Gayoom and his Unsolicited Advisors

Everyone seems to love advising former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on how he should conduct his life. The most popular pieces of advice are: stepping down from DRP leadership, leaving active politics and migrating abroad. The latest to join the list of Gayoom's unsolicited advisors is Nirja Deva, the European Union parliamentarian of Sri Lanka Tamil origin.

Mr. Deva advised the former President "it would be better for him to remain as a respected statesman like former presidents of other countries," Miadhu Daily reports. While speaking at a news conference in Dharubaaruge on Wednesday, he said "as the former President knows the international community very well, he can use his knowledge to seek advantage for Maldives at various international economic or environmental forums."

If one analyses individual pieces of advice Gayoom is receiving one would notice certain common factors. Firstly, most advisors have hitherto not been Gayoom's best friends and in fact many have been his avowed opponents till they suddenly decided to turn advisor. Mr. Deja himself had a rather lukewarm relationship with Gayoom when he was President.

Secondly, most suggestions appear to be of such a nature that if Gayoom accepts them, it would make life easy for his opponents. For example, the suggestion for him to leave active politics would remove from the scene a leader who still has the support of a significant share of the electorate. Similarly the suggestion for him to step down from DRP leadership could spark a succession war, weakening the party at a critical juncture.

So whose best interests do the advisors have in mind, Gayoom's or their own?

The Day He Never Wanted to See

"This is the day none of us wanted to see," a friend of mine, a strong MDP supporter, told me last night over the phone a short while after former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was taken to Police Headquarters.

"But I thought this is the day you have always looked forward to," I retorted. He used to talk frequently about bringing Gayoom to justice and how everyone must be equal before the law.

"Yes, I still want Gayoom to be held accountable. But I think what happened tonight isn't the way to do it, at least not the best way," he replied. "The simple question they asked him could have been asked without taking him there."

"It could have been," I admitted. "But what about equality before the law? Everyone else is taken to the police for such questioning."

"Equality is paramount," he replied. "But what about Article 128 of the Constitution, which gives special protection to him as ex-president?"

Summoning the Former President

When someone takes an apparently futile action it is often because the real objective lies elsewhere. When the famous Presidential Commission, established to probe alleged corruption and embezzlement of state funds and resources, issued a summons to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, not even the Commission's most ardent fans –Abdulla Haseen included –would have really believed he would come running like Mary's little lamb.

There is a case pending in the courts challenging the legal powers of the Commission to summon and arrest people. Former minister Abdulla Yaameen has also refused to attend the Commission pending the disposal of the case.

Speaking to Miadhu Daily the former President's lawyer Abbas Shareef has confirmed a summons was issued late on Thursday. Abbas stated the Presidential Commission was unconstitutional and as such had no authority to summon people against their will.

Spokesperson for the Presidential Commission, Abdulla Haseen, has confirmed that the former President Gayoom had objected to accept the commissions summon. Haseen said the refusal meant legal action will be initiated.

[To read more details in Miadhu Daily click here.]

Inheriting a White Elephant?

Farooq Mohamed Hassan*

The out-going President, Al-ustaaz Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, will soon be a 'chapter closed' in our country's long and often times turbulent history. His 30-year rule will be written and re-written for years to come. His 'legacy' – as he loves to call it – will be studied and researched by scholars for generations to come. They will be recorded and preserved in various formats. And most certainly, some of his memorabilia – symbols of extravagance – will find its way to the new national museum which is now being built by the Chinese Government. After all, where else can such subjects of notoriety be displayed as objects of beauty? On a happier note, many of these collections will surely attract more tourists to the capital – Male'. Unfortunately, some like the priceless yacht may go under the hammer.

This reminds me of my visit to Manila/ Philippines to attend the Fourth Global Forum of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council in 1997. One of the places we were taken to was the Malacanang Museum which gave us a glimpse of the excesses of the ousted former president and strongman of Philippines – Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralín Marcos and his family.

Why I have mentioned Marcos is because of the stark similarities that exist between these two dictators. First, they were elected Presidents; Marcos in 1966 and Maumoon in 1978. Second, their respective governments were marred by despotism, nepotism, political repression, human rights violations and massive authoritative government corruption. Third, while Marcos was removed from power by the 'People Power Revolution', Maumoon was removed from power by the MDP led coalition, in a public referendum in which Maumoon contested against the will of the majority, and also against the spirit of the new constitution, which Maumoon himself ratified. Marcos ruled Philippines for 20 years while Maumoon ruled Maldives for 30 years.

Oh yes! Coming back to my topic – inheriting the white elephant, will most certainly raise a few eyebrows among some of the radical DRP sympathizers. And why not? But let's continue.

A literature review of the term 'White Elephant' shows that it is derived from Thailand, where an Albino (white) elephant was given to unfavoured people by the ruler. Because these elephants were sacred and not permitted to work, it was a burden to the owner as it would eat up the owner's entire money until he/she became destitute. Keeping a white elephant therefore, was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special food and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. It is said that if a Thai King became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient. Today, the term 'white elephant' is commonly used in the context of 'a burdensome possession - creating more trouble than it is worth', or 'a possession that is unwanted by its owner', or 'a valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive', or 'a useless and troublesome possession that one cannot easily get rid of'. The usage is infinite.

Now, here's the catch. Following the October 28 election, the winners gave a sigh of relief, hoping that they had got rid of a dictator, who not only cost the public a fortune to maintain, but also ruined the economy of our country. And so, many hoped that in the light of the recently released reports by the Auditor General, not to name the FPID, MSL, ATC and Air Maldives scandals, at least some justice will be done. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to me that so many raised their eyebrows when the President-elect, Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) proposed to give the out-going President, a reasonable pension and protection. Anni repeated this same request when he met with the Speaker of the Majlis, Honorable Mohamed Shihab.

I am sure no person with a sound mind will deny the merits of reconciliation over retribution. And so, when Anni asked the Speaker of the Majlis to do the needful to introduce a Bill to that effect as soon as possible, I, for one, was quite happy that the speaker answered in the affirmative. However, then came the biggest surprise of all. Within days, Maumoon himself, through his Minister, Aneesa, hurried to submit such a Bill. And what does this bill contain? No one yet knows for sure. However, according to one local newspaper, the Bill Aneesa has submitted to the Majlis, if passed, will require giving Maumoon the same salary as that of the President of the country, which is MRf 75,000.00 a month, a 'reasonable' house to live, an office with minimum staff and funds for research. How much will all this cost to the public?

Unfortunately, only the outcome of the Bill introduced by Maumoon through his Minister, Aneesa, will determine how much of a liability than an asset the Maldivian 'white elephant' would be to the public. And let's hope Anni, like the Thai king, is not giving the very public that elected him to his Office, a 'white elephant'.

[^*Faarooq Mohamed Hassan is a former shadow cabinet member of MDP and is also the Deputy Director General of the Environment Research Center.]

Who can lead the Maldives for a better tomorrow?

By Mohamed A. (A Maldivian student abroad)

Dr. Hassan and Dr. Shaheed cannot rule the Maldives for the people, because they were once part of a corrupt regime. They inherited that philosophy. They left the government and formed a group because they were opportunists who wanted to get power badly by hook or crook. They are taking credit for a reform movement initiated by Anni with support from the people who are against the dictatorial rule of Maumoon.

Maumoon is talking about taking Maldives to new heights. He ruined the Maldives for the last 30 yrs. He never wanted Maldivians to progress; and to prevent this he gave a blind eye to the drug mafia actively destroying each and every household in the Maldives. This is his way of staying in power.

The development that took place in the Maldives was only foreign aid. Most of the schools were constructed with Japanese aid, Social Center with Japanese aid, and Regional hospitals with foreign aid. Now he is planning to make a deal on Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital with a Singapore firm. How can he improve medical services without spending on medical education and training doctors? Last 20 years there were many school leavers who wanted to become doctors. But he did nothing for them. Because of his education and development policy Maldives lacks skilled persons in every field. People were made to work like bonded laborers where they cannot make the ends meet with the salary. Those who could steal the public money they stole to make the ends meet.

There is nothing in Maldives that people are happy about. The country has become a hell to live and raise a family.

I am a student studying abroad. The last Republic day I was in Maldives and viewed a programme telecast by TV Maldives. The programme was produced on the basis of some research done on former president the late Mohamed Amin Didi by Maldives Historical Research Center. The programme was based on an article written by Mohamed Amin on his vision for the Maldives.

After viewing the programme I believe that the father of modern democracy in the Maldives is President Mohamed Amin. In his vision he planned to introduce modern education to Maldives, give education and rights to women. He also planned to provide college education in the Maldives. And also he mentioned in his vision to introduce party system politics to Maldives. He completed 20% of the work he mentioned in the vision within the first year of his rule.

After viewing this programme I now believe the presidents that the Maldivians got after late President Amin Didi, especially Maumoon, are none but only dictators.

During my holiday in Male' I also visited some of my friends. Most of them live in one room homes. Most of the families living in Male' have to live and sleep in only one room with grown up boys and girls. Most of them have gone to drugs. There is no life for them. The little income these families earn goes to drugs.

The Islamic scholars now enter politics and confuse the public regarding religion. One day they say Maumoon is not a Muslim of Sunni sect and the other day they go to court. These Islamic scholars, don't they have anything better to do instead of mixing religion and politics? It looks like everyone is hungry to become president.

The country needs people like Anni who have the strength to face the dictator, who have the courage to challenge the dictator's regime and who can lead the Maldives for a better tomorrow. The country will change for the better if he is elected to lead the Maldives for the next 5yrs.

[Note: This article was submitted by a student, Mohamed A., and so the contents are his responsibility. This blog will consider for publication articles that are constructive, avoid obscene language and do not needlessly launch personal attacks on individuals or communities.]

Housing policies of 3 leading candidates

"Poorly planned urban neighborhoods are associated with petty crimes such as graffiti and vandalism", Patricia Brantingham writes in Harvard Internal Review. It's not just petty crime that happens in Male neighborhoods, but serious crimes like knifing and drug trafficking. Bad as this may be, crime is not the top problem for most Male citizens. It's housing shortage. Let us see what three leading candidates, Anni, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Hassan Saeed, offer them in their respective manifestos.

In reviewing these promises one must consider each candidate's understanding of the issue, what solutions he offers and how feasible they are. In considering economic feasibility one must keep in mind that the total revenue generated by the Government in 2008 is expected to be about $800 million. Against this, the proposal to build 7000 to 8000 flats will cost about $600 million at current rates. The bridge to Hulhumale is expected to cost at least $ 250 million. Developing an additional Hulhumale like city is expected to cost about $ 500 million. Considering such figures, an anonymous visitor to this blog left a comment saying, "some of the promises are so outrageous that a 10 year old kid will not believe them!"

Here are the salient features of the housing and urban development pledges of the three leading candidates:

How they see the Problem:

• Anni believes that the housing crisis is the result of the government's failed atoll development policies, which led to in-migration towards Male. Wasting $ 50 million on Hulhumale, the government has failed to find a solution to the congestion in Male Anni says. Due to lack of an effective policy or regulatory framework there is no access to an affordable real estate market.
  
• Hassan Saeed believes that the key issues are increasing rents and shortage of housing, which is aggravated by unfair regulations in the allotment of flats. The housing problem is accompanied by Lack of basic services, environmental vulnerability and division of the population.
  
• Gayoom believes that the housing problem is the result of population increase and in-migration to Male.
  
• All three candidates acknowledge that it is a serious issue that tsunami victims have not been provided housing even after 4 years.
  

Population consolidation

• Gayoom promises to build 7500 flats (1500 per year) in Hulhumale and build a bridge to connect it with Male. In the meanwhile Male will be re-developed and two alternative cities will be developed with flats and facilities similar to Hulhumale. Land reclamation will be undertaken in selected islands.
• Hassan Saeed promises to build 4 cities like Male, with the provision of 5000 – 8000 flats in those cities.
  
• Anni does not promise to build cities. Instead he will take long term measures to develop the atolls and provide housing, employment opportunities and other basic services, so that the atoll population will have no need to migrate to Male. A land use plan will be developed for each inhabited island.
  

Real estate business

• Gayoom promises to encourage the development of real estate business in the private sector, with long-term financing. He will strengthen/develop housing regulations.
  
• Hassan promises to stop making profits from essential services like housing. He will draft fair regulations on housing.
  
• Anni promises to facilitate the development of housing in the private sector by providing building material in the islands, facilitating loans, and developing regulations.
  

Tsunami housing

• Anni and Gayoom promise to compete tsunami housing in one year.
  
• Hassan Saeed promises to complete tsunami housing within a definite time
  

Social housing

• All three candidates promise long term loans and subsidized housing for the vulnerable groups.
  

Know your candidates (3): Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

When Maumoon Abdul Gayoom returned to the Maldives in 1971 after a 24-year absence abroad, he found in Male an "atmosphere of repression", his biography 'A Man for All Islands' says. He would not have known then that 37 years later on 7 August 2008 he would be the chosen man to ratify the historic Constitutional amendments that would finally annul the archaic laws that bred the repressive atmosphere.

With his grounding in theology, Gayoom soon earned the respect of the people as well as the wrath of the government, particularly with his famous remark equating alcohol consumption and its sale. When in 1978, President Ibrahim Nasir abruptly decided not to compete for a third term in office, Gayoom became a serious contender for the post. Helped by a serendipitous coincidence –two of his close relatives, Ilyas and Hameed, were Majlis Members –Gayoom triumphed.

Seeking a record (which will never be broken) seventh term, Gayoom brings with him long years of experience, years that started counting long before 2 out of 3 Maldivians living today were even born. Let us then examine his strengths and weaknesses.

Gayoom's Achievements so far:

• Became President in 1978 and got re-elected 5 times;
  


• Maintained political stability and a favorable investment climate in the Maldives;
  


• Earned an international reputation in the area of environmental protection;
  


• Earned a reputation as a religious scholar.
  

Strengths:

• Having been in power for 30 years;
  


• Having the opportunity to claim credit for the GDP growth of the past 3 decades;
  


• Being the most recognized face in the Maldives;
  


• Fits the mental image Maldivians have of an archetypical president;
  


• Being the subject of nostalgic attachment among the elderly;
  


• Having the advantage of the trappings of office and the loyalty of senior members in island administration;
  

Weaknesses:

• Having been in power for 30 years (note that this is also listed among strengths);
  


• Being ultimately answerable for the law and order situation and drugs as well as the housing problem;
  


• Desire among the youth for change;
  


• Advancing age;
  


• Vulnerability to charges of nepotism.
  

Highlights of the agenda:

Gayoom will:

• Not allow in the Maldives any religion other than Islam, nor will he allow extremism;
  


• Strengthen the foundations of democracy, promote political responsibility, protect human rights, and ensure equality before the law;
  


• Distribute the benefits of economic growth equitably, increase the earnings of individuals and families, improve the quality of life, reduce the cost of living and ensure fiscal responsibility;
  


• Make the community drug-free and safe, solve housing issues, expand social services, and make Maldivians a law abiding, low crime, supportive, friendly, and happy community;
  


• Expand health services, improve the quality of health services, provide emergency evacuation, train health professionals and introduce modern technology for providing health care;
  


• Expand educational opportunities, improve quality of education, increase training opportunities for the youth, train teachers, and get international recognition for the national university.