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The Special Majlis Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) 28 July 2004 translated with graphics added by Maldives Culture Male' crowd supporting special majlis members protesting Abdullah Hameed's refusal to allow a secret vote for the special majlis president/speaker. Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed and the general manager of the majlis Mohamed Nasheed used limp justifications to argue that the Maldive constitution does not imply a secret ballot should be used to elect the special Majlis president. The temporary president of special Majlis (until the special Majlis members vote to elect their own president) is designated by the constitution as the speaker of the normal majlis, presently Abdullah Hameed, and this man has no intention of allowing a secret ballot. Why is the government insisting on a 'show of hands' election, even after a quarter of the special majlis members walked out in protest? This is all part of the same constitutional problem.   Special Majlis member Buruma Gasim calms the crowd after a meeting with Gayyoom where influential members demanded a secret ballot for the selection of the president/speaker.   A large crowd of supporters gathered in pouring rain.   Ibrahim Ismail was among over twenty members who walked out of the first Special Majlis session in protest and demanded a meeting with Gayyoom. Since the special majlis was first mooted, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has been arguing strongly that there is no use in making new laws when the existing laws are not enforced. When the special majlis was elected, the MDP continually asked the government not to interfere in its affairs, but Gayyoom and his supporters have been insisting on the election of a cabinet minister (justice minister Ahmed Zahir) as the special majlis president. Gayyoom government supporters are determined to bring the special majlis under their total control, and they want a cabinet minister in the chair. Abdulla Hameed told some of the special Majlis members, 'I am not contesting this time,' and 'Zahir Hussein (Haveeru editor) has also refused to accept.. so we are bringing out Ahmed Zahir'. He instructed the members to vote for Ahmed. Since members took their oaths of office, the government has been busy lobbying for Ahmed Zahir. Leading the campaign are Abdullah Hameed, Mohamed Hussein, Abdullah Yameen and Abdullah Shahid. Zahir Hussein also made important phone calls. It was shameful and sad that Midhath Hilmy (minister of communication, science and technology) asked his staff members in the special majlis to vote for the government candidate. After discussions, the government knew there was little support for Ahmed Zahir, and this is one reason Hameed was determined not to allow a secret ballot for the president of the special majlis. It was not a decision based on legal constitutional considerations. The government was convinced that a secret vote would result in many government members voting for Buruma Gasim. Gayyoom's brother Yameen was reportedly near tears when he said to a member, 'if a secret vote is held, we are gone'. The only reason the government is concerned about the president of the special majlis is because Gayyoom does not want any meaningful changes to the constitution. The present rulers want to continue with the system unchanged. A few days ago I phoned foreign minister Fathullah Jameel. What I understood from this conversation was that his mind is still trapped in the 1950s. Any reasonable person can see the coming storm, but the rulers of Maldives are oblivious! This is the tragedy of people who become dictators. Before the French Revolution, the farangi king believed he was all powerful and then he lost his head. NSS block street in Male' during demonstration against special majlis control by Abdullah Hameed top

Related articles and links Minister of Atolls, Majlis Speaker and chairman of Bank of Maldives Abdullah Hameed: A Secret Known to All Sandhaanu May 2004 Members Appeal to the High Court of Maldives regarding the refusal of the Criminal Court to hear the case Dhivehi Observer 29 July 2004 Gayyoom rejects lawsuit against his brother on the charge of high treason Dhivehi Observer 21 July 2004 Lawsuit filed against Speaker of the Parliament for High Treason Dhivehi Observer 20 July 2004 MPs walk out of Maldives assembly BBC 19 July 2004 Metamorphosis of Mr. Zahir Mohamed Nasheed Dhivehi Observer 21 July 2004 Maumoonabad and Gayoomdeebiya September 2003 Name change idea leads Minister of Justice to banned website October 2003

Maldives Culture is an independent internet magazine of Maldive cultural issues.
Editors and translators: Michael O'Shea and Fareesha Abdulla, Australia
We invite contributions from Maldivians and others interested in Maldives.
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