Raajje News Blog

#Maldives today celebrates one year after its Liberation Day, February 7th 2012. It was liberated on that day from the dictatorship of President Mohamed Nasheed who resigned amidst an Arab Spring of popular uprising against him. Nasheed's violations included overturning of the Constitution, violation of fundamental civic rights and usurping extraordinary powers over the Judiciary. Maldivians on social media and local media are today jubilant and expressing hope and dreams for a better future after one stable year of incumbent President Dr Mohamed Waheed's strong and unwavering leadership in which he has steadfastly defended national sovereignty and independence against foreign countries and foreign rich elite in support of resigned President Nasheed. Nasheed's short presidency was marred by rampant corruption, nepotism, cronyism, sale of national assets to foreigners, graft, and wholesale violation of fundamental rights and liberties. Nasheed locked down the Supreme Cou...

#Maldives: Pressure is mounting on President Mohamed Waheed to implement the death penalty in Maldives as the murder toll in 2012 rose to nine murders earlier this month. A youth group yesterday announced a rally calling for death penalty, scheduled for the afternoon of Friday 19th October. Calls for death penalty increased exponentially after the brutal murder of Member of Parliament and moderate Muslim scholar Dr. Afraasheem Ali on October 2, 2012. Social media report that support for death penalty in Maldives rose to 64% of Maldivians on social media in the wake of Dr. Afraasheem's brutal murder. The list of murder victims is 18 victims long, from 2007 onwards (pic). Of these 11 murders were committed on the capital Male', the rest on various islands. Fourteen of the 18 murder victims were young adults between 15 and 35 years of age. MP Dr. Afraasheem's murder comes within three months of the brutal murder and decapitation of famous lawyer Ahmed Najeeb, also on th...

#Maldives' decisive win at the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) may be the death knoll for ex-President Nasheed's political ambitions. The unconditional removal of Maldives from the CMAG Agenda and the invitation for Maldives to resume its seat in the group came without any restrictions on legal actions towards Nasheed. The rumor of such restrictions had been widely circulated by Nasheed and his party Maldivian Democratic Party in the days leading to the CMAg Report. The CMAG decision is the most recent in the line of a long list of victories by President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik,in the sustained attacks on the Presidency by Mohamed Nasheed who resigned on February 7th this year. Nasheed resigned after months of public anger and dissatisfaction with his corrupt and incompetent Administration, and amidst days of popular unrest at his violation of constitutional rights and human rights abuse. In addition to the CoNI Report, the landmark reports by two key...

Male', Maldives. A House of Representatives of the people (Parliament) is an integral institution of functional democracies. Finally, yesterday it too fell victim to the mobocracy presently taking over the Maldives. Following the hijacking of Parliament by a small group of MPs, Parliament sessions have been suspended indefinitely. At least, until it is able to proceed without the use of force, the criteria being given by the Parliament Speaker as the reason for suspending it. The reasoning given by the hijackers of the Parliament defies not only logic, but the very essence of democracy. The leader of the group of Maldivians who stopped Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, Supreme Leader of the Maldives National Democratic Party (MDP) says that the objective is to force Maldives to an early presidential election. Nasheed, who resigned from the post of President on February 7th, claims that he was forced to resign at gunpoint by the military, and has called for his successor to step down ...

Male', Maldives. More tarnishing of the Maldives international image as the sunny side of life continues as Mohamed Nasheed continues to lead his party Maldives Democratic Party to violence and civil disobedience. Nasheed, who resigned on February 7th, last night called upon his supporters for civil disobedience and violence until his successor, his former Vice President Mohamed Waheed stepped down from his post. On February 8th, Nasheed led violent street riots in Male', while his supporters on some islands rampaged through the communities vandalizing and burning down public and private property. Speaking to the party faithful in Male' last night, Nasheed alleged that the Defence Forces had always been plotting his assassination and had assisted Dr. Waheed to bring about a military coup. Nasheed further alleged that the police officers who extricated him from his party's street riots on February 8th, had sexually abused him when they first interacted with him that...

Male', Maldives. President Mohamed Waheed swore in a new cabinet today but maintained his silence on investigating the alleged coup which brought him into power on Tuesday. The new cabinet comprises of members of various parties, but none from his own party. Nasheed's MDP is totally absent. The largest share (4 ministerial posts) was taken by ex-President Gayoom's Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), lending weight to allegations that the coup was organized by Dr. Waheed in collaboration with Gayoom, and led by Gayoom loyalists. Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) and Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) took two cabinet posts each, while Jumhooree Party took one. Five posts (Finance, Foreign, Housing, Fisheries and Islamic Ministries) remain to be filled. ex-President Gayoom took the key portfolios of Attorney General, Defense, Tourism and Youth Ministries. Dr. Hassan Saeed walked off with the Home Ministry and Health Ministry. Ahmed Thasmeen Ali took Education and Economic Ministry...

Male', Maldives A day after he led violent protests which damaged property and harmed civilians and police, ex-President Nasheed made a u-turn and called for early presidential elections. Nasheed resigned as President on Tuesday February 7th, after weeks of public protest against his unlawful military arrest of a senior judge, obstruction of the Judiciary and violations of fundamental freedoms of individuals. While he was in power Nasheed publicly stated that he would not even hold the constitutionally mandated 2013 elections until he could change the Judiciary in the way he wanted. Speaking to supporters at rally of his militant party, Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), Nasheed called upon current President Waheed to immediately resign, and Speaker of Parliament Shahid to oversee an interim government and hold an election within two months. He said that, even from the beginning, he and other party leaders had known that they could not complete a five year term in office. It ...

Male', Maldives. ex-President Mohamed Nasheed today took to Male' streets, demanding his job back. Nasheed and his ex-Ministers led street riots in Male' which vandalized private and public property. These were supported by arson, vandalism and attacks on police stations in island strongholds of Nasheed's party. In the countrywide terror campaign led by ex President Nasheed, up to now, 9 police stations, 3 Court Houses and 1 Council Office has been razed to the ground by MDP activists today. ex-President Nasheed has accused his successor President Mohamed Waheed of instigating and leading a military coup against him. Nasheed's demand for reinstatement as President comes within 24 hours of his publicly televised resignation address, at which he stated that he was resigning willingly, for the good of the people. Late this evening, after hours of riots, the MDP has called for President Waheed's immediate resignation and the Speaker of Parliament to hold immedi...