DRP admits that its MPs are corrupt

Baaaa! Baaaa! Baaaa!

The fiasco relating to the election of the new Speaker to the Majlis is Über-fascinating. First the fact that Sun Travel Siyam was deemed ineligible to vote because he had not sent in his resignation from his position in the MTDC; and following from that the decision to re-take the vote. While the results of the voting are captivating, what is even more stupendous is how the self-proclaimed ruling-party the DRP reacted to the news.

The maths is easy even for a primary school kid. When Mohamed Shihab was elected the Speaker of the Majlis, he got 25 votes as opposed to Seena Zahir’s 22. Since the DRP has 28 members in the Majlis and assuming the two absentees would have voted for Seena Zahir, he is still missing FOUR DRP votes. And if we go with the hypothesis that the DRP is right about claming that the Republican Party bribed the MPs, then that means the DRP admits that its own members are corrupt and are willing to solicit bribes. Bloody Hell. That’s a first!

Indeed, this certainly is a turning point in the ‘transparency’ of politics in the Maldives – the so-called ruling party willing to accept that its ranks are rife with corrupt politicians. Hehe. Nothing new that the rest of the Maldives did not know. This has been the modus operandi of our beloved leader for 30 years. Moreover, we always knew that if someone is willing to indulge in bribes from one side in the form of lucrative tourism deals and a ministership or the likes of a top-level government job, then they would be equally willing change side if a better deal is offered. When our Beloved God and President for Life bribed those parliamentarians who joined the DRP with lucrative offers, he should have realised that when our forefathers talked about the “goat who jumped over one fence will jump over the other” (eh fulhah mathin funmaali bakari aneh fulhah mathin ves funmaa laaney), it was not without substance. But then maybe our beloved President for Life did not believe it because it is not an Arab saying from the corridors of Egypt and is just an ordinary Dhivehi saying from the fisher-folk of the Maldives.

The question is what really happened? IF the DRP parliamentarians voted for Shihab against their party whip because they truly believed that he is the better man for the job than an unelected MP, then well done to them. But IF the DRP is right in their claim, this does not bode well for democracy because it means that our parliamentarians are soliciting bribes, whether to support their networks of patronage or just to reward themselves. What is even worse is that our potential leaders of tomorrow (Republican Party or whoever did it) are willing to bribe to get their way to get what they want (in effect, the same policy as Our Beloved Leader for Life, Golhaabo.) So despite a revised constitution, we have not moved foreword an inch.

It maybe "Veritas nunquam perit" (truth never dies) but it may never be known. But for the sake of democracy and for the sake of a better future for my (future) kids, I hope it’s the case of the honest parliamentarian than a corrupt one.

And meanwhile, the DRP goat bleats on…Baaa! Baaa! Baaa!

Cras credemus, hodie nihil!

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?