There has been mismatches between published and public acclaimed policies and what in reality has been practiced within lines of MDP. It was unthinkable, though, to the public and MDP followers that Anni might meet Gayyoom secretly out of nowhere.
The whole concept of MDP has been based on a campaign that President Gayyoom is an evil dictator and Anni is the savior who is destined to save Maldivian people from Gayyoom’s tyranny. Anni and MDP have constantly held ground is demonizing Gayyoom and his ministers. Anni has always refused to hold discussions with DRP to the extent that it required a British ambassador to mediate between the two parties out-of-the-country.
DRP and government have had ups and downs but the principles of Gayyoom’s big-picture-policy has remained stable. Recent resignations of ministers did shock DRP side but the arguments and ideas have not shaken at all. At the same time MDP’s strategy on politics and the favored system of governance have gotten severely beaten at the recent public referendum but with the arrival of Munawaru to the leadership, one must say, there has never been a better run time in the life of MDP either.
Why did MDP’s chairman meet Gayyoom without any notice to the party? Sources close to Anni in the beginning refused to agree but now say that Anni approached Gayyoom to request for a speedy completion of the new constitution. Why should Anni need to speed it up now when it has already become fastest it can be, too fast according to some views? In fact the amendments began without being able to hold the inter-party discussions DRP offered MDP a dozen times due to refusal of MDP and Anni to participate.
Drums we hear out of MDP’s quarters are not new, as such, but of two identifiable rhythms. Anni has been recently preaching in an awkward tone, insisting the draft constitution doesn’t need any discussions or changes. Sources say that there have been arguments between Anni and other leaders in MDP over limitations which are getting inserted in the constitution requiring the basic principles of Islam be respected in all affairs of freedoms and the nation; specially, between Majlis Member Suood and Anni.
The second is the seemingly ever existing rift between people who think they are sacred because of being original people of Male and people who believe they are smart because they are from Addu. Anni it is said is one of those who thinks that president-ship is for the people of Male. Adduans however are found often the source and leverage of political power for and within MDP. Anni’s overbearing power which removed Ibrahim Ismail from the MDP’s leadership seems on a decreasing spiral since the enthroning of Munawar to the leadership.
What can it be? Was it the last resort when Anni found the Maldives will not be a secular state as he could have promised to his helpful foreign Christian missionaries? Could it be that he has become unbearably overwhelmed by the influence of people from Addu?
Hyperactive, die hard supporters of MDP, both from Male’ and Addu quarters, are all lost in the thought of what has just happened. Try a conversation; you might find them slow and searching for vocabulary. I guess that is the subconscious trying to be cautious of the extent to how, who and what they suggest and support.
12 responses so far ↓
gh // Oct 28, 2007 at 2:01 pm
The reason of the meeting is clear. Anni realised that yameen, munnawar, zaki and co have high jacked the reform process. The ball is no longer with anni.
Mode // Oct 28, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Brightly expressed. Nice to see unbiased version of politics ongoings
ca // Oct 29, 2007 at 12:31 am
Ani will remain a better dictator than qayum.
We (the educated); donot just want maumoom out from power, but we need more than that. stability, harmony, peace, and sustainability are key principals that need to be attained.
Other we will be doing the work of overthrowing MDP once they have got power.
- peace
ra:zuwa: // Oct 29, 2007 at 10:59 am
Thank you for the comment GH. Due respects but I find it difficult to understand your idea.
To me, it is just another proof that this whole thing is about political power grabbing.
If people respond as intelligent as they have done so far, in my view, the whole thing could turn far better than we ever imagined.
ra:zuwa: // Oct 29, 2007 at 11:04 am
Thank you Mode, slow but serious conversations are on the rise.
ra:zuwa: // Oct 29, 2007 at 11:11 am
Thank you CA.
“Stability, harmony, peace, and sustainability” like you say at best we as a nation can achieve. So lets make sure we have them.
I was thinking infact we always had all of that - and we still have; I believe the difference is we want all of those out a process of ‘creative chaos’.
Not, out of a silent acceptance to bad and good.
hameed // Oct 30, 2007 at 3:43 am
We have just started ellecting, island commitees. That is a step forward. We will learn how decide about people we ellect and support at island levels.
What do you think?
Abdulla Yasir // Oct 30, 2007 at 7:26 am
Shahuru,
Straight forward and well written. Congrats.
Abdulla Yasir
Shihab // Nov 1, 2007 at 11:27 am
I was told by an MDP insider that the Party has never been stronger. That what is felt at the superficial level is just “icing on the cake” and there’s nothing to worry. He says that the party is only getting stronger, with more and more people coming forward to become Presidential candidate. I couldn’t agree more; after all the first MDP Party election saw Anni come to the leadership of the Party “uncontested”. Just like in Maumoon’s government, the able people in the party felt it would weaken the party if they contested in the elections. That’s the traditional thinking; the type that kept one person in power for thirty years.
If that has change in MDP, things are getting better, perhaps. If there’s no one but Anni, then the Party is no better than the dictatorship it claimed to overthrow.
In the end, my friend said; that it was not Aneesa that Anni met, but Maumoon himself. That a deal was done to keep the truth from the public as they cannot digest it. How Maldivian!
ra:zuwa: // Nov 1, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I think you are right, Hameed. That’s a good step forward. I think we are catching up with the issues we have to deal with.
We still have few hard lessons to to come and go to be alert about how we elect and not elect people to power.
That is to say to realise “our enemy’s enemy is not our friend necessarily”
ra:zuwa: // Nov 1, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Thank you Yasir.
ra:zuwa: // Nov 1, 2007 at 2:32 pm
You are right Shihab.
All I know is the aura and charisma the MDP supporter wanted to find in Anni is gone from Gaadhookulu.
Leave a Comment