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ibraturnsagainstownfather

olhuala.com exclusive
Ibra rowed with father before joining demonstration
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent



Male’, Maldives, 26th January 2006 (olhuala.com) – MDP leader Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra) had a violent row with his father Ismail Naseer as he tried to stop Ibra from joining the MDP's failed demonstration Tuesday. Neighbours report that loud shouting had emanated from Ibra's residence Ma. Boaganvilla, in the early hours of the 24th as well as in the afternoon.


Ibra reportedly told Mr. Naseer to "get out of the house", as his siblings watched aghast. Although Ibra is notorious for his swearing and frequent use of obscenities, this was a rare instance in which he used such language at his own father.

Younger brother Fayyaz Ismail told a neighbour interviewed by olhuala.com: "This was worse than anything he's done before and some of us were in tears. Our father is old and very frail now and Ibra should not have said the things he said".

"Because of his [physical] condition, Bappa [father] has always let Ibra have his way in any matter. Ibra has never actually grown to accept his condition [Childhood polio has left him severely disabled and unable to walk], and he has to continuously take anti-depressants to get by. We all give in to his whims and bear his frequent tantrums”.

It is common knowledge that Mr. Naseer does not approve of Ibra's political leanings and had frequently admonished Ibra for his errant ways. This came to a head, as since the formal declaration of the MDP's demonstration, which proved to be a devastating failure, Mr. Naseer had constantly asked Ibra to rethink or to withdraw his support.

Ibra had been under extreme pressure from Chairman Mohamed Nasheed (Annie) to forge ahead with the demonstration and to "try and get the masses to join in for a revolution". Annie is portrayed by most Maldivians as a militant and an anarchist. He had used imagery from the Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" in the lead up to Tuesday, but had catastrophically overestimated the support his party had.

Observers noted Ibra's subdued mood at the artificial beach on Tuesday but had put it down to disappointment and shock at the low turnout and had foreseen the embarrassment that was to come. It seems more likely that his mind was elsewhere.

Mr. Naseer is a long-serving public servant and was taken hostage in the 1988 terrorist attack mounted by Annie’s uncle Sikka Ahmed Ismail, the paymaster general of the MDP. Although Mr. Naseer has had a sketchy past with allegations of misappropriation on public funds, and drawing salaries and health benefits from the government while 'convalescing at home and abroad for 17 years', his sentiments have been against the MDP due to its subordination to Sikka.

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