People are frustrated with their aspirations to democracy: Thasmeen

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali has said that the Maldivian people are frustrated with their aspirations to democracy because President Mohamed Nasheed’s regime did not have the sincerity to see through the democratic process that the people adopted.

Thasmeen made this remark speaking at Observer Research Foundation (ORF) of India. He highlighted the many challenges to the infant democracy in the Maldives.

“As many of you would know the Maldives has recently experienced significant political change. In 2008, we ratified a new constitution, based on the principles of a modern democracy and had the first multi-party election. This election resulted in a historic change of a 30-year regime.  However, despite the change, the aspirations of the people for a more democratic future did not materialize. On top of that just after 3 years into his presidency the new President Mr. Nasheed resigned. And now he is challenging the circumstances that led to his resignation and this has created further political disharmony and tensions,” he said.

Thasmeen said that the people had high hopes of the new political system when Nasheed was elected as the first democratically elected President. He said that “the people expected vast improvements over the previous system of governance; they did not want law and order to be influenced by politics; they wanted the judiciary to be free from political and other influences; they wanted job security in the public sector to be independent from politics; they wanted to see greater transparency in awarding public sector contracts; they wanted a system of local governance where things that are directly related to their welfare to be, by and large, determined by their representatives at the local level; the people wanted a free and fair media; and most of all they wanted their life to be better under the new democratic system.”

He said that these aspirations were not met because, Nasheed’s government on the one hand, did not have the sincerity to see through the democratic process that we adopted and on the other hand there was a tendency to carry out reforms regardless of the means by which those reforms were implemented. He said that this increased the room for corrupt practices and other inefficiencies resulting from moral hazard. He added that he believes, in lending support to the democratic process, the means of achieving national development objectives is as important as the ends of development themselves. 

“From the outset, the new government was not sufficiently sensitive to the values of sincerity and patience. It is important to underline the fundamental importance of these values in making the system work. The people need to be reassured that democracy can meet their needs in their day to day lives and serve to fulfill their aspirations for a better future,” he said.

Thasmeen said that the people need to be given the confidence that the vision and ideals that inspired the 2008 constitution are still relevant If we are to be a successful modern multi-party democracy.

“One of the major challenges that the Maldives faces, even today is maintaining the rule of law. The people were fed up with the earlier system where the executive had a direct influence on the police service and the criminal justice system. The new constitution introduced a very different criminal justice system with a number of safeguards. For instance the establishment of an independent judiciary, and an independent prosecutor general among other measures, were impartial mechanisms to dispense justice,” he said.

As Part of ongoing trip to India, DRP Leader meets India’s National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary

DRP Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali met India’s National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon; and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.

During these meetings held at their respective offices Thasmeen briefed them about the DRP policies; and discussed the political situation in the Maldives.

Thasmeen Ali is visiting India on the invitation of Indian government.