Whose Roadmap is it anyway?

"His struggle for reform and democracy became an inspiration for many Maldivians of varying ages and backgrounds. His efforts led to the birth of a formidable grassroots movement for political and democratic reform in the Maldives. The ensuing movement for democratic space caused the government of the day to launch an agenda for reform and develop a roadmap to install a modern and liberal democracy in the Maldives."

These are words from Gayoom's former information minister and current DRP member Kutti Nasheed's blog.

We hear supporters of the former regime talk a lot about Gayoom's reform agenda and them making out that it was something he bestowed upon the Maldivian people out of his benevolence. They now have the audacity to claim that the current government is reversing the positive changes that HE made.

It is refreshing to hear a high-profile member of the former regime accept that it was President (then activist) Nasheed's efforts and the grassroots movement that he inspired that truly deserves the credit for the reforms. Sure, it was actually the regime that implemented the changes but they were forced to do so by the movement.

Back in the early 90s Gayoom and his gang were faced with a choice. The newsmagazines Sangu and Hukuru were exposing their crimes. Only one could survive- the magazines or the regime. They chose to shut down the free press and incarcerate the new breed of writers and editors (including one Mohamed Nasheed- no not that one!).

When it came to the post 2003/2004 reform movement, the pressure was simply too much for the government to withstand. Once again, the choice was clear: either the regime or the reform movement had to go. Sure, Gayoom tried to swim with the tide. But, dictators cannot be democrats. Reactionaries cannot become reformers overnight.

They simply had to go.

Anni's 64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi

"The Generals detain you this birthday but they do not arrest hope. I also spent many birthdays in jail and from you I learnt that the human spirit cannot be quashed, the chains of oppression eventually break, and where terror once ruled freedom will prevail."

http://www.64forsuu.org/word.php?wid=3158

Cognitive Dissonance

Have a look at the following words penned by the former information minister Kutti Nasheed on his blog last Thursday:

“Yet, Suood’s drawbacks, when weighed on a fair balance, was no comparison to the dirty tricks played by Mohamed Shihab, as the erstwhile speaker of parliament. How he rolled up the institution and presented it to the president in exchange for a promise of reward – the post of Home Affairs Minister couldn’t be ignored.”

One should always look at oneself in the mirror before making pronouncements on others.

Kutti Nasheed rose to prominence by serving the whims of President Gayoom’s disreputable brother Abdulla Hameed during their tenure at the People’s Majlis.  Hameed was speaker and Nasheed was secretary-general.

He was plucked from this post and given the job of re-packaging Gayoom and selling him to a public tiring of the stale, old dictator.  As a reward for his efforts he was given the additional portfolio of legal reform and had by then become one of the most influential members of the cabinet.

Of course, you could sense that Nasheed was finally becoming uncomfortable about associating with the regime.  He tried to distance himself by playing a more low-key role in the presidential campaign.  Yet it appears that he was not being true to himself when he, once again, came to the defence of Gayoom by wholeheartedly endorsing him in the second round.

This led to a rare public dressing down from his friend and fellow blogger Simon Shareef.  The following passage is from a blog entry on randomreflexions.com the day before the election:

“But what is truly mind boggling is that so-called educated and learned people like minister Nasheed can digest lies and clown around in front of the old fool like a little school boy trying to please his headmaster. Is he exercising his democratic right or being a complete asshole I wonder? It baffles me to think what he could possibly gain from outrightly insulting 60% of the electorate and insulting those who have suffered at the hands of Gayoom under his watch! Enlightened and educated people see the weight of mounting evidence such as the Auditor General’s reports or just a glance at history and do what is morally right. But Mr. Nasheed et. al. are below basic human morality and integrity. How else do we explain this?”

The bottom line is this.  Nasheed got to where he is by rolling up the people of this country and presenting it to Gayoom.  Maybe it is the recognition of this fact that makes it difficult for him to completely sever his ties to the former dictator.

He has also been stung by his actions being labelled as cognitive dissonance by a Minivan News columnist and has dedicated an entire blog post to detail his perceived shortcomings of the current president.  Once again, he cannot find it within himself to fault Gayoom.  

The long arm of the law will reach members of the former regime

The appointment of Husnu Suood as attorney-general is a very positive development. From his involvement in the August 12/13^th demonstrations to his contributions as a Special Majlis member for Addu, Suood is a genuine hero of the reform movement.

The fact that DRP issued a three-line whip against him and worked so hard to block his confirmation is testament to how much they fear what he might do in this position.  As Suood so eloquently put it during his speech at the MDP rally last week, it is not him they fear but rather the rule of law.

The DRP members know exactly what they did while they were in office.  They also know what someone with the tenacity, integrity and courage of Suood can uncover.

Those who love justice and long to see it applied in Maldives can rest a little easier now.