http://www.randomreflexions.com/2009/10/26/signs-of-looming-danger/

Presenting Symlah.

IT in Maldives has a lot in common with its politics. Namely, the proponents are quick to shoot down the forerunners and they have a niggling need for frequent teas (aka coffees - go figure).

The people have been made to believe that everything works at their pace. There is no respect for planned milestones and the potential domino effects of failing the time frames. Anyone who raises the alarm on noticing wayward project trajectories are considered traitors. Anyone who refuses to go down with the ship is considered a coward (especially since everyone else is looking forward to a ritual sacrifice).

There are reasons for this. One of these is the unwillingness to accept inherent flaws. The key to adjusting a person's attitude is identifying its existence. This is the principle of unfreezing, as suggested by Kurt Lewin.

The other reason for the continued depravity of Maldivian IT is the general precociousness. It is always good to be proud of one's own achievements. However, this pride should never go to one's head. The only way to remain objective throughout one's growth is to respect the advice offered by forerunners. Always remember to learn before teaching.

Bank of Maldives needs to stop pretending to be capable of providing proper e-banking services. More than half their links on their website do not even have a target resource!!! Like this one:

http://ebanking.bankofmaldives.com.mv/st/services/tradeAndForeignRelated/internationalMoneyTransfer/outwardSwiftTransfer.php

It would seem that NCIT are not the only ones with a lethargic IT team.

The ominous return of Maumoon's former accomplices has already begun. This is what was being veiled by the smokescreen of debates over threats that Maumoon still posed.

The Maldivian people need to be aware that names like 'Abdulla Shahid' were considered in the same vein as Maumoon or Yameen. If Shahid and co. are to be given a free pass, so too should Maumoon and Yameen.

A deliberate agenda can be gleaned from the sequence of events following Dhiyana's castration. In the latest installment of the saga, Anni suggests that the attorney general's (AG) office is no longer involved in 'criminal prosecution or drafting legislation'. It is surprising then that clause (g) of article 133 of the constitution states:
'The Attorney General shall have power to issue general directives to the Prosecutor General on the conduct of criminal proceedings.'

Furthermore, clause (c) of article 220 of the constitution states:
'The Prosecutor General (PG) is independent and impartial, and he shall not be under the direction or control of any person or authority in carrying out his responsibilities and the exercise of his powers. He shall carry out his responsibilities and exercise his powers without fear, favour or prejudice, subject only to the general policy directives of the Attorney General, and on the basis of fairness, transparency, and accountability.'

These two clauses certainly indicate that the AG has some purview over the work of the PG. What of 'drafting legislation' then? The sources of new legislative bills are the people (as per article 4 of the constitution), the parliamentary members/committees and the government. Where government bills are concerned, according to clauses (a), (b) and (c) of article 133 of the constitution, the AG should be responsible for drafting them.

The whispers of conspiracy and propaganda arise from these ill-informed remarks made by the government. One might be inclined to think that Anni's intention of constricting the AG's office, despite the constitutional provisions, arises from a need for greater control (is that not the road to autocracy?).

Readers would be interested to know that the responsibilities of the AG of Maldives (as per the constitution at least) are similar to those of the AG of the British government. Given this in conjunction with Anni's new intentions for the AG's office, the MDP's purported affiliations with the British Conservative Party is a little amusing.

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On Dhiyana's interview:
She should also have cited clause (e) of article 133 of the constitution, which states:
'The Attorney General shall promote, protect, uphold and defend the rule of law, the public safety, the freedoms of the public and the public interest.'

Maumoon's cabinet can now claim that they 'tried to criticize the government in private' for 30 years but never got the old man to listen. That the code of loyalty demanded the cabinet's collective silence despite the Maldivian people's sufferings.

It would seem that Anni's vision of governance is not so far removed from Maumoon's. However, Anni's dismissal of Dhiyana's advice was not followed by submission on the latter's part (unlike some former attorney generals). Dhiyana was at least rebellious enough to escalate the issue (involve the 'public sphere'). The Maldivian people should be proud of her. After all, President Eisenhower's quote was not in admonition of rebellion but in defence of it.

This is Anni at his best. What can one presume but the influence of cronyism in the president's decision-making? Why else would he appoint an individual who has had no legal training (in the slightest) to undertake the duties (albeit temporarily) of the most demanding legal job in the country, whilst primarily serving the role of Finance Minister?

This is not the first time Anni has shut out critics within his administration. That Anni gave her the boot despite Dhiyana's letters containing sound advice is all the more amusing. If political appointees were illegally influencing the elections (or seemed to be doing so), is it not the attorney general's prerogative to escalate the issue to the president?

During the post-MDP years of reform the police service was separated from the national defense force in order to do justice to the phrase 'separation of powers'. Allowing the defense minister to serve as acting home minister was initially politically counterproductive. Letting the situation fester was worse and warranted advice from the government's leading legal counsel (which does not happen to be Husnu Suood).

In no way did either letter demand Anni's resignation. Neither did any of the letters demand immediate action. They advised the president on matters that concerned the attorney general and why they should be addressed. If the attorney general gets canned every time this happens then why have one at all? Why not contract a yes-man like Husnu Suood to hang from the puppeteer's threads? It has certainly not been that long for Maldivians to forget that the attorney generals of Maumoon's era were considered puppets in the public's eye?

It is high time politicians caught a glimpse of the impending dystopia materializing on the fuel of Anni's stubborn singlemindedness. If his autocracy is this acute just months into his presidency, consider what awaits Maldives 4 years from now.

It is disconcerting that Minivan News keeps publishing highly biased propagandist articles. This article tries to justify 'civil disobedience' as a means of effecting deliberative democracy. It coins the phrase 'government by discussion' to describe this.

John Stuart Mill's (from whom the phrase was borrowed) book, On Liberty, does not endorse civil disobedience. In fact, he delimits any civil actions by saying:

'...the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.'

To describe deliberative democracy Joshua Cohen writes in his essay Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy, the following:

'The notion of a deliberative democracy is rooted in the intuitive ideal of a democratic association in which the justification of the terms and conditions of association proceeds through public argument and reasoning among equal citizens. Citizens in such an order share a commitment to the resolution of problems of collective choice through public reasoning, and regard their basic institutions as legitimate in so far as they establish the framework for free public deliberation.'

Although governing through opinions gleaned from the public sphere is participatory governance (the extent to which the current government would consider public discourse remains to be seen), it does not fulfill the definition of deliberative democracy. In the case of Maldives as a country, deliberative democracy should be the direct involvement of every individual in debating the 'terms and conditions' under which they are citizens. Where any such debate fails to reach a consensus Cohen recommends '...voting, subject to some form of majority rule' and not 'civil disobedience'.

Mr. Zahir's article does nothing more than justify anarchist ideals (violation of civil order) as a means to achieving the government's agenda. The type of democracy the article presents will probably fall under militant democracy, which is 'an answer to secure the transition to democracy after decades under just one party authoritarian Government.'

After reading this article one would think Minivan News was no more than a little blog where its employees vent their frustrations, write opinion pieces and divulge unsubstantiated conjecture. Facts and figures be damned.

Someone (anonymous) has made a comment in reply to the previous post to the effect that Anni is a vaccine intended to get rid of Maumoon's 'kingdom.' This is no more than a diversionary mantra fed to MDP loyalists to keep the Maldivian people from realizing the truth.

The truth is that the leadership ranks of the incumbent government is frilled with Maumoon's former henchmen. The slightest scrutiny will show that the minorities who were marginalized during Maumoon's era are still being marginalized by Anni's government. Only those who have been marginalized will realize that nothing has really changed.

Those who long for religious freedom (or even freedom from religion) are oppressed by MoIA. The folks from the north and south extremes of Maldives are still underrepresented in the government. The oligarchs who ruled during Maumoon's tenure are still there, still wielding the greater powers of the country.

What the people do not realize is that Anni is not willing to change anything. If he wished to, he could reduce the income polarities which see the poor sinking into debt and the rich profiting from it. If he chose to, he could give the islanders opportunities equal to those enjoyed by Male' residents.

The reality is Anni has taken over the reigns from Maumoon. There is no more Maumoon to be feared from. He can never again become the president of Maldives. The fears about his possible return have been concocted only to divert the public's attention from what is imminent: the depravation of the country's government. As for the return of Maumoon's aides, this is nothing new (Ibrahim Hussein Zaki and Dr. Shaheed for instance). Then again more than a hefty majority of people who served in Maumoon's government is serving in Anni's. Party affiliations do not turn people into enemies of democracy unless MDP truly has divine blessings and DRP an alliance with the devil.

Anni did not get himself elected to eradicate any disease. He intended to be the disease all along. Maldivians are the unwitting and gullible hosts he is gorging on. Bon appetit.

Anni who oft-decried forceful police tactics seems to have no qualms about endorsing them now that he is the one in the throne.

There is no doubt that the promises of good governance and institutional reform was only used to gloss his candidacy in last year's presidential race. Now that he is comfortably nestled into the throne he has completely washed his hands of all his campaign promises. Anni is exactly the caricature he used to accuse Maumoon of being.

When plans come apart at the seams the heads of state of Maldives always resort to the oldest trick in politics: cover it all up with flamboyant accolades intended to make themselves look good.

When Maumoon was having a hard time convincing people of his value to the nation he sought to be recognized at par with world leaders like Lee Kwan Yew, Kofi Annan and Shimon Perez, via the GCMG. He achieved it too.

Now Anni wants to follow suit. In order to cover up the country's flailing leadership, regressing democracy, waning justice, increasing crime, ballooning inflation, declining economy, etc., the government 'applies' (note the application procedure on the site) for the Anna Lindh Prize. The difference between Maumoon and Anni is that the latter could only manage to be hailed in the ranks of journalists and activists, despite his presidency.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me! (or "you can't get fooled again", if you prefer). It is about time Anni and his posse learned to be straight with his citizens.

The cracks are showing in the Maldivian government's haste to attain partisan control in the parliament. The self-proclaimed champions of liberty and justice have suddenly transformed into the very leaders Maldivians sought to shed not so long ago. 'How so?!' you ask?

The government is attempting the forceful neutralization of potential threats (it is pleasantly surprising to see this story published on Minivan News, of all gazettes) in the run-up to the elections. The relocation of Randhoo Island Chief is intended to derail any potential opposition rallies on the island, which could lead to the MDP candidate losing ground. This is (most certainly) also a tactic being used to strike fear into the hearts of all opponents who have got anything to lose (a family of five to leave behind, in Hassan Naseer Ibrahim's case).

What it really is is a throwback to yesteryear, when the government's needs were begotten at the cost of people's rights. And here the current administration laments endlessly about DRP's leaders. Gudho gudho!

Anni should take a lesson from President Obama's intended crackdown on tax evasion tactics in the form of overseas outsourcing, incubating, banking and various financial skullduggery.

The foreign currency deficit being experienced in Maldives can only be managed by studying what happens to the annual revenues from major industries, especially tourism, which makes upwards of USD 600 million annually. The government should start sparring with the capitalists in order to attain their operations details, as long as they are doing business in Maldives. If the flow of money within and/or through Maldives is not dissected thoroughly, then it cannot be regulated. If it is not regulated then financial institutions will become weaker day by day.

Anni is one serious player. He would do just about anything to come off as the good Samaritan.

Whereas defamation cases could be filed as civil actions since January 2007, the Prosecutor General amended regulations in April to allow only criminal courts to try these cases. Lo and behold, now Anni is asking the PG to reverse the decision he made only last month. Is this not a put-on intended to show Anni's benevolence?

Minivan News has published an interview with Dr. Shaheed which begs some attention. One of the statements is, 'We’re in danger of sliding back either into a Gayoom-style autocracy by Gayoom himself or perhaps by some other person.'

Apparently his fears hinge on the premise that 'if an old guard comes back, they come back with the message that democracy has failed.'

On 28 April, in an article published on Minivan News, Anni's press secretary was quoted as saying, "What I mean to say is that even if the president wanted to be a dictator, he can’t... The constitution prevents one man holding all the powers. Otherwise, independent institutions wouldn’t exist."

This shows how desperate the current government is of attaining absolute majority in parliament. The government's Foreign Minister is squashing its own claim of institutionalization of democracy. All this, just for the sake of ensuring that no one else gets a seat in parliament.

With regards to institutionalizing democracy, what little work Gayoom did is being undone by the current government. At the moment, the Defense Minister is the Home Minister, the parliament is still on a government payroll, the judiciary accedes to the president's whims (the changing of defamation suits to criminal cases from civil actions) and the constitution does not recognize any of the current MPs.

As for Shaheed's fear of what might happen if the 'old guard comes back', one of their staunchest supporters, the conservatives, are the old guard in UK. No one there is afraid of their resurgence, simply because the institution is stronger than the government. Also, the conservatives' representation in parliament ensures the Labour Party's continued honesty. Hence, without DRP representation (or that of another very strong opposition) in Majlis who will keep MDP in check?

In response to the question of his tenure with the former administration Shaheed says, "Yes accountability doesn’t exclude anybody. I mean it. But I’m not saying everyone should be dragged to the courts and into prison. I’m talking about the rule of law here. We have to know what happened. The danger here is democracy is still a very new idea in this country." Thereupon he goes off-topic by a mile. He does not manage to give a convincing reason for his continued support for Gayoom despite Maldivians (this blogger included) voicing out their concerns (even as far back as the Sangu days) about corruption and injustice.

Many public figures of the former government excuse themselves by claiming fear of repercussions. If this is Dr. Shaheed's claim too then he should consider the countless Maldivian families he sacrificed in order to feel safe.

In a comment made to a post on this blog a reader claims that:
"online definition dictionaries today most likely carry more weight than most books today on the market - definitely sites like Wiki where contributions come from the best of the best to the village idiot."

Does this mean that people are so addicted to web-based knowledge that they truly believe free online information is comprehensive? Are people really believing that Richard Stallman and his cohort are prevailing in the liberation of intellectual property? Have big corporations like Microsoft finally lost their grips on information-based revenue sources? Has Wikipedia become the unabridged encyclopedia for all time?

Stay tuned to find out...

One could draw some interesting parallelisms between Anni and India's Manmohan from this story. Manmohan's self-insulation from critique could be drawing admiration from Anni. Or could it be that Anni's impetuosity and unilateralism is born out of this admiration?

• Way before Anni was even thinking of the MDP primaries people knew the dangers of burgeoning fundamentalist factions of Islam in Maldives.


• By the time Anni was campaigning for the big job, Adhaalath had gained enough momentum to give the moderates a cause for concern.


• During the runoff campaign, Anni allied himself with Adhaalath for want of their party constituency.


• The alliance struck with Adhaalath manifested itself in the form of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, a non-existent entity at the time of Anni's inauguration.


• The creation of the MoIA enabled Adhaalath to infest its extremist agendas on the state platform in the form of statutory regulations.


• Anni's supporters refuse to accept that he is to blame for compromising his stance on religious issues (if there was one in the first place) by associating with Adhaalath.


• Talk in town is now suggesting that Anni's obedience to the Adhaalath agenda can be attributed to the respect he has for religion.


• Some minority looks to be exploiting this situation to put the blame on religion, which in turn is the same as putting the blame on God, which is akin to believing in a deity, thereby confusing themselves of their own beliefs.


• In the end, the majority accepts the theory that religion failed them (not people), hence burying all history of corruption and injustice under an involuntarily murmured 'alhamdulillah'.


• It will not be surprising if, in the confusion of this theological chutzpa, a new autocracy rears its ugly head and the old oligarchies nestle into another cozy 30-year ride.


• Who will facilitate this? Those who attribute everything to religion and God (atheists and theists alike). God is not directly interacting with humanity (even believers should understand this from their respective scriptures). People commit crimes of their own accord. Whoever is intentionally attributing crimes to religions or God are as naive as the believers and as diabolical as the criminals they help purify (intentionally or not).

Lately, some Maldivians are considering being religious uncool. Revere the wisdom of God's word and you get labeled a buffoon. Consider the Quran a divine revelation and you become a retarded barbarian.

Have Maldivians finally found the secret to the origins of life? More importantly, have they unveiled the posthumous journey awaiting them? Is there some magical travel agency which is selling tickets to eternal bliss after life?

Makes one wonder about the wisdom of God's decree.

It is surprising that Dr. Shaheed has the balls to counter Gayoom's accusations on behalf of Anni. Interesting that having abstained from voicing his concerns whilst serving in Gayoom's cabinet Shaheed is now portraying himself as a self-righteous monk.

Here is the extent of Shaheed's pro-Anni sentiments. Gayoom says Darfur is a western propaganda and Shaheed interprets that as championing dictatorships. And the next most current dictatorship that came to his mind was Pol Pot?!

It has taken less than 6 months for Maldivians to realize that electing Anni is the biggest mistake they ever made. Even the coalition is falling apart, what with the growing anger within the ranks of Adhaalath and the departure of former allies, Hassan Saeed and Gasim. Time is fast approaching for Shaheed himself to start chastising his current masters (eh fulhah mathin fummaali bakari...). Either that or Shaheed's own head might end up in the sacrificial guillotine.

Minivan News is at it again. It appears that whenever the current government makes a blunder, MN comes to its aid.

According to MN, the president's rebuttal is summed up thus:
'...the public has become overly accustomed to the same manner of speech after having the same ruler, Mamoon Abdul Gayoom, for the last thirty years.'

If that is the president's idea of an apology then he certainly has no respect for equality and fairness. His statements are no less than intentional fear-mongering devised to attain political leverage for his party. Debate all you want, but there is no contextual distortion in that interpretation.

If it is the pressures of the job getting to him, then he should offer a proper apology. This author suspects that any such apology will surface (if at all) only after the parliamentary elections.

The attorney general's go-ahead to enforce reconciliation via licensed preaching makes one wonder if she matriculated in some orthodox Muslim mosque. One would think that modern lawyers, such as Maldives' AG, would consider implied precedents prior to the endorsement of regulations.

With this latest regulation the government is implying that it is punishable under law to offer religious advice unless one has been granted a license. This could imply that children can now take legal actions against over-zealous parents. It should also imply that all Islam teachers should have attained necessary licensing.

Who issues these licenses? One would be inclined to answer 'God.' No, the God-given license to practice and preach religions has now been superseded by a government-issued one. Strange, considering that MoIA is run by supposedly the most devout Muslims in the country.

The world is also being taught a lesson in absolute governance here. Whereas all the leading democracies are trying to find the right premise under which to enforce proactive legal measures against religions Maldives has already established it. So what if it infringes on more basic rights such as freedom of expression? Tough luck.

Remember the entourages complete with tuxedoed officials proudly pointing their noses skywards as they flanked Maumoon during his presidential trips? Remember how every time Maumoon came back from a foreign country the tarmac would be lined with an endless cohort of ministers who always had a smile and a warm handshake? Dear reader, ask yourself why all these accomplices (who were so viscerally pro-Maumoon for the longest time) are now either dropping out of sight or pointing their fingers at Maumoon.

Consider the majority of leading capitalists of Maldives. Remember how everyone would accuse these capitalists of collaborating with the government in amassing their fortunes? Remember how a kith or kin of the president always seemed to be complicit in building these oligarchies? Is it not surprising that these oligarchs are now refusing to defend Maumoon? Even more so that they are accusing the ex-president of corruption (that which they themselves profited from)?

The same old oligarchs are using the spectacle of Maumoon's demise to cover up the corruption they helped seed. The fact is the current government is helping pave the way for the cleansing of the oligarchies by victimizing their old vassal: Maumoon.

Dear reader. Consider your country's future in the hands of a government resorting to quick-fixes and smoke-screen tactics. If you are concerned, demand investigations against all the accomplices of the former government. Give no quarter to anyone who helped the former government enjoy those entourages whilst you had to make do with the most measly of incomes (if you can call it an income at all).

Do not forget to buy a copy of Juke Kartel's Nowhere Left to Hide album (Toby Rand's first!).

Dear reader, you decide if these maps can be labeled 'our interactive atoll maps' by anyone (other than Adobe).

Interesting that this notion was put forth in a 2006 plan (not a 2009 one).

A question has been posed as to the ethical/legal implications of Maumoon's continued involvement in politics. The AG has gone so far as to say “No democratic country allows financial privileges granted to former presidents to be used for political purposes.”

That is a hilarious statement to make considering the self-indictment for utter stupidity. If the AG were keeping up with current affairs he would know about the extent of Bill Clinton's involvement in his wife's campaign. This is what was hinted in the last post, but one reader has failed to understand the obvious interrelation.

The question is, did Bill Clinton refuse to use tax-payer funds for office premises? The answer is no. President Clinton did indeed use state funds to rent an office space with an annual rent of USD 354,000. No one questioned his dedication towards the US when he signed up as 'campaigner-in-chief' for Senator Clinton's campaign.

If the AG prefers a lesser democracy akin to Maldives, then consider Malaysia's Dr. Mahathir's love-hate political stance with regards to Datuk Najib's ascension.

The AG's obsession over the former president brings into question his objectivity and his political motivations.

With regards to the AG's damning of the ex-president's involvement in politics, one recalls Bill Clinton's efforts in pushing his better half's political agenda during the recent US elections.

Another USD 274 million recovered for embezzlement! Now to make the Maldivians forget about the interest on the loans amounting to USD 125 million (!!!) that they will be inheriting.

This is in reply to a few observations made by meekaaku in reply to the last post.

Come the day Christianity ousts Islam in Maldives, the public will have to accept it (this author certainly will). The mosques can be taken down and the Qurans in the libraries replaced with Bibles, but the people will have the right to practice their religions in seclusion (it is a belief system after all, so who can stop people from believing?).

This is the right Christians and people from other religions have. There are plenty of non-Muslims practicing their respective religions in private gatherings. This is not to say that they cannot work towards converting the majority of the country (oppressing these efforts would be tyrannous).

As liberties go, there are few greater than agreeing upon a common belief system which enables optimal communal performance. This liberty was served when the Special Majlis declared Maldives an Islamic state in the new constitution. Consider the consequences of having declared it a Christian state.

Keeping democracy in check is what MoIA and the rest of the government's gestapo-factions are already doing. The Majlis is ineffectual in holding the government accountable because it is constitutionally compromised. The current state of affairs in Maldives can already be summed up as tyrannous. Through this tyranny the government has started seeding the notions of theistic plurality.

Keeping Maldives a Muslim state is being decried by some as a prejudice against the minority of the country. The fact that the vast majority (some would say 100%) of the country's populace are Muslims obviously weighs in on developing the laws and regulations of the country. Questioning this practice is questioning the prudence of democracy itself.

Consider Switzerland, which is one of the world's most revered direct democracies. It is a nation renowned for its tolerance and neutrality. Yet, every now and then the majority exercise their right to rescind that of the minority. A very real example of this is the referendum to ban minarets in Switzerland.

In the same vein, the Maldivian people have a right to refuse the building of churches in the country. They also have the right to ban the public practice of any deistic/theistic beliefs of their choosing. To deny them these rights is to deny them democracy.

Zeitgeist

In a comment made in reply to the last post in this blog, a Mr./Ms. Vaaf raised a few issues. Firstly, with regards to the question of whether the auditor general is pro-MDP, you will have to make this assessment yourself, dear reader. Do so by taking the time to read the latest audit report on Theemuge, and considering who it favours in the run up to the parliamentary elections.

Mr./Ms. Vaaf asks "Do we need those who embezzled for 30 years back in the parliament?" How is the public to know who these individuals are when the AG is dedicated to investigating the former president only? Everyone else referred to in his report is a 'bodu beyfulheh.' This from a report which makes statements on the former president and his wife's apparel habits?

As for the cost of Theemuge (USD 17 million), ask yourself 'why not?', dear reader. This is a palace for the president of Maldives, and not for a blue-collar worker. Also, consider that this palace was built not for Maumoon, but all presidents who are to come. Certainly no parliament member in the Majlis at the time made any objections. Nor did any construction company contracted to build the palace.

Mr./Ms. Vaaf is concerned with the expenses incurred in maintaining the presidential palace of Maldives. What should concern him/her more are expenses like the one chalked up under the title 'public sector investment program' in the government budget. On average over a billion rufiyaa a year was spent from 2006 to 2008 under this category. Question is, how many Maldivians benefited from this program? How many Maldivians can say that any of their capital expenses were refinanced through government aids? If this budget is not drawn from, then why does it keep growing every year?

What of the projects which ran aground? Hulhumale' for instance? Over USD 350 million spent on reclaiming a land which has been left unused for nearly a decade.

So why is Maumoon the root of all evil? And why is it especially so this close to the parliamentary elections? Since the AG's appointment in January 2008 he has failed to extend his investigations beyond Theemuge, Maumoon and his family. It is almost as if he is intent on serving the public's taste for slander.

Once again the auditor general of Maldives is proving to be the trump card in MDP's arsenal. During last year's presidential election the AG released a very timely fiscal report designed to slander the then incumbent government. Since then the AG went dormant whilst the new government delved into the state treasury with gusto.

Now that the parliamentary elections are looming, the AG is once again back to his old tricks. The new accusation is again designed to defame the opposition with the former president as the main target.

Two things are worth noting about this new report. Firstly, some of the figures that it audits are simply minuscule compared to the costs of belly-flopped projects which the public are really interested in (even the AG's salary is more impressive). What of the really big sums which were embezzled by various project managers of the government (most of whom have no relations to Gayoom or any of his kith or kin).

The second concern the report raises is the implied commitment of most of the AG's resources into investigating a fallen leader instead of an empire. The audit report seems to be centered around Maumoon and his personal corruption instead of subjecting the whole system to the test, and thereby holding all who were responsible accountable for their actions.

Is the AG afraid of investigating the former government because the current one comprises of many individuals from the former? Is this why various departments are still being allowed to embezzle their budgets without fear of retribution? Does this explain why no one raised concerns about corruption during the greater part of Maumoon's tenure?

Be it through cowardice or greed, the individuals unto whom the people have delegated administrative authority are repeating the mistakes made by their predecessors. No one seems to have the will to put the people's rights ahead of the government's.

When the news is dubbing Anni the Obama of South Asia, Maldivians have yet to see any real success of his administration. Whilst the real Obama is spinning the minds of activists like Michael Moore with his 'superhero moves', Anni has yet to hold the businesses accountable for their lack of responsibility in developing the industries. Given that Maldives has a capitalist economy (the corruption and rule of power never really hindered the capitalists from becoming oligarchs), its failure should trigger head-hunts by the administration. Has anything happened yet? No.

There was also a promise of liquidation of Maumoon's assets to enrich the government coffers. Yet, the opposite has happened. Muleeaage has been added to the expense sheets of the presidential budget, and additional expense accounts opened for Aa'rah and Theemuge for the so-called 'dignitaries'. Instead of yielding the promised infusion of USD 300 million from liquidations, the government has consumed more than half the reserve that was in the treasury at the start of the year.

The employees of Maldives are no better off. The government went ahead and signed up with ILO but seemed to forget that this was an organization which acts as a mediator and not a problem-solver. The capitalists owning businesses could hardly be bothered as there is nothing that ILO can do to enforce any labour policies unless the government took action. This has led to the increase in strikes resulting in losses to businesses whose survival is crucial for the government's budget (which in turn forces the government to retaliate). There is no clear-cut legal framework governing the process of engagement between employees and employers. As things stand any body of employees can get together and go on strike without notice or intent.

The future of Maldives is bleaker than ever. The ambitious plans of decentralization and universal transport have enormous budgetary conflicts with the reinvigoration of education and lowering the standards of living (increasing the salaries, subsidizing consumer goods and/or controlling inflation are all costly affairs). The government seems to want to tackle everything at the same time without following a systematic prioritized approach. What good will privatizing (and thereby hopefully increasing the quality of) education do if no one can afford it in the end? What would it mean to the long-term cash-flow of the government if huge projects such as universal transportation and decentralization are capitalized with borrowings? Is there really a clever econometric model which supports these administrative decisions? If so, why has the public not seen it, especially given the administration's promise of transparency?

The first quarter of the new government's rule has clearly highlighted its disdain for accountability and sensibility. Its lack of respect for due process and constitutional responsibilities have resulted in gross transgressions such as opening the Majlis for a new term even before the new parliament was elected. Another clear violation by the current government (in light of the new constitution) is the assumption of the responsibility of parliamentary payroll.

The only remedy for the government's failures is the election of strong opposition voices in the parliament. Given that Anni is an established liar (refuting his promise for mid-term elections being the latest one) the people of Maldives will need to ensure that the government they have elected will be kept in check by the parliament they are about to elect. Maldives truly has democracy now. You have the power now, dear reader. Exercise it with all your might.

Maldives looks verged on civil unrest not because of fundamentalism, but due to the anti-religious radicals. Whilst the average Maldivian is idling by (despite the shambolic government), every other anti-religious radical is predicting terrorism to grace the country.

Every time any measure of calamity befalls Maldives, these radicals are out to slay belief systems. These attempts at brainwashing the masses have met with very little reaction, so now they are escalating matters. These radicals are predicting that Maldivians will boil over with religious zest to the point of self-destruction.

This author has a prediction too. All such efforts of these anti-religious radicals will eventually be revealed as false flag operations. Their agenda is to tarnish religions through these. Hence, if an explosive does go off, it will be planted by them no doubt.

meekaaku raises a very good issue in response to the 'e-BULL' post on this blog. How does the government manage to fund failure after failure? Where does the money come from? Can the treasury really say that the budgets dispensed are well-thought-out. Why do international monetary funds keep pumping money into a black-hole? Why is the anti-corruption bodies or the auditor general only publishing politicized investigations whilst avoiding real issues such as wastage in millions of dollars by NCIT and other similar bodies?

Contrary to what some individuals claim, Islam in Maldives is one of the most tolerant in the world. The country hosts a number of she-males and not once has the public cried out for their heads. It has a few writers who have published dissertations on taboo subject-matter and they still live peacefully there. When a person steals, hands aren't decapitated. When a person commits adultery, he/she isn't stoned to death. When gang-fights erupt, the citizenry doesn't join in.

Maldives HAS evolved. It has learned to let the rule of law dictate justice. It is a civil society which puts its trust in the government to conduct the affairs of the state.

What of child abuse you ask, dear reader? Remedying cowardice is a responsibility unto all of us. If you know cases of child abuse and/or incest (lets face it, there is more of the latter than the former in Maldives) you have to report them to the authorities, with or without the subjects' approvals. Failure to do so makes one an accomplice.

Failure to bring paedophiles to justice is not God's failure (whichever religion you subscribe to, dear reader). It is a failure of the investigative bodies and the judiciary. The failure to impose relevant sentencing is again not God's failure. It is the failure of the legislative body (the lethargic Majlis). The failure to empower the relevant bodies in enhancing and enacting child-protection frameworks is not related in any way to the beliefs of the people. That is a failure of the government and its leadership (then AND now).

Dear reader, have you visited the Maldives e-government website? If not please do so. Not that what you will see there is altogether fascinating - after all failure to test implementations is second-nature to any government undertaking.

The site is open for public browsing it would seem. However, if you click on any of the links under the 'Browse By Subject' section, you get a highly desirable IIS security settings error. Go to the 'Job Opportunities' link at the very bottom and the listing shows the only categories that are available are 'Name of Job Category' and organizations available are 'Name of Organization'. There are freelance software developers in Maldives, motivated by a few grand, with more rigorous testing schemes. How NCIT failed so hilariously, despite the backing of USD 3.3 million, is beyond anyone.

The lack of insights into engineering life-cycles aside, the whole concept of e-whatever has been lost on NCIT. Go to the page where you register an account and scroll down to the very bottom and you will see the the statement 'Please bring along your Identity card and proceed to the below ministries for verification after the registration'. e-WHAT?!!! The USD 5.3 million spent on installing fibre-optic networks in-between the various government bodies obviously did not help connect their systems.

As for the information presentation schemes, there are websites developed by 5-year-olds which are faster and more navigable. These 5-year-olds do not use the boring web-1.0 chutzpa. They resort to more presentable and trendy interfaces, via AJAX, Flash, (at least) DHTML and what-not. Whoever hired the designer for the clunky interface on the e-gov website should be shot dead for deliberately wasting the people's money (most probably under the influence of nepotism).

This whole e-government ruckus is a complete failure. It has done nothing but waste precious time, money, resources and real-estate (it would have been better for the government to open a brewery at the premises of NCIT - more returns). This is what happens when you charge clueless novices with responsibilities beyond their capabilities. One would think that experimenting over a 5-year period (5 YEARS on this rubbish end-result?!!!) would help them attain better insights (how long does a monkey take to match shapes, anyone?). Faaig, it is time for you to stick your thumb in your rear-end and declare yourself a dunce.

PS. The citizens.gov.mv website was checked by the author on 2nd April 2009. There is the possibility that NCIT may take up arms and rectify their failures before too long (although there is every guarantee that that may not happen).

The Iraqi reporter who shoed George Bush should have used a pie. Then it would not have been assault.

Capitalism has controlled tourism in Maldives long before Anni attained puberty. In fact, contrary to what most people believe, the iron cloak which veiled the general public from the nuances of the industry had been put there by these capitalists, and not the government. The mechanisms of control (including the notorious figures within the government who aided them in various forms of corruption) which ensured predetermined futures for the industry were enacted via the influence of wealth and power.

How then does Anni get himself implicated in this capitalist quagmire by volunteering to represent the concerns of the tourism industry in his proposed trip to Italy? Why would he preach his ambitions about streamlining government expenses and yet be so liberal about mounting on the costs of presidential excursions (the most expensive of any in the cornucopia of the government)? Insofar, the president of Maldives has seldom undertaken the task of promoting the country's tourism in the international stage. There is a reason why the country has a Tourism Minister after all.

Ask anyone in the senior management level of any tourism-related organization and they will attest to the industry's independence in marketing itself. To date, all fairs and exhibitions have been funded and organized with minimal government intervention: which, if any, is usually in the form of intercessions. If Anni and his wife are so keen on 'helping out', the rational mind wonders 1) is Anni serving the capitalists who funded his campaigns?, 2) is Anni really going to be able to make a difference given the lack of cleverness he has demonstrated in governing the country thus far?, or 3) does Anni want to go on a vacation at the government's expense?

The curious mind wonders if Anni was sipping Sula Shiraz while he was glancing through this article. The mind also wonders why Minivan News is running the article when not a murmur was uttered in response to Anni's Sula Shiraz transgressions. The mind cannot be brought to terms with the possibility that Anni and Minivan News may have a wholly unholy alliance. Impossible! The present government of Maldives is way too transparent and pure to even consider such evil.

Someone inquired if it was possible to write a fully functional HTTP server using Perl. Although wwDOS is not fully HTTP 1.1 compliant, it demonstrates the possibilities via Perl and provides a framework to flesh out. Post back here if wwDOS gets extended and/or improved.

Every once in a while there comes a Maldivian who rises above the smog of mediocrity. Ali Hasen Didi (aka. Ayya) is certainly proving to be one of these unique individuals, with works like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGyq_jnOBNY. If you, dear reader, find this animated short is deserving of accolades express them in your blogs, to your friends or any which way you can. Lets help find Ali Hasen Didi a producer through popular acclaim.