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My First Experience of GAYYOCRACY - Gayyoom's Democracy

A teacher in an island school, 27th October 2004

It was in 1993. I was a student teacher at the Institute of Teacher Education (ITE). For our teaching experience we went to Hinnavaru island on Lhaviyani atoll. There were about 30 students and two teachers. During our stay, voting for the presidential referendum took place. Three days before voting, all the inhabitants and our group of student-teachers were asked to assemble in the school ground. An assistant Atoll chief spoke about the importance of electing the incumbent president (Gayyoom).

On voting day, we were very excited because some of us had reached voting age for the first time (21 years). At around 8.30am that day, our new voters went to the polling area. The person in charge asked us to give our names. He went through a list and put a mark next to our names. Then we were asked to go home after having a hearty breakfast of milk tea, boiled eggs and bananas.

We enjoyed the breakfast, but I swear to God, we never saw any ballot papers. Whatever mark that was put on our ballot papers was done by them. The next day we learnt from a reliable source that the ballot box was taken to Naifaru island at midnight because a committee had gone through all the 'secret ballot papers' to make sure that Hinnavaru voted 100 percent for Gayyoom.

I swear upon Allah what I have stated above is true.