:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

The need for a workable plan for an emergency governance in the immediate post GDP* period

OPINION by "alias" - Wednesday, June 23, 2004

The Maldivian constitution has clauses that state that the President of the Majlis would be vested with the responsibility of caretaking the government in the event of death of a president in office, till elections are held again.

We may live to see the day when Gayyoom is forced by nature to relinquish the presidency when he dies a natural death. Another more plausible (and in the present day more probable) way for the Gayyoom presidency to end would be when he leaves the country to live in exile.

Either way he would leave the country to the hands of the Majlis president.

The NSS I am sure would have plans to maintain security within the capital, and to keep the country safe from foreign aggression during such volatile and vulnerable times. What I am also sure is that some of the officers at NSS also have plans to step in to fill that vacuum. This is not what the people want, NSS should know this.

It is important for the political opposition to make detailed plans for this period in terms of how they would like to use the opportunity to help the Maldivian people adopt a better political system.

The GDP has never thought of making plans for this scenario because they hope (against hope) to stay in power forever.

PROPOSAL

I think it is imperative that the opposition parties work together (or separately) with the benefit of the country ahead of anything else in such a time to help the public make that decision to peacefully transition to a better system of governance.

I propose that the political parties come up with plans to help make this happen peacefully.

As has been the case in many countries let that not be a time when the political parties fight amongst each other to become the ruling party.

The aim of any political party should not be to become the ruling party, but to improve the social, economic and political situation by working for the good of the country whether it be from the ruling benches or the opposition benches.

The best way to do that may very well be to stay as a non-governing opposition party.

This is one notion that every political movement should have in their memorandum. This is one notion the public will have to be able to trust the party to act on and uphold.

I would propose that the opposition come on a single platform when this time presents itself with the aim of making the Maldivian transition to Pluralistic Democracy a peaceful one.

It will be much easier to make contact between the parties from now on regarding that common platform and iron out the differences before hand so that the unified movement will be more presentable to the people.

It will be anything but peaceful if each opposition party goes along with the sole aim of governing the country.

That peaceful transition will not be possible until the different political parties unite for the common cause of transforming to a Democracy worth the name.

Once that is established the individual parties can go back to their more specific interests and work towards achieving what they believe in.

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. DIVIDED WE FALL, LONGER GAYYOOM STANDS.

*GDP refers to "Gayyoom's Dictatorial Party"

NOTE: There is no such party. It is only used to make a point.