- Opposition supporters attack Waheed in Maavah Island.
- Dubious text messages received in connection with 95.2 DhiFM’s poll.
- Evangelists trying to take advantage of Maldivian hospitality and openness.
MALE, Maldives — Maumoon 2008 Campaign Deputy Media Manager Ali Waheed spoke to the press at the serial 1200 press conference held on weekdays at the Maumoon 2008 Media Office today.
He provided the press with details of the physical attack on his person which took place in Laamu Atoll, Maavah Island yesterday.
He said that local private radio broadcaster 95.2 DhiFM should make an official apology to the DRP, other political parties and the Maldivian public for the effects of their discredited popularity polls.
Impeded
Waheed said that opposition supporters had organized the protest and attack against DRP campaign officials in Laamu Atoll, Maavah Island yesterday.
Waheed said certain individuals had strung up opposition banners and shouted abuse while carrying plywood placards at DRP officials and supporters who had neared Maavah Island’s jetty in a party vessel.
Waheed said in addition to him, party officials Ahmed Nihan and Alhan Fahmy were the only campaign officials who had managed to get off board when Waheed was assaulted and struck on the back of the head by opposition supporters.
Kaleidoscope
Waheed said that his assailants were wearing yellow MDP t-shirts and red Jumhooree Party (JP) caps, and carrying white placards with messages of support for independent Presidential candidate Dr. Hassan Saeed.
He said that the assailant’s apparel and placards indicated that the opposition parties have begun to respond to mounting support for DRP Presidential candidate incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom following the recent Supreme Court (SC) rulings.
The SC had ruled in favor of upholding the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to approve Gayoom’s bid for the candidacy in two separate cases on 2 October 2008.
Waheed said that Dr. Saeed who must have seen the adverse effects of having a factionalized society should not condone creating an antagonistic society separated by party lines.
Fever Pitch
Waheed said that he believes it inevitable for events to come to disorder and unrest in the same way that bubbles inevitably raise to the surface of heated water once boiling point is reached.
He said that however all parties should attempt to maintain peace and stability throughout the nation and he urged all parties to stop encouraging violence.
He said that he does not believe that the fact that he or other DRP supporters did not react to the opposition attack is a sign of cowardice. He called Dr. Saeed and the leadership of the MDP and JP cowards for not confronting him themselves.
Confusion
Waheed also commented on the recent Dhiraagu pvt. Ltd. press release regarding complaints about DhiFM’s elections polls conducted via SMS.
Dhiraagu had noted in their press release that “thank you” text messages received by persons who did not vote before the actual voting had begun came from an Australian number outside the Dhiraagu communications network.
Waheed demanded that DhiFM should apologize for the mental distress caused to members of political parties and the public by the careless manner in which their polls were conducted. In response to a question from the media he said that the perception created by the results of dubious polls would have lasting effects on the public psyche.
He said that he does not endorse a boycott of DhiFM itself but that he advises them to conduct future polls in a more transparent and responsible manner.
Interlopers
Waheed also condemned the MDP’s endorsement of attempts to introduce foreign values to the social, cultural and religious environment of the Maldives with reference to recent reports that the MDP’s campaign manager is an Australian national by the name of James McGrath.
According to an article printed on the BBC News UK website, 34-year-old James McGrath is an Australian national who has worked for the British Conservative Party for 7 years. He was appointed director of political strategy at City Hall under Johnson’s mayorship. McGrath resigned following allegations of racism in connection with remarks that he had made to reporter Marc Wadsworth of the-latest.com website. McGrath had responded to a question regarding British-Caribbeans threatening to leave the country en masse if a right-wing Conservative such as Johnson is elected mayor by saying “well let them (Caribbeans) go if they don’t like it here (Britain)”.
Waheed said that the Maldivian public is aware of “cunning individuals” who have tried to manipulate the internal affairs of the Maldives for their own private gain.
He condemned in strong words the attempts by evangelists masquerading as champions of social causes in order to take advantage of the Maldivian people’s unique hospitality and openness.
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