MALE: After placid acceptance of a 25-year rule by their leader, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, a prosperous, but politically restive Maldivian citizenry now wants a transition to full-fledged democracy. On the streets of its capital, Male, appreciation for Mr. Gayoom's economic transformation is matched by political weariness and apprehension of what lies ahead.

Officially, the Maldives is a democratic republic, but the basic building block of present-day democracies — a political party — is not permitted. "We have undoubtedly gained on the economic front, but it is time for some form of basic political rights," is a feeling commonly and increasingly voiced in Male, the main island of the Maldives, spread across a total of 1,192 islets. The country's 2.85 lakh population lives in 199 islands, but its main source of income is from the 87 tourist resorts that cater to top-bracket global clientele.

Mr. Gayoom promised far-reaching reforms, but there is uncertainty if reforms will unfold as promised. Last month's arrests of dissidents who called for greater reforms, including a former Minister and former SAARC Secretary-General, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, came as a cause of concern for the pro-democracy activists.

President Gayoom says the protestors were arrested "to safeguard public property." The pro-democracy activists disagree: "The entire reformist movement is in jail. They have not violated any law," asserts Mohammed Latheef, one of the pro-democracy activists, based in Colombo.

Demanding that Mr. Gayoom push ahead with reforms, pro-democratic activists in Male want the President to "adhere to the Constitution in letter and in spirit" and to "sincerely go ahead with the reforms." Though the President set out his reform package to the nation, legislative progress has been halting.

A Special Majlis (equivalent of a Constituent Assembly) was sworn in this July, but its first sitting was a non-starter as 23 members walked out demanding a secret ballot to elect the new president of the Special Majlis. Their demand for a secret ballot is based on Art. 133 of the Constitution which says that "voting in elections and public referendums stipulated in the Constitution shall be by secret ballot."

The second sitting of the Special Majlis, scheduled for August 16, was also a non-starter as public protests broke out on August 12 and 13, culminating in the arrests of MPs and members of the Special Majlis, including Mr. Zaki.

The public protests, according to several sources in Male, comprised a mix of several ideologies, all with the common end of political change. Moderates and pro-democrats such as Mr. Zaki shared the public space with a small group of vocal religious fundamentalists such as Ibrahim Fareed, a preacher. The protesters, including Mr. Zaki, Mr. Fareed, some other MPs and members of the Special Majlis, were jailed and a state of Emergency imposed on Male and nearby islands. Pro-democratic dissenters are emphatic that they do not endorse fundamentalist calls: "When there is a public platform, people with divergent views would come and voice their grievances. We don't endorse Islamic extremism," said Mr. Latheef. On the official position that the arrests were made to safeguard public property, he said: "none of what the President says justifies such a clampdown and deprivation of fundamental rights."

Courtesy The Hindu