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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Dream
Years ago, when I was a University student, I had the opportunity to witness democracy in action. I was impressed with what I saw and experienced. Until I arrived in Australia, I had READ about democracy and the rule of law. Even at a theoretical level, I had been taken with the notion of people writing laws for themselves, and then following it, and not be subject to the whim and fancy of a “ruler”. In Australia, I saw it happening. I saw the wishes of the people being impacted at the highest level of government. I saw the Prime Minister being challenged in Parliament and ultimately being ousted. There weren’t any demonstrations or protests or confrontations with the riot police. The people’s will was exercised through democratic institutions. I saw a powerful Senator from the ruling Party being put on the spot because he used a few stamps from his public office to post some letters in his campaign. I saw the Prime Minister being hammered in Parliament everyday by the Opposition leader, but when the Gulf War came, both of them together passed a unanimous resolution in Parliament for Australia’s involvement in the Gulf War. A beautiful case of national interest transcending political lines and divisions. The next day, they were both yelling at each other, and calling each other names in Parliament.
I saw a vote of no confidence passed on a Premier in New South Wales by his own Party based on a report by an Anti-Corruption Commissioner which the Premier himself appointed, but couldn’t dismiss. I saw senior Police Officers charged for violent behaviour against prisoners. Any custodial death was viewed as a national concern and public inquiries were initiated for such occurrences.
I wanted the same process in my country. Is it too much to ask for? Why can’t I dream for it? I started dreaming. I started planning. I started building my resolve. Because I knew it wouldn’t be easy to make it happen in my country. For many reasons. This was way back in 1988.
When I came back to the Maldives, I embarked on my crusade. There were mighty few who believed in what I was preaching then. Only like minded souls such as Anni, GoGo Latheef, Kalhuhuraage Latheef, my late Uncle, Mandhu Mohamed Waheed, my own father, Ismail Naseer, Thaa Member Afeef, Vashafaru Adam AbdulRahman, Ali Hashim (Lintel), Mahamood Raazee and a handful of others talked the same language. For the 20 years I spent in the Civil Service, I was branded as a radical and rebel, someone to be looked at with suspicion because given half a chance, this fellow might upset the apple cart.
We made various attempts at forwarding the Cause. Sangu (weekly), electing Abdulla Kamaluddeen and Mujuthaba to Majlis in 1994, electing Anni to Majlis in 1999. Every effort was successfully thwarted by the regime. If I ever did anything which I regret in my life, it was working in Abdulla Kamaluddin’s campaign in 1994. The only way I can describe what he did is to say that he cuckolded Male’ people.
After Anni was kicked out of Parliament, I realized that we needed more like minded people in Parliament, greater public engagement and international involvement to realize my Dream for my country. So I started preparing myself for that day by working 18 hours a day to save some money so that when the time came and I totally immersed myself in the process, my family could still survive. Just as well I did that. Otherwise I could not have continued the way I have. All my savings are spent now, I am broke, but, Oh! I am just that close to achieving my goal! At least we now have a very good chance of getting there.
While I was working my butt off in preparation for the day, I was also hoping that more and more “educated” people would come and join the fight. But here I was mistaken. Most (NOT all) of the “educated” people of this country have been either aiding and abetting the regime, or watching on the sidelines to see which way the cat would jump, or passing smart ass comments at our efforts at the coffee tables. It has been the “rowdy”, uneducated, lower class “masses” who have sacrificed their time and what little they had left to achieve this Dream. I hail them, every one of them, as the true heroes and heroines who made it happen.
Earning a degree does not necessarily make one an educated person. An educated person, with or without a degree, can distinguish right from wrong. S/he is able to make informed decisions. S/he is able to look beyond hir (his or her) own self and assess the needs of the wider community and make the right judgment to do what is necessary. S/he is able to take a stand, and stick to it, based on what s/he sees as right.
The biggest disappointments are people like Minister Nasheed, who knows all the right words and phrases to utter, but lacks the inner strength to stand up for what he knows is right. Good people like Zahiya Zareer, who, for some unfathomable reason, has succumbed to the status quo, and is actively promoting a regime which will throw this country to the dogs. People like Aishath Mohamed Didi who has thrown away the rights of children and women she has taken oath to protect, to help drag on the injustices against them, by propping up a regime which has systematically ignored crimes against women and children…I wonder to what end? Spineless opportunists like Jihad, who, as MMA Governor, lamented to Majlis members about the state of the economy and bad government policy and actions, and then takes up the post as Minister for Finance and lies to the people on state media to propagate the farce. I name these people because I have worked with them, listened to their views and frustrations, discussed the state of affairs with them. Either they were lying to me then, or they were lying to the public now. When the sons and daughters of a nation, who enjoyed the best opportunities she could afford, at the expense of her other children, turn around and kick her in the back, where will the nation run for cover and protection? If that is not treason, what then is treason?
It is with these thoughts, and a tinge of sadness that I write this Post as we go into the final 16 hours of a process which will tell us whether my Dream will be realized. Or will it be crushed to be served as dessert for a bunch of opportunists who have raped, and will continue to rape this country?
Many Maldivians who want to put Qayyoom back in power justify their decision on the grounds that Anni is not “presidential material” or they are voting to prevent Christianity from taking root in this country. Others claim that “lawlessness” will descend if Anni is elected. These are simply justifications that they present, not really to others, but more to themselves, because deep within themselves they know that Anni will be a better President than Qayyoom any day, that Christianity has taken root in the Maldives under Qayyoom’s watch and this country has not seen a higher degree of lawlessness and a complete disregard for law as has been seen in the last 25 years. Never in the history of this country has the Justice system been so corrupt and impotent as in the last 20 years. Never has the public wealth been raped and abused as in the last 20 years. Maldivian citizens have not been killed and tortured in a systematic fashion in any other era. Territorial integrity of the country has been compromised under Qayyoom’s rule. Sovereignity has been effectively compromised. The country has become a haven for drug abusers and drug traffickers. Prostitution is at an all time high. The country is broke and on the verge of economic collapse. The hard earned savings by civil servants and ordinary people have been put at great risk. And yet these people delude themselves and say “…but I don’t like Anni”.
Wakeup, Maldives. This vote is not about what you like or do not like. You are not in a restaurant, presented with a menu to select what you “like”. We are fighting for the survival of this nation, your nation, your children’s nation. This vote is not about Anni and his looks or capabilities or habits. This is our last chance to turn the country around towards sanity.
It would be fair to say that for the last four years, I have thought reform, I have breathed reform, I have lived reform. All this to realize that Dream I had, I have. I feel a sense of tiredness now. Almost a feeling that my work has been done. I have given it my best shot. I have done what I can. It is now up to my people to realize this Dream for the country.
I have my differences with Anni. But I have even more differences, much more fundamental differences, with Qayyoom. Anni as President will give us the opportunity to establish a democratic system of governance. Qayyoom as President will close all doors for a half decent system of government.
My choice is clear. There really is no choice. On the 28th of October 2008, Maldivians will be presented with Hobson’s choice for electing a President. Should I vote for Anni? Or should I vote for Anni?
After much deliberation, I have decided firmly to vote for Anni.
Oh! Allah! May Thee not turn away from us. May not our efforts and aspirations be in vain. Please deliver us from injustice and cruelty. Please be with us in our hour of need. Protect us, please, Our Lord. Thou art Great and Wise. Praise be to Thee.
I saw a vote of no confidence passed on a Premier in New South Wales by his own Party based on a report by an Anti-Corruption Commissioner which the Premier himself appointed, but couldn’t dismiss. I saw senior Police Officers charged for violent behaviour against prisoners. Any custodial death was viewed as a national concern and public inquiries were initiated for such occurrences.
I wanted the same process in my country. Is it too much to ask for? Why can’t I dream for it? I started dreaming. I started planning. I started building my resolve. Because I knew it wouldn’t be easy to make it happen in my country. For many reasons. This was way back in 1988.
When I came back to the Maldives, I embarked on my crusade. There were mighty few who believed in what I was preaching then. Only like minded souls such as Anni, GoGo Latheef, Kalhuhuraage Latheef, my late Uncle, Mandhu Mohamed Waheed, my own father, Ismail Naseer, Thaa Member Afeef, Vashafaru Adam AbdulRahman, Ali Hashim (Lintel), Mahamood Raazee and a handful of others talked the same language. For the 20 years I spent in the Civil Service, I was branded as a radical and rebel, someone to be looked at with suspicion because given half a chance, this fellow might upset the apple cart.
We made various attempts at forwarding the Cause. Sangu (weekly), electing Abdulla Kamaluddeen and Mujuthaba to Majlis in 1994, electing Anni to Majlis in 1999. Every effort was successfully thwarted by the regime. If I ever did anything which I regret in my life, it was working in Abdulla Kamaluddin’s campaign in 1994. The only way I can describe what he did is to say that he cuckolded Male’ people.
After Anni was kicked out of Parliament, I realized that we needed more like minded people in Parliament, greater public engagement and international involvement to realize my Dream for my country. So I started preparing myself for that day by working 18 hours a day to save some money so that when the time came and I totally immersed myself in the process, my family could still survive. Just as well I did that. Otherwise I could not have continued the way I have. All my savings are spent now, I am broke, but, Oh! I am just that close to achieving my goal! At least we now have a very good chance of getting there.
While I was working my butt off in preparation for the day, I was also hoping that more and more “educated” people would come and join the fight. But here I was mistaken. Most (NOT all) of the “educated” people of this country have been either aiding and abetting the regime, or watching on the sidelines to see which way the cat would jump, or passing smart ass comments at our efforts at the coffee tables. It has been the “rowdy”, uneducated, lower class “masses” who have sacrificed their time and what little they had left to achieve this Dream. I hail them, every one of them, as the true heroes and heroines who made it happen.
Earning a degree does not necessarily make one an educated person. An educated person, with or without a degree, can distinguish right from wrong. S/he is able to make informed decisions. S/he is able to look beyond hir (his or her) own self and assess the needs of the wider community and make the right judgment to do what is necessary. S/he is able to take a stand, and stick to it, based on what s/he sees as right.
The biggest disappointments are people like Minister Nasheed, who knows all the right words and phrases to utter, but lacks the inner strength to stand up for what he knows is right. Good people like Zahiya Zareer, who, for some unfathomable reason, has succumbed to the status quo, and is actively promoting a regime which will throw this country to the dogs. People like Aishath Mohamed Didi who has thrown away the rights of children and women she has taken oath to protect, to help drag on the injustices against them, by propping up a regime which has systematically ignored crimes against women and children…I wonder to what end? Spineless opportunists like Jihad, who, as MMA Governor, lamented to Majlis members about the state of the economy and bad government policy and actions, and then takes up the post as Minister for Finance and lies to the people on state media to propagate the farce. I name these people because I have worked with them, listened to their views and frustrations, discussed the state of affairs with them. Either they were lying to me then, or they were lying to the public now. When the sons and daughters of a nation, who enjoyed the best opportunities she could afford, at the expense of her other children, turn around and kick her in the back, where will the nation run for cover and protection? If that is not treason, what then is treason?
It is with these thoughts, and a tinge of sadness that I write this Post as we go into the final 16 hours of a process which will tell us whether my Dream will be realized. Or will it be crushed to be served as dessert for a bunch of opportunists who have raped, and will continue to rape this country?
Many Maldivians who want to put Qayyoom back in power justify their decision on the grounds that Anni is not “presidential material” or they are voting to prevent Christianity from taking root in this country. Others claim that “lawlessness” will descend if Anni is elected. These are simply justifications that they present, not really to others, but more to themselves, because deep within themselves they know that Anni will be a better President than Qayyoom any day, that Christianity has taken root in the Maldives under Qayyoom’s watch and this country has not seen a higher degree of lawlessness and a complete disregard for law as has been seen in the last 25 years. Never in the history of this country has the Justice system been so corrupt and impotent as in the last 20 years. Never has the public wealth been raped and abused as in the last 20 years. Maldivian citizens have not been killed and tortured in a systematic fashion in any other era. Territorial integrity of the country has been compromised under Qayyoom’s rule. Sovereignity has been effectively compromised. The country has become a haven for drug abusers and drug traffickers. Prostitution is at an all time high. The country is broke and on the verge of economic collapse. The hard earned savings by civil servants and ordinary people have been put at great risk. And yet these people delude themselves and say “…but I don’t like Anni”.
Wakeup, Maldives. This vote is not about what you like or do not like. You are not in a restaurant, presented with a menu to select what you “like”. We are fighting for the survival of this nation, your nation, your children’s nation. This vote is not about Anni and his looks or capabilities or habits. This is our last chance to turn the country around towards sanity.
It would be fair to say that for the last four years, I have thought reform, I have breathed reform, I have lived reform. All this to realize that Dream I had, I have. I feel a sense of tiredness now. Almost a feeling that my work has been done. I have given it my best shot. I have done what I can. It is now up to my people to realize this Dream for the country.
I have my differences with Anni. But I have even more differences, much more fundamental differences, with Qayyoom. Anni as President will give us the opportunity to establish a democratic system of governance. Qayyoom as President will close all doors for a half decent system of government.
My choice is clear. There really is no choice. On the 28th of October 2008, Maldivians will be presented with Hobson’s choice for electing a President. Should I vote for Anni? Or should I vote for Anni?
After much deliberation, I have decided firmly to vote for Anni.
Oh! Allah! May Thee not turn away from us. May not our efforts and aspirations be in vain. Please deliver us from injustice and cruelty. Please be with us in our hour of need. Protect us, please, Our Lord. Thou art Great and Wise. Praise be to Thee.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Prayer
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
All praise be to Thee, Oh! Allah! For Thou art the Lord of the Universe. We thank Thee, for Thou hast been kind to us, and showered us with Thy mercy and gifts. Thou hast brought the whole universe and us into being out of nothing. Thou hast made our difficult journeys bearable and looked upon us in Kindness. Thou hast been with us in our hour of need and guided us when we have strayed. For all this and more, we thank Thee, for without Thine love, we would have perished into nothingness.
Oh! Allah! Thou art Great and Thou Knowest Best. We can only hope to do the right thing and seek Thy Guidance. Thou who hast no beginning and no end. Thou who needs no one and is self sufficient, but without whose blessings we can achieve nothing. Thou who is no offspring of another nor begets an offspring. Thou who is Pureness itself.
May Thy eternal Peace and Blessings be on Mohamed, Thine slave and messenger, and those who followed him and follow him.
Oh! Allah! Only you can save us from the clutches of the madness we find ourselves in. Please save us from this madness and protect us from harm, for Thou art the best of Protectors. Give us the strength, oh! Allah, to stand steadfast against evil, and to triumph over those who seek to oppress us. Purify our hearts and minds, and fill us with peace as we struggle against oppression. Thou hast promised us that Good will Triumph over Evil. Oh! Allah! The day of reckoning is nigh, and please be with us on that day. Do not let us sink into the depths of despair. Thou knowest best what is in our hearts. We seek no mischief, and we only seek to bring in justice amongst us. To clean our society from unjustness and cruelty. To live our lives with freedom. To bring to an end an era of hedonism and oppression.
Oh! Allah! Help us to do what is right and to steer our country in Thine favoured direction.
Allah Almighty! Guide the hearts and minds of our fellow country men and women to see what is right. Let them not be blind on this coming day of reckoning. Give them the courage to do the right thing. Strengthen our resolve to continue our fight against evil. Guide us to Thy Path which is the best of all.
Merciful Allah! Forgive us our sins which we have committed and forgive us for our erroneous ways. Include us among those who have Thine favour on the Day of Judgment and have Mercy on us in our graves.
May Thy Blessings and Peace be upon Mohamed, Thine Messenger, and Praise be to Thee. Amen!
All praise be to Thee, Oh! Allah! For Thou art the Lord of the Universe. We thank Thee, for Thou hast been kind to us, and showered us with Thy mercy and gifts. Thou hast brought the whole universe and us into being out of nothing. Thou hast made our difficult journeys bearable and looked upon us in Kindness. Thou hast been with us in our hour of need and guided us when we have strayed. For all this and more, we thank Thee, for without Thine love, we would have perished into nothingness.
Oh! Allah! Thou art Great and Thou Knowest Best. We can only hope to do the right thing and seek Thy Guidance. Thou who hast no beginning and no end. Thou who needs no one and is self sufficient, but without whose blessings we can achieve nothing. Thou who is no offspring of another nor begets an offspring. Thou who is Pureness itself.
May Thy eternal Peace and Blessings be on Mohamed, Thine slave and messenger, and those who followed him and follow him.
Oh! Allah! Only you can save us from the clutches of the madness we find ourselves in. Please save us from this madness and protect us from harm, for Thou art the best of Protectors. Give us the strength, oh! Allah, to stand steadfast against evil, and to triumph over those who seek to oppress us. Purify our hearts and minds, and fill us with peace as we struggle against oppression. Thou hast promised us that Good will Triumph over Evil. Oh! Allah! The day of reckoning is nigh, and please be with us on that day. Do not let us sink into the depths of despair. Thou knowest best what is in our hearts. We seek no mischief, and we only seek to bring in justice amongst us. To clean our society from unjustness and cruelty. To live our lives with freedom. To bring to an end an era of hedonism and oppression.
Oh! Allah! Help us to do what is right and to steer our country in Thine favoured direction.
Allah Almighty! Guide the hearts and minds of our fellow country men and women to see what is right. Let them not be blind on this coming day of reckoning. Give them the courage to do the right thing. Strengthen our resolve to continue our fight against evil. Guide us to Thy Path which is the best of all.
Merciful Allah! Forgive us our sins which we have committed and forgive us for our erroneous ways. Include us among those who have Thine favour on the Day of Judgment and have Mercy on us in our graves.
May Thy Blessings and Peace be upon Mohamed, Thine Messenger, and Praise be to Thee. Amen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)