Raajje News Blog

#Maldives: As the Yameen Abdul Gayoom presidency settles in to its third week, signs of discontent are appearing among the government coalition. The new government came to power in a narrow win of 51.39% of a wide coalition of several parties led by Progressive Party of Malives (PPM) against a solitary opposition, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) led by former President Mohamed Nasheed. Yameen's narrow victory can in fact be attributed to influential business man Gasim Ibrahim throwing his full weight and that of his party (Jumhooree Party) and coalition partners behind Yameen in the final runoff. Gasim, a candidate himself for Jumhooree Coalition, came third in Round 1 of the elections, with a significant voting block of 48,131 votes (23.35%). Core members of Jumhooree Coalition were Adhaalath Party (AP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP). As the new Government settled into power, cabinet seats and other political appointments were rapidly distributed amongst coalition partners.  Ou...

#Maldives: As PPM's Abdulla Yaameen steps up his attempts to destabilize President Dr. Waheed and his Unity Government, questions arise as to Yaameen's eligibility to lead a coalition government. The past month has seen repeated public criticisms by Yaameen of President Waheed, his government's performance and policies. In addition, Yaameen has claimed each success of Dr. Waheed as a success by PPM. Both the Government and coalition partners have criticized Yaameen's attacks and provided facts to disprove his accusations. President Dr. Waheed yesterday responded to Yaameen's accusations by mildly pointing out that his Unity government was composed of a coalition of parties in which the larger parties such as PPM had larger shares. In addition, he gave factual evidence that Yaameen's accusations of being sold out to foreign states was blatantly untrue. He also called upon coalition partners for unity, saying that "now is not the time for accusations an...

Male', Maldives. The woes of Mohamed Nasheed, Supreme Leader of Maldives Democratic Party, appear to be increasing as the party's senior leadership distance themselves from the violent turn of Nasheed's street rallies. Some members of Nasheed's cabinet and top administrators have left the party. Party President Dr. Ibrahim Didi and senior MPs have appealed to party members not to leave the party but to be patient while they attempt to reform the MDP. Others have highlighted the need for reform within the party, alleging that decisions related to party activities are not taken through due democratic processes. Some MDP MPs have again urged Nasheed to halt street riots and pursue peaceful resolution through Parliament and through the all party Peace Talks. However, two days after Nasheed used his MPs and mobs to successfully suspend Parliament, peace talks between political parties have also been stalled. The three major coalition parties in President Waheed's Nati...

Male', Maldives. A week after Mohamed Nasheed resigned as President of Maldives, Maldivians are being victimized and their livelihoods put at jeopardy by the countless allegations aired in international press by Nasheed and his supporters. Daily, international press continue to report about various "terrorists" who allegedly pushed Nasheed out of office and even now threaten his life. The first allegations were against the biggest "baddie" of all, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled for 30 years. Next came, Maldivian "Islamist terrorists". Then, it was rich tourist resort owners who didn't want to pay taxes. Today, we are back to "radical" Islam. Terrorism has no single definition worldwide. According to US Law, the term “terrorism” means "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents". Others define terrorism as the systematic us...

Male', Maldives. Day 21 of President Nasheed’s illegal military incarceration of Judge Abdulla Mohamed, and Nasheed is still unable to decide on the scapegoat for his wide step outside the country’s Constitution and laws. Nasheed and his town criers are seesawing back and forth between their two favorite bogeymen: 1) So-called Islamic extremists; and 2) Ex-President Gayyoom, Nasheed's punching bag for his every dismal failure. Of the two, the latter goes without saying and does not even merit discussion here. Gayoom is the scapegoat for every dismal failure by the Nasheed regime. According to Nasheed, Gayoom is an all powerful entity, who mysteriously controls the Parliament, the Judiciary, all Independent Commissions, non-profit organizations, civic watchdogs, opposition politicians. You name it, Gayoom controls it, like a Grand Master Ninja, through some inexplicable and mysterious network, of which Nasheed can show no evidence. Like the bogeyman in a child's imaginati...

Male', Maldives. Day 20 of President Nasheed's hijacking of the Judiciary, and no resolution of the resulting constitutional crisis. Civic protests continue unabated and expand into other urban centres, hundreds arrested, and the police and military brutality reach new heights. Nasheed denies that the Constitution is in force, the Executive claims the whole Judiciary is unconstitutional and the Parliament says it is on holiday and so can't attend to the matter. The talk about town today is a proposed rebirth of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), the very alliance which brought the current dictatorial regime into power. Popular philanthropist Gasim Ibrahim's party, Jumhooree Party (JP) has come tabled a proposal for a National Unity Alliance to other opposition parties, with the proviso of a united single candidate for the Presidency 2013. While no other party has publicly said anything on the proposal, JP report that opposition parties are considering their proposal....

Male', Maldives. Adhaalath Party leader Shaikh Imran Abdullah and Chief Spokesperson Shaikh Mohamed Shaheem were attacked by a gang of thugs at Victory Square earlier this afternoon. The two Shaikhs, respected leaders in the Maldivian community, had given stirring speeches to the gathered masses at the Civic Protest against President Nasheed on December 23, 2011. Both Shaikhs had strongly challenged the legitimacy of several of President Nasheed's actions, terming these anti Islamic and illegal. Maldives Civic Protest on December 23rd was the largest the country had seen to date, with an estimated 20,000 civilians participating in the 8 hour peaceful protest against President Nasheed and his corrupt government. The protest has sent shivers up the regime and its militant party, with party interim Chair Reeko Moosa Maniku calling for direct action against protestors and the arrest of all leaders of the Civic Coalition and opposition parties. Dhiislam.com reports that both...

Male' Maldives. As events pan out 24 hours after the biggest civic protest in the history of the Maldives, many wonder whether the organizing coalition of the December 23rd protest could be a serious challenge to Mohamed Nasheed's Presidency. Media estimates that over 20,000 civilians participated in the 8 hour protest at Victory Square, Male', against President Nasheed and his corrupt government. Although prior to the protest, the Civic Protest leaders consistently reiterated that there was no political motivation or objective in the protest, individual leaders made several references to political objectives during their addresses to the thousands of civilians gathered at their call. Speaking to thundering applause by the protesters, Shaikh Ilyas Hussain stated that politics and religion cannot be separated. The very thought of making such a separation is a though to weaken and destabilize religion, he said. Sheikh Ilyas Hussain, a youthful and charismatic orator, is...

Male', Maldives. 23.20pm Maldives President Nasheed's militant party, Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), warn peaceful civic protest to disperse within one hour or that they would take direct action. Hardline Interim Chairperson Reekon Moosa Maniku called the civic gathering a revolutionary action and called upon all MDP members to join him in stopping the gathering. However, according to reports from media on site, so far the hundreds of civilians gathered peacefully at Victory Square have not carried out any actions that could be termed as 'revolutionary'. The protestors have raised three demands to President Nasheed, all based on the moderate Islamic stand taken by the civic coalition. MDP supporters at this evening's preparatory meeting for direct action are reportedly calling for the arrest of PPM Leader and Maldives ex-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim, PPM member and ex-PA Leader Abdulla Yameen, and Adhaalath Party Reli...