New Delhi
27 October 2006
The 2008 multi-party elections in Maldives will be held under the new
Constitution, according to visiting Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed
Shaheed. He also said President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom can be expected to visit India
on a bilateral visit early next year.
"The elections will be held under the new Constitution, that is our primary goal," he said
before wrapping up his official engagements in New Delhi that included talks with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
He, however, did not rule out delays because the Constitution has to be revised and a
nationwide referendum has to take place for determining whether Maldives should opt for
a presidential or parliamentary form of government before free and fair elections can he
held in the summer of 2008.
Dr Shaheed said the national referendum is expected to take place by December this
year or January next year. "We are in the process of revising the Constitution as
mandated by the roadmap of reform agenda. It will be completed by June or July 2007 rpt
2007," he said.
"The Majlis (parliament) has decided in favour of a unitary structure as opposed to a
federal structure," he informed. He also dismissed the likelihood of advancing the
elections, as has been sought by the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party. "A
mechanism has to be put in place for free and fair elections and constituencies [redrawn]
... there is a lot to be done," he said.
The minister said the negotiations with the MDP were in "low gear" when asked to
characterise the ruling dispensation's ties with the opposition party. He blamed the
attitude of the MDP for the rift. "We are waiting for the MDP to tone down its vilification
campaign and to moderate incitement of hatred at a personal level," he said, referring to
the November 10 protests planned by the opposition to overthrow the government. He
said Maldives was "nervous but not in turmoil" and dismissed the November 10 protests
as "brinkmanship" by the MDP.
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