hidden agenda
Deadline 22nd March: MDP’s hidden agendaMoonisa Easa, Political Analyst
Male’, Maldives, 16th January 2006 (olhuala.com) – The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will carry out a plan to violently overthrow the Maldivian government while it overtly runs a campaign it prefers to call ‘civil disobedience’. This is according to sources within the higher echelons of the MDP leadership.
The MDP’s ‘civil disobedience’ campaign was given the party’s national executive’s formal backing on Saturday 14th January. Amid much fanfare and publicity, mostly aimed at foreign observers, a committee of seven were chosen to ‘develop and oversee’, the campaign. The language used was alien to the common membership of the party and analysts point out serious discrepancies with Saturday’s message and their comments to members at other forums.
This duplicity has been pointed out over the past few days by MDP’s Addu membership as well as by the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) and other political parties. It is increasingly apparent that the MDP is at a crossroads and an unseen hand is forcing actions on them.
According to one theory, because the MDP was formed as a militant group and has always acted as one to date, it has found the transformation into a political party too taxing. Any achievements on organisation and membership drive they have made so far has been achieved by using rhetoric to fire people into a frenzy and by promising immediate returns.
For over 18 months, leading figures such as Ibrahim Ismail, Ibrahim Zaki and Mohamed Nasheed have, at intervals, stated that ‘the government will collapse in 2 months’, or ‘in six months’ or ‘in 12 days’. This time ‘before the 22nd of March’. While the aim was to maintain the fervour of its adherents, the repeated failure of their attempts have led to the questioning of these leaders’ credibility among the common man, and even to open ridicule. Therefore, this ‘civil disobedience’ is another last-ditch attempt to deliver on failed promises.
The alternative theory states that the MDP gets funding from undisclosed, foreign sources, who are demanding returns on their investments. This has forced the MDP leadership into making this last ditch attempt.
Whether it is to gain back dwindling support and credibility or whether it is to appease and deliver to foreign backers whatever it is they demand, this latest attempt at destabilisation has sinister characteristics. The main one being the duplicate nature of the language used.
Over the past few months, from the time of the ‘incitement to violence rallies’ at the Dhunfinige address, MDP loyalists have been taught a very misguided interpretation of the concept of ‘civil disobedience’ to the point that these activists are unable to distinguish between civil and criminal offences. At no stage were they taught that civil action could not include violence.
At the same time, the MDP has coordinated a dialogue with the foreign media expounding its intentions of carrying out civil strikes.
However, the latest revelations point to a far more deadly scheme: it is unknown whether foreign mercenaries are involved, but the sources confirm that bloodshed and slaughter were to be expected. This leads one to suspect that some external pressures are determining the MDP’s actions; hence deadlines and the risk of violence.
It does not take a genius to work out that any bloodshed in the Maldives will only affect the common people. Political leaders and the well off on all sides will be able to evade any dangers. It begs the question: what is worth such a big sacrifice?
Conspiracies theories abound: get rich by selling our land, our sovereignty; sell our religious unity for power and riches. “Time will reveal the exact reasons. But by then it might be too late. Unless we as Maldivians keep our eyes open and not let others take us for gullible fools” says Basma Ansari, of the DRP. “We know what the MDP leaders are capable of, we know that Ahmed Ismail Maniku [also known as Sikka] the chief financier of the MDP [also uncle of MDP chairman Annie, and brother-in-law of shadow cabinet member Aiminath Jameel] hired a mercenary group called PLOTE in 1988 [19 Maldivians were murdered on the 3rd of November 1988, by P:OTE. Sikka was convicted on 19 counts of murder and sentenced to death, he was later pardoned by Gayoom], so the Maldivian public have every reason to be very frightened at this point” said Gaha Saeed, during an interview with olhuala.com.
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