Winds of change bringing multi-party polls to Maldives

The Maldives is all set for multi-party democratic elections to be held this year under the supervision of an independent election commission -- with all stakeholders in the reforms process approving the final draft of the constitution, Deputy Foreign Minster Abdullah Hameed said.

Addressing journalists in Colombo, Mr. Hameed said that all political parties and groups which participated in the Constituent Assembly had agreed to the final draft of the constitution."The assembly has approved the constitution and the Maldives is going to see a series of multi-party elections," the deputy minister said.

In terms of the new constitution, which has many features in common with the US constitution, the presidential election would be held before October 10 and a new president sworn in before November 11, said Mohamed Anil, Commissioner of Legal Reforms, who also addressed the journalists.

Parliamentary elections would be held before the end of March next year and the new parliament would meet in May. The country would also hold, for the first time, elections to local councils, in July next year, he said. Mr. Anil said all parties were satisfied with the steps being taken to ensure a free and fair election.

"To guarantee free and fair elections, the transitional chapter of the new constitution calls for the creation of independent bodies, such as an independent elections commission and an independent judicial service commission," he said.

The independent JSC which will appoint judges even to the Supreme Court will include a member nominated by the President and a member nominated by the Speaker, besides nominees from the private bar, independent civil service commission, high court, lower courts and a member from the Supreme Court.

Mr. Anil said that these bodies would be set up within 30 days of the adoption of the new constitution while an interim Supreme Court would also be set up within 45 days. The Legal Reforms Commissioner also said the new constitution contained a fundamental rights chapter which was in line with the universally accepted human rights principles found in international covenants on civil, political and social rights. "The FR chapter in the new constitution is a big improvement," Mr. Anil said adding the chapter also spelt out remedial measures in case of any violation of rights.

When asked about the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's displeasure over the new constitution's transitional provisions, according to which, Gayoom would continue to be at the helm of affairs when elections are held, Deputy Minister Hameed said all outstanding problems had been sorted out. "What's remaining to be done is the rescrutiny of the final draft for any inconsistency," he said.

Asked whether there was freedom of worship in the new constitution, the deputy minister answered in the affirmative, but added that the new constitution recognized the Maldives as an Islamic State where one's citizenship is linked to his Islamic faith.

When asked whether one would lose his citizenship upon his conversion to another faith, the deputy minister said, "yes, that was the near-unanimous decision of the constituent assembly when this provision was being discussed."

Mr. Hameed said the constitution also recognized that foreigners would be free to practise their religions in the Maldives. The deputy minister also said that the election fever in the Maldives was gathering pace with six political parties already expressing willingness to field candidates.

President Mamoon Abdul Gayoom is the candidate of the ruling party while the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has put forward its leader Mohamed Nasheed (Anni).

The new constitution allows no member of parliament to be in the cabinet while it also prohibits the president to run for a third term after serving two four-year terms. Like in the US, the president’s nominees for the cabinet posts have to be ratified by parliament.

In another development, the Maldivian government has invited international bodies to observe the October elections."A fact-finding mission from the United Nations headed by M.R. Jahangir Khan, Deputy Director of UN Department of Political Affairs, Asia-Pacific Division, is expected in Male in May to assess the current environment and submit recommendations to the government on ensuring freeness and fairness of the presidential elections," a Maldivian government statement said, adding that the European Union had also agreed to send observers.