Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed today requested the Sri Lankan government to engage more in ensuring a smooth transition of power in his country, after yesterday’s Presidential election.
Mohamed Nasheed
Speaking to a group of journalists in Colombo, last night, Nasheed, a politician in exile, thanked the Sri Lankan government for giving him a safe haven during a difficult time.
“I am sure this beautiful Sri Lankan tradition will continue,” the former Maldives President said.
“We now want to see a smooth transition. We don’t want to see President Yameen going back to his old tricks.That is why I request the Sri Lankan government to engage more robustly in the process.”
Describing Maldivian Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s victory as a “historic moment,” Nasheed, an important figure in Solih’s campaign, said a “lot of work” needed to be done to strengthen democracy in his country.
With Nasheed’s decision in June to exit the presidential race, the joint Opposition led by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) decided to field a common candidate. The unlikely coalition — of MDP with the Jumhooree party, Adalat party, and a faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) — chose Solih to fight Abdulla Yameen’s presidency.
Nasheed also met BJP MP and Leader of Virat Hindustan Sangam Dr. Subramanian Swamy in Colombo last month, and urged the latter to intervene in thwarting Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen’s alleged attempts to rig the election. At the meeting, Swamy had reportedly assured India’s full assistance in holding a free and fair election in the Maldives.
Making a statement in Maldives, a short while ago, Yameen, the defeated candidate said, he accepted the people’s verdict expressed at the Presidential election.
Yameen also pledged to transfer power to the President-elect peacefully, in November, as scheduled.
K.Anaga / September 24, 2018
Mr. Mohamed Nasheed!
Many a slip between the ‘Cup and the Lip’ may arise between now and November. The trust you appear to have in Sri Lanka may have to be fortified by India- another snake under the grass, as they consider them selves to be the master of our region. They may not like your exclusive dependence on SRI LANKA.
Any way- All the Best sir.
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Sriya / September 24, 2018
Lanka also needs a new Govt. and must follow example of Mahathir in Malaysia, Imran Khan in Pakistan, and Maldives lead.
JVP’s Anura Kumara should run for President if the 20th amendment fails. and he will win because people are fed up of bonscam Ranil, Sira and has corrupt clowns and the Jarapassa criminals, all of whom are looted and beggared the people.
Lanka needs a new generation of politicians who are clean and AKD fits the bill, even if JVP cannot get people to vote for its en mass.
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Silva / September 27, 2018
Mohamed Nasheed, The Sri Lankan President is openly protecting the Rajapaksas and their criminal network from prosecution. No hope of these criminals being of any helping to you unless you too want to sell your country to China then they will come running to make a commission.
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Zain / September 24, 2018
Sir, enforce and maintain the rule of law, give back and ensure the freedom and free voice of the people, safeguard their human rights, and see that all those who are responsible for making this beautiful paradise a living hell for it’s people should be brought to justice. Ensure freedom should be given to all those prisoners of conscience who are languishing in your jails. Don’t ever think of taking revenge that one day would come back to you. Ensure these of kinds things wouldn’t reappear back again in your good country. Trust your people, be fair and good to all of them. Long live Maldives, and all the best for a fresh and new beginning for its people.
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JD / September 24, 2018
The problem Indian involving in these is that Most of the Federal govt of India is CIA. Sri lankan Politicians are not good either. At least, we may expect better. In India also I think MODI may be a good person. This president stayed in Sri lanka during his exoulsion from country’s politics. So, he trusts the country. but, Be careful, our politicians may sell trust for a few dollars or for future rewards. IF you are yourself part of the ploy, then think about those who trusted you and the country.. WE know our govt is preparing to advertise SALE of the cpuntry. Because Rupee is TOILET PAPER NOW.
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K.Pillai / September 24, 2018
Mohamed Nasheed you might not know we Lankans mandated a government to bridle the culture of corruption/nepotism/impunity. They could not defeat them so they joined them!
Your sermon ~ “…..said a “lot of work” needed to be done to strengthen democracy,,,,,,,,” is hollow. Please tell us what you will do.
You seem to have met a character Subramanian Swamy. This man suggested that the problems of India can be solved by disfranchising non-Hindu Indians. Even the bigots in BJP did not buy this. He was in SL to meet his bosom pal MR.
Try talking with Modi directly.
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Good luck in plenty Nasheed.
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Lankan / September 24, 2018
Democracy is good for all ..
People of Maldives and for Sri Lanka .
Peace in Maldives is good for all..
So; transfer power as soon as possible .
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Sinhala_Man / September 25, 2018
Dear Anni,
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I’ve watched and listened to the video above. You will always be welcome here. thanks for spending a day or two more with us, and for the warm sentiments expressed by you here.
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K. Anaga, have no misgivings about Anni’s realism. He’s been through more than enough; if he strikes you as being naive, that’s because he’s just too good a man. I have met him twice only. Once in 1994, when he was “under house arrest” in his Male home whence he had been brought from the Prison Island for medical treatment. This is what a freedom fighter (the genuine ones of that ilk) have to put up with. Torture, followed by medical treatment.
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Next I met him at Berjeya Hotel, College Avenue, Mt Lavinia, about five weeks ago; I also met Ibu Solih (the President-elect) and Mrs Nasheed – actually, in the Maldives she’d be referred to as Laila Ali Abdulla – they are not as possessive as we tend to be. All these people are dedicated to the cause of freedom, human dignity, and rights. They have public roles to play, which makes it unlikely that small fry like me will hob nob with them. But I found them all very simple, warm and human.
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I’ve spent quite some time trying to draw the attention of readers to the important events in the Island Nation. I will come back to comment, depending on what others say. Zain, I think that you will find this particularly moving:
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https://minivannewsarchive.com/politics/qa-former-first-lady-laila-ali-says-nasheed-asked-his-daughters-to-forgive-his-jailers-93882
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Our leaders, too, have a right to privacy, and some sort of family life. Anni and family have had so little. I’m glad that our region has a man of this calibre.
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Sinhala_Man / September 25, 2018
Dear K. Pillai,
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About two months ago, our fear was that Yameen, who has no scruples whatever, would prevent a credible election. With hind-sight we might wonder why Anni met Subramanian Swamy. It may have been in desperation. I’ve just seen this excellent half hour discussion among five Indians. Note how little respect they have for our politicians:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dQDQ-s-Lxo
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Even they are surprised that Yameen did not more effectively rig the elections. He tried, you can be sure. Almost no international monitors. But I’m almost sure that Sri Lanka sent our very independent Commission Member. How independent? Judge for yourself, from this article that has appeared only today:
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/keeping-promises-fooling-the-un-is-a-lot-tougher-than-fooling-sri-lankans/
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He may have played a greater part than we can ever know. We must honour those who deserve such respect.
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At the same time, we must see think in their context. A Head of State (Anni was one, and probably will be one again), has certain obligations. So, I saw a photograph of Anni at Medamulana with the Rajapaksas when one of Mahinda’s brothers had passed away. Anni’s going there may have been part humanism, but much more his obligation to play a certain role.
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We can be informal; but I won’t “Anni” his Excellency, the President of the Maldives! Human beings we may all be, but certain walls are necessary – I think that you’ll know the Robert Frost poem, “Mending Wall”.
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sach / September 25, 2018
This Nasheed seems to be an idiot. He became a tool of a indian ocean power game and now threatening the Chinese like the drunk mouse did. He should have seen what happened to mega idiots in yahapalana in Sri Lanka. RW, Harsha clown and Ravi all threatened China but had to go there with a begging bowl. At least we in Sri Lanka has a Rajapaksa to ask for help. Otherwise the damage done by these yahapala stooges are unbelievable. And the stupid Maldivians are following the yahapala foot steps.
The new Maldivian gov should maintain their relations with China like the previous gov did without trying to curry favor with indians.
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Sinhala_Man / October 4, 2018
Dear “sach”,
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The trouble with clever people like you, “sach” is that you think that good people are fools. You admire the crooks, who prosper for a time; some of them even die rich – does General Franco fit the bill?
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Don’t you worry; Solhi & Nasheed will maintain reasonable relations with both China and India. Have you not seen that Youtube discussion by five Indians? At your level, you might think Nasheed a fool; some of his education was at the Overseas School of Colombo. Google for the annual fees there; yes, you can buy a brand new car for less! Then it was a British Public School – look it up! Why should a man with such wealth have spent more than half his adult life in jails, where he was tortured.
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A man very different from us; and so you think him a fool. I prefer to think him a great (slight in physique, perhaps, but healthy owing to disciplined living) man; few of them are born in any generation in the world.
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For long my Maldivian friends were saying that he was a stubborn and headstrong man, who would go on insisting that he be the candidate; I heard him myself, saying that they “had no plan B.” I think that he always had it; that was not being dishonest; it was not even being clever. It was being realistic, and putting himself forward as servant of all.
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Sinhala_Man / October 4, 2018
Behold how well Nasheed is playing his cards now. He’s not the man who’s won the Elections – it is Ibu Solih who has been turned in to the public manifstation, while Anni makes the plans.
My Bandarawela neighbour, a Belgian, worked in the Maldives for a year; 2011-2012. Anni, as President, used to walk quietly to his office, greeting people as he walked. They used to meet face to face in this fashion quite often, their normal work hours being similar, I guess. Jacques used to know that Anni was the President, but Anni didn’t know this rather rare, regular, white man. “Regular”, since he was obviously no tourist. After a few months, those pleasant greetings stopped owing to the coup in which Anni was overthrown.
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Few Maldivians are so friendly; and as a rule, they don’t like Sri Lankans – there are too many of us there.
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Sach, this won’t be an easy task for Anni; but not really because of external forces. It was a disparate coalition that managed defeat the unpopular but feared Yameen. The vice-President is from the Religious Party. Keeping them together, and preventing the corruptions that have now sprung up are not going to be easy.
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jim softy / September 25, 2018
We should not forget that Maldives was a member of Human Rights council and voted against the motion in Sri Lanka when Nasheed was the president. Nasheed’s votes was very significant to cover up the war crimes with western nations. Otherwise westerna nations would have punished our war heroes. Now when Nasheed needs or help and we should help him. We have a duty to help him in the name of war heroes.
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JD / September 25, 2018
Nasheed is CIA agent I heard, that may be the reason he di dnot ask Indian help instead asked Sri lankan help.
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jim softy / September 26, 2018
your problem is you always ‘hear’ lots of things. Do you know what I heard about you? I heard you are hearing voices in your head. #auditory hallucination
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Sinhala_Man / September 25, 2018
I strongly support Nasheed and Ibu Solhi who is married to Nasheed’s cousin, but for reasons quite different from those given by you. I have met them all, with no ulterior motive. Those are the leaders we need in our countries; indeed in the world. I have lived in the Maldives for three years, and have many Maldivian friends. Therefore, it would be sensible for you to pay heed to what I’m saying.
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I have stressed above that we all have certain roles to play. I am a retired man who feels that he has lived his life. Nasheed, on the other hand, is in active politics, and certain decisions have to be made because they are politic at that time. There was a tragic war in Sri Lanka between certain Sinhalese (count me out, please) and certain Tamils (count out Prof Jeevan Hoole who monitored the election in the Maldives).
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Many terrible things were done by both sides during the War. They have to be investigated. Various considerations may have persuaded Anni to vote so as to allow the Sri Lankan government to escape accountability.
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Many of the Tamil criminals have been “punished” – killed extra-judicially. Wrong, but I don’t mourn for them. Most Sinhalese criminals are still at large, and are still prospering.
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There were indeed many Sinhalese War Heroes. Although they lost the War, many Tamils fought valiantly for what they believed in. I agree with you that they were mistaken, but I honour them. May they all RIP.
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I will send messages to Anni and Ibu asking them not to save our rotten government again. I am a proud and loyal Sinhalese.
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Kewattaya / September 25, 2018
Beware of this Nasheed – a real snake under the grass. He will take Lanka to cleaners
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Kandiah / September 27, 2018
This Nasheed is dangerous, deport soon
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mahamudliyar / September 27, 2018
Nasheed is doing politics from Sri Lanka causing us unnessary trouble and embarrasment.
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Kathir Kathiragesu / September 27, 2018
Ask him (Nasheed) to leave to any other country. We don’t want him here
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Sinhala_Man / September 28, 2018
Dear Kathir Kathiragesu,
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When there genuinely is a problem in anther country, it is only humane that we help by granting asylum. I’m sick of seeing all these comments from guys who can’t be identified. My identity is known to most. Period.
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Kewattaya, JD, sach and mahamudliyar, I have no time right now to deal with trolls like you. There are about five days to go before comments must cease. You guys obvously know little of what you are talking about. Can’t you just shut up!
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I know quite a bit about the Maldives, and about Nasheed. That doesn’t mean that I’m anything like a pal of his. But apart from meeting him twice, I’ve studied his history and most of what is relevant. I will return here in a few days and counter the points made by “sach”. The others have not said anything that makes sense – so the rot that they spout can’t be falsified. In other words, as Karl Popper would have said, their their utterances make no sense.
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In any event, the President is going to be Ibu Solih. Obviously, Nasheed will be the power behind him. In the circumstances there’s nothing wrong in that. But they are both mature people, and I don’t foresee any conflicts between them.
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The tragedy for us, Sri Lankans, is that we have no politicians who can even approach those two guys in vision and commitment.
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