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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 22 September 2018

Maldives prepares for polls seen as test for young democracy

By BHARATHA MALLA- signal a new chapter in the
WARACHI islands’ turbulent history.
KRISHAN FRANCIS Nasheed became famous
Associated Press for drawing global atten-
MALE, Maldives (AP) — As tion to the perils of climate
election officials made fi- change that saw rising sea
nal preparations for nation- levels threaten the Mal-
wide elections in the Mal- dives’ coral reefs, which
dives, the European Union rise less than a meter (3.2
said it is not sending ob- feet) above sea level. “The
servers because the coun- inundation of the Maldives
try has failed to meet the is just a generation away,”
basic conditions for moni- he warned.
toring. But at home, Nasheed
In the capital, Male, pink struggled to get support
and green campaign ban- from officials still loyal to
ners hung in the streets. Gayoom, and resigned in
Election commission 2012 after losing military
spokesman Ahmed Akram and police support over
said the country was fully the arrest of a prominent
prepared to hold a free judge. He ran for the presi-
and fair election on Sun- dency again in 2013 — the
day. But in neighboring Sri Maldives’ second multi-
Lanka, exiled former Mal- party election — and lost
dives President Mohamed People walk past a giant poster that shows Maldivian President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, right, to Gayoom’s half-brother,
Nasheed, a leader of the and his running mate Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, ahead of Sunday’s elections in Male, Mal- current President Yameen.
opposition, said Friday that dives, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Since then, Yameen has
the vote could be rigged. Associated Press ruled with an iron fist, eras-
A decade after Maldivians half-brother, Maumoon Ab- carrying out his whims by ence, which he described ing many features of the
took to the streets to wel- dul Gayoom, the Maldives’ legally amending the con- as a land grab in the guise young democracy. His
come democracy to the former strongman, his for- stitution. of investments in island de- government subjects jour-
series of coral atolls in the mer vice president, two Su- But Yameen’s supporters velopment. nalists and social media
Indian Ocean, voters head preme Court justices, two counter that the country’s “We believe that the Chi- users to punishing fines for
to the ballot box in what former defense ministers economy and institutions nese government has an defamation.
has become a referendum and scores of others after have grown under him. interest in maintaining the Its control of the courts re-
on whether democracy will trials criticized for a lack of Yameen’s campaign slo- authoritarian rule of Presi- sulted in a much-criticized
stay. due process. gan, “Progress shared,” is dent Yameen,” he said Fri- trial of Nasheed, who in
The Maldives’ third multi- As protests culminating in a nod to the country’s de- day at a news conference 2015 was sentenced to 13
party presidential election violent confrontations with velopment. Government in Colombo. years in prison. The vice
is being held five years after police and mass arrests spokesman Ibrahim Hus- Political struggle has long president, Ahmed Adeeb,
incumbent President Ya- have grown, opposition sain Shihab said Yameen’s beset the string of atolls. was also arrested in 2015
meen Abdul Gayoom be- parties — many of them administration has always The former British protec- after what the government
gan consolidating power, Yameen’s own former po- sought to “maintain the torate did not inherit a called a failed assassina-
rolling back press and indi- litical partners — formed rule of law.” full parliamentary system tion attempt on Yameen.
vidual freedoms, asserting an alliance in exile with the Gross domestic product of government like many Adeeb is currently serving
control over independent aim of unseating him. more than doubled be- other colonies. In 1953, the a 33-year prison sentence
governmental institutions Transparency Maldives tween 1990 and 2015, life 812-year-old sultanate was on terrorism and corruption
and jailing or forcing major spokesman Aiman Ra- expectancy at birth has abolished in favor of a re- charges.
political rivals into exile. sheed said that Sunday’s increased and poverty de- public, then restored again A report by the Organized
“There is a need to reori- vote is “a referendum on clined, although high youth a year later until 1968. Gay- Crime and Reporting Proj-
ent ourselves and take authoritarianism versus unemployment and low oom came to power in ect released earlier this
stock of what we have freedom.” participation of women in 1978 through a public refer- week alleges that Adeep
lost,” said Ahmed Tholal, a Thorsten Bargfrede, head the workforce persist, ac- endum. was among many officials
former member of the Hu- of the political depart- cording to the World Bank. Calls for the recognition including Yameen who il-
man Rights Commission of ment at the EU mission in Part of that growth is due of political parties were legally leased scores of the
the Maldives. “There is a Colombo, the capital of to aid and investment from violently suppressed and country’s more than 1,000
need to ask ourselves if we neighboring Sri Lanka, said China, which is challenging activists jailed during Gay- islands for tourism devel-
are willing to allow the hard Friday that the group is not India’s long-held position oom’s 30-year authoritar- opment, keeping tens of
work of democratizing the sending a monitoring mis- as the dominant outside ian rule. millions of dollars in graft in
country to go waste.” sion because the Maldives power throughout South Gayoom finally introduced 2014-15.
Beyond the postcard im- has not met the basic con- Asia. China considers the democratic reforms in 2008 Yameen’s only contender
age the Maldives has of ditions. Maldives a key cog in its after a public revolt and in Sunday’s election is long-
luxury resorts and white He did not elaborate. “Belt and Road” project the burning down of police time lawmaker Ibrahim
sand beaches, the 400,000 Gulbin Sultana, a research- along ancient trade routes stations and government Mohamed Solih, backed
citizens of the former British er on the Maldives at the through the Indian Ocean vehicles over the killing of by Nasheed who is now
protectorate have strug- Institute of Defense Stud- and Central Asia. a man in government cus- living in exile in neighbor-
gled to maintain the dem- ies and Analyses based in Former President Nasheed tody. ing Sri Lanka. Nasheed had
ocratic system established New Delhi, described the said the elections could However, when Gayoom hoped to run again, but
in 2008. state of the country as a be the last chance to ex- was defeated at the polls was disqualified because
Yameen has jailed two for- “democratic dictatorship” tricate his country from by pro-democracy activ- of his outstanding prison
mer presidents including his in which Yameen has been increasing Chinese influ- ist Nasheed, it seemed to sentence.q