nasheedzakialliance
Zaki proposes demonstration for the 16th – Ibra refuses to obey Vice President
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male’, Maldives, 12th February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Senior officials of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have yet again proposed a ‘demonstration’, this time on Thursday February 16th. The motion was put forward by vice president Ibrahim Zaki to a meeting of the MDP shadow cabinet-cum-national council last night. This follows the failed demonstration of January 24th and the still-born attempt to ‘protest’ publications of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the European press.
The meeting also discussed ways to resurrect their plans of getting the President’s Members thrown out of Parliament and the constitutional assembly. However tempers flared again as the two factions led by Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie and figurehead president Ibrahim Ismail Ibra traded insults.
Zaki suggested a drive to collect signatures from the ordinary public against the ruling DRP-led petition of 61 Members of the Special Majlis which denounced as unconstitutional, any attempts at this stage to remove the President’s Members. The Special Majlis was convened and Members campaigned in the knowledge that the President had the task, either directly or indirectly, of appointing a given number of Members.
The MDP refers to the move to discard the President’s Members as the ‘Furathama Islaahu’, roughly translated as First Amendment. The party attempts to wrap all its activities in heavy symbolism specifically targeted towards foreign observers.
It was suggested that the signatures acquired by a concerted MDP drive, would be presented to the President of the Special Majlis. Sceptics of the plan which included Ibra, maintained that the party would need to gain at least 55,000 signatures for it to carry a weight similar to that of 61 Special Majlis Members, a near-impossible task.
Ibra told the meeting: “I doubt whether we would be able to gain even 10,000 signatures. Certainly not by Thursday. The public feel that we are failing in our tasks, and this will only add to that. I am also dead set against another demonstration. I took part in the first [January 24th] demonstration against my better judgment because I wanted to stand by what I believed at the time to be a democratic decision of the party.
“This time, I will take no part; no matter who demands it. Not even if Annie directs me to join, as I have shown you already.”
This was a reference to the incidents of Monday 6th January when following knife wounds to Zaki’s son, Annie and Zaki had summoned Ibra to M Yaagoothuge, Annie’s residence. There, Ibra was ordered to call a demonstration immediately. Ibra flatly refused and proceeded to walk out on the Chairman and Vice President. He seriously considered handing in his resignation that evening but was persuaded to stay on, thereby ceding forever his authority and power within the party.
All top MDP members are presently under extreme pressure to deliver results one way or the other. External pressures felt by Annie are passed down to Ibra and his cohorts who are unwilling to act as sacrificial lambs.
Meanwhile the roles and compositions of the ‘shadow cabinet’ and national council have been blurred. Arguments abound on who calls a meeting of the council and who cannot. The council had been trying to meet for two days but a lack of a quorum had prevented it from doing so. Pockets of members had met at various locations for the past few days.
Last night’s meeting was held at G. Fus. A meeting is scheduled for this afternoon where the party hopes agreement can be arrived at regarding Thursday’s proposed demonstration. It is believed that by this evening, Ibra’s position might again have become untenable.
Last night Ibra said: “I will not join in another demonstration. Not even if all the other members of the MDP want to demonstrate on the streets again.”
Click to read full story
Ismail Rifau, Political Correspondent
Male’, Maldives, 12th February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Senior officials of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have yet again proposed a ‘demonstration’, this time on Thursday February 16th. The motion was put forward by vice president Ibrahim Zaki to a meeting of the MDP shadow cabinet-cum-national council last night. This follows the failed demonstration of January 24th and the still-born attempt to ‘protest’ publications of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in the European press.
The meeting also discussed ways to resurrect their plans of getting the President’s Members thrown out of Parliament and the constitutional assembly. However tempers flared again as the two factions led by Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie and figurehead president Ibrahim Ismail Ibra traded insults.
Zaki suggested a drive to collect signatures from the ordinary public against the ruling DRP-led petition of 61 Members of the Special Majlis which denounced as unconstitutional, any attempts at this stage to remove the President’s Members. The Special Majlis was convened and Members campaigned in the knowledge that the President had the task, either directly or indirectly, of appointing a given number of Members.
The MDP refers to the move to discard the President’s Members as the ‘Furathama Islaahu’, roughly translated as First Amendment. The party attempts to wrap all its activities in heavy symbolism specifically targeted towards foreign observers.
It was suggested that the signatures acquired by a concerted MDP drive, would be presented to the President of the Special Majlis. Sceptics of the plan which included Ibra, maintained that the party would need to gain at least 55,000 signatures for it to carry a weight similar to that of 61 Special Majlis Members, a near-impossible task.
Ibra told the meeting: “I doubt whether we would be able to gain even 10,000 signatures. Certainly not by Thursday. The public feel that we are failing in our tasks, and this will only add to that. I am also dead set against another demonstration. I took part in the first [January 24th] demonstration against my better judgment because I wanted to stand by what I believed at the time to be a democratic decision of the party.
“This time, I will take no part; no matter who demands it. Not even if Annie directs me to join, as I have shown you already.”
This was a reference to the incidents of Monday 6th January when following knife wounds to Zaki’s son, Annie and Zaki had summoned Ibra to M Yaagoothuge, Annie’s residence. There, Ibra was ordered to call a demonstration immediately. Ibra flatly refused and proceeded to walk out on the Chairman and Vice President. He seriously considered handing in his resignation that evening but was persuaded to stay on, thereby ceding forever his authority and power within the party.
All top MDP members are presently under extreme pressure to deliver results one way or the other. External pressures felt by Annie are passed down to Ibra and his cohorts who are unwilling to act as sacrificial lambs.
Meanwhile the roles and compositions of the ‘shadow cabinet’ and national council have been blurred. Arguments abound on who calls a meeting of the council and who cannot. The council had been trying to meet for two days but a lack of a quorum had prevented it from doing so. Pockets of members had met at various locations for the past few days.
Last night’s meeting was held at G. Fus. A meeting is scheduled for this afternoon where the party hopes agreement can be arrived at regarding Thursday’s proposed demonstration. It is believed that by this evening, Ibra’s position might again have become untenable.
Last night Ibra said: “I will not join in another demonstration. Not even if all the other members of the MDP want to demonstrate on the streets again.”
Click to read full story