Raajje News Blog

#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. Almost a month after the transfer of power between Mohamed Nasheed and his Vice President Mohamed Waheed, there is still no investigation of Nasheed's allegations of a coup and Waheed's denial of it. Maldivian doubts increase as various versions of Nasheed's coup are aired on international press, while the military and police deny it in the local press. In the meantime, Parliament and peace talks remain suspended due to the rule of mobocracy by the Maldives Democratic Party in blind support of their Supreme Leader for Life, Mohamed Nasheed. This status quo, while beneficial to Nasheed and his opponents, is clearly not conducive to the normal life of the average Maldivian nor for their major income earner, the tourism industry. Nasheed resigned on February 7th after weeks of civic riots against his unconstitutional arrest of a senior judge, protests which saw police brutality, and violations of fundamental freedoms of speech and assembly and the muzz...

Male', Maldives. As the time President Mohamed Waheed gives his first State of the Nation Address to the Parliament draws near, local media air new material that point to deliberate attempts by his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed to orchestrate military rule in the country. Nasheed resigned on February 7th by letter, and followed that with a televised public address informing Maldivians of his resignation and reasons thereof. Mohamed Waheed, his Vice President, was sworn in as President in accordance with the Constitution. However, within hours, Nasheed told foreign media that he was deposed by a military coup led by President Waheed and former President Gayoom. From that moment on, Maldivians are being bombarded with vastly differing versions of events on February 7th and prior to that. Unfortunately, President Waheed appears to be busy lurching from crisis to crisis led by his coalition partners and by Nasheed, to launch the investigation into allegations of a military coup. ...

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 ...