Maumoon Abdul Gayoom " Towards New Heights ": Dr. Saeed does not deserve credit for Maldives press freedom

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Dr. Saeed does not deserve credit for Maldives press freedom - Nasheed

28 September 2008

Nasheed at tonight's Press Briefing

MALE, Maldives – Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts Mohamed Nasheed briefed the media tonight on the “Rule of the People” chapter of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)’s Presidential manifesto and stated that independent Presidential candidate and former Attorney General (AG) Dr. Hassan Saeed does not deserve credit for the press freedom that exists in the Maldives today.

Speaking at a Press Brief as part of the series of Press Briefings organized and arranged by the Maumoon 2008 Campaign in order to inform the public on the content of the DRP’s Presidential manifesto, Nasheed noted the speed with which the transition to a liberal democracy took place in the Maldives. He further stated that the groundbreaking reforms that brought about the transition were initiated by the incumbent President and DRP Presidential candidate Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as part of his March 2006 Reform Agenda.

Nasheed also said that this ambitious Reform Agenda is now nearing full realization.

Rule of the People

Briefing the media about the DRP’s promises on strengthening rule of the people, Nasheed said that in a DRP Government all policies will follow democratic principles and that the role of the public in the administration of Government institutions will be increased. He also stressed the importance that the DRP places on providing equal protection of the law to the people.

In addition, he said that in a DRP Government, excessive powers will not be concentrated in any one institution and that policies of “Power Balance” will be established to prevent the abuse of power.

Mr. Nasheed said that the DRP will uphold the democratic ideals of freedom of the media, freedom of information and transparent government. In cases where checks have to be placed on certain freedoms, he vowed that restrictions placed on freedoms of media and information will be minimal as both are essential for the protection of rights in general.

Nasheed informed members of the press that under the DRP Government’s decentralization plan, by June 2009, the administration of Maldivian atolls will be carried out by councils elected at the atoll, city and island levels. He added that a DRP administration will ensure that the people are made fully aware of these changes for their economic and social benefit. In conclusion, he said that a DRP Government will strive to maintain national unity at all phases of development.

Dr. Saeed

The press requested Nasheed’s views on the statement by Dr. Saeed’s running mate and former Presidential Spokesperson Dr. Ahmed Shaheed regarding Dr. Saeed’s role in establishing freedom of the press in the Maldives.

In response Nasheed said that in his capacity as the person who worked closest with the Maldivian press to establish the press freedom that exists in the Maldives today, he can state with certainty that Dr. Saeed had no involvement with the process that led up to this change. He also said that the media is well aware of this fact.

Nasheed then outlined key events that he feels gives strength to his denial of Dr. Shaheed’s claims.

Nasheed said that after he took office as Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts he worked 3 days including a weekend to process the considerable backlog of applications submitted to request licenses for operating print media such as news dailies and magazines. Outlining the process he said that the system in force at the time required all license applications to be sent to a special Presidential committee for approval. Mr. Nasheed noted the fact that Dr. Saeed, as a member of the committee, did not allow these applications to be processed.

Nashed noted Dr. Saeed’s dissatisfaction, during his time as the AG, with Nasheed’s decision to allow broadcast media to air recordings of sessions of the Citizen’s and Special Majlis. According to Nasheed, Dr. Saeed was to have said in reference to Nasheed’s decision that “Nasheed will do anything if it will topple the Government”.

In addition, Nasheed also made note of the lawsuits which Dr. Saeed, as AG, had brought against members of the Maldivian press. Mr. Nasheed said that he had personally lobbied the state to drop those charges mentioning the case of the State vs. Aminath Najeeb (Editor of Minivan Daily) as an example of one of those cases.

He further spoke about the 5 draft bills prepared as the result of monthly meetings held between representatives of the Maldivian media and the Ministry of Legal Reform, Information and Arts (MLRIA). The Government had been allowed 1 week to review the bills which, after further consultation with media representatives, had been further amended into 4 legal bills and 1 code of ethics.

In conclusion Nasheed said that the media will attest to all the statements he had made at the press briefing.

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Development Heights in the last 30 years

1. In 1978 the GDP per capita of the Maldives was USD 200 but today it is USD 3,000 - a 15-fold increase.
2. In 1978 there were only 4 government schools and 15,000 students. Today, there are 349 government schools and more than 86,000 students studying in the Maldives.
3. In 1978 there were only 65 university graduates in the country but today there are more than 3,000.
4. In 1985 there were 23 doctors and 74 nurses in the country, but now there are 550 doctors, 1,200 nurses, 600 medical personnel, and 800 community health workers.
5. The Infant Mortality Rate in 1978 was 120 per 1,000 live births, but today the number has been reduced to 10.
6. From 1978 till today, the Maternal Mortality Rate has been decreased from 6 to 1 per 1,000 live births.
7. Child Mortality Rate of children under 5 has been reduced to 18 per 1,000 live births from the previous figure of 180.
8. Life expectancy has been increased from 48 years in 1978 to 73 years in 2008.
9. In 1978 there only 7 doctors for all Maldivians totally but today there are 500 plus doctors
10. In 1978 there were only 7 doctors working in the country, but today the number exceeds 500.
11. From 1978 to 2008, the number of hospitals in the Maldives grew from 1 to 22.
12. The number of tourist arrivals in 1978 was 29,325 but today the figure stands greater than 675,000.
13. There were only 17 resorts and 1,300 beds in the Maldives in 1978. However, today there are 94 resorts and 22,000 beds.
14. The fish catch in 1978 was 25,800 tons but it has increased to 184,158 tons in 2006.
15. There were 413 mechanized fishing boats in 1977 but today the number exceeds 2000.

His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is truly a man of the people. He is a leader who has earned the people’s trust and one who understands the needs of his people. It is under his skilled stewardship that Maldives became a highly respected member of the international community. Gayoom has maintained religious unity and promoted Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and understanding. He is a philosopher, an academic and an Islami Scholar. Campaigning under the slogan of “Towards New Heights” he is undoubtedly the best contender in the presidential race.

Born in Male’ in 1937, to a middle-class family, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom demonstrated academic potential at a young age and, following early schooling in the country, went first to Al-Azhar University in Cairo and later to the city’s American University. He obtained an M.A. in Islamic Studies at Azhar, where he also studied law and philosophy. His Degree in Islamic Studies earned him an academic appointment as Lecturer in that discipline to Nigeria’s Abdullahi Bayero College, a faculty of Ahmadu Bello University. According to the work of biographer Graham Wilson, Gayoom is one of the three most intellectual students to ever graduate from Azhar University. Gayoom married Madam Nasreena whilst in Egypt and started his family while working in Nigeria.

Gayoom returned to his homeland in 1971 and began a long and successful career in serving the nation. His public service, which began with a teaching post at Aminiyya School, one of the only three government schools in the country then, is one of the most distinguished. He served as the Manager of the National Shipping Department, which quickly led to his becoming Director of the national Communications Department. By 1974, he had established his reputation as an able administrator and consequently, was appointed Special Under-Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister. His first overseas appointment was to the diplomatic post of Deputy Ambassador to neighboring Sri Lanka which was followed quickly by his appointment as the Maldives Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

On his return to Male’ in 1977, he was appointed Minister of Transport, and then in November of 1978 was nominated as Presidential candidate by the Citizens’ Majlis winning a record 92.9% of the popular vote in the referendum which confirmed him as the people’s choice for the post. The people’s decision has proven to be a prudent one for the country; a decision that brought the Maldives, with its relatively small geographical size and few resources, rapid progress and development, as well as an established and reputed position in the international arena.

The record-breaking progress, of the country, in the past 30 years under Gayoom’s able and far seeing administration is truly remarkable. Gayoom has guided a country poor in natural and human resources, within 30 years to astonishing heights of progress. This change did not just come about of its own accord. It is an undeniable fact that it was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s able leadership that guided the country to those heights.

The pace of socio-economic development in Maldives is a testament to Gayoom’s hard work and vision. The multiples increase in per-capita GDP, increase in average life expectancy in the Maldives from 48 to 71 years, the decrease in the rate of child mortality and advancements in the educational and health sectors all bear witness to this fact. Gayoom’s leadership has enabled Maldivian fishermen to harvest the wealth of the Maldivian seas and made Maldives a synonym for the best of what a relaxing holiday can be.

After 25 successful years of nation building, at the inauguration of his 5th term to the Presidency, Gayoom announced that in this, his 6th term, he would prioritize the full and modern democratization of the now fast developing Maldives. The successful implementation of the education programs which he initiated in his first term in 1978 and the excellent results of his social and economic strategies had resulted in a young and educated population, who Gayoom believed, were now ready and primed to enter into the boisterous and animated arena of a modern, liberal democracy. Gayoom, had hoped that his Reform Agenda which he proposed in June of 2004, would be completed by the end of this 6th term, however it was not to be and Gayoom the originator and prime mover of the Reform Agenda is running for president today to ensure the smooth progress and successful culmination of the process of reform and democratization that he initated five years ago.

Significant achievements have already been made under Gayoom’s Reform Agenda which include a new, modern and liberal constitution whose Bill of Rights is amongst the most comprehensive in the world and in accordance with International Standards. Independent Institutions required by the new Constitution have now been created including the recently established Supreme Court, that has ensured that the powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary are now fully and effectively separated. A free and vibrant media is now flourishing in the country. These changes brought about, in the face of local and international skepticism and even active resistance, was implemented with patience, perseverance and foresight by Gayoom.

However, as these institutions are creations of the New Constitution, they are still in their infancy, some only a week old. They need time to mature and gain experience and acceptance. While the Maldives has a proud history which is more than 2000 years old, the new democracy of the Maldives, is yet a fledgling one. These will be testing times. The draftsman, who with foresight and wisdom, drew up these blueprints, is invaluable in these times, so that the rights, which bring with them corresponding responsibilities, are woven into the fabric of the Maldivian way of life and become part of our culture. This is too difficult a challenge and important a responsibility to be passed onto a new comer, a challenger with no experience and maturity, wisdom or foresight. This is not the time for experimentation. It’s the time for the only contender with a proven track record.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is ready to serve the people and take this country to new heights in five dynamic years.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Dr. Saeed does not deserve credit for Maldives press freedom - Nasheed

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Development Heights in the last 30 years

His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

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