উপমহাদেশ, গণতন্ত্র, চীন, দক্ষিণ এশিয়া, ভারত, মধ্যপ্রাচ্য, রাজনীতি

ছোটখাট তাৎক্ষনিক কড়চা : মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ, শেখ হাসিনা, সুকি

মাসুদ করিম

মোহাম্মদ নাশিদকে তার সংগ্রাম একাই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে[...]

মোহাম্মদ নাশিদকে তার সংগ্রাম একাই চালিয়ে যেতে হবে। আমেরিকা, ভারত, চীন সব একজোট হয়েছে — প্রাক্তন প্রেসিডেন্ট যিনি ক্যু-এর পরে প্রেসিডেন্ট হয়েছেন তাকে তারা সমর্থন দিয়েছেন। আমেরিকা ও চীন সুপারপাওয়ার তাদের সুপারপাওয়ারি সমর্থন তারা এভাবেই দেয়। কিন্তু ভারত তো সুপারপাওয়ার নয়, ভারত কেন সবসময় পৃথিবীর বৃহত্তম গণতন্ত্র বৃহত্তম গণতন্ত্র বলে আশেপাশের ছোট নবীন গণতন্ত্রকে বিপদে সহায়তা করে না? কারণ ভারতের বিদেশ নীতি ভারতের স্বদেশ নীতির মতোই বিষণ্ণতায় ভোগে, সিদ্ধান্তহীনতায় ভোগে। ভারতের বিদেশ নীতির মূল কূটনীতিটা মধ্যপ্রাচ্য, মধ্যএশিয়া, পাকিস্তান ও দক্ষিণএশিয়াকে ঘিরে — এই অঞ্চলে সংখ্যগরিষ্ঠরা মুসলমান, আর ভারতের নিজ দেশে বড় সংখ্যালঘুরা মুসলমান, তার আশেপাশের মুসলমানদের অগণতান্ত্রিক অবস্থানটাই তার কাছে বড় আবার নিজ দেশের গণতান্ত্রিক কাঠামোয় মুসলমানদের ভোটটাও তার কাছে বড়। এই অগ্নিমান্দ্য থেকে ভারতের বিষণ্ণতা ভারতের সিদ্ধান্তহীনতা। এজন্যই ভারত আরব বসন্তের নীরব দর্শক, এজন্যই ভারত মোহাম্মদ নাশিদের পাশে দাঁড়াতে পারে না, এজন্যই ভারত হাসিনার বন্ধুত্ব চায় কিন্তু নিজের মন নিজেই খুঁজে পায় না, এজন্যই ভারত সুকির চেয়ে বার্মিজ জেনারেলদের বেশি ভালবাসে, আজো ভালবাসে নেপালের রাজাদের, আর পাকিস্তানকে সে যমের মতো ভয় পায়। তাই মোহাম্মদ নাশিদকে, শেখ হাসিনাকে, সুকিকে তাদের নিজের সংগ্রাম নিজেদেরকেই চালাতে হবে। এরা যদি নিজেদের সংগ্রামে জয়ী হয় তাহলেই দক্ষিণএশিয়ার ভবিষ্যৎ উজ্জ্বল, আর যদি তা না হয় তাহলে দক্ষিণএশিয়াও মধ্যএশিয়া মধ্যপ্রাচ্য ও পাকিস্তানের মতো অসহজ ইসলামি দৈন্যতায় নিমজ্জিত হবে — এবং এই অঞ্চলের নানা ধর্মের নানা বিশ্বাসের মানুষের জীবনে অপরিসীম সন্ত্রাসের নৈরাজ্য ডেকে আনবে।

মাসুদ করিম

লেখক। যদিও তার মৃত্যু হয়েছে। পাঠক। যেহেতু সে পুনর্জন্ম ঘটাতে পারে। সমালোচক। কারণ জীবন ধারন তাই করে তোলে আমাদের। আমার টুইট অনুসরণ করুন, আমার টুইট আমাকে বুঝতে অবদান রাখে। নিচের আইকনগুলো দিতে পারে আমার সাথে যোগাযোগের, আমাকে পাঠের ও আমাকে অনুসরণের একগুচ্ছ মাধ্যম।

৩১ comments

  1. মাসুদ করিম - ১৫ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১২ (৬:১৩ অপরাহ্ণ)

    নাশিদের দল মালদ্বীপ ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টি ১৭ ফেব্রুয়ারি বিশাল রাজনৈতিক র‌্যালির আয়োজন করতে যাচ্ছে।

    “I don’t know why they (the current regime) are not going to people if they believe they are a result of popular uprising. We don’t see Nasheed as Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein or like Hosni Mubarak. He is walking around, he is free, his people are with him. We hope they will be brave enough to go for people’s mandate and show what they are saying is right,” Didi said.

    Nasheed, the country’s first democratically-elected President, had resigned last week and 59-year-old Mohammed Waheed Hassan, his deputy, assumed charge in his place. In a statement, the EU office in Colombo on Tuesday noted with concern the ongoing political tensions here and urged all sides to exercise restraint.

    “There must be an end to violence and no political retribution. In this regard we note the large political rally being planned (by Nasheed’s party) for Friday, 17th February, and urge all sides to do everything possible to ensure that this takes place in a peaceful and lawful manner. “Acts of provocation on the part of participants or the use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies would be completely unacceptable at this point,” it had said.

    The MDP’s planned rally on February 17 is coinciding with the Commonwealth ministerial mission’s arrival here to ‘ascertain the facts surrounding the transfer of power’ in Maldives.

    খবরের লিন্ক এখানে।

    এরমধ্যে আজকে ভারতের বিদেশ সচিব রঞ্জন মাথাই চলমান অচলাবস্থা নিরসনের লক্ষ্যে মালদ্বীপ যাচ্ছেন।

    With the crisis in the Maldives continuing, Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai Wednesday rushed to the island nation to hold discussions with key political leaders across the spectrum and press for a political solution.

    A sense of uncertainty has gripped the Maldives since President Mohammad Nasheed resigned Feb 7.

    Violence broke out in the Maldives last week before and after Nasheed’s resignation.

    India’s Special Envoy M. Ganapathi, Secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry, was sent to the Maldives last week and held meetings with Nasheed and his successor, Mohamed Waheed Hassan, as also civic society leaders.

    লিন্ক এখানে।

  2. মাসুদ করিম - ১৮ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১২ (২:৪৪ অপরাহ্ণ)

    মালদ্বীপ ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টির বিক্ষোভ সমাবেশ গতকাল বিকেল থেকে শুরু হয়েছে এবং আজো চলছে। বিক্ষোভ সমাবেশ কখন শেষ হবে তা নিয়ে এখনো কোনো সিদ্ধান্ত হয়নি।

    MDP’s “Mass protest” calling for the resignation of President Dr. Waheed and to hold early presidential elections at Lonuziyaaraih Kolhu. Large numbers of people have gathered at the protest.

    08:34 Former President Nasheed and some prominent members of the MDP has rejoined the protest.

    Most of the protesters who had gathered for yesterday’s protest had returned home last night, but some have remained at the venue overnight. While some slept in tents and on mats, others chose to stay up with various activities. Out of the leaders of MDP, Vice President of the party MP Alhan Fahmy had stayed with the protesters overnight. During former President Nasheed’s address to the protesters last night, he had assured that he would return to the protest this morning.

    February 18, 2012

    01:00 MP Alhan Fahmy is addressing the protesters.

    00:49 Nasheed: The judiciary comprises of members appointed by former President Gayoom. If you look around all the other institutions in this country, you would find educated and capable personnel in all of them. But our Judges barely have Grade 3 standard.

    00:46 Nasheed: I was repeatedly asked to unlock the arsenal and if so the mutinous police officers would have been easily arrested. But I was not elected to hurt the people of this country.

    00:44 Nasheed: I am certain that the date of the election will be known in the days to come and I am also certain that when that election is held the people can restore their rule back.

    00:44 Nasheed: People can swim, play sports, music and give political speeches here. Our aim is to gather people from all over the nation at this venue.

    00:39 Nasheed: The commonwealth foreign minister’s team who are arriving tomorrow wants to probe into the events that transpired in the country. They need to know that the government cannot change unless by a vote of the people. Our aim is to instill the presidential principles of a sincere rule in this country and I have no doubt that we will work tirelessly to achieve that goal. Some of the followers of conventional norms believe that we Maldivians are afraid. I would say that one cannot find a more daring than a Maldivian from anywhere else in the world. Democracy was introduced to the country by our unrelenting efforts. They said that multiple party system could not be instilled. But it is possible to rule this country sincerely for the progress of the people. During the numerous protests that took place in the past three years, I had called the police every single night. The police did not break up those protests because I had asked them not to, because I do not believe that peaceful protests should be dispersed.

    00:34 Nasheed: I urge that everyone who choose to remain here will exercise and restraint and stay peacefully. I plead everyone not to resort to violence or create any kind of unrest. We always conduct peaceful political events. We should conduct ourselves in such a manner. I call for the security forces not exercise authority to the people who remain here peacefully. I also sincerely urge everyone not to leave this area. I must be clear that I am compelled to leave tonight but I assure you that I will return tomorrow morning. I have lot of important work to do. I hope that the people who choose to remain here would feel my physical presence here with them even in my absence.

    00:31 Nasheed: There are lot of people here who cannot remain tonight and that is something we all must admit. So I hope that the people who cannot remain here tonight will return tomorrow morning.

    00:30 Nasheed: Should we remain here tonight and continue this protest? (Protesters) Yes Yes Yes we will remain.

    00:27 Nasheed: I have received word that all political parties will sit down on Sunday to finalize a date to hold the election. International community has urged me to participate in the discussion. I have no doubt that a date for the election can be decided before the Parliament convenes on March 1. I hope that by next week we will know a date for the election after the discussions on Sunday.

    00:25 Nasheed: To hold early elections is what we wanted. We are ready to continue our efforts till we know the date the election will be held. I urge all the people across the nation to come to Male to join this peaceful protest.

    00:24 Nasheed: We are receiving just rewards for our efforts. After dialogue with all the political parties, Indian foreign Secretary told me that India supports the notion to hold an election before 2013. He also said the people will be comforted that if Dr. Waheed announces his willingness to hold early elections. I also admit that discussions regarding that are necessary. Late last night Attorney General Azima Shakoor had issued a statement and we had to wait for a long time to know the content of her statement.

    00:21 Nasheed: I have held discussions with the Indian Foreign Secretary last night. The international community had not received word of the coup as I was unable to leave Muliaage. The international community only realized that the information they had been receiving was not genuine. Some had urged us to join this illegal government. But when I informed them of the real situation, they have realized that the transfer of power had taken place unconstitutionally.

    00:19 Nasheed: The people of this country will not endorse a government not of their choice. People are getting accustomed to the path of the nation’s independence. I am certain that these political events will continue on if the demands of the people are not met.

    00:16 Nasheed: I have always worked towards protecting the democracy and the rights of the people of this country and will continue to do so in the future.

    00:13 Ex-President Mohamed Nasheed is addressing the gathering.

    00:02 Dr. Didi: The elected President from MDP still commands the love of the people. The people voted for our manifesto for a rule of 5 years and hence the rule of this party should remain even now. That is why we are pressing for an election and by the grace of God it will be achieved.

    00:00 Dr. Didi: The efforts of this yellow army is nearing its reward. DRP has given the green light for early elections.

    23:59 MDP President Dr. Ibrahim Didi is addressing the protesters.

    23:59 Thaa Atoll Vandhoo Council President addressed the gathering. He said he has joined MDP after being an independent Councillor. He decision to join MDP came after the police brutality against the Councillors of his island.

    23:46 President’s Office has dismissed rumors spreading in the protest that President Waheed had fled to an island in Haa Alif Atoll. An official said that Waheed is in Male’.

    23:41 Thorig: I call for a presidential poll even tomorrow. We also can buy off a few people to attain power. But it is not the way to rule in a democracy.

    23:39 It has been announced that 500 volunteers from Huvadhoo Atoll are coming in to join the protest.

    23:37 Thorig: I am convinced that some officers in the security forces have been bribed.

    23:36 Manadhoo MP Mohamed Thorig speaks to the crowd.

    23:36 PPM sms statement: We have received word that t shirts bearing the logo of this party is being used at the MDP protest tonight. The purpose of this is to create unrest and blame this party for their actions. Hence we wish to bring this to the attention of the media.

    23:23 Abdul Raheem: When Nasheed took over as President the national reserve amounted to $257 million . Nasheed has resigned by force by increasing the national reserve to over $400 million which showcases his success. That is the reason why I am convinced that he has not taken a single cent from the people.

    23:18 Abdul Raheem: It will not be easy to bring out a leader to this nation who will be as fair and just, as Nasheed has been.

    23:15 Abdul Raheem: Maldives lost its independence on February 7, 2012.

    23:14 MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem speaking to the protesters.

    23:09 In an sms sent to the media, PPM Secretary General has said that they had received word that a group of people in PPM t shirts are attempting to create unrest in Male’.

    23:06 It has been announced that ex-President Nasheed, MP Mariya Ahmed Didi and MP Alhan Fahmy will be addressing the gathering tonight.

    23:04 Ghafoor: We always strive for the betterment of the people without discrimination. We cannot be bought off or misuse the wealth of the people.

    22:59 Ghafoor: I am a military officer who retired with pride and dignity. I apologize for the actions of the armed forces. I call for the sincere officers in the armed forces to throw out the officers who took part in the coup as they need to be brought to justice.

    22:57 Kulhudhuffushi North MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa addresses the gathering.

    22:56 It has also been announced that a large number of Adhaalath Party members are signing for MDP in Hithadhoo. The youth riding around Male waving flags have been urged to return to Lonuziyaarai Kolhu.

    22:55 It has been announced that 1000 mats are being delivered to the area.

    22:38 Dr. Luthfee: I call Waheed to resign immediately as the people do not want him in power.

    22:33 Dr. Luthfee: Freedom is a god given right of every human being and must not be violated under any circumstances. Pointing a gun to the head of our beloved president and forcing him to resign is the same as pointing a gun at all of us. If we give up now the generations to come have to live at gun point. This has been carefully planned and I believe that it was planned in two different ways. One plan was to force Nasheed to resign and if he did not succumb then the arsenal would have been opened for the opposition to do what they wished. If the latter had come to pass it would have meant major bloodshed and they would have imposed military rule. They would have kept the country under such rule for a long time. It is our luck that Nasheed was wise enough to step aside and save this country from a massive travesty. Their second plan was to arrest Nasheed when he resigned, which would prompt his supporters to take matters into their own hands giving an excuse to beat them down. They would have charged us under terrorism and removed us out of the equation.

    22:27 Dr. Luthfee: I came here today because I could no longer bear this travesty. Our President took on responsibility of this nation with many aims. The primary aim of Nasheed was the welfare of the common man.

    22:25 Former Education Minister and Chancellor of National University Dr. Musthafa Luthfee addresses the crowd.

    22:17 Former Deputy Minister of Transport Adam Naseer addresses the protesters.

    22:05 Captain of Villa International High School Mikail is now addressing the crowd.

    22:02 Mohamed Rasheed: Police tortured us while arresting us in restraints.

    21:50 Mohamed Rasheed: MDP members did not instigate the violence in Addu on February 8. I call the real culprits to be brought to justice. They continued the arrest of political leaders including 4 local council members and as a result the council is now defunct. Some people, together with the security forces had come out and arrested anyone they wished. But those people who joined with the forces are the real perpetrators of the violence in Addu. I also call for action against the persons responsible for the arrest of Addu city Mayor.

    21:47 Hithadhoo Mid MP Mohamed Rasheed who was arrested and subsequently released following the violence in Addu , is now speaking at the protest.

    21:38 Ali Waheed: The peaceful way to resolve this conflict is to agree for early elections. A nation cannot be ruled by the “bullet”.

    21:29 Ali Waheed: I joined this party after criticizing Nasheed, out of love for MDP. When Nasheed did not exercise his authority to have the people shot during the day of the coup, I realized his love for the people. That is the reason why we stand behind him today.

    21:28 Ali Waheed: Despite their claims that they can divide the MDP and take its Parliament members, they cannot even take a tiny piece off MDP.

    21:26 Ali Waheed: Dr. Hassan Saeed and Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed have spent their carrier in appointed positions. They have not yet fulfilled an elected position. That is why all political parties must unanimously agree for early elections. MDP will respect the choice of the people

    21:24 Ali Waheed: The citizens are politically divided. Opposition cannot rule at the expense of MDP supporters and vice versa.

    21:23 Ali Waheed: PPM is the nation’s past. This is the country’s future. This is the youngest political party of this nation. We will bring a MDP coalition in June/July.

    21:21 Ali Waheed: The valuable right of every citizen of freedom of choice have been robbed.

    21:20 Ali Waheed: They first gathered here on December 23 calling Allah Akbar. But the front lines comprised of vendors of alcohol and pork. Now they have overthrown the government. But they have not banned the sale of alcohol and pork in the resorts. They claimed that Indians would be chased off within 24 hours of attaining power. But GMR is still here. Three naval ships are waiting 27 miles of the coast of this nation. Who are they and what is their purpose?. That is the reason why they should not speak about independence and sovereignty. The person who opposed taxes is now the economic minister but still they have not ceased taxation.

    21:17 Ali Waheed: We have to be calm and patient at this juncture. We must not confront the security forces. I refuse to believe that all members of the security forces oppose democracy.

    21:15 Ali Waheed: The precedence in this nation will be a bitter one for the generations to come. The 77 members in Parliament have the authority to impeach Nasheed. But when the security forces have overthrown him we are forced to come forward and make a stand.

    21:13 Ali Waheed: If the security forces invade this protest, the result will be very bitter.

    21:12 Ali Waheed: If they do not heed our demands by March 1st, we will come after President Waheed in Parliament.

    21:10 Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed addresses the audience.

    20:59 Noorbaan: The purpose of this gathering is not to overthrow this “illegal” government. All we want is justice.

    20:55 Noorbaan: We want a democratically elected government. We are calling for elections before 2013 because of the nation’s current predicament.

    20:54 MP Alhan Fahmy’s sister Noorbaan is now addressing the crowd.

    20:52 Ibrahim Rasheed: We have just received word that the security forces have accepted that this is a peaceful protest and have urged against obstructing this protest. Hence we want a date for the elections.

    20:49 Nazim: Our President and leader will not back down. We obey our leader because he has gained the love of the people. He has initiated national health insurance scheme, and contructed 46 mosques for us to pray in.

    20:47 Nazim: This party will always hold peaceful protests. As long as the government in power is not the peoples choice, we will continue with such peaceful protests.

    20:45 Nazim: We want to know the motives behind this coup. Nasheed was not bankrolled by anyone to attain his presidency but with the love and respect of the people. We entrusted him with the policies of this party (MDP) and we will not tolerate this coup.

    20:42 Ex-President Nasheed rejoins the protest.

    20:41 Nazim: We wil continue this event even in the future. Tell us when they will give us the rule that we want. Most among us want a clear date of when the election will be held. If not, we have no option but to exercise civil disobedience.

    20:38 Madaveli Mp Mohamed Nazim addressing the gathering.

    20:37 Protest commences after prayers

    18:10 Protest has been halted temporarily for Maghrib prayers.

    18:08 Ibra: We will not cease this until an election date is announced. Waheed’s greed for power has no limit. Thats why I am asking him to resign and return the rule of the people back to us.

    18:07 Ibra: A person who has shed blood to protect the people of this country is now being summoned to the police in relation to the arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Are they valuing the service of Moosa Ali Jaleel by such actions? What are they going to do to this country?

    18:04 Ibra: The protest will continue after Maghrib prayers.

    18:01 Ibra: Every island of this country is echoing our demands. This is peoples power. The protesters present here are not only MDP supporters but also people who believe in democratic principles are also here today.

    17:58 First President of MDP and former advisor to Nasheed, Ibrahim “Ibra” Ismail has started addressing the audience.

    17:56 A message from the former High Commissioner to UK Dr. Farahanaz Faisal has been announced. She sends her best wishes to the protesters.

    17:55 Adam Manik: As an old friend I am calling for Waheed to hold early elections or else there will be no escape.

    17:53 Adam Manik: I am calling for an early election and we will back whoever is elected.

    17:52 I was afraid when the opposition parties had protested and created unrest. But today I remain unafraid and I urge everyone at this protest not to resort to violence. I call Waheed to witness this gathering and announce a date for early election before we take to the streets.

    17:50 Adam Manik: We will protest here peacefully today with a lot of hopes. But if our demands are not met we will not remain calm and silent as we are now. The people here today are just 1 out of a 100 who actually wanted to be present here with us.

    17:48 Sarangu Manik: Protesters of December 23 gathering are also present here. Security forces had threatened us for holding this protest. But the people want independence and no one can deny the freedom of the people.

    17:47 Adam “Sarangu” Manik addressing the audience.

    17:45 Protesters have been urged to sit down and former President Nasheed and leaders of MDP present at the protest have sat down.

    17:41 Musthafa: “I call everyone here not to return to their homes until the rule seized from us is restored. I urge everyone to sleep here if necessary and I will provide whatever I have.

    17:40 Musthafa: “Waheed has no political weight. He cannot serve the people. He only wants the presidential profile. 5% of the people of this country has not even seen Waheed in person. How can a person not involved with and not endorsed by the people love them. A person can attain education by the truck loads but the purpose of such an education is to serve the people and the nation.

    17:37 Musthafa: “This is not actually a military rule but it is the devils rule.”

    17:35 Musthafa: “I want to restore our rule. Second option is for Waheed to resign immediately and hold elections by June 2012. Honestly we do not have to go for an election.”

    17:32 Musthafa has called for the immediate resignation of President Waheed and to adhere to the constitution.

    17:31 Thimarafushi MP Mohamed Musthafa is addressing the crowd.

    17:19 Police Statement: MDP has assured the police that today’s protest will be conducted at the designated area peacefully without incitements to violence. Henceforth Police urge against any action to hinder todays’s protest by the MDP.

    Police will ensure that law and order is maintained during the protest assisted by the armed forces (MNDF). Police urge everyone to extend their cooperation to ensure that the protest is conducted peacefully.

    17:18 Police have urged against any action to hinder today’s MDP protest.

    17:17 Vice President of Surfing Association of Maldives has denounced the new government and declared it “illegal”.

    17:13 This protest is being carried out in the outer islets also calling for early polls: MP Abdulla

    17:11 We are demonstrating how a peaceful political event should be conducted: MP Abdulla

    17:10 Ihavandhoo MP Ahmed Abdulla is addressing the gathering.

    17:09 Male City Council has given Dharubaaruge for MDP “mass protest”

    17:03 This prolonged protest would only end after a date for the snap elections is announced: MP Riyaz

    17:02 Riyaz said that the Nasheed’s government was toppled by a few mutinous members of the security forces. He has called for immediate elections.

    16:58 MP Riyaz addressing the gathering.

    16:53 Rasheed has called for all arrested following the unrest on February 8 to be released.

    16:50 Former President Nasheed has arrived at the protest

    16:50 Rasheed has called for the security forces to arrest President Waheed

    16:48 Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Rasheed addressing the gathering. The protest could be prolonged has been announced.

    16:30 Protest begins with the recitation of Holy Quran

    16:19 People have started gathering for MDP’s “Mass protest” part of the series of protests calling for the freedom of law and order.

    2 Boats decorated with MDP colors has arrived from Alif atoll Ukulhahu with supporters as stated by the party that many people from the outer islets would be arriving for today’s protest.

    MDP had said yesterday that today’s protest would be the biggest gathering of people in the country’s history and would be conducted peacefully without violence. They further added that the time to end the protest has not been decided yet.

    খবরের লিন্ক : MDP protest continues into day two।

  3. মাসুদ করিম - ২৮ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১২ (৭:০৩ অপরাহ্ণ)

    কয়েক দিনের ব্যবধানে দ্বিতীয়বারের মতো মালদ্বীপ গেলেন ভারতের বিদেশ সচিব রঞ্জন মাথাই। মালদ্বীপে ০১ মার্চ ২০১২তে পরবর্তী মজলিশ (সংসদ অধিবেশন) বসার কথা।

    With just two days left for the crucial Parliament session to begin here, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai arrived here today on an unannounced visit to hold meetings with various stakeholders.

    This is his second visit here following the political unrest that sieged the country early this month following a regime change.

    Official sources said Mathai arrived here in the afternoon and is likely to go back tomorrow morning.

    The Foreign Secretary during his earlier visit on February 15, had helped broker a deal between the political parties here on the issue of early elections.

    Sources had earlier said that India was willing to offer any assistance, if asked for, for holding elections in the country that had witnessed political unrest following the resignation of Mohammed Nasheed as President on February 7.

    Noting that the People’s Majlis (Parliament) is scheduled to meet on March 1, official sources had said they hoped “some sort of understanding, some sort of arrangement among the parties on not only on the date of elections but also for cooperation on the floor of Parliament that will pave the way for Constitution amendment” would be worked out by then.

    Mathai’s visit also comes in the backdrop of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon, Home Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President’s spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza saying that the present government, headed by Mohammed Waheed, did not give assurance to any country or organisation regarding early polls.

    Meanwhile, fresh from his first official visit outside the capital to Addu atoll, President Waheed said that he will deliver the Presidential address to open the Majlis despite objection raised by Nasheed.

    Waheed also said that the damage caused to the infrastructure in Addu City during the February 8 violence will be more than 200 million Maldivian Rufiyaa (USD 14 million).

    He said the damage to the courts will affect many as all the legal documents regarding house properties were damaged.

    লিন্ক : Ranjan Mathai in Maldives for the Second Time।

  4. মাসুদ করিম - ২০ এপ্রিল ২০১২ (৭:৩১ অপরাহ্ণ)

    ভারতীয় সাংবাদিক প্রবীণ স্বামীর সাথে মোহাম্মদ নাশিদের সাক্ষাৎকার।

    Ever since the February 6 coup which overthrew Mohamed Nasheed’s government, the ousted Maldives President has been visiting world capitals, seeking greater international effort to ensure the restoration of democracy. The signs are bleak: the government that succeeded him has dug in its heels in the face of international calls for early elections. Mr. Nasheed discussed with Praveen Swami the future of democracy in the Maldives, his expectations of India and the unfolding political crisis in his country.

    There is mounting concern over whether early elections will be held in the Maldives; the government seems to be digging in its heels in the face of mounting international pressure.

    I’d like to be optimistic about the future: after all, I gave 20 years of my life fighting for democracy in the Maldives. The fact is that we have lost democracy just three-and-a-half years after our first multi-party elections, which were held in 2008. The man we fought against, Mr. Gayoom, is back. Islamists have a stronger hold than ever on power, though they have never won an election. I fear that unless India, as well as other nations, unequivocally put their weight behind the call for early elections, very dark times lie ahead for my country.

    How satisfied are you with India’s response to this crisis? Do you think New Delhi should be doing more?

    I was sad when the coup took place, because it seemed to me that India did not understand the seriousness of events in the Maldives. I do understand India has complex issues to deal with when engaging with its neighbours. I think India could have secured an election date much earlier though, had its diplomacy been a bit more forceful. Please don’t get me wrong: I know I am speaking with the benefit of hindsight. In my years in prison, I read a great deal about the vision of Jawaharlal Nehru. I think that vision should inform India’s actions.

    Perhaps India’s response was unclear because of divisions over whether the overthrow of your government was a coup, or the outcome of general resistance.

    Look, what happened on February 6 was without dispute a coup d’état. It was mounted by elements of the Maldivian elite who are hostile to the progressive reforms we were instituting. Our per-capita income is $6,000 — but one in three Maldivians earns less than $1 a day. This was a disgrace. We set up an employment tribunal and instituted a minimal wage. We introduced an income-tax and a general sales tax. We succeeded in raising government revenues from $7 billion to over $11 billion. See, I grew up in a Maldivian business family. I have seen feudalism first-hand. Now, the thing is, when you have democracy, a billionaire and a peasant get one vote each. Some people, quite obviously, prefer being feudal lords.

    The government that has come to power isn’t, however, just made up of the ruling elite. It consists also of the Islamists, that very elite once ruthlessly suppressed. Does this indicate that there was, in fact, a broad coalition against your government?

    The coalition you see today has been put together to seize power, not to govern. The dictator we spent 20 years fighting, Maumoon Gayoom, has put together an alliance with the Islamists. My fear is that if we delay elections until 2013, Mr. Gayoom will help the Islamists expand their authority, and entrench himself. Please note, the Islamists lost the 2008 Presidential elections badly. They did not win a single seat of 77 in the elections to Parliament. They did not win a single one of the 1,081 local body seats. Now, though, they have three cabinet posts. They are already talking about changing the school curriculum and rolling back many of our policies.

    In your three-and-a-half years in office, you in fact opened up considerable space to the Islamists, for example by allowing underground Salafist mosques to operate freely. Do you regret this now?

    The simple answer is no. I think opening up the Maldives was the right decision. Look at what is happening in the Maldives now: women are out on the streets, pulling the beards of the mullahs and using all kinds of loaded words about them for destroying democracy. Why has this happened? In our three-and-a-half years in office, we empowered women: we ensured income support for single mothers; we gave women free health care; we gave them real political rights. Freedom of speech gave the Islamists the right to speak — but it also gave their democratic opponents a new political vocabulary. My intelligence services monitored attendance at Salafist mosques, and we saw it fall regularly. Earlier, Salafist mosques were the only places for someone with a grievance against the state. The point is, liberal democracy depends on everyone playing by the rules — which our opponents have not done.

    It wasn’t just a question of opening space, though. You even released terrorists convicted of a bombing in Male in 2006.

    No, we didn’t let anyone off. We moved some prisoners back to their homes, in an effort to rehabilitate them. There was a reason for this. The prisoners had been proselytising inside prison; young drug users in jail were very vulnerable to their message. Now Rohan Gunaratne, who I had earlier worked with in Sri Lanka, had shown exceptional results rehabilitating Jemaah Islamiyya prisoners in Singapore. We thought we would experiment with the same approach. I think it paid off. Himandhoo, one of our islands, had become a centre for Salafist extremism.

    People there would not even allow their children to be vaccinated, saying it was anti-Islamic. But I kept visiting — and one day, the mothers started bringing their children for their shots. Not a child today in Himandhoo is un-vaccinated.

    Your critics would also say your party, the Maldives Democratic Party, is precipitating a crisis, with the local bodies it controls in the south essentially defying the central government.

    The One and a Half Degree Channel, which divides the southern Maldives from the northern Maldives, is very wide. The north and south speak different dialects and have different cuisines. But this is not the problem. The problem is that an unelected government is attempting to impose its will on elected local bodies. That is utterly illegitimate. Why should elected leaders defer to the will of unelected ones?

    লিন্ক : India did not understand the seriousness of events in the Maldives, says Nasheed।

  5. মাসুদ করিম - ২১ এপ্রিল ২০১২ (১০:২১ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ এখন ভারতে এবং তিনি বিভিন্ন ফোরামে মালদ্বীপে দ্রুত নির্বাচন অনুষ্ঠানের জন্য ভারত সরকারকে মালদ্বীপ সরকারের উপর চাপ সৃষ্টির আহবান জানাচ্ছেন। তার আশঙ্কা নির্বাচন অনুষ্ঠানে যতই দেরি হবে তত মালদ্বীপে ইসলামি মৌলবাদীদের হাতই শক্ত হবে। মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ এই একই আহবান জানাতে বাংলাদেশ, নেপাল ও ভূটানও সফরের আশা রাখেন। পাকিস্তানে নাশিদ যাবেন না, কিন্তু পাকিস্তান সরকারকেও তিনি মালদ্বীপের বর্তমান অবস্থা ও দ্রুত নির্বাচন অনুষ্ঠানের প্রয়োজনীয়তা ব্যাখ্যা করবেন।

    Ousted Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has urged India to use its “tools” to force early polls in his country. He fears that elections could be rigged, and would request India to send observers and monitors, Nasheed said at the Idea Exchange programme at The Indian Express on Thursday.

    Nasheed said the objective of his visit to India was to drive home the point that if early polls are not held, there is a possibility that Islamic fundamentalists might take over.

    “If we give them more time, they (the current regime) will meddle with it (election process). The elections must be observed and monitored. We hope there will be India’s involvement in monitoring the elections,” Nasheed said. He added, “Islamic parties will consolidate themselves if we don’t have elections soon.”

    Nasheed said he was “forced to resign” in February, and cronies of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were now in power. He said he was disappointed with India’s stand on the transfer of power, but understood New Delhi’s “difficulties”.

    The former president said radical Islam had reached “alarming levels” in the Maldives, but declined to speculate on the presence of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. “I am not specifically aware if Lashkar is there in Maldives. I am aware that radical Islamists are there in the country,” he said.

    Nasheed said he would visit Bangaldesh and Nepal to explain the situation in the Maldives. “I have not been to Pakistan but I have explained to them what has happened. I will go to Bangladesh or Nepal or Bhutan (to explain my view). I will go to hell and back,” he said.

    লিন্ক : India must insist on early polls in Maldives: Nasheed।

  6. মাসুদ করিম - ২২ এপ্রিল ২০১২ (১১:১৭ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    ইন্ডিয়ান এক্সপ্রেসের সঙ্গে মোহাম্মদ নাশিদের সাক্ষাৎকার। অবশ্যপাঠ্য বললে কম বলা হবে। সাক্ষাৎকারটিও বিশদ এবং খুবই গুরুত্বপূর্ণ প্রশ্ন ও উত্তরে সুবিন্যস্ত।

    Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, who was ousted as president in February this year, describes the events that led to the February 7 ‘coup’ and talks about why it’s important for Maldives to have early elections. This session was moderated by Special Correspondent Manu Pubby
    Manu Pubby: Give us a background to the situation in Maldives before you were forced out of the presidency in February?

    Mohamed Nasheed: In 2008, Maldives had its first multi-party election and I was fortunate to have won it. In the last three-and-a-half years, we tried to consolidate democracy in Maldives. When we came to power, less than 30 per cent of the population had safe drinking water and sewerage, now it’s almost 70 per cent. We have laid the foundation for a social protection programme that gives free medical benefits to single mothers and the disabled. We ran a good immunisation programme and a public health programme.

    Unfortunately, now a dictatorship is back. They staged a coup in early February and forced me to resign. We need to bring the country back on track and restore democracy. Elections now are very important. More than 65 per cent of our population is below 35 and they gave me the edge to form a government. Today, they are out on the streets protesting. If we give more room and time to the dictatorship, to the military and the police to get a firm grip on the situation, if we allow them to become entrenched, I am afraid we won’t be having an election at all in the foreseeable future.

    Radical Islam is creeping into Maldives—that has been happening for the last 20 years. We fought against the Islamic parties in the presidential elections and they did not win a single seat. They contested the local elections and they did not win a single seat. But after the coup, they got three portfolios in the cabinet. If we do not have early elections, they will further strengthen and consolidate their position.

    We have the former dictator (Maumoon Abdul) Gayoom back in Maldives and calling the shots. We are the biggest parliamentary group at the moment. But they have already picked up one MP and have charges against other MPs; they have charges against me and I fear I will be in jail again. The people of Maldives must be able to decide who should govern them. We are trying to impress upon your government and people the need for this. I am encouraged by the recalibration of Indian policy in pressing for an early election. With more robust action from India, we will be able to have early elections.

    Shubhajit Roy: Please take us through the events of February 7 and the circumstances that made you resign.

    Mohamed Nasheed: On February 6, two police battalions of about 100 policemen left the police station and attacked supporters of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP, Nasheed’s party). They ransacked our assembly home. Then they called for my resignation and that of the chief of police. This was around 11 p.m. The police chief told me to ask the military to arrest these two battalions. I asked the military to do it and found that there were only 200 of them there, the rest were away. At 5 a.m., I went to the military headquarters. At about 7 a.m., the police were at the gates of the army headquarters with teargas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, etc. Some of the 200 military personnel said they wanted to join the rioters. The generals told me that if I did not resign, they would have to use lethal weapons. I said it would look bad if I resigned at the military headquarters. So they agreed to take me to the President’s office. When I announced my resignation, they said they wanted to keep me incommunicado for three days at the presidential residence. I was taken there. At about 7.30 p.m. on February 7, with the help of some friendly military officers, I was able to slip out from the presidential residence and go home. I hadn’t slept for two nights and I collapsed. I woke up the next morning and spoke to my party and we described the events of the previous day. We clearly said it was not a voluntary resignation.

    Shubhajit Roy: Isn’t it extraordinary for a president to walk into the army headquarters and to order them to act against the police?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I don’t think this is extraordinary because constitutionally, that is what I am supposed to do: maintain law and order. In the past, any transfer of power in Maldives has always been very violent—previous presidents were mobbed, banished, lynched, murdered or sent away, their property was confiscated. When we were in power, we didn’t do any of these things, we did not go in for a witch-hunt. We wanted reform from within. Unfortunately, we were not able to do it. For the last three years, we had not called upon the riot police. These two battalions were specifically trained to break up MDP demonstrations between 2003 and 2007.

    Shubhajit Roy: Some people in Delhi who interacted with you at that time felt your statement, calling the events a coup, came a day later and it was something of an afterthought.

    Mohamed Nasheed: This was a televised coup, live on television. There was no confusion about what was happening. I was incommunicado until the next day.

    Maneesh Chhibber: Do you think India could have acted more decisively to end the stalemate?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I do understand India’s difficulties when they are dealing with neighbours. It is not always possible for a government to go into a country and meddle with things. I don’t know if it was possible at that time for India to have intervened, militarily, but I hadn’t asked for that. But many people were shocked to see India so rapidly recognising the status quo.

    Maneesh Chhibber: What are your expectations from the Indian government now?

    Mohamed Nasheed: They have a number of tools, none military, that they can employ to get the government in Maldives to announce elections. That is what we are seeking of them.

    Muzamil Jaleel: Were the people behind the coup in touch with any of the neighbouring countries at that time? Secondly, can you explain the spread of ‘Islamic radicalism’ in Maldives?

    Mohamed Nasheed: The perpetrators would have been briefing authorities in Delhi, Colombo and in Islamabad, telling them that there is an eminent transfer of power because they were plotting it. They would have been briefing the Indian High Commissioner and the authorities here.

    Radical Islam, as a movement, has been taking root in Maldives for a long time, especially during dictatorships when the only room for dissent is through these groups. They are the ones who gather in mosques, they are good at working underground. So anyone who wants to challenge authority would join them.

    Muzamil Jaleel: Seven Maldivian students had gone missing in Pakistan some time ago—they may have joined al Qaeda. Are you talking about Islamist political groups or about much more radical militant groups?

    Mohamed Nasheed: Youngsters are recruited, their mothers are told they can send their children for schooling to Pakistan. These young people go to Pakistan. There’s a school on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where these children are brutalised. And often from these madarsas, they join the Taliban.

    Manu Pubby: The current government in Maldives is saying it will announce elections in July 2013. However, you are asking for a much earlier date. How do you think this will play out?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I think it has created confusion because they used the word ‘early’ when they said elections in July. So people thought the government was agreeing to early elections, but these are scheduled elections. If we are unable to have early elections, they will have a better grip on power. The military and the police would have eliminated many opponents.

    Bibekananda Biswas: You allowed pork and liquor to be served in Maldives. The Islamic elements in the country protested against serving them. Did this play a role in your ouster?

    Mohamed Nasheed: We have a million European tourists coming to our country every year and so we have been selling pork and liquor. They wanted to stop us giving permission to serve pork and liquor. This coup was very well-managed and staged.

    Coomi Kapoor: If the other side was briefing High Commissioners, how did you not get a whiff of what was happening?

    Mohamed Nasheed: In a democracy, anyone can talk to anyone about anything. I wasn’t aware of the organisation of the coup until very late. As a civilian leader, I am the commander-in-chief but I don’t meddle with the daily operations of the defence forces—they have their protocols. This is the difficulty in getting democracy consolidated—can you do it within the framework of the law or do you need a benevolent dictator? We wanted to get things going through a process.

    Kaushal Shroff: Is it possible to hold free and fair elections considering that the current government will be in control of the state and the entire bureaucratic machinery?

    Mohamed Nasheed: The new Constitution has established an Election Commission appointed by Parliament and answerable to Parliament. I have full confidence in the Commission. But if we give them (the current government) time till 2013, they will meddle with it. The elections must be observed and monitored. I hope there will be Indian assistance in monitoring these elections.

    Pranab Dhal Samanta: Yours was not exactly a problem-free presidency. You had problems with the Majlis, particularly since you did not have a majority in Parliament. You could not get your Bills passed. You agitated against former President Gayoom and through those agitations, Parliament became more powerful. People say you wanted to appropriate more powers. Do you think you missed a trick or two in statecraft?

    Mohamed Nasheed: The new Constitution is a reaction to a very strong presidency. The whole idea of the new Constitution was that the President’s powers be diluted and Parliament be given a bigger role. We passed a lot of legislation through Parliament. I do not agree with you that I wanted more powers. I like to be naïve and will continue to be naïve. If we had an alliance with the Islamic parties, we could have easily won a large majority in Parliament. Everyone told me I was doing the wrong thing, that we should have an alliance with the Islamists. But I am glad that we got this Parliament without any radical Islamists in it. That has been at our own expense. But Parliament is functioning, it is the only institution that functions. When I was an MP in 1990, we had only six sittings of Parliament in a whole year. Now, Parliament sits every day.

    Chinmay Brahme: You said two police battalions instrumental in the coup were specifically trained to break up MDP demonstrations. When you assumed office, did you think of disbanding them?

    Mohamed Nasheed: The Civil Services Act says you cannot disband police. There has to be a proper procedure for it. So we started on judicial reforms. I have spent half of my adult life in jail and I have been tortured twice, so I know who they are. Unfortunately, they have regrouped. It is easy to get rid of a man, a dictator, but it is not so easy to flush away the remnants of the dictatorship, the culture of it. My presidency is not important but democracy is very important and that is what we are trying to work for.

    Mahima (Salwan Public School, Gurgaon): The economy of Maldives survives largely on tourism. Considering the current political problems, will the economy and tourism be affected?

    Mohamed Nasheed: Tourism arrivals have come down a little. There is political strife and instability; it would have had some impact on tourism. But tourists are rather funny—they couldn’t care less about the politics as long as the beaches and the cocktails are fine. So they keep coming.

    Amitabh Sinha: In 2009, you hit global headlines with your famous underwater Cabinet meeting warning about climate change. We have already missed the deadline for a temperature cap at two degrees, which you campaigned for. Where do you see the climate thing going now?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I will never give up. I hope that by 2015 there can be a legally binding agreement and I will try and see how I may be able to campaign for that. Anything over 1.5 degrees would mean more adaptation. But if it goes to 2 degrees, that would mean we have to spend more than 8 per cent of our GDP on adaptation. This is money that can go into education, health, etc.

    Uma Vishnu: You sought to link the battle for democracy with the battle against climate change. Can you explain that?

    Mohamed Nasheed: Without proper decision-making, without democratic structures, it is not possible to take proper decisions. When we spend so much money on adaptation, if we did not have democracy, we would be doing the wrong revetments on the wrong islands with the wrong materials because there would not be enough transparency in decisions. Democracy is the most important adaptation measure against climate change.

    Muzamil Jaleel: Are you in touch with other leaders in the region—Pakistan, Sri Lanka?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I have not been to Pakistan throughout this period or unfortunately, throughout the three-and-half years I was in government. I have been to Sri Lanka, I will go to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, everywhere to convince them. I will go to hell and back to bring democracy back to Maldives.

    Dilip Bobb: After the transfer of power, you were critical of the Indian Government’s stand. Now you are saying that the stand has been recalibrated. What does that mean?

    Mohamed Nasheed: I was critical. Many people were shocked (at India’s reaction to the events in Maldives in February), because we had earlier been going from house to house, telling everyone that India is good, that you don’t have to go on with a huge India phobia, that India is not out there to get you. Then suddenly when this happened, everybody said to me, “President, what happened to your friend?” Now we see a recalibration. Initially, in some quarters, people thought there could be a combination of the former dictatorship and me. But that’s not a chemistry that can work. In a democracy, can a presidential system work as an alliance with cabinet ministers from different parties? I don’t think so. I have studied this. My latest book, banned in 2007, is a study of coups in Maldives. I know one when I see one.

    Transcribed by Ananya Bhardwaj

    লিন্ক : ‘I will go to hell and back to bring democracy back to Maldives’।

  7. মাসুদ করিম - ৮ অক্টোবর ২০১২ (২:৩২ অপরাহ্ণ)

    মোহাম্মদ নাশিদকে প্রেপ্তার করেছে মালদ্বীপের পুলিশ। হতাশাব্যঞ্জক মোড় মালদ্বীপের রাজনীতির।

    ‘Maldivian police arrest ex-president Nasheed’

    Maldivian police on Monday arrested the country´s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed after he again failed to turn up for the start of a trial for abuse of power, his party said.

    “President Nasheed grabbed from protesting supporters, arrested and being taken away from Fares-Mathoda,” his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor tweeted from a remote atoll in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

    The arrest came after a special court on Sunday ordered police to arrest Nasheed, who had challenged the legality of a criminal trial against him.

    The magistrates court on the island of Hulhumale issued the arrest warrant after Nasheed failed for a second time to show up before a special three-judge bench set up to try him.

    A court official said the warrant asked police to “keep Mr Nasheed in custody until he is produced before the court”.

    Nasheed resigned as president in February after what he described as a coup. The Maldives — better known as a luxury tourism destination — has since been rocked by demonstrations and occasional violence.

    The court case centres on Nasheed´s decision to send the military to arrest a senior judge earlier this year. That fuelled simmering anti-government protests, culminating in a police mutiny and Nasheed´s downfall.

    In a statement issued hours before Nasheed´s arrest, the MDP urged the international community to engage with Nasheed´s successor, Mohamed Waheed, to maintain maximum restraint.

    “The MDP strongly calls on the international community, our development partners to immediately engage in dialogue with Dr. Waheed to maintain maximum restraint and to not do anything that would disrupt peace and stability of the country.”

    Nasheed, who won the Maldives´ first democratic elections in 2008, maintains he will not get a fair trial.

    If convicted he could be jailed or banished to a remote island for three years, a punishment that could bar him from future elections.

    The next elections are scheduled to take place by July next year.

  8. মাসুদ করিম - ১৩ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৩ (৬:৫৪ অপরাহ্ণ)

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    মালদ্বীপ হাইকোর্ট মোহাম্মদ নাশিদের বিরুদ্ধে গ্রেপ্তারি পরওয়ানা জারি করার পরই তিনি মালেতে ভারতীয় হাইকমিশনে এসে ভারত সরকারের কাছে আশ্রয় প্রার্থনা করেছেন।

    Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday sought refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male, where he went immediately after issuance of an arrest warrant against him by a Maldivian court.

    “He has sought refuge in the mission”, official sources said in New Delhi. After this development, senior officials, including National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary got into a series of meetings to decide on the issue.

    Nasheed also tweeted, “Mindful of my own security and stability in the Indian Ocean, I have taken refuge at the Indian High Commission in Maldives.”

    According to Indian officials, the former Maldivian president had sought a meeting with High Commissioner D M Mulay, who flew back to Maldives early morning today from Delhi. However, they did not say when was the meeting sought.

    “Nasheed has also moved for a stay against the arrest warrant,” official sources said.

    The arrest warrant was issued against Nasheed by a Maldivian court after he did not turn up for his previously scheduled trial hearing at Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court on February 10 in the case regarding detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed in January 2012.

    Meanwhile, anti-riots police have surrounded the Indian mission and police have set up barricades around the High Commission area.

    বিস্তারিত : Former Maldives president Nasheed seeks refuge in Indian High Commission

    • মাসুদ করিম - ১৪ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৩ (২:৪৬ অপরাহ্ণ)

      Maldives denies India’s claim of discussions on Nasheed

      Maldives on Thursday denied India’s claim that it held discussions with Indian officials regarding former President Mohamed Nasheed, who sought “refuge” at the Indian High Commission in Male to evade arrest, saying it cannot interfere with the independence of the judiciary.

      “Maldives wishes to confirm that neither the High Commission of India in Male, nor any other authority of the Government of India has had had discussion with the Government of Maldives concerning former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed’s reported request for ‘refuge’,” Maldives’ Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

      It said that after several inquiries by the ministry, the Indian High Commission confirmed Mr. Nasheed’s presence there.

      The 45-year-old Mr. Nasheed on Wednesday took refuge in the Indian High Commission to evade arrest warrant issued by a local court in a case concerning the detention of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court during his Presidency in January last year.

      “Nasheed’s on-going trial is a matter handled by two independent State institutions, namely the Prosecutor General and the judiciary,” the statement said.

      It said “the executive branch of the Maldives cannot, under the Constitution, interfere with the independence of the judiciary, and will indeed ensure that the independence of the judiciary is always upheld.”

      The statement termed as “unfortunate” what it called the “public comment” by India on events instead of opting for bilateral discussions between the two Governments.

      “It is further unfortunate that the Government of India has decided to comment on the types of candidates that could contest the upcoming Presidential Elections in the Maldives scheduled for September 2013,” it said.

      In New Delhi, official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said, “Nasheed, who is a candidate for the Presidential elections in Maldives scheduled for September 2013, is in the Indian High Commission and has sought India’s assistance… We are in touch with the relevant Maldivian authorities to resolve the situation.”

      The Maldivian statement said, “The independent Elections Commission has not, as of date, announced the candidates for the elections. Furthermore the Government firmly believes that the Elections Commission of Maldives is fully capable of evaluating and deciding eligibility of nominees in the elections and carrying forward a credible electoral process.

      “To presume otherwise would be undermining the democratic institutions of the country and the progress achieved by the Maldives in consolidating its democracy.

      Mr. Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2008. He resigned a year ago after weeks of public protests against the judge’s arrest.

      His deputy, Mohammed Waheed, succeeded him.

      Immediately after his resignation, Mr. Nasheed claimed that he was ousted in a coup, a claim was dismissed by an inquiry commission last year.

    • মাসুদ করিম - ২৪ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৩ (১১:৪৪ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

      Mohamed Nasheed leaves Indian mission after 11 days

      Ending eleven days of stalemate, ex-Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed today walked out of the Indian High Commission in Male where he was holed up since last Wednesday to evade an arrest warrant.

      Nasheed walked out of the mission at 4:15 pm (IST) after which India said it hoped that with this development the former President will again resume his social and political life.

      “We welcome this development,” President Mohamed Waheed’s Press Secretary Masood Imad said in Male adding there was no arrest warrant against Nasheed at the moment.

      However, he also added that “I am happy that the longest meeting in world has ended. We were formally told by the High Commission on the first day that Nasheed had come into the Mission for a meeting and will be out once it is over.”

      Nasheed has been in the Indian Mission since February 13 to evade arrest after he failed to appear in court on charges of detaining Chief Criminal Judge Abdulla Mohamed during his Presidency. His party claimed that the case was politically motivated and designed to disqualify him from taking part in September Presidential polls.

      “It will be recalled that the former President had entered the Indian Mission in Male on 13 February 2013 on his own volition and had similarly decided to leave on his own.

      “It is hoped that with this development the former President will again resume his social and political life,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement in New Delhi.

      The breakthrough came after a high-level MEA team led by Joint Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla was sent to Maldives where it held a series of meetings with senior government ministers and various other stakeholders.

      “The Indian government wishes to thank all those who have cooperated in these efforts, the MEA statement said.

      It said that India has been working closely with the government and other relevant stakeholders in Maldives to strengthen the democratic framework of the country.

      India has maintained broad based contacts with all political parties and democratic institutions in Maldives without interfering in its internal affairs.

      “The Indian government urges all parties to maintain peace and calm and hopes to continue its positive engagement in the spirit of the close and friendly relations between the two countries,” it said.

      The official statement also referred to remarks by Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid to his Maldivian counterpart that India has traditional and age old ties of friendship and cooperation with Maldives.

      India would be happy to support all efforts to create favourable conditions for free, fair, credible and inclusive Presidential elections in September 2013 that can contribute to durable peace, stability and prosperity in Maldives and the region, it added.

  9. মাসুদ করিম - ৫ মার্চ ২০১৩ (৬:১২ অপরাহ্ণ)

    এবার বাড়ির সামনে থেকেই প্রেপ্তার হলেন মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ।

    Former Maldivian president arrested amidst fresh turmoil

    Former Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed was arrested by the Maldivian police on Tuesday, causing fresh uproar and protests in the capital Male, officials said.

    Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) spokesperson Hameed Abdul Gafoor told Xinhua that Nasheed was arrested just outside his house by around 20 police personnel, who took him away without an explanation.

    “They just took him. We do not know why and we do not know where he has been taken,” Gafoor said.

    MDP Party member Shauna Aminath told Xinhua that the party believed Nasheed was arrested over fresh summons issued by a court but added that Nasheed’s lawyers had rushed to the scene for an explanation.

    “The party is shocked as we do not know the real reason behind his arrest. We do not even know where he is taken. The government has properly planned this just before the elections,” Aminath said.

    Maldivian government officials said that Nasheed was arrested after a court issued a third arrest warrant against him on Tuesday.

    He is charged with ordering the military to unconstitutionally detain the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed, while he was head of state.

    Nasheed’s party however said this is a politically motivated case designed to ensure he can’t contest the September 7 presidential polls.

    Nasheed had evaded previous two arrest warrants by seeking diplomatic shelter in the Indian High Commission in Male. He had taken shelter in the Indian Mission for 11 days last month to evade arrest after he failed to appear in court.

    এবার কিসের জন্য গ্রেপ্তার হলেন নাশিদ তা আসলেই এখনো বোঝা যাচ্ছে না। এরমধ্যে নাশিদের গ্রেপ্তারের পরপর বর্তমান প্রেসিডেন্ট মোহাম্মদ ওয়াহিদ টুইট করলেন, আমার ভাই আলি ওয়াহিদকে অপমান করে বিচার থেকে বাঁচতে পারবে না নাশিদ। টুইটের ধরনটা একবারেই রাষ্ট্রপতিসুলভ নয়। সত্যিই খুবই বিশ্রী একটা পরিস্থিতিই তৈরি হয়েছে মালদ্বীপে বলতে হবে।

    তার এই টুইটকে উদ্ধৃত করে নাশিদের দলের টুইটার হ্যান্ডেলের টুইট।

    • মাসুদ করিম - ৮ মার্চ ২০১৩ (২:২৮ অপরাহ্ণ)

      মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ জামিন পেয়েছেন, তার দল আদালতে প্রার্থনা করেছিল নাশিদের বিরুদ্ধে বিচার আগামী সেপ্টেম্বরের নির্বাচনের পরে নিয়ে যাওয়া হোক এবং সেপর্যন্ত তাকে জামিন দেয়া হোক, আদালত নাশিদকে চার সপ্তাহের জামিন মঞ্জুর করেছে। জামিন পাওয়ার পর মোহাম্মদ নাশিদ টুইট করেছেন।

      Nasheed freed from police custody

      Maldivian Democratic Party spokesperson Hamid Abdul Gafoor told Xinhua that Nasheed’s lawyers had requested the court to delay the trial after the presidential elections in September but the court had refused to heed the request, only agreeing to delay the case by four weeks.

      “Nasheed has been sent home for the moment. His court hearing lasted for an hour amidst very tight security. Despite the prosecutor general and Nasheed’s lawyers’ proposal to delay the case till after the upcoming elections, the court decided to delay the case by a mere four weeks,” Gafoor said.

      Gafoor maintained that Nasheed’s party members and his followers were deeply concerned for his safety as the security provided to him was not adequate.

      “It is the state that has provided Nasheed’s security and on Tuesday his bodyguards were abused and shoved aside by police. So we are definitely worried about Nasheed’s safety as there is a threat to his life,” Gafoor said.

      Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Imad Mashood told Xinhua following Wednesday’s hearing that Nasheed had walked out of court as a free man.

      Police presented Nasheed in court for his trial over the unconstitutional arrest and detention of Chief Criminal Judge Abdulla Mohamed while he was president. Nasheed was arrested and taken to the Dhoonidhoo detention facility on Tuesday afternoon after Hulhumale magistrate court had scheduled a hearing of his trial on Wednesday and issued an arrest warrant against him.

      Nasheed had evaded previous two arrest warrants by seeking diplomatic shelter in the Indian High Commission in Male. He had taken shelter in the Indian Mission for 11 days last month to evade arrest after he failed to appear in court. Over 80 people have been arrested within 24 hours by riot police after violent protests broke out in the streets of Male following Nasheed’s arrest.

  10. মাসুদ করিম - ৮ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০১৩ (১০:৪৫ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    Nasheed wins first round of Maldives’ presidential election

    Former President Mohammed Nasheed has emerged as a clear leader in the first round of the Maldives’ presidential election receiving 45 per cent votes but fell short of an outright majority resulting in another round of run-off between top two candidates scheduled later month.

    The Election Commission here announced results early Sunday after a nightlong counting, declaring Mr. Nasheed a clear winner in the first round of polls with 95,224 votes.

    Mr. Nasheed was followed by Abdullah Yameen, brother of former President Abdul Gayoom, who received 25.35 per cent votes (53,099), Gasim Ibrahim with 24.07 per cent (50,422) and present incumbent Waheed Hassan with 5.13 per cent (10,750).

    Over 88 per cent votes were cast during the elections.

    “These are preliminary results. We will be getting ballot papers from various islands in two days and if required corrections would be made by September 14 after which final results will be announced. But these corrections are not likely to have major impact on the results,” Election Commission president Fuwad Taufeek said.

    Under the country’s election laws, if none of the candidates get more than 50 per cent of the vote, a run-off will take place between the top two candidates.

    If final results do not bring much change, Mr. Nasheed will be facing a September 28 run-off against Mr. Yameen.

    On the alleged irregularities at some counting stations, the Election Commissioner said they have received complaints but it has not taken any decision on recount on any ballot.

    Mr. Taufeek said if any party approaches court and gets a decision, they would be open for a recount in front of representatives of all the parties.

    India has been engaging with both the candidates — Mr. Nasheed and Mr. Yameen — who are likely to contest for the second round, much before the elections.

    Both the leaders have recently visited New Delhi and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assuring full support, sources said here. Former President Abdul Gayoom had also visited New Delhi in June.

    India, which shares close ties with the archipelago nation, is the of the view that multi-party democracy is in a very nascent stage and should be given time to deepen its roots here, they said.

    First multi-party free elections were held in Maldives in 2008 after three-decades of Mohammed Abdul Gayoom’s rule in which Mr. Nasheed won.

    He had to resign after four years after security forces joined protests led by the opposition parties over the arrest of a judge. Mr. Nasheed’s ouster resulted in the elevation of then Vice-President Mohammed Waheed as his successor.

    Over 2,229 local observers, 102 international observers, 1,343 representatives of political parties besides 1,642 local and 225 international journalists are keeping a hawk’s eye on the developments in this young multi-party democracy.

    • মাসুদ করিম - ২৪ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০১৩ (১১:০১ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

      এবং মালদ্বীপের সুপ্রিম কোর্ট নির্বাচনের উপর অনির্দিষ্ট কালের নিষেধাজ্ঞা জারি করল!

      Court orders indefinite postponement of Maldives polls

      In a hasty move that sharpened the clash between democratic institutions in the Maldives, the Supreme Court ordered on Monday a postponement of the second round of Presidential elections, slated for September 28.

      The decision was conveyed late in the evening to the Election Commission and other bodies charged with the conduct of the polls. “SC will not be a long time. It wants to investigate the case. It might be a week or so. A new President will be sworn in by November 11,” a senior government official told The Hindu.

      According to the Maldivian Constitution, Art.111 (a) states that the second round of elections should be held within three weeks of the first round, and Art.110 says that all election process, including final declaration of results should be done one month ahead of a new President taking charge, November 11. With Monday’s ruling, the Supreme Court is in violation of one stipulation.

      Petition

      The SC decision was arrived at, based on a petition by the Jumhooriee Party. It’s millionaire resort-owner leader Qasim Ibrahim had claimed that elections were not free and fair. All observers during the polls, including local NGO Transparency Maldives, the Indian Election Observer’s team lead by former CEC J.M.Lyngdoh, the Commonwealth Observers’ team, the European Union team, and a team from the United States had praised the conduct of polls.

      Maldives SC Delays Polls, Nasheed Cries Foul

      A day after the Maldivian Supreme Court indefinitely postponed the second round of presidential elections scheduled for September 28, former President Mohammed Nasheed-led Maldivian Democratic Party today slammed the decision as “unconstitutional”.

      The Supreme Court deferred the second round indefinitely yesterday on the plea of Jumhooree Party (JP) which stood third and missed the chance of a run-off with Nasheed in the second round by a whisker.

      The orders came within hours of Majlis, Maldives’ Parliament, passing a resolution in which it called upon all the state institutions to ensure that the second round takes place, as scheduled, on September 28.

      The decision resulted in scattered protests here by MDP supporters even as the situation was calm.

      The injunction was vetted by majority of seven-member bench which was hearing the plea of JP which demanded annulment of the first round results alleging vote rigging.

      Following the orders of the Supreme Court, Election Commission has brought to pause all the preparations related to the second round of polls which was necessitated as none of the four contenders could garner crucial 51 per cent of total votes, local daily Haveeru reported here.

      Nasheed, 46, who led the first round with over 45 per cent of the votes, has to face in the second round the Progressive Party of Maldives candidate Abdullah Yameen who was the runner up in the first phase held on September 7.

      Terming the decision to postpone second round as “unconstitutional”, MDP said it would carry out country-wide peaceful protests against the decision.

      “This is unconstitutional…This Supreme Court judgement is a response to legislature opposition to the coup. We passed a resolution yesterday calling on state institutions to ensure elections as scheduled,” said the Member of Parliament and MDP’s international affairs spokesperson Abdul Ghafoor.

      In a statement, MDP said, “All local and international observers, including those from Transparency Maldives, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and India praised the first round of elections as free and fair and without incident.”

      “As stated by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in July 2012, the MDP strongly believes the Supreme Court in particular needs ‘radical readjustment.’

      “The Committee said, As 6 of 7 Supreme Court judges are experts in Sharia law and nothing more, this court in particular is in need of radical readjustment. This must be done to guarantee just trials and fair judgements for the people of Maldives”, it said.

      The political scene in the archipelago nation has been in a state of flux since February 2012 when Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected President, was forced to resign in duress. He was succeeded by his Vice-President Mohammed Waheed.

      The first round of elections which came under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court have been hailed by international community and observers which have thronged the island nation to monitor the elections.

      In an endorsement of the electoral process, Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Sir Donald McKinnon said the election marked a renewal of the country’s democratic credentials, with an 88 per cent voter turnout.

      India and other international agencies including the UN which were part of over 100 international observers have appealed to all parties to respect the will of people expressed through results.

      India has asked all sides to respect the verdict and aspirations of the people of Maldives.

      Transparency Maldives which was one of the observers had said that it did not find “any evidence” supporting the claims of fraud in the first round of presidential polls.

      • মাসুদ করিম - ২৫ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০১৩ (২:০৮ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

        Maldives presidential run-off should be held as scheduled: India

        As the Maldives Supreme Court postponed the country’s presidential runoff election indefinitely, India said on Tuesday that it is important that the second round of the presidential elections is held as scheduled.In a statement, the ministry of external affairs spokesperson said it is also important that the candidate elected by the people of Maldives assumes the presidency on November 11, 2013 “as mandated by the Constitution”.”We have seen recent reports that the Supreme Court of Maldives has postponed the second round of presidential elections scheduled to be held on September 28, 2013. This development has resulted in uncertainty concerning the second round, which may have an impact on peace, stability and security in the country,” the statement said.

        We, therefore, call upon all concerned in the Maldives to address the current situation at the earliest so that the electoral process could be resumed in a manner that respects the will of the Maldivian people, the statement added.”In this context, it is important that the second round of the presidential elections is held as scheduled and the candidate elected by the people of Maldives assumes the Presidency on 11th November 2013 as mandated by the Constitution.”In its ruling, the Maldives Supreme Court ordered the government to postpone the elections until the court “decides in the case before it”.The Jumhooree Party candidate Gasim Ibrahim filed a case last week, seeking an annulment of the first round result, alleging the voter’s registry contained the names of dead or imaginary people.In the September 7 vote, no clear winner emerged and Ibrahim finished third, narrowly missing a place in the runoff.Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected president, won more than 45 per cent of the vote. But he fell short of achieving the 51 per cent majority needed for the outright victory, necessitating the second round ballot.Nasheed was to face Abdulla Yameen, the half-brother of former Maldives president Mamoon Abdul Gayoom, who was placed second with 25.7 percent votes, marginally ahead of business tycoon Ibrahim, who received 24.1 percent of the votes.After the apex court decision, members of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held street demonstrations demanding that the run off election be held as scheduled.The spokesperson said that India has “consistently conveyed its support for the democratic process in Maldives”.He said the September 7 first round was held in a “transparent, organised and peaceful manner. This was acknowledged by domestic and international observers, including those from India”.The Election Commission in Maldives said it has stopped all preparations for the second round of the presidential poll following the Supreme Court decision.

  11. মাসুদ করিম - ৮ অক্টোবর ২০১৩ (১১:০১ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    Maldives presidential election to be rerun

    The Maldives supreme court has annulled the results of the 7 September presidential election and scheduled a fresh vote for 20 October after a candidate challenged the outcome, citing irregularities.

    Former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted from power 20 months ago amid a mutiny by police, won the 7 September first round with 45.45% of the vote, but fell short of the 50% needed for outright victory.

    Judge Ahmed Abdulla Didi, one of four of seven judges who voted in favour of annulling the poll, cited a confidential police report claiming 5,623 ineligible voters had cast votes, including some who were dead, underage voters and some using fake identity cards.

    Local and international election observers, including delegations from the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the European Union and India, had declared the original election free and fair.

    The supreme court verdict laid down certain guidelines to the election commission for the 20 October vote, including giving the police a substantial role in logistics and maintaining security. A second round will be held on 3 November if nobody wins more than 50% of votes.

    Thousands of Nasheed Maldivian Democratic party (MDP) supporters cautiously welcomed the supreme court decision. “Do not worry. Now we have the election in our hands. We wanted an election date. Now we will not even have to go for a second round,” MDP legislator Mohamed Nazim told a gathering outside the court.

    One woman among the MDP supporters shouted at the police: “Traitors! You facilitated one coup, now a second coup, you will do it again. But we will beat you down with votes.”

    Abdulla Yameen, half-brother of longtime ruler Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, came second in the presidential poll, just ahead of Gasim Ibrahim, a tourism and media tycoon who was Gayoom’s finance minister.

    • মাসুদ করিম - ৯ অক্টোবর ২০১৩ (৫:৫১ অপরাহ্ণ)

      সুপ্রিম কোর্টের রায়ে ৭ সেপ্টেম্বরের নির্বাচনের ফলাফল বাতিল ঘোষণা করায় মালদ্বীপের নির্বাচন কমিশন নির্বাচনের নতুন তারিখ ঘোষণা করেছে ১৯ অক্টোবর।

      Maldives sets October 19 presidential poll after first vote annulled

      The Maldives will hold a new presidential election on October 19, the election commission announced on Wednesday, after the Supreme Court annulled a September 7 poll citing voter fraud.

      International election observers, including delegations from the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the European Union and India, had declared the September 7 election free and fair.

      The tropical Indian Ocean resort archipelago will face a constitutional crisis if there is no president elected by November 11, according to a deadline set in 2008.

      Former President Mohamed Nasheed, ousted from power 20 months ago in disputed circumstances amid a mutiny by police, won the first round on September 7 with 45.45 percent of the vote, but fell short of the 50 percent needed for outright victory.

      The run-off, scheduled for September 28, had been expected to help end months of political turmoil triggered by the removal of Nasheed.

      • মাসুদ করিম - ১২ অক্টোবর ২০১৩ (২:০৭ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

        Supreme Court orders Elections Commission to restart re-registration process

        The Supreme Court opened at midnight on Thursday to issue a ruling ordering the Elections Commission (EC) to restart the entire elections re-registration process.

        “[The Supreme Court] orders the Elections Commission to start anew the process of compiling the voter registry and abide by the Supreme Court guidelines in the re-registration process for those who individuals who wish to vote in a location other than their place of domicile, and start anew re-registration process according to new procedures, disregarding previous re-registration,” read a verdict posted on the Supreme Court’s website.

        The court also ordered the Elections Commission to give candidates the choice whether to stay on the ballot paper or withdraw from the election, contrary to the EC’s previous announcement.

        “Elections Commission’s announcements (A) EA-2013/539 and (A) EA-2013/540 [concerning the re-registration process] contravene the guidelines put forth in the Supreme Court Verdict no 2013/SC-C/42,” read the ruling, signed by Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz.

        “The Elections Commission must without further justifications proceed according to the guidelines put forth in the Supreme Court Verdict no 2013/SC-C/42,” the ruling stated.

        The PPM today sought an order at the Supreme Court blocking Nasheed’s legitimacy to contest the election on the grounds of his criticising the judiciary and being “irreligious”, although this appeared to split the party, with State Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon declaring it was “not the right time”.

        According to local media, the PPM also requested the court order the annulment of the voters’ list used in the first round on September 7, threatening that the party would not accept the result if the existing list was used. Prior to the first round, the PPM had called on the Elections Commission to make the voter registration process “more lenient”, requesting the EC not to reject voter registration forms missing details such as the name of a voter’s parents or a phone number, that could not be verified during random checks.

        The 17 member Commonwealth election observation team in particular praised the final voter registry, describing it as “accurate and robust”.

        “Fears expressed by some political parties regarding possible large numbers of deceased voters and voters registered in the wrong geographic area seem to be unfounded, based on the low incidence of election day complaints,” said the group’s head, former Prime Minister of Malta Dr Lawrence Gonzi.

        The verdict

        In its verdict on the Jumhooree Party’s case annulling the first round of the election, the court ordered the EC to hold an election by October 20, requiring the commission to prepare for polls as the government shuts down for the Eid al-Adha break.

        The EC scheduled the election for Saturday October 19, sending the ballots for printing on October 9 and opening the list on October 10 for re-registration.

        In a statement on October 9, Transparency Maldives noted that the Elections Commission had yet to receive the details of the Supreme Court verdict regarding the supposed discrepancies noted in the secret police report, between the voter registry and voting records (such as the claimed ID card number mismatches, permanent address mismatches, and name mismatches).

        The Supreme Court’s majority ruling this week to annul the first round contradicted the positive assessments of more than a thousand local and international election observers, and hinged on a confidential police report submitted to the court claiming that 5623 votes were ineligible.

        The report has not been made public and the legal counsel of the Elections Commission was never given the opportunity to present a counter argument.

        In the majority verdict, Supreme Court Judge Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi also declared that if a new president was unable to be sworn in on conclusion of the presidential term on November 11, the “principle of continuity of legitimate government would override any repercussions faced by failure to adhere to constitutional deadlines.”

        The latest Supreme Court ruling follows a statement from UK Foreign Secretary William Hague stating that “It is imperative that there are no further delays and the elections be free, fair and inclusive, and that international observers are invited.”

        “ It is important now that the democratic process proceeds in accordance with the Constitution,” Hague stated, calling on presidential candidates to respect the democratic process “and create conditions for free, fair elections.”

        PPM MP Ahmed Nihan told Minivan News that he believed the latest order would mean additional delays to the voting, currently scheduled for October 19.

        With growing international pressure for voting to take place without further delay, Nihan claimed that the party believed that the 24 hours for re-registration provided by the EC would have been a “disaster” for the election.

        “Even here in Male’ no one was aware of what was going on [regarding re-registration],” he said, adding that the occasion of the Eid holidays had meant voters were expected to be more likely to want to vote on different islands from where they were registered: “I am sure it is important to let everyone else have the right to vote in free and fair elections. The verdict clearly says the EC has to perform within guidelines,” he said.

        Nihan claimed the views of various international groups such as the UN and Commonwealth reflected the MDP’s stronger connections with foreign governments, whom he accused of believing the views of the opposition party without listening to others.

        “The international community are champions of democracy and we have to thank them for efforts to spread it throughout all corners of the globe,” he said. “However, the EU and Commonwealth must make sure they are getting the proper and full information from all sides including the government and opposition as well.”
        Meanwhile earlier today Sun Online reported that one of the five EC members, Ogaru Ibrahim Waheed, had suddenly resigned.

        According to Sun no reason was given, although ongoing death threats received by the Elections Commission (EC)’s permanent staff and polling station officials have prompted the commission to file a report with the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

  12. মাসুদ করিম - ৯ নভেম্বর ২০১৩ (১১:১৬ অপরাহ্ণ)

    এবারও মোহাম্মদ নাশিদের প্রথম রাতে বেড়াল মারা হল না। প্রথম পর্বের পুনরায় ভোটে ৪৬.৫১% জুটল নাশিদের, তার মানে ৫১% ভোট না পাওয়ায় এবার দ্বিতীয় রাউন্ডে আবার লড়তে হবে।

    • মাসুদ করিম - ১৭ নভেম্বর ২০১৩ (১২:৩৬ অপরাহ্ণ)

      ইয়ামিন ও গাসিমের ভোট মিলে হয় ৫৩% সেহিসেবে ৫১.৩৯% পেয়ে ইয়ামিন পার পেয়ে গেলেন। ‘প্রথম রাতে বেড়াল মারা’র কথা এজন্যই বলেছিলাম।

      Abdulla Yameen wins Maldives 2013 presidential election with 51.39 percent of the vote

      Provisional results from the Elections Commission (EC) show Maldivians have voted to return to power the family of the Maldives’ former 30 year autocracy, giving a democratic mandate to Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) candidate Abdulla Yameen.

      Yameen, the brother of former autocratic President Maumoon Gayoom who ruled the Maldives for 30 years before being ousted in 2008 by Mohamed Nasheed in the country’s first multi-party elections, received 51.39 percent of the vote (111,203). Nasheed polled 48.61 percent (105,181) – a difference of just 6022 votes.

      Total voter turnout was 91.41 percent (218,621), the highest since 2008, up five percent from 208,504 (86 percent) in the first round.

      The election was hailed by Transparency Maldives as “credible, transparent and extremely well-administered, as were the two previous rounds.”

      “While election day administration has been excellent, we believe that the real electoral issues are those of lack of political financing transparency, failure of the state to hold to account parties and individuals in violation of electoral offenses, the loopholes in the legal framework which paves way for abuse, all of which ultimately reduces trust and confidence in the electoral system,” Transparency stated.

      Yameen’s election brings to an end a chapter of controversy and uncertainty over the government’s democratic legitimacy, following the ousting of Nasheed in February 2012 amid a police mutiny.

      • মাসুদ করিম - ১৮ নভেম্বর ২০১৩ (২:৫৬ অপরাহ্ণ)

        For those looking for a bright side in the rather anticlimactic win of the much delayed/canceled/rescheduled Maldivian Presidential elections by the anti-democratic coalition led by Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, there’s some solace that this will probably be the final episode of the overly drawn out election saga.

        Had President Nasheed won, there might well have been an endless number of elections till the anomaly was rectified.

        Local democrats as well as the international community was waiting in apprehension to observe what clever trick would be employed to undo the election should Nasheed win again. Thankfully, the Maldivian public had other plans and rendered the whole discussion moot. It voted in another Gayoom to power.

        Kingmaker Gasim

        Gasim Ibrahim – who won 23% of the votes in first round – proved to be the decisive factor.

        Yameen’s last minute deal with Gasim, who had just a day earlier hobnobbed with MDP leaders and publicly announced that 60% of voters of his voters would never vote for Yameen, clinched the victory by a slim margin of merely 5374 votes.

        The election so far har been ugly affair, with the anti-democratic forces pulling every stop and resorting to every dirty trick – from subverting the electoral process, getting anti-constitutional rulings from the Supreme Court, harassment of the Elections Commission, flexing muscles available in the form of the Maldives Police Service to obstruct elections, and holding the whole process to ransom by refusing to sign voter registries – and hemorrhaging millions in public funds all the while.

        However to Yameen’s credit, he did win the election – at least this round of it – fair and square.

        For his part, President Nasheed had some gracious words of defeat and congratulations to the winner, pledging to respect the people’s verdict and uphold the democratic process.

        Reading into the results

        The elections prove one thing: the Maldives electorate is yet to mature. The outcome of the election was more or less decided on November 9th, when – despite all the ugly episodes that played out in full public view – the public actually rewarded Abdulla Yameen with a slightly increased vote share.

        It was clear that a large section of the public was not going to be swayed by an actual manifesto, or promises of justice, and police and judicial accountability.

        President Nasheed handsomely won all the major population centers, resorts and foreign boxes. However, it is clear from the results that there is still another Maldives. A more isolated, isolationist, xenophobic and paranoid Maldives that is still susceptible to dangerous emotive politics.

        It is remarkable that this victory was pulled off on the back of exaggerated anti-Nasheed rhetoric with strong Islamist and hyper-nationalist overtones, as opposed to any realistic development plans or policies.

        This rhetoric was often of fantastic nature – ranging from evil Christian Westerners and Freemasons trying destroy Islamic unity in the Maldives, to Nasheed attempting to build temples for GMR staff and other such absurdities. Yet, it found resonance among a large section of the population. Voting for ‘dheen’ and ‘qawm’ became the catchphrase for the anti-Nasheed voters, although it isn’t immediately clear what exactly Abdulla Yameen has ever done to protect or uphold either.

        Nevertheless, the result is what it is, and in a democratic process, the public verdict is supreme.

        With any luck, the newly installed government will not pursue overtly isolationist, xenophobic policies while in power. After all, the Maldives – which is dependent on imports for everything from oil to basic foodstuffs – is no North Korea.

        …

        Some commentators hope that the MDP could now actively play that lacking role in the Yameen government. President Nasheed has pledged as much.

        Yet, one can predict right away that the horse trading season will begin soon on the parliament floor, and quite a few MDP MP’s are likely cross the aisle looking for greener pastures. This possibility means quite simply that the MDP might have reduced effectiveness going forward as an Opposition party.

        Furthermore, if MDP loses its Parliament strength – and it likely will – it further reduces chances of judicial reform or oversight from the elected Parliament.

        After nearly two years of punishing instability and conflict, the Maldives and its economy desperately needs some stability and return to the rule of law. While the return of an elected government is welcome, democrats remain apprehensive of the Gayoom clan.

        When slightly more than half the voting public gives a mandate to a media-hostile, blatantly anti-democratic coalition put together by a former dictator, it surely justifies this apprehension.

        Furthermore, keeping together the chaotic coalition will be an interesting challenge and one that constantly threatens us with instability. For now, the coalition has been given a mandate to protect of ‘dheen’ and ‘qawm’; we will see Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s final report card five years from now.

  13. মাসুদ করিম - ১২ নভেম্বর ২০১৩ (১২:০০ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    Comment: A method in madness
    By Yameen Rasheed | November 10th, 2013 | Category: Maldives Election 2013 |

    One of the most painful, overused cliches of modern times is the saying that insanity is the act of repeating the same action over and over again and expecting different results.

    The Maldives, then, can be considered to be suffering from a bizarre national lunacy.

    On elections day a little over two months ago, some of us thought we’d finally return to stability. We then also kept our fingers crossed two weeks later – in vain, as it turned out. On October 19, optimistic souls believed Maldivian voters would be a third time lucky. And yesterday, some hoped we would be a fourth time lucky.

    And now, some are praying we’ll be a fifth time lucky sometime in the indeterminate future. But as this writer comfortably predicted months ago, there remains a zero percent chance of any free, fair or credible electoral decisions being upheld under the present Maldivian regime.

    Foolish assumptions

    There is a method in this mad optimism, and it is based on a number of foolish assumptions – the very first being that elections will somehow defuse the two year long crisis.

    On the surface of it, it seems rather logical that an election would lead to stability. But perhaps we forget too easily that we did have an election on 7th September 2013.

    The elections were scheduled well ahead. The parties campaigned. The observers arrived. Citizens registered to vote.

    The elections were even widely praised by experts and international observers as being free and fair. 88 percent of the people voted. The democratic candidate won with a handsome margin.

    Except, the Gayoom-controlled judiciary then threw the results right into the trash can on what can only be described as exceedingly tenuous grounds. The third placed candidate Gasim Ibrahim alleged widespread fraud, and the court happily agreed – while doing away with the need to accommodate such inconveniences as any actual admissible evidence. Instead, the judgment was based on a “police report” so confidential that not even the defendants or their lawyers were allowed to have a peek at it. (Our Supreme Court, ladies and gentlemen!)

    The elections were annulled. The international community expressed concern. Millions in public funds were wasted.

    Having apparently decided to completely ignore the existence of a constitution, the Court then went on to issue a 16 point “guidelines” to the Elections Commission, including a provision requiring the candidates to sign the voters registry before voting could commence – essentially granting a veto to the candidates, who could now permanently hold the country and the electorate to ransom.

    A runoff election was scheduled for September 28. The parties campaigned. The observers arrived. Citizens registered to vote.

    But any hopes of an election were quickly dashed when the powerful Gayoom controlled militia – unwittingly referred to by the poorly informed as the “Maldives Police Service” – kidnapped the Elections Commissioner and laid siege to the commission. The elections were stalled.

    The international community expressed concern. Millions in public funds were wasted.

    Amid much drama, yet another runoff election was scheduled for October 19. The parties campaigned. The observers arrived. Citizens registered to vote.

    But then, mere hours before voting was scheduled to commence that morning, the Gayoom militia intervened yet again and laid siege to the EC. The election was stalled yet again.

    The international community expressed concern. Millions in public funds were wasted.

    Then as recently as this week – when the international community threatened and arm-twisted the PPM and JP candidates into signing the voter’s registry at the last minute – another election was scheduled for November 9th.

    The parties campaigned. The observers arrived. Citizens registered to vote.

    An election was even allowed to take place this time, and declared to be free and fair. 86 percent of the people voted. The democratic candidate won handsomely again.

    A runoff was scheduled for today.

    You would never guess what happened next.

    Mere minutes after the interim results were announced, PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen announced in a press conference that he would not sign the voters registry, thus preventing the run off elections from taking place.

    The elections are likely to be stalled. Millions in public funds have again been wasted.

    Curiously, it appears the parties will campaign again. The observers will return. Depending on when Abdulla Yameen decides to be benevolent, citizens may yet again need to register to vote.

    Even more curiously, it appears many citizens remain inexplicably confident of somehow arriving at a different outcome.

    The EC has said it will cost about MVR 25 million in public funds for each bout of this insanity.

    The myth of a democratic election

    Democratic elections are held between democratic parties i.e., between registered groups that aim to win over people to some vague political philosophy. The elections in Maldives are a different beast altogether.

    If it wasn’t already painfully clear to even passive observers of Maldivian politics, the battle in the Maldives is between democratic and anti-democratic forces; between one group that seeks a public mandate, and another that seeks to permanently disenfranchise citizens and has publicly called for military rule. Between one group that wins elections and another that has no use for them, thanks to its control of the judiciary and a state funded militia.

    On one side is the only democratically elected President in the history of the Maldives and who now has two further unfulfilled electoral victories to his credit since then.

    On the other hand is a motley coalition of a former dictator, his cheerless half brother who is noted in leaked US State Department cables as being notoriously anti-reformist, a network of their fat-cat cronies, and to complete the picture, the far right religious extremists.

    Gayoom’s party is not an agent of democracy, nor are its allies. If anything, the PPM is a panic-stricken response to democracy and to democratic reforms that threaten to shake the Gayoom network’s foundations. And that hostility towards a democratic exercise is exactly what has been on shameful public display in the last few weeks and months.

    There are no difficult questions here. No moral ambiguity. Surely, to use the words of the great English rockers Pink Floyd, the international community can tell a green field from a cold steel rail.

    The international community

    In a moment of surprising candour, PPM candidate Abdulla Yameen admitted that he was forced to sign the voters registry against his wishes by the international community. The implication was that he wouldn’t have proceeded with yesterday’s elections – which he wasn’t ever likely to win – had he not been arm twisted into doing so.

    The constitutional deadline of November 11 looms large, and the country will fall into a legal void with no political or legal consensus on what happens next. As such, it will fall upon Gayoom’s uniformed militia – ostensibly also the country’s security services – to decide the course of events.

    Gayoom’s militia, of course, is likely to use the excuse of the Supreme court ruling to continue to prop up Waheed – perhaps the first incumbent ruler in history to win a mere five percent of the votes in a public election.

    This miscarriage of justice only promises further chaos and – one cannot stress this enough – it is absolutely absurd to expect any different outcome.

    The Maldivian citizens have protested, and petitioned and voted multiple times – all to no avail.

    Perhaps, then, one way to force a different outcome is to force a different reaction from the international community.

    In the last two years since the elected government was overthrown, the international community has made endless, meaningless public statements of “concern”; statements that have done precious little to impede the repeated, systematic abuse of human rights and mockery of justice in the Maldives.

    In the meantime, police brutality has been richly rewarded with promotions, perks, housing and medals. A runaway judiciary is trampling all over the constitution like a crazed pachyderm. What little accountability had existed before has long since vaporised. The Maldives’ press freedom rankings have fallen like a brick and returned to pre-democracy levels. And that’s before they made the country’s only opposition TV station disappear in a giant ball of fire.

    R2P

    Perhaps, just perhaps, now would be a good time for the international community to make good on its threats.

    The Maldives hasn’t had a legitimate government since February 7 2012. However, after the constitutional deadline of November 11, even the fig leaf of legitimacy granted by the CoNI report and the benefit of doubt granted by international community, purportedly in the interests of stability, will vanish.

    Crucial powers such as India, UK, EU, the Commonwealth and the United States, who are in a position to enforce change, must recognise their responsibility to protect the fundamental authority of the citizens of the Maldives over themselves, especially when attempts to exercise a democratic mandate have been repeatedly and so publicly frustrated.

    If instead, the international community should choose to acquiesce to this daylight mockery of the public, and recognise the Supreme Court’s blatantly unconstitutional ruling propping up a loser with five percent mandate as the country’s leader, or accommodate the hijacking of the Maldives electoral process, or turn a blind eye to holding to ransom the rights of an entire population, then it very likely that the hopes of democracy will fade from this tiny nation and the Maldives might end up a failed state.

    It is trivial to put pressure on the Maldives – a country that depends almost entirely on foreign income and aid to feed and clothe itself. Cut off military and financial aid to the rogue regime until an elected President is sworn in. Halt exports of local fish to European markets. Stop sending tourists to luxury resorts that line the pockets of the Gayoom fat cats. Impose restrictions on foreign travel of regime figures on diplomatic passports. At the very least, stop sending consignments of tear gas, projectiles and weapons that are being used to subjugate an entire population and choke off its citizen’s rights.

    The international community could continue to stick to the routine of issuing public statements of concern and privately trying to negotiate backroom deals between the wolves and the sheep on what they’d like to have for supper.

    But unless the world powers can be convinced to make much sterner interventions, we are all mad as hatters to expect any change in trajectory in the Maldives.

  14. মাসুদ করিম - ২৫ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৫ (৭:২৫ অপরাহ্ণ)

    Maldives crisis is Modi government’s first regional diplomatic challenge

    The arrest of former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed puts the spotlight on the prime minister’s scheduled visit to Male mid-March.

    The unedifying image of former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed being dragged by local police to a courthouse in Male on Sunday draws attention to the current political crisis that has engulfed the island nation. India has expressed its concern over the “arrest and manhandling” of Nasheed and urged all sides to “calm the situation and resolve their differences within the constitutional and legal framework of the Maldives.”

    While there has been no formal statement, the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the island nation scheduled for mid March appears to be in some doubt and this is reflective of Indian discomfiture over the tangled political developments in Maldives.

    The current Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is the brother of the former strongman President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled Maldives with an iron-hand for almost three decades (1978 – 2008) till he was ousted in November 2008 by Nasheed. However the latter had a turbulent stint as the President and his ambitious agenda to modernize the domestic economy and promote tourism were resisted both by the earlier regime and the conservative Islamic constituency. Consequently mass protests in the small nation (population 400,000) and some imprudent decisions taken by President Nasheed, including the controversial arrest of the Chief Justice in January 2012, led to the forced resignation of Nasheed in February 2012. This happened a few months after the SAARC Summit held in the Maldives in November 2011.

    Domestic challenges

    Since then the former president has been facing severe domestic political challenges so much so that a year later in February 2013, Nasheed sought asylum in the Indian mission in Male fearing for his personal safety. At the time New Delhi, it appears ,was caught by surprise at the roller-coaster turn of events and was reluctant to get directly involved in the internal affairs of the island state.

    Over the last three years, the intense domestic political contest in the Maldives enabled the return of the Gayoom faction which has now pressed terrorism charges against Nasheed. However his supporters see this as a move by the current dispensation to prevent Nasheed from returning to power through the ballot-box and Delhi will have to calibrate its politico-diplomatic approach to respond to the current crisis.

    The Nasheed arrest is the first regional diplomatic challenge to the Modi government and the exchange of statements is instructive. While India has expressed “concern”, the Maldives Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon observed in an import laden statement that her government had “no doubt that India will adhere to the principle of Panchsheel and will not intervene in the domestic politics of Maldives.”

    India has been a friend-in-need for the Maldives on more than one occasion and in November 1988, with PM Rajiv Gandhi in South Block, the Indian military deftly foiled a mercenary coup attempt against the then President Gayoom. The international community applauded the swift Indian response and this action also burnished Delhi’s regional profile. Later in December 2004 when the deadly tsunami ravaged many parts of the Indian Ocean littoral –the Maldives with its distinctive low sea-level topography was wrecked. Again, the Indian military rose to the occasion and provided much needed succour.

    China card

    Hence there is a natural reservoir of goodwill towards India but in recent years the factional politics of the island state have introduced the China card to balance what is perceived as an overwhelming tilt towards Delhi. Concurrently the more conservative and pro-wahabi/salafi Islamic constituency has also increased its politico-religious influence and latest reports refer to the presence of IS (Islamic State ) and al-Qaeda sympathizers in the Maldives.

    India has adopted a very cautious and judicious stand in not getting sucked into the domestic politics of the Maldives. The strategic location of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean accord it a geographical relevance that is of special salience to China. The ambitious new maritime silk route unveiled by President Xi Jinping has been welcomed by the current leadership in Male and this is a familiar pattern for Delhi – that of the smaller SAARC nations seeking to maximize their leverage with both Asian giants.

    Nurturing democratic regimes in the neighbourhood is a desirable objective for India but the policy challenge is to find the appropriate balance in approach. The perspicacity of the Modi government will be on test.

  15. মাসুদ করিম - ১৪ মার্চ ২০১৫ (১:০৪ অপরাহ্ণ)

    Former Maldives President Sentenced to 13-Year Imprisonment

    In a major development, former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed was tonight sentenced to 13-year imprisonment by a criminal court here under the anti-terrorism laws.

    In a court hearing late tonight, Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader who was arrested on February 22 over the detention of a judge in 2012, was charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1990, highly-placed sources told PTI.

    “The Anti-Terrorism Act, inter alia, classifies an act of terrorism to include kidnapping, holding as hostage or apprehending someone against their will or attempts to kidnap, hold hostage or apprehend someone without their will, for the extrajudicial enforced disappearance of the sitting Chief Judge of Criminal Court,” the sources said, quoting the court judgement.

    47-year-old Nasheed resigned as the Maldives’ leader in February 2012 after a mutiny by police and troops that followed weeks of protests over the arrest of judge Abdullah Mohamed on corruption charges.

    Nasheed has a constitutional right of appeal to the High Court of Maldives.

    Criminal charges in the country are brought by the Prosecutor General of the Maldives as per the Article 220(a) of the Constitution of Maldives.

    The Prosecutor General’s case was based on the investigation report of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives into the kidnaping of the Judge.

    India had expressed concerned over the developments in the Maldives, including the “arrest and manhandling” of Nasheed, and asked all the involved to resolve their differences within the constitutional framework.

    Nasheed had taken refuge at the Indian High Commission in Male to avoid being arrested in connection with the same case in February 2013.

    He claimed that he was forced to quit in February 2012 after soldiers and police mutinied and overran his party’s headquarters in the capital Male.

    However his successor, Mohamed Waheed, who had been serving as vice-president, had said Nasheed left of his own accord.

    Waheed lost the controversial November 2013 presidential election to Yameen, the half-brother of former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

  16. মাসুদ করিম - ১২ এপ্রিল ২০১৫ (৯:৫৩ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    Maldives divers hold underwater protest to free ex-leader

    A hundred scuba divers in the Maldives held an underwater protest demanding the release of jailed ex-president Mohamed Nasheed who became popular as an environmental activist during his presidency.

    Nasheed is serving a 13-year prison sentence for ordering the arrest and detention of a senior judge when he was in power three years ago.

    The divers submerged 5 meters (16 feet) near the capital, Male, on Saturday and held banners reading “Free Nasheed Now,”, “Free the Climate Hero” and “Democracy in Jail,” according to a statement by Nasheed aide Paul Roberts.

    Nasheed campaigned to raise awareness on global warming during his presidency. The Indian Ocean archipelago nation, which lies just a few meters (feet) above sea level and is known for its upmarket resorts, is threatened with being submerged due to rising sea levels.

    While in government, Nasheed famously held an underwater Cabinet meeting to dramatize the threat to his nation.

    Nasheed was sentenced last month for ordering the arrest and detention of Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Nasheed had accused the judge of political bias and corruption.

    Nasheed’s trial and imprisonment has drawn widespread international criticism and cast doubt over the Maldives’ transition to democracy, which began after Nasheed was elected in 2008, ending 30 years of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

    Nasheed resigned in 2012 after weeks of public protests over the judge’s arrest and eventually lost the support of the military and police. In elections the following year, he lost to Yameen Abdul Gayoom, a half brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

    Opposition supporters said the case against Nasheed is politically motivated and is aimed at eliminating him as a potential candidate in the 2018 presidential election.

    The country’s judiciary is widely perceived to be loyal to the Gayooms.

    On Friday night, the Criminal Court sentenced the defense minister in Nasheed’s government to 10 years in prison. The court said it had been proven that Tholath Ibrahim conspired with Nasheed to arrest the judge and helped detain him on an island used for military training.

  17. মাসুদ করিম - ১১ জুন ২০১৫ (৯:৩৪ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    Suu Kyi’s China trip a symbol of Myanmar power shifts

    Aung San Suu Kyi’s first trip to Beijing is not quite a historic piece of Nixon-to-China diplomacy. But it is a fresh sign of the former political prisoner’s pragmatic preparations for power — and a symbol of the interests she shares with the Middle Kingdom’s rulers at a rocky point in Sino-Myanmar relations.

    Analysts say Wednesday’s visit is an effort by the two parties to show they can do business ahead of likely big gains this year for Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) in landmark Myanmar elections billed as cementing the country’s transition from military dictatorship.

    China is a big investor in Myanmar and prizes the access it offers to the Indian Ocean, but tensions have emerged in areas ranging from the suspension of a large Beijing-backed dam project to conflict spillover at the countries’ shared border.

    “This trip fills in a blank for both sides,” said Yun Sun, a senior associate at Washington’s Stimson Center think-tank. “If Aung San Suu Kyi were not to visit China, it would leave a spot on her credentials. And if you are China, you want to have at least a superficially good relationship with the potential future kingmaker of Myanmar.”

    The Nobel peace laureate will spend five days in China at the invitation of the Communist party. Beijing has yet to confirm reports from Myanmar of talks with President Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, prime minister.

    Ms Suu Kyi’s long-flagged visit comes months before nationwide elections in Myanmar, the first since the military dictatorship of almost half a century stepped down in favour of a quasi-civilian government in 2011.

    The trip comes weeks after Thura Shwe Mann, a former Myanmar junta number three who is now the speaker of parliament’s lower house, met President Xi in Beijing, noted Christian Lewis, an associate at Eurasia Group, the political risk analyst.

    “The sequence of visits likely reflects the fact that Beijing sees Shwe Mann as the strongest candidate for Myanmar’s next president, but recognises the rising power and influence of Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD in legislative politics,” Mr Lewis said.

    China’s relations with Myanmar were never better than when Ms Suu Kyi was a prisoner for 15 years in her own home and her then pariah state relied on its northern neighbour for investment and diplomatic support.

    But Myanmar’s political opening has brought cooler relations with China, as gratitude for Beijing’s support mixes with anger at perceived abuses of its political and economic dominance.

    Public protests led Myanmar’s government to stop work in 2011 on the Chinese — backed Myitsone dam in the north of the country, while villagers in the country’s northwest have faced violent security force crackdowns during years of rallies against the Chinese-operated Letpadaung copper mine.

    China’s own grievances were highlighted when its military last week launched rare live-ammunition exercises in a border region, close to where the Myanmar army is fighting with rebels on the other side of the frontier. Myanmar’s bombing of rebel positions had earlier spilled into China, killing villagers.

    Perhaps the most sensitive aspect of Ms Suu Kyi’s visit is her status in the west as a pro-democracy figurehead of the kind jailed by China. Her fellow Nobel peace laureate, Liu Xiaobo, the only Chinese winner of the honour, is serving an 11-year sentence for “inciting subversion”.

    But US and European observers hoping for a ringing critique of Beijing’s policies are likely to be as disappointed as they are in Ms Suu Kyi’s reluctance to speak out for Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya people.

    She has tended to avoid anti-Chinese rhetoric and, unlike many of her fellow Nobel Prize winners, has shied away more generally from condemning alleged human rights abuses around the globe.

    “She certainly doesn’t want to be seen as anti-China, and I don’t see anything that suggests she actually is,” said Thant Myint-U, a historian and author who has worked with Myanmar’s government on its peace process to end more than 60 years of civil conflict. “Her concerns have always been very domestic.”

    Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi embarks on tricky China visit

    Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is traveling to China this week for her first visit to the Asian powerhouse. The four-day visit, starting Wednesday, comes at a pivotal time as Beijing attempts to bolster its influence in the Southeast Asian nation.

    Democratic reforms in Burma (Myanmar) have seen the quasi-military government in Naypyidaw shift toward Western countries, Japan and other potential investors, Burmese protesters have stalled a Chinese-backed dam out of environmental concerns, and China is upset about fighting between Burma’s military and rebels near the border.

    Suu Kyi will meet China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during the visit, Burma’s National League for Democracy (NLD) said. Reports suggest there was strong opposition to the visit within Chinese political circles, but the trip, framed as a party-to party exchange between China’s Communist Party and the NLD, was ultimately approved.

    The NLD is forecast to perform strongly when Burma goes to the polls in national elections later this year, though Suu Kyi herself is unlikely to be able to stand for president. Domestically, she is fighting to have a clause in the constitution that blocks her from standing as a candidate overturned and her chances of success look slim.

    Even so, China’s invitation can be seen as an acknowledgement from Beijing that she is now a key political figure in the Southeast Asian nation and is likely to wield major influence there in the years to come. Even just a few years ago, the idea of China allying itself with the Nobel Laureate and ‘democracy icon’ would have been unimaginable.

    The visit could be a tricky one for both Suu Kyi and China. For her part, Suu Kyi will be under pressure to tackle Beijing on human rights issues and its detention of fellow Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo. Her ongoing silence on the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Burma has been roundly criticised, and observers will be watching closely to see if she lives up to her ‘democracy icon’ billing on this occasion.

    The Chinese media, meanwhile, was pointing to a softening in Suu Kyi’s stance towards Beijing ahead of the visit, with an editorial in the state-run Global Times stating:

    “Suu Kyi used to be the most intense critic of the Myanmese junta, and she also raised objections to Chinese investment projects during that time. But since she was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, Suu Kyi has started to recalibrate her policy, stating on many occasions that she expects an improvement in Myanmar-China relations. In media interviews, Suu Kyi also expressed her expectation for a visit to China in an official capacity.”

    It added: “Given Suu Kyi’s pragmatic and friendly attitude toward China, her overwhelming influence among the Myanmese and her significant power in the future landscape of the Myanmese politics, China treats her visit as a chance to lay out its diplomatic strategies, a forward-looking move to deal with the result of the upcoming Myanmese election.”

    The events of the next four days should tell us a lot about future relations between the two neighbors, and Suu Kyi’s vision for a rapidly changing Burma.

    • মাসুদ করিম - ২৫ জুন ২০১৫ (৬:১০ অপরাহ্ণ)

      Myanmar parliament votes against charter changes, maintains ban on Suu Kyi becoming president

      Myanmar’s parliament voted against several constitutional amendments Thursday, ensuring that the military’s veto power remains intact and that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi cannot become president in an election this year.

      The legislature ended a 3-day debate on proposed changes to the 2008 constitution, which bars Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, from seeking the presidency and gives the military an effective veto over constitutional amendments.

      Changes to both those clauses were rejected in the vote, which was viewed as a final chance to lift obstacles blocking Myanmar’s most famous politician from a shot at the presidency in the immediate future. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is expected to see heavy gains against the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party in an election likely to take place by November. No date has been set.

      “I am not surprised with the result,” Suu Kyi told reporters after the vote. “This makes it very clear that the constitution can never be changed if the military representatives are opposed.”

      Suu Kyi and her party had said that the current constitution needed to be amended to meet democratic norms and that the amendments were essential for a free and fair election.

      The NLD swept the last free general election in 1990 but the then-ruling military junta ignored the results and kept Suu Kyi under house arrest and detention for a total of 15 years.

      The nation’s transition from a half-century of brutal military rule to a nominally civilian government in 2011 was marked by early, fast-moving successes. Suu Kyi’s 2010 release and her 2012 election to parliament were a catalyst for the West to end years of diplomatic isolation of Myanmar, also called Burma, and roll back sanctions.

      But four years after President Thein Sein took office, the military has refused to loosen its grip on parliament or amend the junta-era constitution, which ensures the military’s continuing influence in government. It gives the military a mandatory 25 percent of parliamentary seats, handing it veto power over any change in the constitution, which requires greater than 75 percent approval, followed by a nationwide referendum.

      Thursday’s vote rejected a proposal to trim the share of ballots required to amend the constitution from over 75 percent to 70 percent, a change that would essentially have removed the veto power.

      Many viewed the proposed amendment, which could have paved the way for more constitutional change, as key to Suu Kyi’s chances for gaining eligibility for the presidency. The opposition leader turned 70 last Friday, raising concerns that time is running out in her political career.

      The parliament also rejected amending a clause that bars anyone whose spouse or children are loyal to foreign countries from becoming president or vice president. Suu Kyi’s late husband and her two sons are British citizens. The proposed amendment would not have stricken the clause entirely, just dropped the reference to foreign spouses as an obstacle to candidacy.

      During this week’s debate, lawmakers in military uniforms said it was necessary to keep the clauses intact.

      “If the person who will become the country’s head of state and his or her family members owe allegiance to foreign countries, the country will indirectly fall under foreign subjugation,” Brig. Gen. Tin Soe, one of 166 military appointees in parliament, told fellow lawmakers on Wednesday.

      Brig. Gen Tin San Naing said Tuesday that the military’s veto power helped ensure stability as the country moves away from military rule.

      “Myanmar is in a democratic transition period,” he said. “It has not reached its maturity in democratic practices to ensure peace and security in the country.”

  18. মাসুদ করিম - ১১ জুন ২০১৫ (১১:১৫ পূর্বাহ্ণ)

    বিষ ছড়াচ্ছেন মোদি, ক্ষোভ পাকিস্তানের

    ‘বাংলাদেশে মুক্তি বাহিনীর সঙ্গে ভারতীয় সেনাও লড়াই করেছিল৷‌ তাতেই নতুন দেশ হিসেবে আত্মপ্রকাশ করেছে বাংলাদেশ৷‌ ৯০ হাজার পাকিস্তানি ফৌজিকে যুদ্ধবন্দী পেয়েও ভারত প্রতিহিংসা দেখায়নি৷‌’ ঢাকা সফরে গিয়ে প্রধানমন্ত্রী নরেন্দ্র মোদির এই মন্তব্যকে আন্তর্জাতিক রঙ দেওয়ার চেষ্টা শুরু করল ইসলামাবাদ৷‌ তাদের বিরুদ্ধে ভারত বিদ্বেষ ছড়ানোর চেষ্টা করছে বলে অভিযোগ করেছেন প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বিদেশ উপদেষ্টা সরতাজ আজিজ৷‌ রাষ্ট্রপুঞ্জে এই নিয়ে নোটিস দেবেন বলেও জানিয়েছেন তিনি৷‌ ১৯৭১ সালে বাংলাদেশে স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধে ভারতীয় সেনা অংশ নিয়েছিল৷‌ কূটনৈতিক কারণে এই সত্য কখনও স্বীকার করেনি দিল্লি৷‌ এই প্রথম কোনও ভারতীয় প্রধানমন্ত্রী সেই কথা স্বীকার করলেন৷‌ রবিবার ঢাকায় মোদি বলেন, ‘প্রত্যেক ভারতীয়ের মনের ইচ্ছা ছিল বাংলাদেশ স্বাধীন হোক৷‌ তাই নতুন দেশ তৈরিতে মুক্তি বাহিনীর সঙ্গে লড়াই করেছিল ভারতীয় সেনা৷‌’ পাকিস্তানের বক্তব্য, ভারত অন্যান্য দেশের অভ্যন্তরে যে অস্হিরতা তৈরি করে থাকে মোদির বক্তব্যেই তা প্রমাণিত৷‌ এমন একটি দেশ কখনও রাষ্ট্রপুঞ্জের স্হায়ী সদস্য হতে পারে না৷‌ আজিজ বলেন, ‘১৯৭১-এ পূর্ব পাকিস্তানেক বিচ্ছিন্ন করতে ভারতের ভূমিকা সামনে আনার সর্বোতভাবে চেষ্টা করবে পাকিস্তান৷‌’ বাংলাদেশের সঙ্গে পাকিস্তানের সম্পর্ক নষ্ট করতেই মোদি এই মন্তব্য করেছেন, মত আজিজের৷‌ প্রতিবেশী দেশের সঙ্গে সুসম্পর্ক রক্ষা করতে চায় দিল্লি৷‌ নরেন্দ্র মোদি ক্ষমতায় আসার পর সেই উদ্দেশ্যে অনেক পদক্ষেপ করেছেন৷‌ এবারের মন্তব্যে তা ধাক্কা খাবে৷‌ পাকিস্তানি সংসদের উচ্চকক্ষ সেনেটের চেয়ারম্যান মিয়াঁ রাজা রব্বানিও মোদির মন্তব্যের নিন্দা করেছেন৷‌ তাঁর কথায়, পাকিস্তানের সঙ্গে বাংলাদেশের দূরত্ব বাড়াতেই মোদির মন্তব্য৷‌ তবে তা সফল হবে না৷‌ কারণ, দুই দেশ একই ইতিহাস বহন করে৷‌ স্বাধীনতার যুদ্ধে কাঁধে কাঁধ মিলিয়ে লড়াই করেছিল দুই দেশ৷‌ পাকিস্তানের পাঞ্জাব প্রদেশ বিধানসভার বিরোধী দলনেতা মেহমুদ উর রশিদ বাংলাদেশে মোদির মন্তব্যের বিরুদ্ধে প্রস্তাবনা জমা দিয়েছেন৷‌ তাতে বলা হয়েছে, সর্বদলীয় বৈঠক ডেকে মোদির মন্তব্যের বিরুদ্ধে ব্যবস্হা নেওয়া হোক৷‌

  19. মাসুদ করিম - ১৩ জুলাই ২০১৫ (৫:১৮ অপরাহ্ণ)

    বার্মার নিজেকে উন্মুক্ত করতে হলে সু কি-র এসিদ্ধান্ত নেয়া ছাড়া উপায় নেই।

    Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi confirms her party will contest November elections

    Announcement by leader of Burmese opposition ends months of uncertainty and speculation over a boycott by the National League for Democracy (NLD) party

    Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has confirmed that her National League for Democracy (NLD) party will contest elections in November despite her being barred from the presidency.

    “This is to announce officially that the NLD will be contesting the elections that will be held on the 8th of November,” Suu Kyi said in the capital Naypyidaw over the weekend.

    The Nobel Peace Laureate, who spent 15 years under house arrest, is barred from the country’s top job because of a constitutional provision excluding those with foreign children. Her late husband was British and she has two British sons.

    Last month, Burma’s parliament voted against constitutional amendments that would allow Suu Kyi to run for the presidency. There was widespread speculation that the NLD, expected to win a considerable number of seats in both houses of parliament, might boycott the election in response.

    But Suu Kyi said her party had a plan that she believed “would be acceptable to our people” to tackle the bar. She would not detail it immediately.

    “Of course we are not going into the elections without having an idea of how we intend to handle this problem,” she said.

    She also complained that there are errors in the voting lists.

    “If there is an error it means that the voter concerned will not be able to cast his or her vote on the day of the elections.”

    The election holds the promise of being the next step towards full democracy for a nation run by a repressive military junta for nearly half a century.

    The NLD won the election in 1990 but the result was ignored by the military. The party boycotted the next nationwide poll, which was not held until 2010 and was condemned by international observers for widespread irregularities.

    About 30 million people are eligible to vote in Burma, a country left isolated by the military, whose rule was defined by its widespread oppression, violence and economic stagnation.

    President Thein Sein, a former general, pushed through reforms in 2011 which lifted western sanctions, but the NLD and activists say many are superficial. Political prisoners remain in jail and the media is tightly controlled.

  20. মাসুদ করিম - ২৫ জুলাই ২০১৫ (১১:৪০ অপরাহ্ণ)

    Nasheed’s sentence was commuted to house arrest before state decision to appeal

    Questioning the state’s decision to appeal a terrorism conviction against former President Mohamed Nasheed, lawyers revealed today that the opposition leader’s 13-year jail sentence was commuted to house arrest on July 19.

    “The government of the Maldives has permanently moved President Nasheed to house arrest for the balance of his 13-year term in prison,” the opposition leader international lawyer Jared Genser told reporters in Colombo this afternoon.

    The Maldivian high commission in Sri Lanka confirmed the move to AFP. Nasheed’s domestic legal team told Minivan News the decision had been communicated in writing.

    The PG office announced the decision to appeal the guilty verdict yesterday amidst rumours that President Abdulla Yameen will pardon Nasheed in exchange for the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) backing for several crucial votes in parliament.

    Speaking at a press conference in Malé today, lawyer Hassan Latheef said the legal team believes the government has exerted undue influence over the PG to appeal the case in a bid to appease growing international pressure.

    The European parliament, the British prime minister, the US secretary of state, the UN Human Rights Council and various international organisations have called for Nasheed’s release, Latheef noted, adding that the legal team had expected the former president to be pardoned as a result of talks.

    But President Yameen could now “tell the international community that President Nasheed’s case is out of his hands,” Latheef suggested.

    “We believe that there is intense foreign pressure on the government to release President Nasheed and the case was on President Yameen’s table. But we now believe that the government has sent the case to the prosecutor general’s table,” he said.

    The government will be able to tell the numerous foreign diplomats expected to arrive in the Maldives to attend an official function to celebrate 50 years of independence on July 26 that Nasheed’s case has been appealed by the state, Latheef said.

    Some diplomats would accept that the president could not intervene in the judicial process or grant clemency before the appeal process is exhausted, he added.

    Latheef said the legal team will decide whether or not to participate in the “charade” following consultations with Nasheed’s international lawyers. The state’s sudden reversal of stance may affect ongoing talks between the opposition and the government, lawyers suggested.

    Genser meanwhile told reporters today that he was denied a business visa to work in the Maldives last week and was told that he needed further authorisation from the Supreme Court certifying that he was licensed to practise law internationally.

    “There is no Maldivian law, regulation, or rule that imposes such a requirement on applicants for business visas who are lawyers – it appears the Supreme Court specially designed this requirement just for me,” he said.

    Genser is representing Nasheed along with Amal Clooney, the wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, and Ben Emmerson, a UN rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights. The international lawyers have filed an appeal at the UN working group on arbitrary detention seeking a judgment declaring Nasheed’s imprisonment illegal.

    Appeal

    In a brief statement yesterday, the PG office said the decision to appeal the conviction was made based on concerns raised over due process in the trial and Nasheed’s request for the PG to appeal the conviction as well as his contentions over procedural violations, insufficient time to mount a defence, and inability to appeal due to the criminal court’s failure to provide a full report and transcripts of the trial within a 10-day period for filing appeals.

    Lawyer Hisaan Hussain noted that Muhsin had repeatedly rejected requests for the state to appeal the conviction, insisting that Nasheed could file an appeal despite the lapse of a 10-day period and that the PG would not appeal a verdict in his favour.

    The PG’s sudden reversal of stance while talks seeking Nasheed’s release were ongoing “raises questions about his purpose and intent,” Hisaan said.

    Muhsin told the press in May that he believed Nasheed’s appeal had “a high possibility of being accepted at the high court since Nasheed is a former president, since it is related to a judge and since it is a terrorism charge.”

    The Supreme Court had shortened the appeal period from 90 days to 10 by striking down provisions in the Judicature Act a month before Nasheed’s arrest on February 22.

    Last month, the High Court, citing lateness, rejected an appeal filed by the Prosecutor General over the acquittal of a defendant on murder charges.

    On June 20, President Yameen rejected Nasheed’s appeal for clemency, urging him to exhaust all appeal processes first. The opposition leader’s lawyers say that the Clemency Act grants the president the discretion, on the president’s own initiative, to commute the sentence of any individual convicted of a criminal offence.

    The next day, Nasheed was transferred to house arrest for eight weeks.

    Shortly thereafter, the MDP and the government began talks on clemency for Nasheed and other jailed politicians as well as the withdrawal of charges against some 1,400 opposition supporters.

    Opposition MPs subsequently backed the impeachment of vice president Dr Mohamed Jameel and a constitutional amendment setting new age limits for the presidency and vice presidency. The amendment allowed President Yameen to replace Jameel with the influential tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb.

    The MDP also issued a free whip on a second constitutional amendment to allow foreign freeholds in the Maldives. Some 19 opposition MPs, including ten MDP MPs, voted to pass the amendment.

    At the fourth meeting of talks last week, MDP representative Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had suggested that Nasheed may be released before July 26.

    The UN working group on arbitrary detention is meanwhile expected to rule on Nasheed’s imprisonment in September or October. In a response to the UN, the government insisted Nasheed must appeal the sentence.

  21. মাসুদ করিম - ২৬ আগস্ট ২০১৫ (১২:৩০ অপরাহ্ণ)

    Maldives at risk of sliding back into authoritarianism, warns new report

    A new report finds the government guilty of compromising the judiciary and engineering unfair trials.

    The new Maldives government has severely compromised the independence of the country’s judiciary, putting the island-nation at risk of returning to the authoritarianism it seemed to have abandoned in 2008, warned a report released on Tuesday.

    “The delegation was particularly concerned by a clear politicisation of the judiciary that has eroded the rule of law,” said the report titled Justice Adrift: Rule of Law and Political Crisis in the Maldives, compiled by the South Asians for Human Rights and the International Commission of Jurists, which visited the nation in May.

    In addition, the report claims that critical voices have been silenced, with journalists disappearing or facing threats and arrests. Civil society organisations challenging the government are threatened with dissolution and the right to peaceful assembly has been compromised.

    The alarm about judicial independence was triggered by the detention, sentencing and conviction of former President Mohamed Nasheed, who was forced to resign in 2012 after he was charged with the unlawful arrest of a judge, Abdullah Mohamed. Under the new government headed by President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom, voted into power in 2013, the charges were replaced with those under the more severe Terrorism Act. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison on March 13.

    The trial court repeatedly denied the defence the chance to cross-examine prosecution witnesses or to call its own witnesses, the report said. On March 9, just days before the sentencing, the defence team recused itself, claiming the trial was being conducted in an unfair manner. Nasheed was denied fresh counsel. The defence had also asked for two of the judges to back out of the trial, since they had been close confidantes of Mohamed, the judge arrested by Nasheed in 2012. “The apparent conflict of interest on the part of two out of the three judges trying the case clearly meant that a trial of Mr Nasheed before those judges on these charges could by no means be reasonably seen as impartial,” observes the report.

    The report also cited the irregularities in the trial of former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, arrested in January on charges of importing and possessing illegal weapons.

    Tentacles of the parliament

    Apart from high-profile arrests and trials, the report documents how the parliament has slowly encroached on independent institutions, including the judiciary. In December 2014, it enacted a controversial amendment to the Judicature Act. This reduced the number of Supreme Court judges from seven to five. The two judges who were dropped in the process had a history of giving dissenting judgments. The report also cites the arbitrary removal of the auditor general, appointed by Nasheed, and the parliament’s questioning of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives in a closed-door night session on March 16. This was after the commission had issued a press release raising concerns about Nasheed’s trial.

    Nasheed, who came to power in 2008, was the first democratically elected president of the Maldives. His administration succeeded 30 years dictatorship under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Nasheed’s tenure saw the drafting of a new constitution that guaranteed fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary. He claims he was made to resign at gunpoint in 2012. Parliamentary elections the following year saw the victory of Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the former dictator. The new government has reversed the democratic processes set in motion by Nasheed, the report claims.

    International pressure

    The report has been released a month before the Maldives’ human rights record comes up for discussion before the United Nations Human Rights Council. International opinion has already put pressure on the current government to ensure that fundamental rights and freedoms are protected. India has not been entirely silent either. In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his visit to the Maldives, citing “political unrest”. It was meant to send “a strong message” to a Maldives government bent on suppressing the opposition. But after the arrests and detentions in May, Delhi has been oddly quiet.

    India has maintained a delicate balancing act between the two opposing political forces in the country. In 1988, when the Gayoom regime was threatened by a coup, the Indian army launched Operation Cactus to stave it off. Later, India shifted its sympathies to Nasheed and when the former president was arrested in 2013, he took refuge in the Indian high commission in Male. However, President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom attended Modi’s swearing in last year. The two leaders kept up an active engagement, at least in the first months of Modi’s tenure. The more recent chill has also been attributed to the Maldives’ growing intimacy with China, which competes with India for regional dominance.

    Given the conflicting compulsions on the Indian government, it remains to be seen how hard it will lobby for human rights in the Maldives now.

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