12th March 2007 The composition of the negotiating team of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for Track 1 (Amendment of the Constitution) of the ongoing bipartisan talks has raised concerns about the importance given to the process by the MDP. The MDP team contains several inexperienced individuals without the requisite know-how for the work they have been assigned by their party.

With only two of the seven-member MDP delegation having an educational level above secondary school, and the MDP increasingly trying to divert the focus of the talks, demands are now coming in for the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to issue an ultimatum to the MDP: "Either reaffirm your commitment to constitutional reform through meaningful participation in Track 1 or the talks will be called off and the process will be completed unilaterally by the DRP." The DRP has a controlling majority in both the Peoples' Majlis (Parliament) and the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly).

Two of the seven members of the MDP team, Chairman Mohamed Nasheed Annie and Shadow Minister Idham Muizz Adnan do not hold seats in the Special Majlis. Yet only these two have any form of tertiary education: Adnan is a lawyer by profession and Annie holds a bachelors degree in Maritime Studies, a field not quite in tune with his undoubtedly large political ambitions.

The other members include Special Majlis Members Ahmed Shafeeq and Ali Faiz, neither of whom made much headway in secondary school. None of the members have held down a responsible position for any length of time in private or in government except Adnan. This makes a woeful comparison with the DRP team, which is contains highly educated, experienced leaders at both community and national levels.

It can be argued that the MDP has a limited field to choose from, but when compared with the make up of the MDP teams set for the other tracks, it perhaps signifies the relative levels of commitment to the various tracks. The other teams include figures such as Former Attorney General Dr Mohammed Munavvar, Former Cabinet Minister and current MDP Acting President Ibrahim Zaki, and other experienced people with a long history of public service such as Mohamed Shihab (BEc, Economics), MP for Male' and Former State Attorney Mariya Didi. Other educated figures include lawyer Husnu Suood and Dr Hussein Rasheed Hassan.

These facts give more credence to the claims by various observers, and private comments attributed to MDP top brass, that the talks on constitutional reform is simply a façade used to push through the MDP's political agenda. This agenda is apparently still based on toppling the Gayoom Administration.

These questions arise at a time when pressure has been mounting for the Special Majlis and the political parties involved to accelerate the process. Last week the US Ambassador and the visiting US Undersecretary of State had both commended the reforms achieved so far but they insisted that the two houses had been to blame for the continued slow speed of the process.

The talks with the governing DRP were commenced several weeks ago upon the invitation of the DRP Leader, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The process has hit a rocky patch after a promising start when the parties found common ground on various issues such as aiming to achieve the May Deadline set in the Road Map for Reform (published by the Government) and the presence of a Commonwealth Observer.

Recent developments such as the list of demands brought to the table by the MDP and the loss of trust due to the MDP revealing information confidential to the negotiations have seen the talks almost grind to a halt. The parties had initially agreed to the talks only concerning the fast-tracking of the constitutional amendment work of the Special Majlis (Constitutional Assembly), until the DRP agreed to broaden the scope of the talks to include three separate but parallel tracks, on condition that Track 1 - the amendment of the Constitution - takes absolute precedence.

The other two tracks have been defined by the parties as reforming certain pieces of legislation in the Majlis and tackling the broader reform agenda by phasing in a more democratic culture in the Maldives.

The DRP has recently accused the MDP of "raising all possible issues except the amendment of the constitution." While the public is increasingly losing faith in the capacity of the Special Majlis to deliver on its mandate, they now face the further set-back of seeing any hope of success through the bipartisan talks evaporate.

The teams chosen by the parties to take part in the three tracks are as follows.

Track 1 - Constitutional Amendment

DRP team

Ahmed Thasmeen: Ali, Home Minister & Party Vice President; MP for Baa Atoll
Gasim Ibrahim: Finance Minister & Party Vice President, Special Majlis Member for Alif Dhaalu
Dr Hassan Saeed: Attorney General & Party Vice President
Aneesa Ahmed: Minister & Party Parliamentary Group Leader, MP for Meemu Atoll
Abdulla Yameen: Higher Education Minister; MP for Noonu Atoll
Ilyas Ibrahim: Health Minister, MP for Laamu Atoll
Dr Ahmed Shaheed: Foreign Minister

MDP team

Mohamed Nasheed Annie: Party Chairperson (no seat in either house)
Mohamed Aslam: MP for Seenu Atoll
Ahmed Shafeeq: Special Majlis Member for Meemu Atoll
Idham Muizz Adnan: Shadow Minister for Law and Justice (no seat in either house)
Ali Faiz: Special Majlis Member for Baa Atoll
Mohamed Riyaz: Special Majlis Member for Dhaalu Atoll
Adnan Haleem: Special Majlis Member for Gaafu Alif Atoll

Track 2 - Reform of Legislation within the Peoples' Majlis

DRP team

Aishath Azima Shakoor: Deputy Home Minister, DRP Women's Wing Vice President
Ilyas Ibrahim: Health Minister, MP for Laamu Atoll
Ibrahim Shareef: MP for Seenu (Addu) Atoll
Hussain Mohamed: Executive Director TVM, MP for Alifu Atoll (North)
Abdulla Shahid: Minister of State For Foreign Affairs, MP for Vaavu Atoll
Abdulla Jabbir: Chairman of MIFCO, MP for Gaafu Alifu Atoll
Aneesa Ahmed: Minister & Party Parliamentary Group Leader, MP for Meemu Atoll

MDP team

Maariya Ahmed Didi: Former State Attorney, Member of Shadow Cabinet, MP for Kaafu (Male') Atoll
Moosa Manik Reeko: Member of Shadow Cabinet, MP Laamu for Atoll
Ibrahim Solih: MP for Lhaviyani (Faadhippolhu) Atoll
Mohamed Nasheed Kaanal : Member of Special Majlis for Male'
Husnu Suood: Member of Special Majlis for Seenu (Addu) Atoll
Dr Mohamed Munavvar: Former Attorney General, Special Advisor to MDP leadership

Track 3 - The Broader Reform Agenda

DRP team

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali: Home Minister & Party Vice President, MP for Baa Atoll
Gasim Ibrahim: Finance Minister & Party Vice President, Special Majlis Member for Alif Dhaalu
Dr Hassan Saeed: Attorney General & Party Vice President
Aneesa Ahmed: Minister & Party Parliamentary Group Leader, MP for Meemu Atoll
Mohamed Jameel Ahmed: Minister of Justice, Former Judge at the High Court
Dr Ahmed Shaheed: Foreign Minister

MDP team

Ibrahim Hussain Zaki: Former Cabinet Minister (no seat in either house)
Mohamed Aslam: Member of Shadow Cabinet
Ahmed Adil: Member of Special Majlis for Haa Dhaalu Atoll
Amintha Jameel: Member of Shadow Cabinet
Dr Hussain Rasheed Hassan: Member of Shadow Cabinet, Member of Special Majlis for Thaa Atoll
Ali Hashim: Member of Shadow Cabinet

-- Kalhala