#Maldives: Ex-Defence Minister, Police, MNDF, Nasheed, everyone ... requested our help - alleged coup leaders
Male', Maldives.
The week after power transfer in Maldives ended with a press statement by three of the individuals alleged by ex-President Mohamed Nasheed to have led a military coup against him. The three individual, current Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, current Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz and ex-police officer Fayaz (FA), stated that they had intervened in the events of February 7th out of national interest, and at the behest of Nasheed himself, his Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim, unnamed senior officials of the MNDF, and police officers and public at the protest that day. PPM Interim Deputy Leader, who had confessed to "commanding" the "operations" that day, was not named in the statement.
In a three page press release with confusing statements about multiple requests by the above parties for the three individuals to take charge of the situation and negotiate on behalf of public, Police and MNDf, the only thing that the trio make clear is that they acted in an individual capacity. Fortunately for President Waheed and ex-President Gayoom, this statement extricates them from a potentially very nasty situation where they are held culpable for the actions of the trio during the events of February 7th.
The trio, all sacked by Nasheed from their respective posts in MNDF and MPS with allegations of being Gayoom loyalists, state that Nasheed himself requested their assistance in protecting himself and his family during the process of his resignation and assumption of office by current President Mohamed Waheed. According to the trio, this request by Nasheed gave them authority to play the role that they did in negotiating Nasheed's resignation.
The appointment of two of the individuals to the powerful posts of Defence Minister and Commissioner of Police by President Waheed throws into further turbulence political waters already made murky by Nasheed's allegations of being made to resign at gunpoint by 18 officers from the MNDF and MPS.
Their appointments to powerful posts and last night's press release also limits the options available for President Waheed to hold an independent investigation of the events leading to the transfer of power through a national mechanism as supported by the UN, US and India.
Even a military investigation by the military judge advocate or an internal investigation by the police cannot be carried out with those alleged to have led the events being in the top positions of the respective institutions.
Many doubt whether President Waheed, portrayed by the opposition Maldives Democratic Party as a puppet of all other political parties, will even attempt to hold an investigation through a national mechanism. The MDP yesterday said that there were no national institutions or authority that they recognized, and reiterated their calls for foreign intervention to reinstate their presidential candidate Nasheed.
As the status quo drags on, President Waheed's Ostrich-like strategy is seen by the public as detrimental to the Maldivian economy. Efforts by various foreign consultants who were working in Nasheed's government to maintain Nasheed's claims in international priority continue to tarnish the Maldives tourism image, but have been unsuccessful in meeting their objective of reinstating Nasheed. Maldives has been pushed off international charts by more pressing crises in countries such as Syria, leading MDP no option but to escalate the level of violence in Maldives in order to regain international attention.
In a three page press release with confusing statements about multiple requests by the above parties for the three individuals to take charge of the situation and negotiate on behalf of public, Police and MNDf, the only thing that the trio make clear is that they acted in an individual capacity. Fortunately for President Waheed and ex-President Gayoom, this statement extricates them from a potentially very nasty situation where they are held culpable for the actions of the trio during the events of February 7th.
The trio, all sacked by Nasheed from their respective posts in MNDF and MPS with allegations of being Gayoom loyalists, state that Nasheed himself requested their assistance in protecting himself and his family during the process of his resignation and assumption of office by current President Mohamed Waheed. According to the trio, this request by Nasheed gave them authority to play the role that they did in negotiating Nasheed's resignation.
The appointment of two of the individuals to the powerful posts of Defence Minister and Commissioner of Police by President Waheed throws into further turbulence political waters already made murky by Nasheed's allegations of being made to resign at gunpoint by 18 officers from the MNDF and MPS.
Their appointments to powerful posts and last night's press release also limits the options available for President Waheed to hold an independent investigation of the events leading to the transfer of power through a national mechanism as supported by the UN, US and India.
Even a military investigation by the military judge advocate or an internal investigation by the police cannot be carried out with those alleged to have led the events being in the top positions of the respective institutions.
Many doubt whether President Waheed, portrayed by the opposition Maldives Democratic Party as a puppet of all other political parties, will even attempt to hold an investigation through a national mechanism. The MDP yesterday said that there were no national institutions or authority that they recognized, and reiterated their calls for foreign intervention to reinstate their presidential candidate Nasheed.
As the status quo drags on, President Waheed's Ostrich-like strategy is seen by the public as detrimental to the Maldivian economy. Efforts by various foreign consultants who were working in Nasheed's government to maintain Nasheed's claims in international priority continue to tarnish the Maldives tourism image, but have been unsuccessful in meeting their objective of reinstating Nasheed. Maldives has been pushed off international charts by more pressing crises in countries such as Syria, leading MDP no option but to escalate the level of violence in Maldives in order to regain international attention.