50 million rufiya to oust Gayoom

News reports citing the Commissioner of Elections in Maldives revealed the following amounts spent on the campaign for the recently concluded presidential election.

Gayoom's DRP 33.2 million
Nasheed's MDP 29.9 million
Gasim's Republic 13.9 million
Hassan Saeed 2.8 million
Umar Naseer's IDP 1.5 million
Ibrahim Ismail's SLP 1.8 million

The different parties that campaigned in the presidential election to oust Gayoom's Government had one thing in common. They all wanted to defeat the Gayoom Government that ruled the Maldives for thirty years.

Why did we need the party system? We are told by the politicians and political pundits that multiple parties are needed to enhance democracy.

Political parties came into being in Maldives in order to find a method to escape the tyranny from a fascist one party-government led by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who only supported the capitalistic elites for thirty years.

Now we have to learn about the shortcomings of the party system.

MDP coalition's Home minister Gasim Ibrahim resigned on Wednesday evening, after 22 days in office, stating the new administration failed to release funds for the improvement of prisons. Gasim’s announcement follows heavy criticism over a violent confrontation between police and protesting employees at the five-star One and Only resort. Gasim ordered police to go to the island.

Gasim's Republican party has not yet decided on their continued support for the MDP coalition.

Now the Republican party will be thinking of how to score political points within he MDP alliance or pull out from the government. MDP will think of political horse-trading to keep its government from falling.

In the United States, people are born into either Republican or Democratic families, almost like an inherited religion. Americans are getting tired of the abuses of the party system, and more and more are declaring themselves independent and moving away from the political parties.