Who cares for public interest?

Following the events after the brutal death of Evan Naseem in 2003 and under intense international pressure, the Maldivian Government was forced to undertake political reforms including the establishment of an independent judiciary and supreme court, and the setting up of a human rights commission. While the government has been largely reacting to events since then, the people of deprived islands have taken the law into their own hands. The people of Dhidhoo threw their fish into the government office when the collector vessel could not buy their catch. Since then it has become a common practise to force closure of offices in the islands or shut down the power generator until their demands are met. Things are going from bad to worse.

After the Human Rights Commission was set up 0n 10 October 2003, one more channel opened up to Maldivians to mount pressure on the Government to carry out the promised reforms.


While Maldives is still struggling to recover from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, our politicians are now preoccupied in the democratic process to build independent institutions for political governance. The public chase has intensified on the government that has a record of making bold statements and a very poor record of delivering them.

Efforts to eradicate drugs and treat addicts from drug addiction, a national epidemic among younger generation is a glaring example.

With the eyes of the world on Maldives, in June 2004 a special majlis, or parliament, was convened to consider changes in the constitution, including the legalization of political parties to bring democracy to the country.

What emerged from the special majlis over the next three years to revise a document that took 17 years to make has found several conspiracy theories. Some of them would include that government MP's deliberately fail to turn up to several meetings that were cancelled due to lack of quorum or the switching of unexpected political allegiances and affecting the voting patterns without any regard to public interest. All these makes the constitution of Maldives appear to be the worst enemy of the ordinary people of Maldives, the vast majority of whom make up the total of of 300,000 Muslims. The current constitution that some politicians praised as a world-class legal document turns out to have deprived the people of their rights and stands against good governance.


What an ominous misadventure the Maldivian constitution has been made out to be!!!


Tourism is the main industry, contributing almost 20 percent to the GDP. Fisheries and trade follow close behind.Tourism, Maldives' largest industry, accounts for 28% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Fishing, agriculture and manufacturing play a lesser role in the economy.

The wealthy elites resident in Male' benefit from tourism disproportionately because the country does not have an income tax system.

Significant challenges still lie ahead in order to comply with democracy and good governance such as building up independent institutions in a country that does not have a civic culture or the political discipline to make speedy progress. Promises of structural development and creating employment are undertaken, usually around election time.

There is more to democratic systems than simply structures and formal institutions. From the creation of democratic institutions, it is necessary that a political culture that supports democratic ideals also emerge. We are in testing times and have a long way to go.