:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

By Fathimath Shimla - Male' - 14^th October, 2004

President Gayoom - represented through his lapdog MPs in the Special Majlis today - gave another signal that his so-called reform process is nothing but hot air.

In what can only be described as a farce, the temporary speaker of the Special Majlis insisted that a vote for speaker would be by show of hands, breaking the rules of the constitution and ignoring the fact that Gasim Ibrahim became speaker-elect after Gayoom appointed Amed Zahir as speaker of the permanent Majlis.

Twelve opposition MPs walked out of the Majlis today in protest of the government's unconstitutional behaviour but the vote went ahead anyway and Gayoom's brother in law Abbas Ibrahim was 'duly elected'?

The vote for speaker was considered important by opposition figures. The Maldivian Democratic Party described it as a litmus test to see if the government is committed to the democratic reform and the rule of law.

To elect a speaker when opposition MPs are in prison is one thing. After all, how can you have pro-democracy reform when the pro-democracy leadership is locked up? To then ride rough-shot over the constitution during the vote makes a mockery of the President's reform programme.

Gayoom is probably thinking smugly to himself that he pulled off a bit of a coup today, after all his man is the leader of the Special Majlis, albeit illegally. But Gayoom would be deluding himself to think this was a victory.

If today's events say anything it is this: if Maldivians want democracy and freedom, they better be prepared to rise up and take it themselves because Gayoom has no intention whatsoever of letting go of his cling to power.