The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is confident of ousting President Mohamed Waheed on November 30 in a parliamentary vote and returning to power in likely mid-2013 elections, a bruised and battered opposition politician vowed in Colombo. “We are confident that (President) Waheed will be ousted in a no confidence motion on November 30 [...]

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Maldivian opposition says President would be ousted in Nov 30 no-faith vote

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The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) is confident of ousting President Mohamed Waheed on November 30 in a parliamentary vote and returning to power in likely mid-2013 elections, a bruised and battered opposition politician vowed in Colombo.

“We are confident that (President) Waheed will be ousted in a no confidence motion on November 30 as some of the government’s coalition partners are supporting us,” Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, former SAARC Secretary General and Special Envoy to the former President told the Sunday Times last Monday, three days after being allegedly beaten up by police.

Earlier Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Abdulla Jabir and MDP MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor – also the party’s international spokesperson – were arrested along with several opposition figures including Zaki, former Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair and his wife Mariyam Faiz, while on an uninhabited island.

Police said they found large amounts of “suspected” drugs and alcohol upon searching the island with a court warrant. The charges were strongly denied by those arrested while the MDP said the victims were severely assaulted and beaten up during the raid.

These incidents came amidst rising tension in the Maldives, where former President Mohamed Nasheed from the MDP was allegedly forced to resign in February by what he called ‘military pressure guided by the opposition’, and his deputy Waheed installed as President. The MDP is calling for early presidential polls which are not due until October/November 2013 when Nasheed’s 5-year term ends.

Zaki, who walked with great difficulty at his residence at an apartment complex at Rajagiriya where Sri Lankan government-provide bodyguards were posted outside his apartment, said he was badly beaten up. “On Friday November 16 –We were having a meeting and at 4.30 am a group of 20 armed men in boats and from underwater stormed the place, beat us.

My ribs are battered, legs injured, there was internal bleeding and stomach muscles have been disrupted,” he said, propped up by pillows on a couch, occasionally mouthing ‘ouch’ as he changed posture. His legs were swelled and he moved with great difficulty. Zaki, who once served former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (considered the mastermind behind Nasheed’s February ouster) as Minister in Tourism and Planning portfolios before joining hands with Nasheed, flew to New Delhi on Tuesday for meetings with senior leaders including the Foreign Minister as Nasheed’s special envoy.

Developments are rapidly evolving in the Maldives where the JP voted in favour of a secret vote (to be taken in the impeachment motion on November 30) presented by the MDP. The JP is part of Waheed’s coalition but cracks were showing in the administration week after MP Jabir’s wife, Human Rights Minister Diyaanaa Saeed was sacked from the cabinet after she protested against alleged police brutality against the raid. Her husband and Zaki were the worst affected in the attack, the MDP said.

“Once the President is ousted, the Speaker takes over and thereafter we hope to push for early presidential elections,” Zaki said.

Police have vigorously denied allegations of the assault and released a video of their raid to respond to claims by Zaki and others that they were beaten and harassed.




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