single committee which is elected. These are early signs of undemocratic practices, which is exactly what Qayyoom was doing.
The current reaction against an MDP majority, I believe, stems from unhealed wounds of a long history of autocratic rule, and a lack of trust in the executive resulting from the executive's untimely bid to control all state machinery.
The next Majlis is going to be a unique Majlis in that it will be defining the legal framework for the new democracy, and I believe that rules of the game of politics should not be defined by one party. It should be designed with pluralistic views and through negotiation rather than through a party whipline which does not represent party grassroot views. Therefore, Yes, I am all in favour of a Majlis which does not have the majority of any one party, including the Liberal Party.
And, Szhu, let me put your fears at rest. Even if DRP/PA gets the majority, they can't put their cronies in independent institutions, because the Majlis can't propose names. The President will be proposing the names, and the Majlis will be confirming or rejecting. This is the CHECK AND BALANCE system we created in the Constitution.We will lose this critical CHECK with an MDP majority at an untimely moment. Yes, it is not illegal. But the public should decide how much of power can be given to the Government at a given moment in time.
The other misconception is about Majlis obstructing government policies. The Constitution gives all powers of policy to the President. The Majlis has no say in it. The Majlis will be simply checking on the government to ensure that the government does not step outside the law or is unfair in implementing policy.
My concern is not policy. Policy is between the President and the people. My concern is the many laws, particularly as relates to the judiciary, that has to be made.
If the Executive controls the Judiciary, what will a citizen do if his or her fundamental right or liberty is violated by the Government? Where will s/he go?
So, these issues are not as simple as some make out. They are rather complex, and most of our public are not informed enough about these things to make sound judgements. The public media or the government is certainly not doing much to inform the public on these issues. The civil society is silent, or don't have the opportunity to engage in public education. More's the pity.
Dear honorable MP,
ReplyDeleteI am not eligible to vote in your competing constituency and even though not for any constituency in Male' dhaaira. But I support you from the very first of your political career, as I found from you sincere and honesty to people.
I have seen you from the majilis and even from political ground as the people's man and hope you will remine same.
I am with you.. always...Good luck man
dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI fully sympathize with your views that if we have an MDP majority in parliament, we would be undoing what we have achieved during the fight for reform. I voted for you in the first round of presidential elections and for Anni in the second round.
the reason that we all voted to oust Gayoom and for change is that we didn't want an all powerful executive, pulling strings behind the scenes, flouting the legal systems to achieve its objectives. more and more, we are seeing Anni become the same person that he ousted. more and more we are seeing Anni deceive people and use false facades to promote "his democracy" to the people.
the idea supremacy of rule of law is not being promoted. rather, the trend is to bend and stretch laws as is convenient for the circumstance. this is what Gayoom did. he abused the system. in a sense, one can argue that he didn't do anything illegal, its the laws that allowed him to.
the Gayoom system was a system where CHECKS AND BALANCES didn't prevail. if we allow for one party majority in parliament, we will see Anni capable of doing what Gayoom did. he will control parliament and the courts. just like Gayoom.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI dont belong to any party. But this is something thats bugging me. Is the attorney general an independent person? Doesnt she belong to the cabinet?
good luck ibra
ReplyDeletemy vote is for u.
but u need to strenghten your campaign in our constituency. you need to reach out
regards
mohamed
@Anonymous (Apr 23; 12:55 am):
ReplyDeleteThe Attorney General is a member of the cabinet, but her role is specifically defined in the Constitution. She is an autonomous person, who has to follow the letter of the law, regardless of political ramifications. The President cannot ask her to interpret the law in any specific way which would be favourable to him. Of course the President is free to accept or reject her advise. If he rejects it, it will be at his own peril.
Regarding Dhiyana Saeed, there are different views on whether a cabinet member should tow the line and submit to the executive or to be independant. John Stuart Mill argued for independance of party members from the official party line as a way to make to make democracy more 'liberal-democratic.'
ReplyDeleteThe tyranny of a ruler without liberal checks is very often a 'tyranny of the majority' when a leader is a charismatic demagogue rather than a 'technocratic nerd' like, no, I won't say like who...
Anni competes with Maumoon for status as top 'demagogue,' seems the politics in Maldives seems to have that people worship element to it. So to prevent Anni from becoming a demagogue, I feel it is positive that cabinet members do have independance under the Maldives constitution. It may be undemocratic but it is liberal, and democracy and liberty are sometimes opposed to each other.
Ibra, prez. as u know naseeed is in addu atool. now he is promisimg many projects theere. many economical educasional and development projects. like for example: law colege in hulhumeedhoo. and the said he will constuct hulhumeedhoo for facilitate ediucation developments. another eg: 700 flet. And then prez. naseed went to fuah Mulaku . there also he said he he will develop fualh mulah islands. My queshion to you is Ibra: What do you think about prez. naseed plans? Number 2 is Can he bild all the flets and pubic infrastructure in the island becasue the world is in a big recession. please answer. thank you.
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteMy family were in fits of laughter when I told them of how you responded to one slander here on your blog, coolly, without getting angry, you wrote back, "Well it may not take rocket science to figure out there is corruption but it will take a heck of a lot more than rocket science to figure out how I can sit on anything but my arse..." hehe, you are really the smartest, wittiest of all the parliamentarians so I don't know why the heck you are not the President except to say that ppl don't vote with their heads really there are other factors involved in why ppl vote so I think we need to look at that...
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteThere are so many Political Ad's on TVM these days. But I dont remember I have seen yours a single time? What is the reason? Did you decide not to campaign but leave the whole thing to God and keep praying? What is wrong?
"THIS POST IS WRITTEN ONLY FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT ME IN MY BID TO WIN THE MACHCHANGOLHI UTHURU SEAT."
ReplyDeletei support u to win the machangoalhi uthuru seat :D
but im not voting u :D
coz im not from that constituency :D
but i will campaign for u :D
because with u at the parliament the whole maldives will benefit :D
good luck
@Anonymous (Apr 24; 12:26 am):
ReplyDeleteTVM sells me only 30 seconds per day as per their regulations. My opponent, the Chairperson of MDP, gets about 20 minutes as per TVM regulations! When I complained to TVM, they sent a letter to all Parties, apealing to "stick to regulations". The same evening Mariya Didi was featured for another 10 or 15 minutes.
Must be this gvernment's version of free and fair media.
I just don't have the money to buy DhiTV airtime at Rf 12,000 per 15 minutes throughout the campaign period. There will be a feature on DhiTV around the 6th. I hope you get to see it.
Yeah, that is the truth, the one with the most money pays to win, which is really sad as the best leader may not be the one who can pay for a big campaign.
ReplyDeleteIbra supporters, if any one can, chip in and help buy Ibra some air time on t.v....Remember, its you and the people, the real people, you would be buying air time for...
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteYou are twisting this issue of TVM. They sell 30 seconds to each and every candidate. I know this because I work there. The 5, 10 or 20 minutes you refer is actually time bought by politcal parties, where MDP decided to air Maria's campaign material. You can do the same through your party. But if its a financial issue, thats another story. Dont blame TVM for that.
even if you cant buy airtime there are other free sources where you could advertise.
ReplyDeletesee http://www.inthihaab.com
there you can publish your profile, events, downloads and links. this website is one of the most visited inthihaab related websites...
@Jalley :
ReplyDeleteSorry, I can't agree with you on that one. I actually went to TVM and met with Khaleel, Mondhu and Ibbe on this issue, and they agreed that what was going on was against regulations. They even sent a lettr to all parties after that.
What MDP has done is combine all the 30 sec slots for their candidates and give to Mariya. Problem is, there is an Election Commission agreement with TVM which says time for one candidate cannot be transferred to another.
TVM informed us that after 5th of April there would be no time allocated for Parties, but only for candidates.
So, even if you work in TVM, you are misinformed on this issue.
TVM is still TVM. It is still govt media, not public media. Only difference is Government changed from Qayyoom to Anni.
PS. Have you noticed that the whole backdrop and podiums used in the Candidates' Debate is yellow in colour? Also the runners which appear on screen are yellow bands with a slight orande band at the top?
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteWhat about Candidate Gadi. I dont see your party or you on any Cadidate Gadi.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with your reply here about the Attorney General. I believe the attorney general has used her position for political gains. Her office is not an independent institution. According to the constitution article 129 (b), the Attorney General is a cabinet member. The Attorney General's oath reads "...discharge the duties and responsibilities entrusted to me by the President...", further article 134 (a) says "Members of the Cabinet are responsible individually and collectively to the President" (b) says "Members of the Cabinet shall regularly and fairly report to the President on all matters under their jurisdiction" 136 (b) says "A member of the Cabinet shall not use his position or any information entrusted to him by virtue of his office to improperly benefit himself or any other person" Article 137 (a) says "The President may at his discretion remove any member of the Cabinet from office" Why haven't you raised any of these points?
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI need to know, what was the context in which Pres. Nasheed said "if opposition pestered him they would see his ruthlessness?" i don't believe Pres. Nasheed would be that anti-democratic, so please make this clear to me, what was the context, put my mind at rest that Nasheed (His Excellency) has not become anti-democratic...I do not live in maldives so I only catch half the story...I mean, if you ask nasheed for something, are you going to taste his wrath??? Seriously, what did he mean by that, I refuse to believe it, or am I naive?
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101522030305
ReplyDeletePlease join this facebook group to promote Ibra. As i am not from the constituency i need help to get the people of the area into the group. Ibra is no doubt required in the parliament. Let us each do our part on the process. lets work for the reform we seek. thank you.
THIS is IBRA's Facebook Group for campaigning.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=186370800577&ref=mf
It was good to see you in the real world.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous April 27th.
ReplyDeleteYou have seen once Ibra talking on the issue of Free time. That Ibra gets so less and Maria gets a handful which is against the regulations.
You have seen, that President campaign for candidates despite the constitution directs on seperation of powers on the issue.
Basically showinig the ruthlessness of his. Observe his speaches. He said in one, "I will not work to get the seats, but i want the seats", to an open audience. So what was he doing?
Observe the many more speaches. In the speach where he talk about ruthlessness, he said, he will not differentiate among his subjects but than what was he doing?
This is the trend of his. Do you not think he has gone beyond being democratic?
Hassan Falah
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI am from Medhu Henveyru and am wondering why you didn;t contest the election for constituency.Because you will win hands down if you had. So, why didn't you?
Hello Blog Supporters. Thanks for the fund you raised for my campaign. It will allow me to make a couple of appearances on DhiTV. Watch DhiTV on 6th May, 2045 - 2115 and 7th May, 2115 to 2130.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly, thanks for the support. Keep going. I am increasingly confident of a good win, now. Insha Allah, we will do it.
@ Shadowrunner : Shadows and objects do cross each other at times. Sorry I can't reciprocate the sentiment as I was unaware.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI watched the debate. You did a good job. But for some reason Maria tried to be different and that may have a positive effect on her. Good luck to you!
hey Ibra. may Allah grant you a win in the elections. you are the best candidate. :)
ReplyDeleteI will be praying for you.
Ibra, I may be leaving Mal'e for a few weeks, but regardless; I will be supporting your campaign. You've improved your OP by a lot; and yes, confidence is what you will need to keep improving. Don't ever lose it.
ReplyDeleteNever regret the fates; some become great by their deeds and words. Others are destined to never be remembered, as they do what must be done, and vanish into the shadows.
@Shadowrunner :
ReplyDeleteThank you for the sentiment. In 2004, I heeded a calling that I felt, rather than heard, from my people.I did what I could, and what I had to. I never expected any gratitude or any personal gain from it.
Only one point I differ with you. It has nothing to do with fate.
I just saw the results for your seat. I find it difficult to believe the results. Ibra, please do whatever you can to check what happened. There difference is just too much !
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to thank you for all the good work you have done in the Majlis. I truely appreciate what you have done for all of us. I sincerely believe it was a mistake that you left MDP. Thats where you belong. Thats where you shined most. Good bye!
I believe Ibra left MDP because he is not used to pack behavior. Dear Ibra, you will be remembered as our Ambedkar. Someone who made his stand and lived up to greater principles. I seriously wouldn't want you to sit with the likes of Mahlouf, Ali Waheed (Rihaakuru bondi), Thasmeen, Rozaina, Yameen. Criminals!
ReplyDeleteI think Maldivians have voted to what they deserve. This country has no place for you. You tend to hold on to your values and principles. Most Maldivians are not used to that and are hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteMaldives deserves a Dictatorship. Only a change of face once is a way will keep the country going and people euphoric.
I see the country going into a deeper hole that will take another 40 years to rectify.
I also see a Parliamentary system being implemented.. Making the PM a ruler for life.
Ibra, retire, leave this and migrate to some place where you can do your work.
"I'll take it, as long as it is Yellow"....- MDP grassroot
ReplyDeleteJust browsing over articles of you from the old days Ibra, back when you were the one standing up against torture in the Majlis, so sad to see you won't be in parliament. I am very sad to see the way many constituencies voted, compassion and justice are not as powerful a driving force in this world as fear, ruthlessness and raw power (no matter how that power is acquired...) Yet those who hold onto compassion and justice are deeply rich, Ibra, and the rest of the world, chasing power, are really the ones who are poor. You will always be one of the heroes of Maldivian democratisation process and noone can take that legacy away from you...Abdul-Rahman
ReplyDeletei just hoped ibra wont go against maaria...coz both are great MPs....
ReplyDeletei have alot of support for MDP...but i wudnt have had a problem if ibra beat an MDP candidate...coz Ibra is what MDP is for...REFORM...and ibra is still the most honest and sincere MP...its sad to see you go!!!...I will never forget what you did for Maldives Ibra!! You are truely among the greats...Among the people who fought for freedom...!!
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI posted a comment here few days back saying how sad I was because it was going to be either you or Maria. You decided not to publish my comment. I still feel the same and you may not publish this comment either. But its my humble opinion that you should never had contested with a powerful candidate such as Maria. You should have learned from the presidential election results that there remains a real risk on getting your (previous) supporters to vote for you. While I dont think there is anything wrong with you, its your party and the few number of people who are in it that may have a negative effect. Had you contested from DRP or MDP, I am sure you would have won a seat. Anway its your decision and I respect it. But its sad to see you leave the political scene. I wish and hope you will make a come back some how. Wish you good luck!
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI sincerely support you and I don't want to see you contest for any of the seats any more. The people had the chance of electing you if you were that important to them. Let the Maldivians taste the bitterness of another Dictatorship. And I don't think they will ever learn.
Maumoon Days was better.
It's sad to see your defeat in the election. I have been a firm supporter and I should praise you for your efforts in the past as your efforts in Majilis. Specially regarding rights for Persons with disAbilities.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Ibra.
hehe..fake comments make me laughs..LOL..
ReplyDeletehehe... so fake right... no one wanted him there in the first place.. and now the sympathy.,.,.. kekekekekek....
ReplyDeleteYes. Very fake. the people have chosen. Ibra should come forward and accept the results. There's no one to blame here or to sympathize with.
ReplyDeleteDear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteYou said it would be really bad MDP got a majority in the Majlis. You said that would also bring an end to separation of powers. Now that you got what you asked for, are we going to see anything getting better? I doubt it. Its going to be a fight between DRP in the Majlis and MDP in the government. The consequences and the losers would be the people of this country. They will have to suffer because of all the deadlocks we will see in the future. You played a part in creating this, so please say something. Is this what you wanted?
I agree with Anonymous May 13, 2009 9:57:00 AM. This is going to get worse. Had it been independents it may have been okay. But now that its DRP/PA, I am totally hopeless. They spent millions to buy votes in the Islands and they won.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (May 13, 9:57 am):
ReplyDeleteYes, I said that if MDP got a majority there would be no separation of powers. I still hold by that.
But I also said that if DRP got a majority, there would be deadlocks and things would not be easy. You very conveniently forgot the other half of what I said.
I also said that the best scenario would be for NO party to have majority, and for different parties to be represented in Majlis so that there would be a plurality of views. You do not seem to have heard me say that at all.
But the people have decided. And in a democracy we have to accept the decision of the people. It is only the people who will face the consequence of their decisions. One single person cannot be held responsible for the consequences resulting from the decision of the majority.
Bottom line is, what was the motivation of the people when they voted? Was it a hatred of the previous government? Or was it opportunities seen by aligning with the current government? Was it familial and kinship dynamics? Was it a few bucks in the pocket? Or was it a considered judgement on what was best for the nation? It is my view that it wasn't national interest, but everything else.
In a democracy, you get the government you deserve. Maldivians are set for what they deserve for the next five years. Let us wait and see what it is that they deserve.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI am waiting to hear from you. What are the reaon(s) behind these election results? Male' has a different idea while the rest of the country has another idea. How did PA win so much seats with so little effort in so little time? Why did DRP win so many seats? Do we want to go back to those brutal 30 years again? Please do some analysis within yourself and share it with us. I cant wait to hear from you.
money is everything.One of my friend told that he has encashed SBI cheque signed by Yameen and handed the cash to one of Laamu candiate.The amount is Rf800,000.00.Thats for just one candiate..See how much each head of that constitutency will get.The reason they got so many seats is money and anti campaign from opposition.Not to vote MDP to sperate powers.From very begining we told Dr.Hassan ,Kutti Nasheed and others if they campaign not to vote MDP, TELL nOT TO Vote DRP and PA too...Lets see what would happen.DRP and PA will not cooperate with governmnet to implement its promises.We have to suffer and get backward/Thats what we have decided.DRP and PA dont want to see10,000.00 flats , transporation system,have a good reserve in the treasury after 5 year term.Have FUNCTIONABLE decenterlization system and independent institutions.They will endorse their puppets.Former Foreign Minsiter brother Abhmed Shahid is waiting to become auditor general or anticorruption board head. So we can see power seperation .lets see and wait
ReplyDeleteThis surely wont bring any good to the country. The most corrupt people among us holding a majority in the Majlis wont do any good to us. I am really disappointed. The blame partly goes to IDP, JP, DQP, SLP and independents too. They all did the anti-campaiging claiming separation of powers. There you have it now. Lets see what good the separation of powers is going to bring.
ReplyDelete@Anonymouses:
ReplyDeleteGrow up, guys. This is politics at its extreme. Anni made a bid for total power by trying to oust Alliance partners. He lost the bid, and he lost all allies in the process as well. He will now suffer the consequences.
The separation of powers will bring about what it was meant to. It will keep a runaway president on a leash.
The inability to distinguish between friends, foes and chameleons were the causes of downfall for many. The hazy opiate of power blinded many in the past. It will continue to do so in the future.
I dont agree with you Ibra.There is no need to be alliance for parliamentry seats.Alliance was made to regime change.It would be a threat for him even if guys from SLP,JP and DQP menbers elected through alliance.Now he has his own MDP 26 menbers in the parliament.We know Ibra ,Hassan Saeed and Gasim is hungry for power same as Yameen,Thasmeen.
ReplyDeletewhat good is 26 seats when most of them will sleep at home during sessions of parliament
ReplyDeleteIt will be better to sleep at home during parliament sessions. They are idiotic and a waste of time. The secret of Thasmeen's success has been using majlis time to stay at home and sleep. Only attend if there's a need to show up for a vote. What good did it do for Ibra for his active sessions in majlis? The people kicked him in the face. So advice is, don't invest too much time or mind in the majlis. Get a good night's sleep and collect your 60k pay cheque.
ReplyDeleteMaldivian have been brainwahsed well....Patry acivists and hooligans have filled the Majilis.Its no need to be sincere or faithful to people.Live them to live in poverty with garudhiya and bai .Live them to live with mosquitos.Tell them not complain above their needs.Tell them live with some kind of phobia.People dont have conscience will not understand good and bad.See how good and qualify Ibra,Modi,Afeef
ReplyDeleteI'd say Ibra was simply unlucky to be a victim of the brainwashed MDP wave dominating in the area. Peole tend to have more interest in a piece of paper called 'MONEY' than analysing the truth. Even a minor cerebral stimulation could have convinced them who is sincere. Its a v saddening act by ignorent voters.
ReplyDeleteMDP claims they enjoy majority support but this time they failed to engulf those mainly bcz of their aproach of dividing/destroying their friendly allies.
Majority have yet again blindly favoured blockheads ahead of potential,credible figures. But not always what majority chose is better or wise.
"Sometimes the majority only means that all the fools are on the same side." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friendly allies like Gasim, Jabir and Dhiyana? What a laugh.
ReplyDeleteAnalysis:
ReplyDeleteThe MDP won a total of 48,000 votes (31 per cent of the total votes cast); the DRP only won 39,000 (25 per cent). Even if you combine the DRP and the PA's votes, the two opposition parties only won 47,400 votes – still less than the MDP. In fifteen constituencies, the MDP candidate lost by less than 100 votes. In seven constituencies, the MDP lost by fewer than 50 votes.
The reason why the MDP lost so many seats, by such narrow margins, is because the pro-reform vote was split between the different parties that make up the ruling coalition government. The constituency of Fuvahmulaku Dhekunu is a classic example. The DRP won the seat with 817 votes. The MDP candidate polled 717 votes and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) candidate polled 203 votes.
But, if the MDP had entered into an alliance, the DQP and Republican parties would have demanded that the MDP withdraw many of its candidates. Under these terms, the alliance would have won more seats but there would be fewer card-carrying, loyal MDP MPs. Would such a scenario have made the president stronger or weaker than he currently is?
As far as math is concerned, this was no crushing victory for Maumoon and Yamin. Just because the DRP/PA won the most seats in parliament, the fact does not mean they are the most popular party in the country. The vagaries of the first-past-the-post, 'winner takes all' electoral system explains this apparent anomaly.
On the other hand, a minority of loyal MPs is worth more than a majority of traitors anyway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plurality_voting_system
ReplyDeletetalking about maths in this election everybody is conveniently forgetting that 47% of eligible voters did not vote. SSO neither DRP nor MDP won
ReplyDeleteIbra, do not give up hope. as time pass by people will know what you really did. Your absense in majilis will hopefuly teach how important people like you are for the parliament.
ReplyDeleteHey copy cat, peoples like u are exposed in sites like maldivedigest.com. you people are a shame trying not to accept what you got and change stories
what happened when maumoon won miles ahead of anni in the presidential election. where is the math in that.
Anonymous May 16, 2009 11:08:00 PM, The truth and the facts cannot be changed. What copycat said is the truth. Whether Maumoon won anything in miles or kilometres last year or not, it has got nothing to with those facts copycat has mentioned about the Majlis elections. Its for everyone to see on the elections website. MDP has got a lot more votes than the DRP, and therefore more supporters amongst those who took part in the Majlis vote.
ReplyDeleteAnni got more votes in the presidential elections, which is why he is president. This is history repeating. MDP has won the majlis elections.. but a flaw in the voting system has allowed DRP a couple more seats. No big deal.
ReplyDeleteYameen attacked Ibra heavily in his speech to celebrate their victory.He said 02 person should take responsibilty of civil disobdience and political division among public.People said no to one and sent him home, the other one is occupying the most honourable post of this country...I think we should bring YAMEEN to his size
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that DRP/PA got fewer number of votes. But its just how the system is designed which gave them more seats. Its not a crushing victory. In fact MDP has got more votes by themselves than they got in the first round of the presidential elections.
ReplyDeleteI have a serious question...Does the jerry mandering principle work in presidential elections? like, does a presidential canditate win due to most nimber of votes overall or most number of constituencies?
ReplyDeletePresidential elections are different. The number of votes you get in your favour is everything.
ReplyDeleteIbra, will you continue to blog? Hey I would miss you if you dissapeared dear Ibra you are still always will be one of my heroes...Maybe you could blog about all sorts of stuff, politics, philosophy, like that Hilath, he blogs about films, books, philosophy, politics, world affaris, whatever the he wants? I dont know just a suggestion. Anyway, whatever you do man, best to you..
ReplyDeleteSeriously, the allegations that Yameen controlled gangs seemed credible, I feel they should be investigated at least.
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteHave you given up talking to us?
@Anonymous (May 18, 7:02 pm):
ReplyDeleteYes I do intend to blog. The blog has been a medium for me to express my views on issues. Just because I am not an MP, hopefully, will not mean I will become an airhead! For the moment, I am just taking a well earned rest from too much thinking.
While watching our parliament sessions I always make sure to catch your speech on the issue as mainly you present a new viewpoint and sometimes the paradigm shift reveals some hidden truths. Surely a very much appreciated thinking hat will be missed in the current parliament. But through this blog I hope I can get the same expertise views on crucial issues of the nation.
ReplyDeleteAfter having dedicated immense support and sacrifices for the reform movement you can proudly take a rest for a while & m pleased to know u will be intouch wid the blog followers and your fans.
Looking forward to hear how you plan you political carrier(& of Liberal party) from this point onwards.
Ibra,........why did u not try an Island MP post rather than compete with Maria..........so sad
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteYou must consider leaving SLP and joining MDP. You have faded away since joining SLP. But MDP is where you shined the brightest! Its where you belong!! Please dont quit politics!!!!!
@Anonymous (May 21, 5:51 pm) :
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in MDP, the party chairperson, Anni, used to say quite often that the Reform Movement was aimed at bringing a pluralistic, multi-party democracy to the Maldives.
MDP and DRP alone can't constitute pluralism or multi-party democracy. That is at best bi-partisan politics.
How bright I shine is largely insignificant in comparison to the multi-colored splendor of a truly pluralistic society. Let me sacrifice my shine to add to the plethora. MDP will survive without me for certain. Liberal Party needs me more than MDP right now. I belong where I can contribute most.
Quit politics? Githeyo elhi gulhiakun vaheh nufilaane.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI have heard from a credible source that Yameen is planning on passing no confidence motions against a few ministers, which requires a majority only to throw out a minister from office. Next they plan to throw away the President out of office, followed by the vice president, which may be a bit hard as it requires a two thirds majority. To succeed, their first step is to appoint Spreme court judges who would support whatever DRP/PA does. At the end, there would be no way to challenge what these guys are going to do. Is this whats best for our country? Is this going to be democracy? Is this good for our economy? Based on the vote, the people of Maldives are going to get what they deserve! Its just a matter of time!!!
Ibra, I have a serious question for you...How did you manage to withstand the suffering involved in being a political dissident? I myself admire more than anything, people who are strong enough morally to sustain suffering for justice's sake.
ReplyDeleteI mean, was it your vision of freedom that was just so strong Ibra, you could handle being locked up and then confined to your house etc? What thoughts gave you the strength to remain steadfast. Your family's love? Religion? A combination of both? Other thoughts? What about when you were alone, I mean, not with your family, then what gave you moral fortitude? I believe this is an important point, because, many people in this world could make a difference and stand up to injustice and make a change if only they felt they could be strong enough to take the suffering, especially if their families are threatened. I wish you could perhaps provide at least a short response to my query, Ibra.
Looks like everybody loves Ibra. I am not saying this based on the comments here, but also on the comments at lots of blogs. So I wonder, why didnt all these people let Ibra represent them in Majlis?
ReplyDeleteMy humble opnion, Ibra should have learned from the past presidential election results and be more cautious in choosing a seat to contest. Maria was and is a powerful candidate with lots of support in Male'. I never thought Ibra would under estimate! I am still waiting to hear directly from Ibra on these issues, the reasons, analysis and his take.
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of people are saying, Ibra is one of the best parliamentarians we have ever had. Nobody argued in the Majlis with pure facts, always in line with rules and laws, and principles as much as Ibra did. I have met lots of people who genuinely feels that the worst thing which ever came out of this election was ousting Ibra out of parliament. Even the former Legal Reform Minister shares the same opinion on Ibra. As he said Ibra's debates are rich in content, stylish in delivery, and clear in thought. It is a refreshing experience to see Ibra's performance on a good day in parliament.
Wish you all the best Ibra!!
'A tribute to some parliamentarians' by Mohamed nasheed n his blog (half of the post is written abt Ibra).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mnasheed.com/2009/05/a-tribute-to-some-parliamentarians/
Although people like Ibra, half of them do want to give MDP a chance. The rest of the country are just Gayoom crazy. They have depended on him for everything from education to health care and they need him forever. Ibra didnt fit into either of these two catagories. So he failed!
ReplyDeleteibra is like an art film where the masses doesnt want to watch because its the hard harsh truth but the cream of the society appreciates and longed for it, for telling the bitter truth that nobody want to hear. it will take a eons for maldivan society to get that kind of maturity and clean politics where money and partisan politics takes a back seat giving way to national interests.
ReplyDeletehello ibra,
ReplyDeletealthough you have lost the last election it doesn't mean you are out. what you need to do is make a smart decision and give politics a second try. we highly appreciate your works in the previous parliament. our analysis tells us that you are failed in some political endeavours because of the wrong decisions. firstly, contesting maria didi and running for the wrong constituency. secondly, choosing a women vice president candidate when you simply know the mindsets of the maldivians. it is simply wrong to think your neigbours are your best fans when it comes to politics. take the example of kutti nasheed.
Hevoverikan Movement
opposeanni.blogspot.com
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteI heard so many times you mention that we should not give the Majority of the parliament to MDP members and you had thousands of reasons how bad that would be for the country. Now that MDP do not have the majority in parliament, the "good" things you have talked about are to happen soon. Just wait and see. First is a set of no confidence votes on ministers. Followed by rejecting most government proposals, bills. Followed by government veto's of Majlis passed bills. I just dont understand how these things are going to bring any good to the country and its people!! You should be partly responsible for creating this DRP/PA deadly majority.
@Anonymous (May 29; 10:25 am):
ReplyDeleteI never advocated a DRP majority either. Problem with some is that they suffer from highly selective amnesia.
Ibra, I agree with the comment above. Most candidates, including you, did anti-campaigning against MDP and not DRP. So here we have the results.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (May 30, 7:47 am):
ReplyDeleteYou fail to observe the fact that The President and MDP took on anti-campaigning against all other candidates, including those in the "Alliance". So here we have the result.
Fact is everytime I said an MDP majority is not desirable, I also said a majority for ANY party, including the DRP, is also not desirable.
The public returned a Majlis with no clear majority for any Party. I still think this is the best possible scenario. You have to learn to live with the decision of the public, and stop whinging. I have.
Let us see how creative the respective parliamentary groups are, with no clear majoritiy on any side. It took a lot of creativity and thinking out of the box, and thinking on my feet when I was in Majlis with just 10 on our side and 40 on the other to achieve what we did. It will be interesting to see Yameen pitted against Mariya and see who takes the day. I have the satisfaction that I was able to out-manouver the DRP with their overwhelming majority, when I was there.
Day one of the new Parliament was a phenomenon. Mohamed Hussain sailed smoothly by sidetracking the MDP on a red herring. Casting vote? Must be joking. Not one of the MPs realized that with 75 members voting, there could NOT be a tie! What a laugh! The real issue was not picked up by anyone. The real issue was the issue of run-off. The Constitution does not allow for a run-off on that one. But with the red herring thrown by Mohamed Hussain on the casting vote, all the "nizaamee nukuthaas" were focussed on that, a non-issue! Precisely what the DRP wanted! As a result, they took the day!
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteThere always exists the possibility of a tie, because any number of votes could be void and therefore the total number of voters, 75 or an odd number/even number doesnt really matter. The results can always be a tie.
Dear Ibra,
ReplyDeleteWhinging? Yes ofcourse! When one party wins, the rest of the country simply doesnt have to agree with everything they do. We can complain, talk against what we dont like, dont you think? But yes we must respect and accept the outcome of the election.
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteIts really a sad day for our democracy. Look at how they elected the speaker and his deputy. In no civilized democracy would they elect speaker and the deputy like this. Even in India, they would let the party holding most seats have a speaker and the second most seat holder will have a deputpy speaker. From what we have experiences, DRP/PA will elect its members to all Majlis committes too and God knows what will happen to all the independent commissions and the Supreme court too. Our democracy is doomed!
Ibra,
ReplyDeleteYes everybody did anti-campaigning. But my issue is, a DRP majority is good for nothing. Whereas a MDP or any other majority would have been better than a DRP majority. Clearly there is a DRP majority. Some of the 'independent' candidates are DRP members or supporters.
Ibra, have you lost weight or was that not you I saw? If thats you you look lean and mean, looking sharp.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, curious to know what you think of presidential commission. Realistically, do you really think it can achieve anything? I doubt the big guns will be arrested, just the wives of the slaves of the big guns, which are below the category of even token arrests. Without even getting into a debate about it's constitutional legiality (or lack of), until I see something concrete come out of it and safety emerge from it I just think it is a stunt to show Government is able to give justice, a stunt to appease the wrath of the wounded and robbed. I hope I am wrong, and I will celebrate if I am, but I fear that the most powerful and the most evil are totally safe... A few show token arrets may be made of small fries who are way down the scale in terms of corruption, and then what... The Government can say it done its best to do justice. If that really is the best that can be done, hope will die and despair deepen, and when despair deepens vulnerability to extremism and addiction becomes greater. Setting up such a commission has ignited hope for justice, but hope ignited and then failed is more damaging than hope never awakened. Anger and terrorism and violence is not the product of the most oppressed in any society, but the product of those whose ambition had been frustrated. That can be backed up through research. Those who are really poor, who have never had ambition to start with and just have accepted the simple life and have found solace in hope of an after life are not angry just resigned from life.
In my view, if you are going to waste money on a presidential commission into corruption, you either do what it takes to get the big guns or you forget it... I am waiting to see if the Government has the power, the will and the courage to get the big guns, but I thnk they are fairly secure. I hope you can prove me wrong, I really do... So, what are your thoughts on this matter?
are you on hiatus ibra? i wish you'd buck up and post.
ReplyDeleteIbra,
ReplyDeleteYou have a tie from 75 votes because any number could be void. As we saw one vote was actually void. Therefore 74 valid votes can go to a 37 tie. I am bit suprised to read that a man of your calibre thought that with 75 members voting you wont have the possibility of a tie!?!
@Anonymous (June 3, 10:26 am) :
ReplyDeleteI should kick myself for not having thought of that. But of course my dumb wittedness didn't allow me to think of that. I was also so dumb to have assumed that:
1. All members present in that sitting went to vote for a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker (there was nothing else on the agenda).
2. That our elected representatives would know how to vote in a secret ballot. Normally, the presiding member will spell out very clearly, in detail, how the voting would proceed.
Anyway, I am sure more than four hours of points of order was warranted on the assumption that there may be an MP who did not know how to vote. Further, the assumption must also be carried some more. That there would be an odd number of MPs who did not know how to vote.
Just for good measure, I wonder why the Honorable MPs did not debate the following eventuality: That there would be a tie and that just after the tie was announced, the presiding member might drop dead before the casting vote! That would create a really bad "legal" issue wouldn't it?
Have you ever heard of a thing called common sense, Anonymous?
ibra, c'mon. if you have time to reply to comments, then you can find time to write something new here. i check this blog daily, and it's the same one over and over. help.
ReplyDelete