On 26th July 2021, a resolution was passed in the internal congress of the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) calling for a declaration of a state of emergency to combat extremism. The resolution was endorsed by the supporters of the Speaker of the Parliament Mohammed Nasheed who belongs to MDP. What is noted was the absence of support to the resolution by MDP members supporting the President of Maldives, Mohammed Solih, who also belongs to the same party. Thirty nine members voted in favour of the resolution out of forty one members present at the congress. In total, the MDP Congress has 148 members, a large number of MDP members were not present at the voting.[i] The visible differences within the MDP at a time when the country is facing the unprecedented task of tackling the impact of the pandemic and rising extremism may not augur well for the democratic consolidation.
The said resolution was passed following the terror attack on the Speaker on 6th May 2021 and subsequent arrests and prosecution of suspected persons. Nasheed expected a declaration of a state of emergency following the attack. But, President Solih opted for an investigation by a special envoy Abbas Faiz, a human rights expert from Britain. The MDP members supporting Nasheed also requested a special session of the Parliament to discuss the state of emergency, but this did not materialise.
The MDP won the 2018 Presidential and 2019 Parliamentary elections, by putting an end to the most turbulent years in the island nation under the rule of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) led by Abdulla Yameen. Maldives, under Yameen caught the world’s attention for coming down heavily on opposition leaders by using anti-terror laws, systemic corruption, lack of transparency in governance and increasing non-traditional threats. The formation of the MDP government in 2018 was expected to address in a transparent manner these very same concerns. But the recent developments indicate that consolidation of democratic transition in Maldives is a complex process. There are mainly two factors that are driving the current state of political developments in Maldives, which are discussed briefly below.
Internal Differences in MDP
The MDP-led government had a good start in 2018. It delivered on important promises made in the ambitious hundred day programme such as joining of Commonwealth of Nations, it established Committees to investigate corruption and enforced disappearances. It also implemented programmes for the betterment of health, transportation facilities, fishing and harbour facilities. Yet the positive momentum gained after the formation of the government seems to be withering away, due to lack of policy consensus between the two leaders, President and the Speaker, on issues such as tackling of radical religious elements and change in the political system, leading to two factions within MDP.
The terror attack on Nasheed on 6th May 2021 is a reflection of the rising assertion of violent extremist groups in recent years, notwithstanding broad movements for freedom of speech and transparency in governance that the island state has witnessed since 2014. The US Department of State Country Report on Terrorism 2019 in Maldives mentioned that there are ‘nearly 1400 religious extremists located in Maldives’.[ii] In 2019, the Maldivian police arrested Islamic State recruiter Mohamad Ameen in the country.[iii] In the year 2020 alone, Maldives police arrested about twenty suspected terrorists. What is alarming is that the global pandemic did not altogether stop the violent activities of radical groups. A number of incidents occurred such as stabbing of three foreign nationals in February 2020, damage to speedboats in April and March 2020 and vandalism at MDP office in April 2021 are examples in this regard.[iv]The government of Maldives took steps to address the issue by amending the 2015 Anti-Terrorism Act. The second amendment to Anti-Terrorism Act in 10 October 2019 mentioned ‘political and religious extremism and radicalisation and any form of support in these acts as terrorist acts’.[v]
Nasheed has been vocal about the growing religious extremism in the country and attacks faced by persons who spoke against the Islamic hard line elements. The present government appointed a Presidential Commission on the Deaths and Disappearances to look into the enforced disappearances of journalists and civil society activists. But the Presidential Commission came under criticism for slow progress on enquiries into enforced disappearance and murder cases such as of journalist Ahmed Rilwan. Nasheed in fact, criticised the Presidential Commission on grounds that it failed to charge masterminds behind disappearances of journalists and civil society persons.[vi]
After the terror attack, the Maldives police arrested five suspects believed to be linked to ISIS. They have been charged for carrying out an act of terrorism on Nasheed.[vii] What triggered an open difference between the Speaker and the President was the withdrawal of support by the Government of Maldives to the bill “criminalising hate crimes” that was placed in Parliament by the MDP parliamentarian Hisaan Hussain on 31st May 2021. The bill tried to list hate crimes that include ‘using the Islamic faith to foster hatred against a specific person’.[viii] The bill was criticised by religious scholars and all the opposition parties on grounds that it might provide a platform to comment on Islam in Maldives.[ix]Under these circumstances the government withdrew the support for the bill. This made Nasheed announce that he is ‘no longer politically aligned with President Solih’[x]. He also asked the President to address the issue of ‘religious extremism on an urgent basis before it is too late’.[xi]Nasheed criticised the religious conservative party and the main coalition partner of MDP government the Adhaalath party for monopolising government’s decisions.[xii]
Political differences between the two important leaders of MDP are not confined to the issue of dealing with religious extremism only. The possible change in the political system from the current presidential to the parliamentary system is also an issue. Speaker Nasheed has been advocating this change for long and promised to shift to parliamentary system if he is elected to power in 2023 Presidential elections[xiii]. He also spoke of a broad alliance of liberal parties and individuals in the future election, including with the liberals within the PPM.[xiv] While responding to this view, President Solih said that a future coalition between the PPM and the MDP ‘would disrupt the country's multi-party system’.[xv] These developments are helping the opposition to consolidate its base.
Opposition consolidation
After significant defeat in the last presidential and parliamentary elections, the PPM seems to be gaining lost ground due to internal differences within the MDP. The MDP won the presidential election in 2018 with the help of an umbrella coalition of parties such as Adhaalath Party, Jumhoori Party as well as with the support of former president of Maldives Abdul Gayoom. But this coalition could not put up a united front during the parliamentary elections in 2019 and chose to contest separately. The MDP won 67 of the 85 seats in Parliament. Over the months, PPM has managed to pull itself from defeat and has been able to garner issue-based support of other opposition parties. The PPM could register a good win in local council elections held on 10th April 2021, including winning the Male city council. The main leader of the PPM and the former President Abdulla Yameen is serving a jail sentence in USD one million money laundering case involving Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). But this did not deter the PPM, to run campaigns such as “Free President Yameen Now” and “Maves PPM”, to increase the membership of the party in recent months.
Conclusion
According to reports, the Speaker of the Maldivian Parliament, Nasheed, may return to Maldives in September from the UK, where he is undergoing treatment. His return might set the course for a broad coalition of liberal parties and people he has been talking to or might help in resolving political differences within MDP. Resolving differences may help the MDP to consolidate its base and put up a united front before the Presidential elections in 2023, a must for the survival of the party, since it has fought hard for democratic consolidation for nearly a decade. While delivering remarks on fifty-seventh Independence Day of Maldives on 26th July 2021, President Solih stressed on maintaining harmonious ties with foreign countries and strengthening of religious solidarity by eliminating sectarian divides for safeguarding the independence of the country’.[xvi]His Independence Day remarks are an apparent message to political parties and interests groups to work in unity on issues faced by the country. Further, as the president-elect of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2022-23, Maldives is hoping to address important global issues such as global pandemic by stressing on equitable access to vaccines, rebuilding sustainability, human rights issues and enhancing multilateralism.[xvii] Unless there is a continuity of political stability and broad consensus on policy issues amongst political parties and civil society, Maldives may not be able to further its cause as an important member of Small Island Developing States (ISDS).
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*Dr. Samatha Mallempati, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
End Notes
[i]Lamya Abdulla, “Nasheed wants President to declare State of Emergency to combat extremism”, The Edition, 26 July 2021, https://edition.mv/news/22781. Accessed on August 1, 2021.
[ii] The US Department of State, “Country Reports on Terrorism 2019: Maldives”, https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/maldives/. Accessed on August 1, 2021.
[iii]Ibid
[iv] Maldives Assessment 2021, South Asia Terrorism Portal, https://www.satp.org/terrorism-assessment/maldives. Accessed on August 1, 2021.
[v] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, “President ratifies Second Amendment to Anti-Terrorism Act”, 10 October 2019, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/22406. Accessed on August 4, 2021.
[vi] Mariyam Malsa, “Maldives' parliament approves commitment to ICPPED”, The Edition, 25 August 2020, https://edition.mv/news/18696. Accessed on August 5, 2021.
[vii] “May 6 attack: 13 charges raised against four terror suspects”, Avas.mv, 3 August 2021, https://avas.mv/en/104521. Accessed on August 7, 2021.
[viii] Aishath Hanaan Hussain Rasheed, “MP Hisaan submits bill criminalizing hate crimes and labelling of persons as non-muslims”, Raajje.mv, 31stMay 2021, https://raajje.mv/100957. Accessed on August 6, 2021.
[ix] Mohamed Fathih Abdul Muhsin, “Bill with amendments to criminalize hate crimes opens for public opinion”, Times of addu, 17 June 2021, https://timesofaddu.com/2021/06/17/bill-with-amendments-to-criminalize-hate-crimes-opens-for-public-opinion/. Accessed on July 28, 2021.
[x] Can no longer be politically aligned with Pres Solih': Nasheed, Avas.mv, 12 July 2021, https://avas.mv/en/103464. Accessed on July 30, 2021.
[xi] Meera Srinivasan, “Correct the course, Nasheed tells Solih”, The Hindu, 17 July 2021, https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/correct-the-course-nasheed-tells-solih/article35387301.ece. Accessed on July 25, 2021.
[xii]“Adhaalath has monopolized the govt', says Nasheed”, Avas.mv, 17 July 2021, https://avas.mv/en/103734. Accessed on August 6, 2021.
[xiii]“Will compete in 2023 elections, bring about parliamentary system: Nasheed”, Avas.mv, 6th July 2021, https://avas.mv/en/103084. Accessed on August 6, 2021.
[xiv] Ibid
[xv] “Not wise to establish a coalition between MDP and PPM'- Pres Solih”, Avas.mv, 12 August 2021, https://avas.mv/en/105015.
[xvi] The President’s Office, Republic of Maldives, Unofficial translation of the remarks delivered by His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, “President of the Republic of Maldives, on the occasion of the 57th Independence Day of the Maldives”, 26th July 2021, https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/24905. Accessed on July 9, 2021.
[xvii] “A Presidency of Hope”, Maldives Vision Statement, https://www.un.org/pga/75/wp-content/uploads/sites/100/2021/04/Maldives.pdf. Accessed on August 7, 2021.