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Tomorrow there will be a clear-cut winner in Presidential Election 2008 –and a loser. What they do in the next few days, weeks and months will impact not just democracy in the Maldives, but the entire future of the country. How magnanimous will the winner be and how gracious the loser?
The Maldives faces grave economic threats and pressing social issues like drugs, crime and housing shortage. Solving these problems will require sincere bipartisan support. Such cooperation depends a lot on the winner as the head of a responsive government and the loser as the head of a responsible opposition.
The past few months have seen an unprecedented level of mutual recrimination and mudslinging from all sides. Healing hurt feelings and bruised egos will not be easy, but imperative nevertheless. As Martin-Luther King Junior said, "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Despite the acrimonious campaigns of the past weeks, multi-party democracy is here to stay. For most Maldivians, going back to the party-less days of 'wahudhath', where dissent was equated with rebellion, is simply not an option.
As a nation we have sacrificed so much for reform. Let all sides work together to realize this dream for the sake of our future.
5 comments:
There is no future with Maumoon. All energy must be focussed on his removal.
If maumoon wins (and May Allah forbid it!!!), he will turn this country upside down. he will bring havoc upon all those barave souls who made so much of sacrifices to bring peace, equality and justice to the hapless Maldivian people.
Many of you will still remember that when Maumoon was elected in 1978, he wasted his entire first term in office spreading hate against, and defaming the very man who helped him to get elected - former President Ibrahim Nasir. This time he would do the same, not against one man, but against the entire leadership of the united coalition.
It is therefore hard to imagine Maumoon could be magnanimous and would work to unite and heal the wounds of the nation. My humble guess is that if even if by some misfortune, Maumoon gets elected (May Allah forbid it), he would unleash a rein of terror against the opposition leaders for weeks to come. He would weaken the very foundations of the democratic institutions we have laid with our own blood and toil, and Maumoon would turn the democratic clock 30 years back. Hooligans will run this country, drugs would be sold on the street in front of everybody, and there would be not be one who would dare to raise even an eye brow.
May Allha forgive our own sins, and may Allah save us all from the tyranny and oppression of Maumoon,his cruel and wicked family and all those selfish people around him.
May Allah Almighty give victory to the leadership of the united coalition. Ameen!!!
avaha maizaathaka nikume dhuaa kuran fashaa.
its same as portugeesun dhivehinge kara raaalhaa ulhunu dhuvahaa. and we need prayers really bad.
nice article. but i don't see gayoom as the head of opposition if Anni wins this election. it will be an insult to the country.
Its all over, Maldives has waken up for a new era, bitterly fought election, clearly a bitterly divided Maldives. The New President has lots of work to do, his first task should be reconsiliation, only after that he should concentrate on anything else.
May God bless Maldives
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