The possibilities of hope and renewal for MDP: the good, the bad and the faithful

 

How it started

As the election of 2018 neared the inevitable climax, the MDP saw a line of their faithful grassroots singing and chanting in happiness for their success. The 2018 election saw a clear majority for Ibu Solih as an MDP candidate in the first round itself. Solih was able to garner more votes as the MDP grassroots saw him as a personification of the party, while for the so called silent majority and religious strongholds he was a clean, good natured, patient and highly experienced politician. Additionally the performance of Solih as PG leader of MDP, demonstrating his righteousness and morality in many challenging instances gave him the moral underpinning and trust which no other MDP presidential candidate could have achieved. Soon after the elections Solih was heralded as the hope for renewal of democracy, rule of law and as the saviour of the nation from the cesspool of blatant corruption of previous Government.

 

After being sworn in, a new cabinet was formed and as Solih came with a united Coalition of other parties, his cabinet was divided according to the agreements with coalition partners. The loyal grassroots of MDP were in a euphoria and never saw the chickens which came to roost in the homes of other parties from the ousted PPM. Soon after the government came to power various political posts were filled by same rotten eggs who had history of corruption from previous regime. As the government began to function compensating for various individuals, companies and private businesses for the loss incurred by them due to previous government, dishonouring contracts became inevitable. The faithful and the good in the MDP started ringing alarm bells. It was given a deaf ear and corruption became rampant at various levels. Some kept on beating their own drums and blowing the whistles, while opposition and media became more vigilant on corruption. For the bad rotten eggs the biggest blow came with the corruption related to COVID-19 Pandemic. The good and faithful began losing hope.

 

From bromance to sour grapes

Many corruption related cases of previous regime was not pursued at the speed expected by the faithful grassroots who now became more frustrated as government spending for COVID became more erratic and questionable. Meanwhile the super majority parliament of MDP and their government led by Solih continued failing in fulfilling the AGENDA19 of MDP. Even the pledges by Solih for his first 100 days have gone unfulfilled until now. While executive branch continues to underperform, the Parliament used their powers to remove incompetent ministers according to their books. The first cabinet minister to resign was gender Minister who was on a portfolio for Adhaalth Party. Several frustrations and turmoils in her ministry continued unresolved leading until the public outrage became inevitable. In case of Minister, accused of ventilator corruption a group of MDP parliamentarians threatened the concerned minister of no confidence, who then resigned before a no confident vote. The infamous run away, Waheed who recently fled the country was expelled from his ministerial post as tourism minister by Solih himself, after being accused of rape and corruption.  The only minister who lost his post so far with a no confidence vote was Maleeh who was science and communications minister filling in for Jumhooree Party.  Though he was removed on allegations of his incapacity to deliver the pledges of the government a thorough investigation was not done for his lack of performance or inefficiency.  He was alleged to have failed in making internet prices cheap, though he may have obstacles beyond his own control as the service providers are private companies adamant on losing their profits.

 

The crux of the matter is whether the turmoil in Solih’s cabinet has resulted in any change. In the first case, the gender ministry still continues with many issues unresolved while the perpetrators of ventilator corruption still remain at large unscathed from any trials. Both the Prosecutor General and Anti-Corruption Commission came to loggerheads with regard to available evidence to proceed with a prosecution for ventilator corruption. As for the case of Ali Waheed, accused of multiple allegations of rape and abuse of power fleeing the country, those responsible are yet to be found while serving justice for his victims seems a long way. In the case of Maleeh who cannot have enough of sour grapes for losing his post and his “Oval Office”, continues to rightly point his finger at failures of the government he served until he lost parliament confidence. The fact remains that nothing changed with the internet prices for which he was blamed. Meanwhile both MDP leaders heading the executive branch and legislature are now in a quarrel over the slow pace of delivering the Agenda19 pledges of the government, both accusing each other for the consequences of these failures which resulted in a huge blow for MDP in local council elections in Capital City.  

Conclusion

Owing to the big loss MDP faced in the recent local council elections in the capital, the good and faithful grassroots of the MDP are publicly commenting and debating on the future of MDP. Various perspectives from pundits are being publicly debated. While the good and faithful of MDP believes in the slow delivery of the Agenda19 by the government, they are unable to choose between the two rifting factions of MDP. While some blame coalition’s ministers as the main factor of government incompetency, and calls for dismantling the coalition, others accuse of lack of accountability from various institutions of the government. Hence, under performance of the executive branch and sluggishness of independent institutions is considered as the root cause of incompetency of the government. As history has shown and proven in all elections after 2008, the public always prefer the opposition over the incumbent regime. With government pledges reaching to the moon and most of it undelivered, MDP faithful are losing hope in wining 2024. The possibilities of renewing their hopes is not simply making drastic changes to the system of governance in my opinion. I believe the only hope for MDP is in being steadfast in their delivery. The executive should recognise that all pledges cannot be fulfilled and hence prioritise on the most critical, especially for recovering from the pandemic as a more resilient nation. The Legislature should perform their job by making the laws critical for a more robust recovery and by increasing the accountability of those accountable to the parliament, especially Anti-Corruption Commission, Prosecutor General and State Owned Enterprises to ensure they serve the interest of the State over those of oligarchs. In addition, instead of dismantling the coalition, we must strengthen the coalition and discard off underperforming political appointees from coalition partners and get better performers from the coalition parties. The only hope for MDP for 2024 is in unity and working with their coalition and becoming steadfast in delivering Agenda19.

How we label people as Laadheenee! Will we ever understand the richness of the religious tradition of Islam?

One of the most well-known scholars of Islamic jurisprudence is professor Abdullahi Saeed. I have read a few scholarly writings of Saeed and admire his research. I’m always keen to understand Saeed’s emphasis on contextualist approaches in interpretation of Islamic scriptures. He says “scriptures emerge in specific times and contexts and often they address the problems that exist in those contexts and societies; but when societies and their values change, the interpretation of those texts changes, too” (Saeed, 2013). However, in the social media we often see various interpretations of religious scriptures and is how various schools of thought in Islam arose. None the less academics and intellectuals continuously question and debate on these interpretations to better understand Islam. Often the academic English language gets translated in Dhivehi, adding to ambiguity to statements leading to various versions of same statement being used without rational thinking. While acknowledging Islamophobia as a real threat to Islam, many Maldivians fail to recognize that Islamophobia is not synonymous to modernist thoughts. Whereas modernists and humanists assume violence is fundamental to Islamic scriptures and Sharia they too have a narrow interpretation of sharia.

While scholarly academic debates are based on issues, the social media platform moves it to an entirely different social dimension based on the identity of social media users. New York times columnist David Brooks says about social media:

“It’s about finding and spreading the viral soap operas that are supposed to reveal the dark hearts of those who are in the opposite social type from your own. It’s about finding images that confirm your negative stereotypes about people you don’t know. It’s about reducing a complex human life into one viral moment and then banishing him to oblivion”.  

This is very much the case of Ibra’s statement taken out of context. According to some scholars his statement was not blasphemous to Prophet Mohamed, but the language he used was inappropriate. But other scholars were quick to label and judge him as “laadheenee”. The ambiguity of the word laadheenee itself is a classic example of how Islamists label modernists and free thinkers to hush them from criticizing their views. For some its synonymous to being an apostate.

When social media gets hyped on to target someone the mainstream media uses it. Sadly, journalists lacking professionalism and academic abilities rely heavily on social media statements to entice their audiences. As David Brooks says they incite social media to take advantage of the prejudices of their readers. In this case an audience of naïve people who believe questioning religious authority as a crime, but which is not.

As the statement went viral from the mainstream media Vaguthu, falsely accused Ibra of blasphemy. Consequently, many Islamic scholars used an irrational emotional and moral context to demonize and criminalize Ibra. They rushed to judge and dehumanize a fellow Muslim. The irony is how the opposition politicians utilized this opportunity as a way of attacking the government and the President’s party. They vindicated this and generalized this as an MDP view, let alone trying to rationally judge the whole situation. For them this issue became the best story to sensationalize people and to bring them on to streets. This is now used to hype the political agenda and to pressure the government. What I find most disturbing in this is how much we have derailed from the teachings of our prophet. Violence, cruelty and dehumanizing a fellow Muslims based on our false consensus, over generalization and selective observation is such a big sin. We have made this single statement from Ibra more important than his whole life story. For me he is a champion of humanity and a man who have sacrificed his entire life selflessly for the betterment of this nation. It’s so sad that the social media operating in cyber space has become a monster devouring us. It revolves in a dark dimension exposing us and turning us in to targets for opportunists seeking to take political advantage for their gains.

President Yameen: A Trojan Horse in a Cassandra Dilemma

The Greek Myth of Cassandra states that she was gifted with seeing future by Apollo, but was later cursed when she refused the romantic advances of Apollo. Her curse was, no one would believe in her. Hence, Cassandra Dilemma arises when someone does not believe in the looming threats and challenges.

Back in 2013, before president Yameen was nominated as the presidential candidate of PPM, one hardcore activist from the party asked me whether Yameen is a good choice. I responded saying “if he becomes the president, corruption will become rampant”. He agreed to some extent, but then the semi ironical loyalists of PPM, like him, had no clue of Yameen’s political project. Most people did not believe that Yameen was a Trojan Horse who would destroy rule of law and democracy. Even the fiercest critics of him like Umar Naseer never imagined the ferocity of his political project then.

Yameen’s political project began with the establishment of People’s Alliance Party backed by corporate elitists, close friends and business partners of him.  Adheeb, then a young aspiring fresh graduate, working in the Maldives Chamber of Commerce, soon caught the eyes of Yameen. Adheeb was one among a group of educated young people, Yameen gathered to work, in what he called as a “Think Tank”. Adheeb soon became the right-hand of Yameen and began working for Yameen’s political project. When the 2012 Coup led to the overthrow of Nasheed’s government and the incumbent Vice President, Waheed took over the government, Yameen began advancing his political project.

Yameen became one of the strongest influencers of Waheed’s government through Adheeb who had a strong foot hold in Waheed’s Cabinet. Adheeb also turned Waheed's government in to Yameen’s handmaiden, exercising overwhelming authority over the government, judiciary and parliament through the mentorship of Yameen. In the silence before the Storm of 2013 election, Adheeb also won the hearts and minds of several influential businessmen by negotiating favors for them within Waheed’s government. He also garnered support from international investors through shady deals, by leasing islands to various investors. This resulted in the flow of outrageous amounts of money to Yameen’s political project via Adheeb. This was admitted by Yameen in his recent press conference by revealing his outrage over the muddling of his own piggy bank. With the corporate money pouring in, and the parliament, judiciary and police blemished with a deteriorated image, because of 2012 coup, became easy targets to be groomed and allured in to Yameen’s political project. Money and influence boosted his political project, making him the ultimate winner of 2103 election, stirred by Police and Supreme Court.

Proof of the premise of the sinister political project of Yameen came to limelight within the first year of his government. Auditor General Niyaz uncovered a huge corruption scandal of Adheeb. However, the audit report was hijacked and swept under the carpet by the President, and the parliament backed by him dismissed Niyaz from his post. Almost half way through Yameen’s presidency, the Maldives saw yet another corruption scandal, the largest in the nation’s history. The semi ironic loyal supporters of Yameen, however, blames Adheeb as the sole proprietor, perpetrator and beneficiary of the billion Rufiyaa scandal. Nonetheless, Adheeb has recently revealed President and First Lady were the major beneficiaries of all alleged corruptions he committed. Additionally, the changes to public finance act, as well as his blatant remarks favoring selling of land to foreigners raises ethical questions over his political agenda.  While many who helped Yameen to rise to power now see that he was in fact a Trojan Horse, Maldives continues sinking inexorably in to a full-fledged dictatorship.

The government of Yameen controls both the judiciary and parliament. The whole public sphere is eroded in to a wreckage of a cesspool, and integrity of every single independent institution has been compromised. The public sphere was wrecked through bribes, fear and intimidation. Examples of this includes alleged bribing of judges, murder of an MP, disappearance of a journalist and recent killing of a blogger. More recent examples include, controversial transfer of judges by Judicial Service Commission, fines imposed to broadcasters and curtailing of freedom of expression, raising further ethical questions on Yameen’s political agenda.

Gayoom having a desire to leave a legacy of a national hero, by throwing away the excess baggage of his dictatorship saw a window of opportunity to make his wrongs right. With the events unfolding and with the support from his son in parliament and other loyalists, Gayoom began advancing a political agenda of his own. Though the premise of his political agenda is yet to unfold, he collaborated with the opposition, led by Nasheed and people obliterated by Yameen, in the hope of saving the nation.

The current saga of impeaching the speaker of parliament marks the beginning of the first blow to weaken Yameen’s power and strangle his political machinery. On the brink of losing his majority in Parliament, Yameen quickly resorted to the Supreme Court, romancing with him since 2013 election. Prominent lawyers have started ringing alarm bells, indicating the Constitution is now abrogated by the opening of a can of worms by the Attorney General. Proof of the premise of Yameen’s political project in destroying the democratic governance and rule of law has become evident from the collusion of the bench and other state bodies. To quote from Dame Sian Elias words, one can say, Maldives is ruled by rules but not rule of law. “Tyranny, arbitrariness and spite has perverted rule of law”. Despite this, ironical loyalists’, sympathizers and well-wishers of Yameen continue to believe criticism of the president is invalid and flawed. They continue to promote his brand of “shameless” while deceiving the public within a smoke screen of his mega development projects labelled by many as corruption scandals.

Gayoom, frustrated for being sidelined from the government brought through his support, denounced Yameen regarding the changes to the Constitution and Laws, questioning his loyalty. Even though Gayoom could convince his loyalists that, Yameen is a Trojan Horse who would destroy the nation, he has fallen to a Cassandra Dilemma. On the contrary, Yameen has fallen in to a different Casandra Dilemma by refusing to accept the weakening of his power and loss of popularity both inside and outside the Maldives.

While the “Right Brothers” who turned in to “Wrong Brothers” fell in to a Cassandra Dilemma, the Opposition coalition too has fallen in to it. They have fallen in to a conundrum of believing in finding a solution from the system.  However, the opposition must fight an upheaval battle to convince the political machinery of the State on the erosion of the rule of law and the sinister political agenda of Yameen.  The critical challenge for them is in salvaging the wrecked public sphere, especially the independent institutions romancing with the executive. What’s fascinating about the dilemma is the curse of “no one would believe” in anyone.  

Yameen’s political project has degraded the whole public sphere in to such a cesspool, the public is dismayed by the awe and irony of the destructive political game destroying the nation. People have started seeing the “government as the problem". For the opposition and rest of the public, it has become a wild goose chase, making their strategies to weaken Yameen futile. The chaotic bricolage of his shenanigans has created a deadlock within the whole system. As said by Rudiger Dornbusch, "things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could" and the public is hoping to see some change.

Daily Panic! Possibly never again, but the Pandora’s Box is still open and haunting the Maldives!

So, where should I begin. And how should I begin when I’m in in deep sorrow and pain of losing a friend I only knew as the greatest twat to ever tweet. Exactly five days before his murder I shared with him an interview by a free thinker like him: an interview by Polish writer, Piotr Ibrahim Kalwas. His Daily Panic may be gone, but the Pandora’s Box we opened on 7^th February 2012 keeps haunting us. Where we are and what has happened in the Maldives over the past five years certainly have got a strong causation and correlation to the coup which took place on 7^th February 2012 and events unfolded afterwards. These events surely have reeled back against us and the society. It has resulted in the murder of Dr. Afrashim, abduction of Rilwan and the murder of Yameen Rasheed (YR). Had it not been for this coup, we wouldn’t have lost these pearls which grew on the bosom of the white sandy beaches surrounded by the lush palms.

The breaches against the human rights which started on 7^th Feb 2012 exacerbated ever since. On that horrific day, both uniformed bodies colluded and supported a handful of people who demonstrated animosity towards an elected government. This collusion and support continues ever since, to the extent the public confidence with the Maldives Police Service became so low, some people have chosen imaginary characters like Care Bears over the Police (per a twitter poll by @kuhthaa). This collusion was fueled by Dr. Waheed’s inclination to garner support from the Islamic extremists and hardcore nationalists during the post-coup government. Dr. Waheed came out from his cocoon as the man who spent more than a decade in a mosque in New York, having his dose of daily zam-zam. He even shouted ALLAH Akbar in a rally after taking over the government in 2012 and mentioned his ascendance to power as the will of ALLAH against infidels. Till this day I could not be convinced, and I believe he was a curse from ALLAH to reveal us the real traitors of our nation. Moreover, his government was also considered by many as a handmaiden of Yamin Abdul Gayoom as his elder brother Maumoon abdul Gayoom’s power already began weakening by then. Contrary to many people’s perception that Maumoon was at the helm after the coup, Yamin in fact was tightening his grip. His power within Dr. Waheed’s government was heightened by planting Adheeb, whom he groomed as a political hustler since 2008.  

Whatever the result of this coup one critical aspect was the de-democratization of the nation. The human consequences of the post-coup include the weakening of human rights, clamping down of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the inclination of the government towards extremists and their ideologies. Critics of the government both real and imagined are constantly intimidated using the police and judiciary and are either framed or sentenced to jail. The abduction of journalist Rilwan and murder of YR are the direct result of clamping down on political dissent. Even though it may not be directly state sponsored the collusion and support by the Police and Government towards those giving death threats and warning to them is obvious to many.

As the saying goes violence breeds violence and injustice will breed resentments and conflicts. Hence we need to close the Pandora’s Box. We have no room to justify violations of human rights on the grounds of national security or stability or even national development. My hope is that the people realize the current regimes de-democratization and violation of human rights and pave way for democracy to succeed in the upcoming elections.