Has Diyana Saeed compromised her conscience?

Diyana Saeed was one of the Special MPs who took points of order to protest against Qasim’s dictatorial conduct in the Special Majlis.

In an intervention against Qasim on 26 June 2008, Diyana Saeed said: ‘… Honorable Speaker [Qasim], there are also proposed amendments which can change the meaning of certain provisions. For example, the provision that the President ‘cannot engage in business’, which we have passed earlier, now says that the President ‘cannot actively engage in business’. The meaning of these two are different. It was having considered the meanings [of the provisions] that we have passed the sections. … There are amendments that can and that cannot be accepted. So, since I believe that these [amendments] must be put to vote individually, I state for the purposes of record, that I will not participate in a vote which you put to us otherwise.’

Diyana’s intervention was to demonstrate that she stood on a principle which is, that those who are engaged in business must not hold the office of president. Unfortunately today she appears to have abandoned such principles. Today, she is standing shoulder to shoulder with the very kind of person she fought to prevent from holding the office of president. It is quite clear that she has succumbed to protect the business interests of her husband, Abdulla Jabir, who himself seems to be moving around like a headless chicken. It appears that Diyana has, for whatever reasons, compromised her principles, in favour of supporting someone who ‘cannot actively engage in business’ to run for president. What a shame.