Ismail Shafeeu Next President of Maldives :: Dhivehi Observer

Maldives Politics
Could Defence Minister Ismail Shafeeu be our next President?

Mariyam Mohamed, Dhivehi Observer, 26^th April 2005

Ismail Shafeeu has been a very low key member of the cabinet for a very long time. However, he came to the limelight when he stated on national television last year that MDP was an illegal entity and all activities against the government would be the same. Gayyoom has been in power in Maldives for over quarter of a century and the post of Defence Minister has been reserved for him for all that time along with several other key posts such as Finance Minister.

In the aftermath of the September 2003 state murders of Evan Naseem and 3 of his colleagues in Maafushi Jail, opposition to Gayyoom's illegitimate government took a new turn and it gained momentum in a very short space of time. Gayyoom's Secret Dictatorship was no more a secret and he was exposed to the wider world in no time, thanks to the international media, especially the British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC).

Internally, many have been concerned about Gayyoom style of government and his policies right from the time he came to power in 1978 yet no one dared to speak out against him fearing certain arrest and torture. However the events of September 2003 proved to be too much for most of the reformists and open minded Maldivians. Gayyoom was left with no option but to offer some concessions such as the announcement of the reform package in June 2004 as well as the reshuffling of the government including giving up two key portfolios which he held for 26 years, Defence and Finance. In the process, he also artificially separated the Police and the Army, a move he claims as prudent proof of his desire to reform the political and civil society of the Maldives.

Ismail Shafeeu has been through many cabinet portfolios and belongs to a family that is seen by many Maldivians as one of the most prominent in the country. His late father, Ahmed Zaki was a great statesmen. He filled several important government posts such as the Prime Minister of the Maldives during the time of the former President Ibrahim Nasir. Mr. Zaki was a man of the people and desired to implement social justice but in the course of doing that he lost the blessing of the Head of the State and was stripped off his power and even banished to a remote island. Former President Ibrahim Nasir allegedly told him that "People call you Prime Minister because I want them to," which clearly explains the kind of powers any Maldivian Prime Minister will have under the current system of government in Maldives which thrives on nepotism and corruption and the power of the gun.

Hon. Zaki was a man of the people who lived a humble life and mingled with the most common people to the day he died. He would go to a pharmacy to get prescription drugs and refuse special treatment but queue with the locals and wait for his turn. He smiled and talked to the common man which earned him great admiration and respect. Hence, it is safe to assume that Ismail Shafeeu should have similar qualities and would ultimately aspire to be a leader who would save this nation and its people from the tyranny of Gayyoom.

Ismail Shafeeu is much more educated and open minded than Gayyoom. His staff from the various ministries he worked at have expressed deep admiration for the man, which is ample evidence that here is a man capable of running this tiny nation much better and most importantly more justly than the tyrant Gayyoom.

Despite the current political turmoil and confusion in Maldives, it is hard to believe that Ismail Shafeeu, son of Late Hon. Ahmed Zaki, one of the most revered statesmen in modern history of our tiny nation, would side with a brutal dictator wholeheartedly as he appears to be doing right now. Sources close to Ismail Shafeeu say that he is there because he believes that he can do more by being in the cabinet and changing the system from within. As Minister of Defence, Ismail Shafeeu is now one of the most powerful people in the country and a person who can change the destiny of Maldives at will. It is impossible that he worships Gayyoom like the other cabinet members and associates and furthermore it is impossible that he would have forgiven Gayyoom for locking up his cousin brother Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, a former cabinet Minister who is now a vocal critic of Gayyoom.

Watch out Gayyoom, it is the men you trust most who will turn out against you and there will no one to rescue you on the day!