In 2006, in the Pacific island nation of Fiji, troops overran the capital city, threatened the Prime Minister, forced his resignation, placed him under house arrest, imposed censorship on the media, and the coup leader, in the form of the head of the army, went on television to declare himself the new ruler of the country.
In 2012, in my country, the Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives, mutinying police and soldiers overran the capital city, gave me, the President, an ultimatum to resign within the hour or face bloodshed, placed me under effective house arrest, raided the headquarters of the national broadcaster, and the coup leader, in the form of the Vice President, went on television to declare himself the new ruler of the country.
In the case of Fiji, the international community swiftly condemned the coup, blackballed Fiji from the club of civilized nations and suspended it from the Commonwealth. In the case of the Maldives, a report drafted by a Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI) which was dominated by hand-picked appointees of the coup-installed government, and endorsed by the Commonwealth, has just whitewashed the coup, declaring it a perfectly legitimate and constitutional transfer of power.
Fiji and the Maldives' contrasting experiences provide useful tips for coup-plotters everywhere. When planning your coup, remember that first impressions count -- so don't dress like an obvious coup leader. The man who takes over from the democratically elected leader should not wear military fatigues, as Commodore Frank Bainimarama did in Fiji; instead wear a lounge suit, as former Vice President Waheed Hassan did in the Maldives.
Secondly, get your messaging right: never, as in Fiji, publicly state you are overthrowing an elected government; instead, as in the Maldives, announce that the President's resignation is a run-of-the-mill and Constitutional transfer of power.
Finally, have patience: if you follow steps 1 and 2, sooner or later the international community will tire of political upheaval and accept the new, coup-led political order, regardless of outward commitments to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The CoNI report, which declared the Maldives' coup lawful, has been a huge blow and a profound disservice to the Maldivian people, many of whom watched February's illegal transfer of power unfold in front of their eyes: in the streets, on television, and through the hundreds of eye-witness video clips posted on YouTube and Facebook.
On the one hand, Maldivians should not have been surprised by the CoNI's conclusions. The Committee was created by Waheed, the chief beneficiary of the coup, who stacked it with his own allies, and placed the defence minister of former dictator Gayoom at its helm. However, the eleventh hour inclusion of a retired Singaporean judge, appointed with the blessing of the Commonwealth, plus one single nominee, appointed by me, was supposed to provide a modicum of balance to the final report. Sadly, it did not.
My nominee, Ahmed Saeed, resigned from the Committee before its report was released, citing that crucial evidence, such as video footage of the police rampaging through Male, was not included in the Committee's report. He further noted that the testimony of key witnesses was not included, and that central figures involved in the coup, such as opposition figure Umar Naseer who publicly admitted the existence of a coup "command center" from which events were directed, were not even interviewed.
A recent assessment of the CoNI report by a legal team led by Sri Lanka's former Attorney General, states that the report "amounts to a dangerous and severe erosion of the electoral franchise and mandate of the people." In effect, the CoNI report says it is perfectly legitimate for a mob of mutinying police and army to topple an elected government from the streets. The legal team's assessment further states: "there was in fact adequate evidence to suggest that duress (or even 'coercion' and/ or illegal coercion as used by CoNI) is attributable to the resignation of President Nasheed."
Despite these serious flaws, and in the interests of moving forward, I have formally accepted the CoNI report - but only alongside Ahmed Saeed's reservations.
A more useful analysis of the Maldives' sorry situation comes from a recent report by Amnesty International, whose researchers conducted a professional and truly independent on- the-ground investigation. Amnesty's report strongly condemns the on-going abuses by the coup-installed regime, stating that: "Without an end to - and accountability for - these human rights violations, any attempt at political reconciliation in the Maldives will be meaningless."
Many other international human rights bodies have joined Amnesty in categorically condemning the Waheed regime's repeated human rights violations, including Reporters without Borders and the UN Human Rights Committee.
Unfortunately, the CoNI report has gifted the regime with the get-out-of-jail-free card and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group may now decide on 11 September to remove the Maldives from its watch-list of human rights violators. If they do, it will offer the regime a green light to crack down even harder on civil society, the media and the political opposition.
In an ironic twist of fate, the regime has also announced that they will use the CoNI report as a pretext to place me on trial -- likely barring me from standing as the MDP's elected nominee in the next presidential election.
As the Arab Spring continues its inevitable march across the Islamic world, the Maldives could have been an example of where the international community stood up for Muslim democrats, by forcing a coup regime to hold early elections and restore democracy. Sadly, the Maldives' case is more likely to be used by aspiring coup plotters, as a useful guide on how to pull it off. Commodore Bainimarama must feel he instigated Fiji's coup too early - had he waited until February 2012, he too could have learned how to usurp power and avoid the censure of the watching world.
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President Nasheed in 3 short years took the law into his own hands, arresting political opponents without due process, resorting to bribery and corruption in the Parliament and ordered the military to arrest the Chief criminal court judge in the dead of night in front of terrified wife and children.
Agreed that we should have waited for the next election to register our displeasure with President Nasheed. However what is ignored is that its President Nasheed who resigned on live TV flanked by his cabinet. Now we know that his party President registered his opposition to him resigning. However President Nasheed going against the advice of leading cabinet ministers resigned.
The Commonwealth approved Commission with UN & Commonwealth observers established that he resigned according to the law and the constitution. However the 1 million $ question remains .... “why did President Nasheed resign?” It’s obvious that we cannot rely on President Nasheed for an answer because his answer keeps on changing.
The Maldivian People has a right to know what ails their ex President?
The so called the coup was an uprising to defend the country's constitution, the values of freedom and say no to any more dictators. Unfortunately, you, having won the election, decided to turn back the clock to the days of the old dictator. You decided that you would become just another Maumoon, rather a younger Maumoon. The previous dictator, Maumoon who had ruled the Maldives for 30 years was in his mid 70s and you as a 40-year old taught that you too could add another 30 years of dictatorship if you sided with the military .
You, after coming to power, forgot how you came to power. You forgot that you came to power as a democrat. Unfortunately, you betrayed democracy. You betrayed the people who had helped you to ascend to power.
What everyone did not know was that you had used democratic values as a public relation stunt to win support of the international community and the Maldivian youth and to market you as a credible candidate to oust dictator Gayoom. What every one did not know was, that you were in effect a democrat, superficially and a dictator deeply. You tried to undo democracy, knot by knot.
What had happened in the Maldives was not a lesson to Fiji leader. Rather, a lesson to you.
Military and Police did not uprise to defend the constitution it was a planed coup by Maumoon and his followers,..I know lt. col. Nazim the coup operatist who is the defence minister now,..was the person who demolished the headquarter of Prz. Nasheed's Party during 2005.
I have seen from Live TV that Police and MNDF officials throw stones at Army baracks and Lt. Col retired. Nazim came to the camera and said he have told President Nasheed, The police Chief to resign and it is non negotiable.
What we know is Prez. Nasheed planned and accomplished many of the projects which previouse autocratic leaders could not complete within decades. and He with other business men who do not like the new taxation acts,..planned the coup with the police.
Actually speaking Nasheed , we praise President Gayoom , because he paved the way to democratic election. Gayoom allowed to make democratic constitution . He signed and gazetted the constitution. He made the most important independent institution required to operate the democratic constitution. , such as election commission, independent judiciary and HRCM and so on. He is the first president allowed multi party election in the Maldives. After the election he stepped down with calmness , unlike dictators. If Gayoom is a dictator he never allow any of the mentioned procedure.
First or second or any time democratically elected president can turn into a Dictator in an over night. Do you believe or not Nasheed is a living example .
Alchemist
1. You agreed to 3 international judges( from Switzerland, Caneda, and Singapore) that you were not forced to resign, at CONI investigation. Liar. Now you return and write something else here.
2. You went on arresting opposion leaders, parliament members and court judges; thinking that western powers can and will support your dictatorship because we are a Muslim country.
3. For 3 years you silenced international media by by giving free holidays to their journalists bassed in South Asia. Maldivian people' suffering under your dictatorship lead them to go on protest. That is our right.
4. Coup or no coupe; it doesn't matter how much support you get from western media. There will never be a dictatorship in this country. This country is under a constitution and will be governed by its laws only.
The 21st Century's COSMETIC geo politics influential Military inside game.
MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE COUP WHICH CHANGED Maldives first democratically Elected president Nasheeds's Gov who change 30 years of Maumoon dictatorship in Maldives.
According to Dr. Subhash Kapila Introductory Observations,
It also implies the existence of political will to secure India?s national security interests.
PRESIDENT NASHEED'S "GARAM MASAALA" made India vomiting as a result his Gov missing in the action.
1-Minicoi travel & transport proposal " MINICOI" which is Politically & Diplomatically protected Zone.
2-Maldives Costal area EEZ enlargement proposal to UN.
3-Maldives can be famous & influential as a tourism destination but make no mistake as a Leader who leads Regional issues among world leaders. Maldives leaders last 50 years infamous became the WORLD NOTICEABLE.
#: Island President.
#: Copenhagen summit
#: 350 & Underwater Summit.
The 'CLIMAT CHANGED' geo politics landscape changed Nasheed's Gov changed.
by Aruvaali Aadhanu
Can be reach http://manaamanthiri.blogspot.com
http://3november1988.wordpress.com
As the president you acted above the law and whatever happened on 7th February was an indication that the people would not allow a dictator to rule us ever again under the guise of democracy.
1. Orders alleged to be from President Nasheed (which Nasheed haven't denied) to remove security MNDF and Police from a volatile protest area had lead to violent clashes between opposition and government supporters and injured journalists.
2. Some of the Police force has attacked and destroyed ruling part gathering ground.
Neither side is able to justify these actions and take responsibility. :(
Mohamed Nasheed the congenital liar!
“Democracy Betrayed behind the mask of the Island President” explores and analyses the events surrounding the the resignation of the Maldives first democratically elected President from office. It particularly focuses on the way in which former President Nasheed’s own actions contributed directly to that crisis and threatened our new democracy. Please download the e-book >>> “Democracy Betrayed behind the mask of the Island President” http://www.qaumee.org.mv/english/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Democracy-Betrayed-behind-the-Mask-of-Island-President.pdf