How do you decide who to vote for? the low-down on the Presidential Candidates

"I don't know who to vote for" My friend Hassan said gloomily the other day.

So I have decided to make the choice a little easier for him by giving my take on the candidates.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (DRP)


Positives:-
This was a hard one and the only things I could come up was
- he has 30 years of executive experience
- Educated (albeit Arabic medium)

Negatives:-
- 30 years of dictatorial rule (several dead in custody, torture in jail, corruption, nepotism, you name it!)
- 30 years of family dominance. Now that Yameen has joined up, there is no reason to believe that it would not be another 5 more years of Kaaminee Clan rule
- nearly 15 years of state-sponsored drug lords given free reign in the country
- Encouraged Arabisation of the Maldives (he began the Arabic medium schools which has now lead to the country being run over by Haabees.
- too many negatives to list on one page

MOHAMED NASHEED (ANNI) MDP


Positives

- Educated
- Number one advocate of Democracy in the Maldives both in theory and practice;
- Belongs to the only party that has even a semblance of internal democracy (was elected by a majority of party members)
- A brave and bold soul who is not scared in face of adversity and has stood up to his principles and beliefs against all odds

Negatives
- severe lack of experience at top executive level;
- Still seen by many as too much of an activist
- too many family members involved in MDP makes people worry about Kaminee Clan being replaced by Keneree Clan
- many claim that he is too dictatorial


DR.HASSAN SAEED (NO PARTY)


Positives
- highly educated
- Experienced in top executive level (was AG in Golhaabo's government)
- Has got the resilient and 'unbreakable' Doc Shaheed as his Running Mate.


Negatives
- Very Low on democratic credentials (was instrumental in prosecuting several MDP activists)
- Lack of a political party means that he appears not to believe in multi-party democracy
- Questions about how he will function if elected, given that he does not belong to a party. How will he push his policies through the parliament? Is he waiting to get elected and then form a party in which case, the whole multi-party liberal democracy scenario flies out of the window for another 5 years.



QASIM IBRAHIM (REPUBLICAN)


Positives:
- Experienced in running his Villa Empire so the top job at executive level should not be too difficult for him
- Philanthropist and a generous person to poor people
- Was one of the founding members of MDP and instrumental in getting the constitution revised so democratic credentials somewhat established


Negatives:
- Severe lack of education
- Too closely associated with the Endheri Clan. Many see him as their stooge
- Was a democracy advocate but turned Golhaabo loyalist when it suited him; therefore makes it difficult to believe in what he says. Not very trustworthy.



IBRAHIM ISMAIL (SLP)


Positives
- Educated
- Outspoken critic of Gayyoom and was first President of MDP
- very liberal in his views (first to choose a female running mate)


Negatives
- seen to be dictatorial in his approach while President of MDP
- Party still needs to establish their democratic credentials (Ibra was not selected
to be the Party Candidate by a vote of all the members)
- somehow lacking in popular support


UMAR NASEER IDP


Positives:
- not scared to speak his mind


Negatives
- lack of education
- history of a violent past while in the NSS
- totally cuckoo policies relating to drugs and other issues



The above is just a brief take on all the candidates. Ultimately I believe it comes down to a choice of two candidates:- ANNIi and Dr.Hassan. The problem with Dr. Hassan for me is that he does not belong to a political party. I cannot foresee myself voting for someone who does not believe in party politics in our first multiparty elections. That for me is a big No-No. Together with his actions while AG, his democratic credentials are severely lacking. Perhaps if he can prove it in the next 5 years then he maybe a worthy future candidate.

The rest of the candidates have done nothing or could do nothing to negate their weaknesses apart from Qasim Ibrahim who has choosen an educated person as his Running Mate. However, his other negatives (too closely connected to Endheri Clan) makes him unelectable for me.

That leaves me with no choice but to vote for Anni by default - for the simple reason that he has managed to negate his biggest weakness in lack of experience in the top level by electing the highly experienced Dr.Waheed as his Running Mate. Although Dr. Waheed has had a tendency to run away in the past if unsuccessful (and there is no reason to believe he wont dump Anni if they do not get elected), he may stay and help run the government as an administrator if they are indeed elected.

Hassan, there is my take on the candidates. You can choose to vote for my choice which is Anni or you can vote for anyone you wish.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Curried politics - The chicken or the egg debate of Maldivian Presidential Elections

It’s been a while but I have to put in my two cents-bit into the Qasim for President debate especially the argument that he is the best person to get rid of golhabo. Having read the DO editorial on Qasim Iburahim and the heated comments it had raised, I have come to the conclusion that all this boils down to the chicken or the egg situation. That is to say, Do we get rid of golhabo first or do we find a decent leader to run this country? Which one should come first?

The debate on whether the chicken or the egg came first has baffled philosophers, scientists, theologians and barmy students like moi for centuries. Compared to this, the question of whether golhabo should be got rid of first and then finding a decent leader would follow later or whether we should find a decent leader first and in the process golhabo would be got rid of, has baffled the Maldives from the various holhu ashi of the islands to the tea-shops of Male’. After an achingly extensive brain-storming session with my barmy mates, I have come to the conclusion that it all ultimately boils down to whether the chicken came first or the egg.

Assuming that ‘getting rid of golhabo’ is the Chicken and ‘finding a decent leader’ is the Egg, for the simple reason that golhabo looks more like a kukulhu than Anni, Ibra, Qasim or any of the other candidates, let’s have a look at what is already said on the topic. (For those of you with differing opinions on who look more like a kukulhu, please leave a comment to that effect).

1.According to some the egg came first, because other animals had been laying eggs long before chickens existed, such as the dinosaurs- therefore, we need to find a decent leader first before we think of getting rid of golhabo.

2. According to others the chicken came first because had the egg come first, there would have been no chicken to sit on it and keep it warm – therefore we need to get rid of golhabo first before we can think of a decent leader.


As this does not resolve the issue, we need to resort to a different way of solving this.

What are the criteria needed to be a decent leader and who ticks most of the boxes? Qasim, Anni, Ibra, Hassan, Umar Naseer?

Or what are the criteria needed to get rid of golhabo and who ticks most of the boxes?

If we can come up with the same name in both questions then we have resolved the issue of the chicken and the egg. They are one and the same.

If we do not come up with the same name in both questions we are back to square one (or back to the kukulhu koshi so as to speak).

In such an instance I would suggest resorting to a simpler personal solution. Which do you like most? Chicken curry or egg-curry? If it’s the chicken-curry then vote for Qasim. If its egg-curry vote for Anni or Hassan or Ibra or Umar Naseer or whoever is brave enough (or stupid enough) to run against Golhabo.

Either way let’s go and vote and get rid of this bastard golhabo.

Curried golhabo for dinner tonight?

Ibra has left MDP

Why or why or why people feel that this is the demise of the MDP just because Ibra has left it. So what? big deal. A political party should be above one person or personalities. Why or why can't we get out of this mentality that everything revolves around one person. (Excuse me mum, I didnt mean you)

Why cannot we accept that politics is about people, not A PERSON. It should be about how the majority of the Maldivians feel and want. Not what Ibra wants. If he wants to leave a certain party then that is his decision. Well and good. But how does it affect the future of MDP? I don't think it does at all. I hope it does not anyway.

No one in politics is there because they have the people's wishes in their heart. They are there because they have an agenda of their own. But in that agenda, if there is something that benefits the whole country then we are half way there.

That makes me think - if we are still in that mentality that politics revolve around a person or should revolve around a certain person, then I think this new constitution should make sure that no one can be the President for more than 1 term. I think 5 years is more than enough. If we keep anyone any longer than that, then he is bound to become "GOD".

As for Ibra, grow up people. He's just one guy compared to the rest of the Maldives. So what if he left MDP? Big deal..big deal...big deal...