Does it matter if Nasheed has any ambitions?

I don’t think so. But he has made clear he has none. Let us believe him. He has talked about this on more than one occasion.

In any case, since it is not illegal or unconstitutional to have such an ambition, what is the big deal? I think the more people we have who have such aspirations, the better for our nation. Why? Because those who have such aspirations, I hope, would conduct themselves with that in mind. If that is the case, the nation can only benefit as we see more and more qualified leaders who can inspire younger generations by example.

For me, Nasheed is an excellent potential candidate. I believe he would do much better than Qasim. But Nasheed is unlikely to stand against Qayyoom, not right now anyway. But I hope that when the time came, he would reconsider. Should Qasim win the next election, I believe that Nasheed is the only person who can unseat Qasim.

Maldives has never mixed governance with business – let’s keep it that way

Qasim’s decision to contest the presidential elections may create bad history. The Maldivians have so far been sensible enough not to mix governance with business. Thanks to Qasim, such principles and values are to be a thing of the past.

One has to be aware that what really makes a nation great is also adhering to the unwritten rules – the conventions, the values and the principles. Rule of law must prevail; but so must moral and ethical conduct. It is not always possible to write down all such rules. They are enforced by a combination of an individual’s conscience and the collective conscience of the society as a whole.

As an individual, each of us owes it to our nation to uphold those timeless values and principles. As a society, we owe it to our future generations to deliver such values and principles intact.

Qasim v Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra, a successful Thai businessman, entered politics in 1994 by joining the Phalang Dharma Party.

Qasim Ibrahim, a successful Maldivian businessman, entered politics over fifteen years ago, not by joining a party, since there were none, but by attacking Qayyoom’s government at every opportunity. Yet, when he came face to face with Qayyoom, there was no better person on earth for Qasim. In 2005 he was incarcerated as a suspect involved in an alleged coup attempt against Qayyoom. While denying involvement in any coup attempt, he admitted to illegally financing the election campaigns of several MPs and Special MPs. Before the due process in law was completed against Qasim, he was pardoned by Qayyoom. Later Qasim joined Qayyoom’s party, DRP, and accepted the posts of Minister for Finance, and Governor of the Central Bank. Qasim wasted no time; he quickly grabbed the opportunity to make his name indelible by issuing a new Rf. 500 currency note with his signature on.

Thaksin Shinawatra later founded the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party in 1998. Qasim, while remaining a member of Qayyoom’s party and cabinet, later got a group of his trusted comrades to form a political party. Having publicly declared his ostensible support to Qayyoom and DRP at its second national congress as the party's second Deputy Leader, Qasim quit Qayyoom’s cabinet and DRP the very next day and joined the newly established party of his friends, and wasted no time in declaring his intentions to run for president.

Shinawatra became the Prime Minister in 2001. He was re-elected in 2005. But he was frequently accused of corruption, authoritarianism and religious desecration. It was alleged that conflicts of interest made him unfit for being the head of government. He also abused the loopholes in law to protect his interests. He was also known to be hostile to the press. To top it all, he was allegedly guilty of lèse-majesté, being accused of having sold national assets to foreign investors. In late 2006, he was overthrown in a bloodless coup by the military while he was travelling overseas.

Qayyoom's campaign far from convincing

DRP’s presidential nominee Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom and his running mate Ahmed Thasmeen Ali’s launching of their campaign on 08.08.08 was slick in design but flabby in execution.

On the substantive side, the message - aa usminthakakah (for newer heights) - was not that convincing or effective either. Neither Qayyoom’s speech nor Thasmeen’s was the most inspiring I have seen.

Overall, the ceremony showed a lack of appreciation of the country’s political mood. Signs of fatigue, perhaps? The fresh ideas that I expected never came across.

If they can’t raise their bar, rivals should not find it too difficult to leap over it.

The president of Aneh Dhivehi Raajje accuses Jumhooree Party of bribery

The president of Aneh Dhivehiraajje, Anni has said that his campaign for the next presidential election would be clean. Earlier this year, speaking to reporters at a press event held to publicise the policies of MDP primaries candidates on April 2, Anni had already said that he would publish the financial details of his primaries campaign. This though is yet to happen.

Anni’s remarks on this issue are today aimed at Jumhooree Party which is now known as the ‘viyafaariveringe party’ (the businessmen’s party) dominated by businessmen. Allegations that the Jumhooree Party is using bribery and corruption to ‘win’ votes are widespread. Earlier this week, DRP also accused Jumhooree Party of bribing MPs. The party denies these allegations.

Just what does Jumhooree Party stand for?

Dr Munawwar’s resignation as President of MDP is not surprising. Thanks to Anni’s autocratic style, MDP’s marginalization has come much earlier than many people had anticipated.

Munawwar's resignation paves the way for him to pledge allegiance to Qasim. This is not surprising either. What drives him are money and vengeance. Munawwar’s cupidity for money became apparent when he, while holding the office of Attorney General, formed a company with some others, supposedly to build a tourist resort in Addu. For Munawwar, Qasim is a like-minded person. Qasim is also well-known for his ability to beguile people into his anti-Qayyoom rhetoric since as early as the 1990s. Now that he has his own party and is out to avenge Qayyoom for the ‘VIP treatment’ at Dhoonidhoo following the August 12-13 failed coup attempt, what better person for Munawwar to go into an alliance with?

I keep on asking myself: why should people believe in the Jumhooree Party? I could not think of anything. To being with, I do not know what they stand for, other than of course the obvious motive of vengeance against Qayyoom. They did not have to declare this. It is too apparent.

Why is it a 'Jumhooree' Party anyway? The name of a party has certain connotations. MDP says their name symbolizes democracy. DRP says theirs shows they are the party of the people. Adhaalath’s name is to indicate that they are for justice. But what is Jumhooree Party? Are we fighting for independence against the British colonialism, so that we can become a republic after independence? I won’t be surprised then if I hear about another party, a Unionist Party!

For me, therefore, there is only one and only one reason for the existence of the Jumhooree Party, and that is, to wield money to promote the businesses of their key individual members. They cannot afford to see any more new business persons emerge under the free enterprise policies in the country to challenge their status.

Congratulations to Shihab and Aneesa

Having been given the opportunity to preside over just one sitting of the Majlis, Hassan Afeef (Th – MDP) did not waste any time to use (or abuse?) the authority of the Speaker’s chair - following Qasim Ibrahim's footsteps, no doubt. Whatever the grounds, Afeef voided yesterday’s vote which elected Ahmed Zahir (P – DRP) as the interim Majlis Speaker. The legality of the decision to void yesterday's vote is highly questionable. A walk out today by DRP MPs could have identified the culprits who had sold their conscience.

But let’s not take anything away from Mohamed Shihab (JP – Malé). Congratulations to him and Aneesa (M – DRP). Commiserations to Zahir and Nazim (M – PA).

Much can be read into this development. Quite obviously, DRP’s candidate has been beaten, despite the presence of Presidential Members. This is a great victory for the Jumhooree Party. Whether or not the same can be said about MDP is questionable since MDP’s unofficial presidential candidate, Anni’s earlier position that the Speaker should be from the majority party (DRP) was later changed due to opposition by its parliamentary group led by Afeef.

All signs are that the money behind JP is being put to ‘good use’. Unfortunately for the Maldives, it is unlikely that anything can be done, at least in the Majlis, to stop the plutocrats taking over the country, thanks to DRP’s failure to foresee what was coming. Unfortunately, if the plutocrats succeed, it is not DRP that loses, but the country as a whole.