Editorial
The
country must come first not party politics
The upcoming parliamentary election, due to be
held in February 2009, is going to be a very
exciting one. According to some estimates, we
will see a record number of candidates
contesting for seats with or without party
tickets. To put a figure, some analysts believe
that we are going to see more than 400
candidates! It looks like every single party is
going to contest individually for the 74 seats
representing 21 constituencies, including
capital Male'. So a round figure of 400 is in
fact an underestimate. It could very well be
higher.
read & comment
Editorial
Dictator
Gayyoom will rig it to win it
Are you on the electoral register? Does
anyone know the total no of eligible voters? Does anyone care? Although some
opposition groups are wishfully thinking that this could possibly be a "fair and
free" elections, the Maldives Dictator has all the plans in place to rig the
vote on October 8th, the first ever multiparty presidential election to be held
in the Maldives, after almost 5 years of campaigning and hardships.
read & comment
Press Statement
Endorsing
Qasim Ibrahim and call for the opposition to unite to ensure the end of
Gayyoom’s dictatorship
It is with profound sadness and anguish that I
leave the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). I gave the following statement to
Maldives
Culture on 19th October 2003, in the wake of my now infamous interview to
the BBC a couple of days before that; after which Dictator Gayyoom labelled me a
traitor. 'I have already left the country fearing the worst and from London I
will do my best to inform the world of this man's brutality. A formal opposition
movement will be launched to replace the regime. That is my promise to the
people of Maldives.' The MDP was formed the following month and I joined them
immediately and I have been working to bring democratic reform to the Maldives.
more
Editorial
Maldives
coach Joseph Jankech is the mastermind behind
the South Asian Cup glory not Golhaaabo
In all the euphoria with the Maldives winning
the SAFF Championships, the official media
appears to deliberately ignore the role of the
mastermind whose strategy and tactics won the
elusive trophy for us Maldivians - the coach
Joseph Jankech.
read & comment
Editorial
The
epitome of injustice: Journalist Ali Rasheed
sentenced to life in absentia in a 'record' 29
days
"Obstruction of justice can take many forms,"
said Hameed, representative of jailed writer and
ardent critic of Dictator Gayyoom of the
Maldives. Alii Rasheed was taken to Maafushi
Jail on November 29, 2007, where he continues to
bide time until he can get his name cleared in
the High Court. His trial and sentencing can
only stand as testimony to the continued failure
of the Maldives justice system which is heavily
influenced by the dictator. It took exactly 29
days, a record up until now, for the Gayyoom
regime to decide that the former columnist of
Minivan News and correspondent for Dhivehi
Observer and Sandhaanu was guilty of possession
of drugs.
more
Editorial
Do
you think we have too many political parties?
Democracy and party politics is something very new to the Maldives. Almost all
of our past rulers were autocrats and had no intention of relinquishing their
absolute power except perhaps former president Ibrahim Nasir, who resigned in
1978, after governing the country for more than two decades. In his resignation
letter, he said that it was not proper for someone to stay in power for too long
as it leads to corruption and mismanagement. According to most political
thinkers in the country including historians, he practically gifted the reign of
power to the incumbent dictator on a plate, in the hope that an educated
religious scholar was what the country needed most at the time. Nasir could not
have been more wrong and today many Maldivians blame him for not putting in a
proper political system in place before passing the reign of power to someone
else. Almost three decades have passed and we are still suffering as a result of
his mistake. more
Editorial
Why is Dhivehi Observer still
blocked in the Maldives?
Dhivehi Observer has a reputation for being particularly irritating to the
Maldives Dictator and his cronies. However, over the last 4 year, since its
initially launch it has become one of the most visited and a frequently updated
news website. It is seen by many Maldivian as a main sources of information and
news, especially in the early days of the democracy and human rights campaign
that began after the brutal murders of Evan Naseem and his colleagues in
Maafushi Jail back in September 2003.
more
Editorial
National
Unity Alliance has divided the MDP
A great majority of Maldivians
were very optimistic about their future when all the
opposition parties and dissident movements joined hands last
year in an attempt to promote the need for a transitional
government to ensure that upcoming multiparty elections will
be free and fair, especially the Presidential Election which
is likely to take place this August. However, when that
failed, the National Unity Alliance (NUA) began promoting
the idea that they will generate a single candidate to
contest and defeat Dictator Gayyoom, which will bring the
much desired end to his 30 year old iron-fist rule. The NUA
comprised of the largest opposition party Maldivian
Democratic Party (MDP), Adhaalath Party (AP), Islamic
Democratic Party (IDP), Social Liberal Party (SLP) as well
as the New Maldives Movement (NMM). The NMM, formed by three
former cabinet ministers, Dr. Hassan Saeed, Dr. Ahmed
Shaheed and Mohamed Jameel, are seen by many as the trio
that negotiated the idea of an alliance movement.
more
Editorial
Rising crimes and the survival of the Maldives
Dictator
Maldives despite its minute size is witnessing a
surge in serious crimes, such as drug dealing, cyber-crimes and counterfeiting
money. In addition, the capital has seen some of the worst gang violence in the
country's history leading to several deaths in the last couple of months.
more
Editorial
Living
in a Gangsta's Paradise
"Violence! Violence! Violence!" the instant
those three words left the Dictator's collagen-enhanced lips, they became
synonymous with all things that stood for Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. Violence is all
he knows. And he does not hesitate to make use of violence to further his soul
'raison d'etre" in this world i.e. to cling on to his Dictatorship.
more
Editorial
Like
Mugabe, Golhaabe is loosing his grip on power
Political analysts believe that
the Maldives Dictator has all but lost his stronghold on power as he could not
push the Amendments to the Civil Service Act in the Parliament. The Dictator
failed to secure the 26 votes necessary to debate the Amendments. And, the
Dictator is making a complete fool of his youngest minister. It appears that the
Information Minister Kutti Nasheed is an incompetent dimwit who could not do his
homework and was paying lip service to the Dictator's orders.
more
Editorial
BIG,
BIGGER,
BIGGEST
The tale of a megalomaniac
It was the mid 1980s. On a cold
and frosty day in London, Dictator Gayyoom and his entourage descended from his
brother-in-law's penthouse in the West End. He was on his way for a shopping
spree. When he stepped outside, to his total chagrin, he realised that the Rolls
Royce Silver Spur parked nearby was not his transport. He demanded to know why
his car was "just a Mercedes" while there was a bigger and a more expensive car
around? This was a time when people still believed that Gayyoom was a humble and
a modest man. Yet the incident turned out to be a brief glimpse of what was to
come; a fleeting insight into the megalomaniac he really is.
more
Editorial
How
to choose your leader?
There is no doubt that the
politics in the Maldives is going through a complete face-lift since the
introduction of multi-party system in 2005. Contrary to the old ways, we now
have a say in who should lead our respective parties and eventually who should
lead the nation. Of course, the Dictator will try his best to rig the elections
but even that chance is now limited. In any case, it would be difficult for him
to conduct it on the same scale as in the past.
more
އެޑިޓޯރިއަލް
ތިޔަބައިމީހުން ވެރިއަކު ހޮވާއިރު
Editorial
Our
time has come
After nearly 30 years of
wilting in the flames of brutality and injustice, today our small nation is at a
crucial juncture – that of breaking away these chains of autocratic rule and
breathe in the free air of democracy. The Maldives Dictator, Mr. Maumoon Abdul
Gayyoom, is no longer the strong man he once was, who had shackled us for so
long in slavery. People do not fear him anymore and he no longer has at his
disposal the propaganda machines that kept him in power year after year. We now
have the chance of realising the dream that we so longed for. Let us not lose
this moment; let us grip it with both our hands and take those final few steps
to fulfilment.
more
Editorial
Why
can't the Dictator jail all convicted paedophiles?
Our country has its fair share of problems from
drug abuse to rampant gang violence. However, one of the most tragic evils
facing our society today is the increase of child abuse and the lenient way
paedophiles are treated by this regime. Physical or sexual abuse of children
often go undetected and unreported in many societies mainly because the adult
who abuse the child is very often someone the child knows and trusts - a family
member, a childcare provider, a family friend, neighbour, a teacher, etc. In
such a circumstances, it is very difficult for such cases to come to the
forefront. Even in the rare instance, when such cases get reported, Dictator
Gayoom has shown no interest in protecting this most vulnerable asset of our
country. On the contrary, systematically, the abusers are treated with extreme
leniency even when there is a major public outcry.
more
Editorial
Personality
Cults - Gayyoom and Ceausescu
From Caligula to Ceausescu, personality cults have been
created by ruthless leaders in order to exploit their
hapless people. They used various forms of psychological
manipulation, brainwashing and coercive persuasion to
control the minds of the people. This enabled them to abuse
the trust that was placed in these leaders and promote the
belief that the general populace owed it to them for
everything; from the food they eat to the roof over their
heads.
more
Editorial
The
Role of the Internet in the Demolition of the Maldives
Dictatorship
Dictators are a dying breed now. Across the globe,
over the past couple of centuries, we have seen numerous dictatorial regimes
being replaced by democratic governments. Of course, it is never easy to
confront a dictator or destroy their power. But time and time again, we have
witnessed that when a population is united in its endeavour to bring about
change, no dictator can survive for long. Just regard what happened to dictators
from Chile, Philippines, Indonesia, former Yugoslavia, Romania and most recently
Saddam Hussain of Iraq. They were all powerful dictators, who ran their nations
with an iron fist, without any regard for the rule of law or respect for human
life. Where are they now?
more
Editorial
'Big-Water-Well-House' Mustafa turns out to be a complete wanker
When Musthafa Hussain dusted off his suit and
rolled up to the political forefront after years on the shelf, many expected him
to play the role of an elder statesman of the country. However, the recent
interview given to the Minivan News has made people realize that this is far
from reality. It is indeed sad, that Musthafa Hussain, a man of experience and
education, a man at one time the people of Maldives had thought of as a future
leader, turns out to be nothing but a bitter old codger still living in a past
where aristocratic families had dominated life in the Maldives, someone who is
now unable to comprehend the reality of modern 21st century politics of the
Maldives. more
Editorial
Violence!
Violence! Violence! - the Dictator's dirty deals
"Violence! Violence! Violence!" When those three
lethal words left Dictator Gayoom's lips during that now infamous interview,
there were some among our people who did wonder if the protest was all about
violence. Now, two years later, the realization of those words have come to
fruition. Now, we are wiser as to why those words oozed so smoothly out of the
Dictator's lips. Violence is what he knows. Violence is what he practices.
Violence is what he will resort to in the future.
more
Editorial
Free
and fair elections incompatible with Golhaa
"It's not the people who vote that count. It's the
people who count the votes." (Josef Stalin) Elections in the Maldives under
Dictator Gayyoom have been a sordid drama of disinformation, intrigue,
machination, intimidation, coercion and fraud. Every trick in the cheat sheet
was used to guarantee the result, while ensuring that the elections looked
superficially free and fair, when in fact they were neither.
more
Editorial
2008
Presidential Election: The 'spoiler effect' could be crucial
An obscure election phenomenon known as the
spoiler effect could make or break the winning chances for the main contenders
in the 2008 Presidential Election. In a multi-candidate election the spoiler
effect favors the candidate who is most different from others. In this election,
the unique candidate would obviously be Gayyoom, since he will be the only
dictator in the fray. Thus, in order to prevent Gayyoom from taking advantage of
the phenomenon and win the election, MDP must develop strategy to minimize the
spoiler effect. more
އެޑިޓޯރިއަލް
ބޮޑު
މުނާފިގާ، ބޮޑުވަގާ، ދެޅިޔަނުންގެ ސިއްހީ
ޚިދުމަތުގެ ސަމާހަތު
Editorial
Get
rid of the Dictator to improve your living conditions
In 1996, Maldives Dictator Gayyoom fired the
county's senior most public health expert for daring to say that there was a
housing problem in the capital Male'. This was the extent to which Gayyoom (AKA
Golhaaboa) was prepared to go to keep critical social issues swept under the
carpet. But he was only fooling himself. The shortage of housing was too acute
to be hidden even then. It is worse now, after 10 more years of neglect.
more
Editorial
When
will the new constitution come into force?
Delay tactics were embedded in Dictator Gayyoom's
2004 reform agenda right at the design stage. The whole idea was to take the
world –particularly us the Maldivians –for a ride, feigning he was finally
easing his autocratic style of government, while doing absolutely nothing. "It
is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," as
Shakespeare would have said.
more
Editorial
Why
the Maldives needs a transitional government
"This is how fair and free elections can be
ensured," Benazir Bhutto recently told reporters
after demanding that President Pervez Musharraf
hand over power to a caretaker government in
preparation for next year's Pakistani general
elections. She knows what she is talking.
Dictators and their kleptocratic governments are
not famous for bagging fair-play awards in
elections. more
Editorial
DOLLARS
AND SINNERS: The criminal nexus between resort owners and Dictator Gayyoom
"All dictatorships are
cruel and wasteful. They deprive the populace of basic rights while enriching a
small minority at the expense of rational development."
These opening lines of the introduction to a research article from Stanford
Graduate School of Business could very well be referring to Maldives Dictator
Gayyoom. Actually, the article was referring to Alberto Fujimori of Peru who
was deposed following one of the most notorious corruption scams in history. This
uncanny resemblance exists because while dictators may differ, their methods are
identical. Like Fujimori, Gayyoom also maintains his stranglehold on power
through a bribery scheme, which in his case is bankrolled by Maldivian tourist
resort owners, who are the real beneficiaries of Gayyoom's kleptocracy. Through
patronage and favors, the scheme ensures the loyalty of atoll and island
officials. more
Editorial
Preparing
ourselves for the final showdown
After almost thirty years of absolute tyranny
characterised by torture, injustice and corruption, many Maldivians are hopeful
and expectant that the end is very near. But, as we enter the last year of
Gayyoom's Dictatorship, there are events and experiences of the past from which
we can learn to ensure that we do not make any mistakes and be decisive in our
actions. more
Editorial
Dictator
Gayyoom : Father of Extremism in the Maldives
In early 1979, a group of school children from
Majeediya and Aminiya School, in their crispy white uniforms, sat nervously in a
Television Maldives studio. They have just been told that the religious text
that they used in school, written by the revered scholar Mohamed Jameel Didi,
did not explain the true Islam that they should follow. Thus, each of them was
given a piece of paper with a question on it, which they were told to memorize.
Among the students included the Foreign Minister of today, Hon. Abdulla Shahid.
During the programme they were supposed to ask the question as if it was their
own. The man in front of them will give the answer. He will explain what true
Islam was. He was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, their new President.
more
Editorial
Dictator
Gayoom is the only roadblock to Reform
For the first 25 years of his rule, the Maldives
Dictator found it pretty easy going. Many had fallen into his "honey-trap"; some
by bribery while others were duped into believing that he was indeed a
benevolent leader. However, the pro-democracy campaign that was launched in 2003
in the aftermath of the horrendous murders in Maafushi jail committed the local
police became the first nail on his coffin and is now going strong. Of course
there were several pervious attempts to expose his crimes and oust him from
power but these efforts were stopped by his regime before it gained any real
momentum. more
Editorial
How
far have we come in 4 years?
"You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South
Africa to a democracy" so wrote Nelson Mandela in The Long Walk To Freedom, And
so we seem to be in a similar junction in our beloved Maldives. By rigging the
referendum and trying to fill the hearts of our people with dismay and despair,
the Dictator has succeeded in delaying our own transition to democracy. But do
not let that fool you for one minute. Like Nelson Mandela, we must believe in
our noble path to establish a democratic Maldives. We must stand steadfast
together to lead the Maldives into the 21st century. If not for our sake, then
for the sake of our children. Struggle we must. And struggle we on.
more
Editorial
The
Mummy Returns
Dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom must have thought that the bomb explosion in
Sultan Park would have buried the issue of voter fraud in the recent referendum
for good. But it is not easy to forget what happened, especially since there are
thousands of missing ballot papers. The Electoral Commissioner Mr. K. D. Ahmed
Maniku stated in his letter to the Special Majlis on 23rd September 2007 that
305,000 ballot papers were printed, which included the 300,000 ballot papers
printed initially for the day of the referendum and a further 5000 printed
because certain islands in Addu had to go for a re-vote. He stated that 155,890
ballot papers were issued on the days of the vote. That means he should have a
balance of 149,110. more
Editorial
We
Shall Not Succumb to Terrorism
When innocent people are
hurt, injured, maimed, or killed, that is TERRORISM,
irrespective of their nationality, cast, creed or
religion and despite who carried out the attack. In
recent times, terrorist attacks mainly directed at
tourists have been on the increase around the world.
However, for those of us on these shores, they seem
distant, remote, and often at times surrealistic. That
is until yesterday. What we witnessed yesterday is real
terrorism targeted against tourists. This is frightening
and menacing. By the grace of the Almighty, no one was
killed in this particular incident. But it could have
been otherwise. And we as a country need to get to the
bottom of this and find out who carried out this
dastardly act.
more
Editorial
The
Long Walk to Freedom
"You may succeed in delaying, but never in preventing the transition of South
Africa to a democracy" so wrote Nelson Mandela in The Long Walk To Freedom, And
so we seem to be in a similar junction in our beloved Maldives. By rigging the
referendum and trying to fill the hearts of our people with dismay and despair,
the Dictator has succeeded in delaying our own transition to democracy. But do
not let that fool you for one minute. Like Nelson Mandela, we must believe in
our noble path to establish a democratic Maldives. We must stand steadfast
together to lead the Maldives into the 21st century. If not for our sake, then
for the sake of our children. Struggle we must. And struggle we on.
more
Editorial
Rigging
the referendum is a blessing in disguise
There is absolutely no doubt
that the public referendum held in the Maldives on 18th
August to decide on the system of government was heavily
rigged by the regime of the longest serving dictator in
Asia. However, at this point in time, how the Maldives
Dictator managed to rig the votes and produce the result he
wanted is, as far as I am concerned, completely immaterial.
What matters is the implications that will follow in the
coming weeks and months.
more
Editorial
Who
do you want, a democratic leader or a dictator?
I believe that we are faced
with a very easy choice tomorrow. It's not only easy; it is
quite straightforward. It is the choice between the words of
a murderous dictator and that of democrats. Just ask
yourself the question, "Who do you want to run your affairs,
a democratic leader or a dictator?" and then decide. Let me
rephrase it. Do you want to remain under an oppressive
ruler, deprived of basic human rights and social justice or
liberate yourself and become a responsible citizen?
more
Editorial
Pharoah
Golhabo I and the Voters from the Dead
According to the religious beliefs of Ancient
Egypt, death was an extension of life elsewhere and that too
a better version of it. The Ancient Egyptians believed that
they would be able to eat, drink and share good
companionship even after they are dead. Several thousand
years later, we Maldivians voted in Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as
our President, believing that his only connection with Egypt
is that he was educated there. Little did we realize that
far from being the pious Muslim that he pretends to be, he
has had us completely fooled. That is until now. We now know
that he actually follows the religious practices of the
Pharoahs (Firuaunu). Perhaps he thinks he is a Pharaoh. He
certainly acts like one.
more
Editorial
|
 |
| You idiot, you said
they will never find out that it was a private visit? |
|
We aint gonna work in MAG's farm no more...
During the twilight years of the Nasir era, a
group of music lovers got together in the Maldives and held the Rock n' Roll
concert; musicians from all walks of life participated in this colourful event
from the likes of Naibugey Shiham, the father of rock music in the Maldives, to
the unforgettable Dheedhibey. However it was the Bob Dylan's classic "I ain't
gonna work on Maggie's farm no more" that resonated around the hall. Soon after,
Nasir was gone. more
Editorial
The
future is in our hands and things can only get better
For hundreds of years, Maldivians have been living in absolute fear. It has
always been the custom and the tradition to fear the leader and high ranking
government officials. They have always been 'above the law'. The incumbent
Dictator of the Maldives came to power in 1978 and many had high hopes for him,
because he was an Islamic scholar, a graduate from the 'revered' Azhar
University of Egypt. Little did the Maldivians knew, this was not any old man,
this was a thoroughbred dictator, whose only aim is to remain in power and live
like and Arab kings. more
Editorial
Back
to Basics: Democracy according to Dictator Gayyoom
"Gayyoom is the father of democracy"
- Dr. Ahmed Shaheed
When the US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza
Rice quoted Natan Sharansky's "town square test" in her statement to the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee in January 2005, she would know what she was talking
about and those listening would no doubt understand. The US is one of the
largest democracies in the world. According to the town square test "if a person
cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views
without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is
living in a fear society, not a free society".
more
