MDP without a
doubt was one main reason for the multi party democracy that we see in this
country. It is very difficult for me as a person to believe that this system
would have come to us just like that without the kind of pressure that MDP or
rather its members put on then the government. Where is MDP now? Why were they
defeated not just in presidential election, but rather all the last 3 elections?
Here are various things
I feel that went wrong within their system, especially during the 3 years in
power.
Before that, let
me make it clear. Some would argue that government was toppled by a coup. Coup
or Not, is not what interests me here. The hard to accept fact remains and will
always remain that, if one tries a coup and it goes well, surely that success
would be the result of some wrong things on the other side too. With this assumption I will move ahead and
will try to focus on areas where they had control.
1Civil Service
Pay- A deduction of civil servants salary was, I believe
wholeheartedly taken as an honest and reasonable economic measure by majority
of civil servant. However, it was wrong
and unacceptable to prolong the decision. Especially once the courts ruled out
that the decision should not be prolonged any more, it was just an own goal by
government. Well, Rule is rule and has to
be abided, no matter which possession in government you hold. Failing to do it,
lead to unwanted and avoidable hate towards MDP and its leadership. Especially
among several civil servants, who were already getting comparatively low pay.
Playing
with faith- At times even I use to ask myself if we
are a 100% Muslim country. Yet, trust me, we are easy going people in this
country, and we quiet often really hate to face some of the truths. It may be
true that there are some who openly challenges or rather mocks some concepts of
Islam or some are out there who claims to be atheists. However, WE, we I mean,
the general Maldivians do not want our leaders to speak out against our long
time beliefs and values. The Eye Camp
with Israel doctors, the absence from a vote for Palestine in UN assembly, the
attempt to make Dhivehi and Islam as optional subjects in higher secondary education
are noticeable blunders or rather acts of MDP government, that many including
MDP members stood against. Indeed each of them led to a chance for then the
opposition to create more hate or rather doubts towards MDP among oppositions.
Also many MDP members within the party had to look down simply because they
were not happy with these acts. Some of the monuments of SAARC summit added to
this. Even in this case, it was wrong for government to refuse to remove them,
once their very Islamic Minister said it is against the religion to keep it.
3 Failing
to empower the councils. The golden opportunity MDP
got was the introduction of Island/ City and Atoll councils. This was the first
time in history of the country that the decision making power was granted
outside capital Male’. The government should have made sure that this power was
given properly to the councils. Had they been given some more autonomy and
resource to gain economic benefits, I am sure the support would have increase
at an unprecedented rate. An island for every city or atoll council and the aid
and support to attract some investments to guaranteed long term income to
council would sure have resulted in them getting ever stronger. However, even
in the councils with full MDP power, they continued to remain as, ‘servants’ of
government rather than implementers of policies.
4 The
activists out of control. True. Activists are the
grassroots power of any political party. At least that is the system in
Maldives. However, when the activist who
was a room attendant in a resort or a tour guide in air port becomes a policy
maker or a fisherman becomes a CEO in a government company, it is where things
go wrong. Let me tell you one thing. I am not trying to let down the
professions I mentioned above. My point is that jobs should be given on the
basis of quality and not on the basis of how noisy your members are in the
party activities.
5 Low support
of security forces. At last, but not the least, MDP
failed to gain the full support of the security forces in the nation. Well. It
is obvious that it is difficult to gain it, after all your dealing with an era
post 30years rule. However, it is
possible. This is how at least one described, “Listen man. We were been dealt
with the same situation for more than months. Every day, every night, we were
been told how bad government was doing. Religious scholars kept telling us that
it is our duty to stand against government. And that it is not allowed to
follow MDP government orders. We were like indoctrinated with this thinking. I
bet many of us. We were Muslims first. And How could you assume that those
preaches by scholars and those statements that MDP was anti Islamic will not
affect us? It will and it did. Now why didn’t you guys (the government and MDP)
showed the opposite side to us? Why MDP
didn’t repeatedly and more loudly kept saying that they were trying to
brainwash? Why did you fail to carry our counselling sessions to the
organisation regularly to bring back us to the track you wanted?” This is part
of an hour long conversation between me and some of those who saw the event
unfolding within the security forces. I guess I should stop in there for this
point.
Well, that was too
long a post. Yet, I tried my best to give a fare judgement to the topic I have
taken. I wait to see the party system in
Maldives grow as an effective, productive and economically viable system, with
respect to our values and norms. I hope democracy and rule of law ever last in
my lovely nation. And I hope MDP members have enough a tolerance to see someone saying see you failed in this area and you got to fix it if you want success.
Images:
http://minivannews.com/politics/majlis-elections-undue-influence-bribery-and-disilussionment-led-to-losses-says-mdp-80744
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZyCaSdyfVg