A “BRIDGE”: the Last Promise of a Failing Dictator.

Submitted by Capt. Shafiu Gasim

The Last Promise: A BRIDGE between Male and Hulhumale.

In one form or another Maldives was ruled by a Dictator since time immemorial. As the society progressed and its people became educated, the push for democracy and freedom intensified. Finally, in 2008 President Gayoom had to succumb to the pressure from the public and Alas! Maldivians got the Democracy and Freedom they called for. 

During the campaign of the first free and fair elections, the last promise Mr. Gayoom made to the people was a “Bridge”.  It was going to be a Bridge between Male and Hulhumale. It was the last sigh of the ailing President who had run out of promises, short of fame, heavy with brutality, and forgotten moralities.

The election results confirmed Mohamed Nasheed better known as Anni to be President of Maldives from 2009 to 2013.  He came into power on a platform of promises to reinstate a better economy, better salaries, better transportation, lower prices, and houses for the homeless, and a state of art health program for all Maldivians.

Maldivians were more than willing to forgive Anni, for the blunders made due to his inexperience in public office at least during the honeymoon period of this new presidency. But as the days passed by the phenomena of Anni blundering became his usual way of decision making; like a dumb kid not learning from his own mistakes and repeating them. This led to the rise of the public’s agitation to a level of no return.

Anni’s disregard for democratic rational and values, ignoring Court decisions even those of the Supreme Courts of the land and in his zeal for protests and unrest coupled with his eloquence for rude speeches, dismayed the Public to a deeper abyss of hopelessness and mistrust in his leadership. All this added up to Public outrage on to the streets of Male. Day by day, the once peace loving people of Maldives became an antagonized public facing the brutality of an arbitrated Police force on its streets. 

THE BRIDGE 

To calm the situation and the anger of the people, Anni dug deep into the textbooks of Autocratic rulers; easily available by his bedside was the book on “The Deeds of Gayoom”, the very man he contested and won. In his dismay and desperation, with no one to turn to and no time to spare, he flipped through the pages to the final chapter of the book; THE LAST PROMISE. Panic stricken Anni found salvation.  It was the promise of a BRIDGE; the bridge between Male and Hulhumale.

Remarkably, like the last sigh of a once ailing President who had run out of promises in 2008, President Nasheed too; short of fame, heavy with brutality, and forgotten moralities wasted no time to announce his “BRIDGE” between Male and Hulhumale.

The thought may have come a little too late, for one could interpret the situation Anni the President of Maldives is in as catastrophic; a State of the Nation where

1.  Military abducting Chief Justice and political opponents.

2. Supreme Court Judges intimidated and terrorized by ruling party (MDP) thugs

3.       Daily protests both by the government and the opposition running late into the night

4.       Arbitrary arrests of citizens opposed to MDP by the Police Force have become a routine.

5.   Opposition Parliament Members are summarily arrested with brutal force.

6.       Economy has been brought down to its knees.

7.       Unemployment level is at an all-time high

8.       The evil is flourishing:  young men and women are flocking to take part in the Para military force of the ruling party.

9. High ranking government figures tendering resignation are on the rise

10.   Gang culture is on the rise, ruling the streets of male, terrorizing the public.

11.   Police force is incapable of stopping street violence, preoccupied by political vendetta assignments

12.   Free media is warned, it would be shut down if anti governments sentiments are aired.

13.   Social fabric of the society is torn to pieces

14.   All democratic institutions set up by the 2008 constitution is paralyzed

15.   The Maldivian dream is nearing its end.