Reforms remain a mirage in Maldives

Democratic reforms remain largely a mirage in theMaldives despite promises given by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom three years ago. The President announced a 31-point proposal for constitutional amendment in February 2005 with the stated objective of ushering in a 21st century liberal democracy in the Maldives.

Mr. Gayoom reiterated his resolve to carry forward with the reforms when he visited Thiruvanathapuram later in the year and addressed the local Maldivian population. But his reform agenda remain an unfinished task, as he visits India to attend the SAARC summit.

The President, who has ruled the country for nearly threedecades, promised reforms in November 2003 upon his assuming office for a sixth term. A process of revising the Constitution had been initiated in 1980, but had achieved no major change in two decades. Mr. Gayoom's promise of reforms to bring about wholesale changes to the way the country was being governed came against this background. He pledged to accelerate plans for political and legal reforms, increase transparency and responsiveness, and strengthen accountability mechanisms in order to meet public expectations besides ensuring better governance and human rights protection. A Constitutional Assembly (Special Majlis) empowered to amend the Constitution was announced in February the next year and it was formed by July the same year.

The 31-point agenda was presented to the SpecialMajlis in February 2005. The proposals included limiting the number of presidential terms, removing the gender bar on running for presidency, greater separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, creation of a Supreme Court, introduction of political parties and parliamentary oversight of crucial public appointments.

However, things hardly moved thereafter. The Special Majlis took more than a year to draw up rules of procedure. When protests and pressure from Europe grew, the President released a "Roadmap for the Reform Agenda", titled Ushering in a Modern Democracy, on 27 March 2006. Elections, promised under the new Constitution, were advanced to October 2008.

Meanwhile, political parties were allowed to function in the country. Now, four parties function in the State including the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) led by Mr. Gayoom. The Opposition Madivian Democratic Party accuses that the President, who had a majority in the Assembly, was going slow on the reforms.

The road map was drawn up without consulting the stakeholdersand only one reform Bill has been passed so far in the People's Majlis.The Speaker, who was an appointee of the President, was delaying matters.

In some areas, the Government reneged on its commitments or evenregressed. The Presidential Decrees on Defamation and on the Freedom of Assembly were examples of such regression. These laws provide for the statutory entrenchment of existing autocratic practices, it says. Talks between the DRP and the MDP on accelerating reforms broke down recently with DRP withdrawing from the dialogue. And tension between the Police and MDP has become a regular phenomenon in the Maldives.

Source: Hindu News