mdpfallingapart
Shadow ministers consider exit as fractures deepen
Moonisa Easa, with additional reporting from Aishath Zeena
Male’, Maldives, 11th February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Ibrahim Ismail Ibra is looking even more isolated today as details of the circumstances in which his cabinet mutinied were revealed. Mohamed Waheed Hassan, who is still fighting for party presidency was said to have played a leading role in persuading the shadow cabinet to reject Ibra who now remains a figurehead president with no power.
It is reported that while all shadow cabinet members are compelled to support Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie, some elements within the shadow cabinet have aired concerns over the revolutionary and militant tactics favoured by vice president Ibrahim Zaki and Annie.
Waheed Hassan is thought to be strategically siding with Annie for the short term to speed up Ibra’s inevitable downfall. Waheed is reported to believe that the state’s case against Annie is watertight and therefore Ibra remains the only obstruction in his path. Waheed himself is trying to fight back from the humiliating defeat he suffered at the hands of Ibra last December.
Olhuala.com’s Seenu Atoll correspondent Aishath Zeena reports that it is widely rumoured among Addu communities that Ibrahim Shareef Mavota is extremely agitated by the authoritarian control Chairman Nasheed imposes on the party.
Zeena went on to say “It is widely speculated that Mavota [Shareef] will resign his shadow cabinet post if Annie does not let Ibra run the show.” This is not the first time that Shareef has made noises indicating his distrust of the party’s leadership.
Earlier he had indicated that he was ‘mystified as to how the party’s policies are formulated.’ Although he was named shadow tourism minister to appease members from the southern atolls who had threatened to walk out, he has said that he did not endorse the MDP’s tourism boycott campaign.
More than once, he has in fact stated that the MDP have so far failed to develop any policies. In his view, “MDP meetings have only included finding fault with government policies. As a political party, we have failed to present the voter with an alternative policy package to that offered by [President] Gayoom’s government.”
Ironically, Shareef has been the only person who has publicly backed Ibra in the infighting.
Observers also speculate that Moosa Manik Reeko will also leave the MDP in the near future to join a new political party being formed by his elder brother Ibrahim Manik Reeko, once the registration stages of the party are complete. The Reeko brothers were found guilty of bribing Majilis members during the early 1980s in an effort to gain political power.
Meanwhile the majority of the party membership remains in the dark. The leadership has tried to play down the internal crisis by deflecting attention. However the party, for the first time, now faces intense scrutiny in its activities, and the party does not seem to be faring too well under the strain.
Click to read full story
Moonisa Easa, with additional reporting from Aishath Zeena
Male’, Maldives, 11th February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader Ibrahim Ismail Ibra is looking even more isolated today as details of the circumstances in which his cabinet mutinied were revealed. Mohamed Waheed Hassan, who is still fighting for party presidency was said to have played a leading role in persuading the shadow cabinet to reject Ibra who now remains a figurehead president with no power.
It is reported that while all shadow cabinet members are compelled to support Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie, some elements within the shadow cabinet have aired concerns over the revolutionary and militant tactics favoured by vice president Ibrahim Zaki and Annie.
Waheed Hassan is thought to be strategically siding with Annie for the short term to speed up Ibra’s inevitable downfall. Waheed is reported to believe that the state’s case against Annie is watertight and therefore Ibra remains the only obstruction in his path. Waheed himself is trying to fight back from the humiliating defeat he suffered at the hands of Ibra last December.
Olhuala.com’s Seenu Atoll correspondent Aishath Zeena reports that it is widely rumoured among Addu communities that Ibrahim Shareef Mavota is extremely agitated by the authoritarian control Chairman Nasheed imposes on the party.
Zeena went on to say “It is widely speculated that Mavota [Shareef] will resign his shadow cabinet post if Annie does not let Ibra run the show.” This is not the first time that Shareef has made noises indicating his distrust of the party’s leadership.
Earlier he had indicated that he was ‘mystified as to how the party’s policies are formulated.’ Although he was named shadow tourism minister to appease members from the southern atolls who had threatened to walk out, he has said that he did not endorse the MDP’s tourism boycott campaign.
More than once, he has in fact stated that the MDP have so far failed to develop any policies. In his view, “MDP meetings have only included finding fault with government policies. As a political party, we have failed to present the voter with an alternative policy package to that offered by [President] Gayoom’s government.”
Ironically, Shareef has been the only person who has publicly backed Ibra in the infighting.
Observers also speculate that Moosa Manik Reeko will also leave the MDP in the near future to join a new political party being formed by his elder brother Ibrahim Manik Reeko, once the registration stages of the party are complete. The Reeko brothers were found guilty of bribing Majilis members during the early 1980s in an effort to gain political power.
Meanwhile the majority of the party membership remains in the dark. The leadership has tried to play down the internal crisis by deflecting attention. However the party, for the first time, now faces intense scrutiny in its activities, and the party does not seem to be faring too well under the strain.
Click to read full story