Raajje News Blog

Male', Maldives. Almost two months since the transfer of power between President Mohamed Waheed and his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed, and democracy in Maldives shows little sign of getting back on track. The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary continue to be in limbo with respect to the major issues confronting the country and the people today. The legitimacy of the Executive is disputed by the largest party in the country, Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party. The majority of international spectators appear to support the MDP stand, with powerful players such as the EU calling for an early election to install a 'legitimate' government. MDP, in its traditional style, have taken their demands for an early election to the streets, with continued widespread protests which the Waheed government have been unable to control. Prolonged and violent confrontations between protestors and security forces are radicalizing increasing numbers of youth. The police use of ...

Male', Maldives. The public outcry is widespread over yesterday's defeat of democracy by mobocracy as the Maldivian Parliament was hijacked by a small mob of MPs who support Mohamed Nasheed, the titular Supreme Leader of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). With his hijacking of the democratic institution of the people's representation in governance, the People's Majlis (Parliament), Nasheed has successfully undermined all three powers of democracy, the Executive, the Judiciary and now the Legislature. Nasheed resigned as President of Maldives on February 7th after weeks of continuous public protests against his military arrest of a senior judge, his declaration of all lower courts of justice as invalid, and his actions to restrict fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and media. The hijackers, led by Nasheed's cousin by marriage MP Ibrahim Salih and Nasheed's cousin, MP Eva Abdulla, constituted of a mere 12 out of 77 elected M...

Male', Maldives. On February 7th this year, the reins of the Maldivian Presidency passed to Mohamed Waheed Hassan Maniku, the fifth President of the country. Waheed, then Vice President, ascended to the Presidency when Mohamed Nasheed resigned after weeks of civic protests against him. Some say Waheed was a puppet of the leaders of an alleged coup to topple Nasheed. Nasheed accuses him of leading the alleged coup. Others accuse him being a cowardly man with a history or running away when the going got tough. Very few recall that the country's long road to political reform did indeed begin its modern phase with Mohamed Waheed. Political opponents seek to hide the fact that Dr. Waheed is the man who first introduced a Bill of Rights to the Constitutional Assemply, the first to introduce a Bill on Freedom of Speech to the Majlis. Nicknamed the Professor by his classmates for his studious nature, Waheed may not have a flamboyant history of a prisoner of conscience. Nor does he h...