The purported leader of the greater opposition, Anni, was first given an opportunity to make changes from within the government - an opportunity that few of us could ever dream of attaining. We're talking about being elected as member of parliament representing the capital city, Male', of Maldives. At his beck and call were most leading capitalists of the nation. So too were the majority of the grass-root people of the nation. How one squanders such an opportunity by jumping head-on into an obvious pitfall amazes me.

There was one missed opportunity, but that wasn't the end of it. With the emergence of MDP as the backlash to an outcry against police brutality, Anni was yet again presented with a non-statutory power gifted him by the vast majority of the country. His was the responsibility of leading his supporters into an era of 'legislative equivalence.' I have seen nothing on offer by the MDP except the semblance of a platform for free speech.

The one thing MDP did achieve were the majority of seats in parliament (at one point in time), an achievement which must, in all honesty, be attributed to the capitalists aligned in the cause (some of these capitalists were to later find MDP's stance overly aggressive causing the dilution of their initial resolve). Even with this opportunity no real efforts were made in changing the laws which sanctified the police brutality (a failure attributable to the enigmatic leader of MDP?). No efforts were made in making the public aware of the importance of changing law, rather than toppling one or two figure-heads.

Now, when all else has failed, it's back to vociferations against prime targets in the hope of engineering hatred against them amongst the public (which might certainly be a fruitful endeavor, but only to the extent of strengthening the various leaderships' collective resolve to crack down on the negative publicity). The Rodney King incident should remind us that the problem is not only lackadaisical leadership, but also the legal systems governing their efforts. With the right kind of post-arrest inquisitions and actions, I am certain the police elements who physically interface with the people will put more thought into their actions. Furthermore, the right kind of law would force the leadership to adopt a more responsible and accountable role (whether it be the current leaders or the likes of Anni at the helm).

I say more effort must go into forcing the leadership to divulge and amend the law than into trying to topple them by verbal abuse (if there has ever been such a phenomenon in the history of modern politics). MDP should eke out the various shortcomings in current law and generate awareness amongst the people with regards to these. It's not Anni's opinions about law that counts, but the public opinion. As a wannabe leader, it is Anni's job to empower the people, not to use the people's support to empower himself.

Anni, old chap. Teach the public how important it is for their representatives in parliament to be answerable to them. Teach them what legal avenues can be pursued if such accountability is not there. Teach them how to be CITIZENS!

That maybe, but I don't think each and every home makes one feel AT home by default. Since leaving Maldives a second time in the course of four months, I feel desperate to return. Not because the country is a beacon of freedom and healthy living, but because it's my land: the land where I need not feel compelled to keep my opinions to myself because they aren't welcome.

Home certainly isn't where you make it. It's where you're in your elements. It's where you're not suppressed surreptitiously by way of communal disenfranchisement. It's where I mingle with people whose collective fate I partake in. In this home I am not perturbed by my unwillingness to contribute to its betterment, but rather by the proverbial landlord's failure to recognize me and my responsibilities within the household.

What a country Maldives would be if politicians recognized the importance of empowering its people so that they may commit more vehemently to the household chores.

I just found out that Shazeen Samad has been selected as one of the hopefuls to win the Photo of the Year and Best Studio Photography awards on Photobloggies.com. Go to the Photobloggies.com site and search for shazeensamad.com.

This is the first such online nominations I've come across for a Maldivian photographer. Bravo Shazeen!

I'm back! Not necessarily to ameliorate the issues '"Maldiwians"' (doubly quoted for a reason, mind) are facing today but, in all probability, to compound them.

As the title of this post would suggest, my subject for the day is Mohamed Nashyyyydhh. This is one bloke who's always been careful about flying under the radar, maintaining an ever-present aura of mysteriousness. His mannerisms and character have never been as heavily published as those of more prominent political figures (the endlessly-cannibalized Qasim comes to mind). How did he manage to maintain such an apt veneer? More importantly, why am I interested in this man (aside from the possible 'queer' intonations)?

It's because I read this article on the hyphen.gov.mv website. Having read that, I'm starting to wonder if someone's veering away from (or plunging head-on into, depending on how you see it) the vicinity of the "Maldiwian Mentality." Regardless of whether Nashyyyydhh wrote this article or not, it's endorsed by the ministry he oversees.

[In order to ensure this article does not get 'swept under the carpet' because of 'pressure' from us idiots in the blogosphere, I'm going to put up a copy of it at the end of this post.]

First of all, there is the proposition to consider compartmentalizing and restricting the accessibility of news about Maldivez (based on whether the compartments are 'White or Black; Yellow or Colored; European or Asian; Moslem or Non Moslem'). How can someone hailing from IIUM, where a multitude of races, colours, ethnicities and religions mingle together, make such an irresponsible remark? I don't know about the rest of Maldivez, but if you ask me, I'd say let everyone be involved in the process of reforming Maldivez. Let these people be the white AND the black, the yellow AND the coloured, the European AND the Asian (and the other continents too!) and the Muslims AND the non-Muslims too. To put forth that question on a government-endorsed website speaks volumes about how haphazard the governance of this country is (let alone the mindset of one Nashyyyydhh). On the other hand, this could be a ploy by the government to attract retaliatory remarks about the statement, subsequently improving Maldivez' standpoint within international media (????????).

More thought-provoking questions the ministry's (Nashyyyydhh's?) article asks of us:

• Is it good to involve foreigners to operate within Maldivez to push the political agenda of the Maldivez for the Maldiwians?


• Is it wise that we abandon our political rights and allow those to be pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests?

Without referencing the methodologies of foreigners (foreign governments, pundits, journalists, politicians, specialists, activists, gurus, etc) Maldivez will have to 'reinvent the wheel' all over again. Without actively involving them within the process of reform we'll never really get the caveats they possess. Unless of course you think you're already at par with people like Ahmadinejad.

I recall the media going bonkers over a drug bust that happened in a not-too-distant past. Some USD50 million worth of drugs were discovered at the bottom of a reef. What I know for certain is that these drugs do not belong to a Maldiwian (given that even the most flamboyant local owners of resorts cannot tie up that sort of money in a drug deal). Isn't the fact that the investigation into discovering the financiers (we all know the relative origins of the drugs, but who funded the operation?!) has yielded nothing (and possibly never will) say a lot about the influence foreign interests already have on Maldiwian politics? In this particular case it might actually be in Maldivez' best interest to acquiesce to such pressure in order to maintain its international caricature (or better still, to attain an investment).

If that is too ephemeral a parallelism, then take into consideration people like Lily's Shiva or Sonu and Eva or the likes. Don't tell me they don't contribute to this country's political journey (whether it be tangible or intangible contributions). Can you honestly tell them that they are barred from influencing the political process? Would you personally be the one to tell them so, Nashyyyydhh?

The truth of the matter is, whether we accept it or not, we are being 'pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests.' Proof of this is evident in Tourism Ministry's revision of lease contracts signed with resort owners, allowing the complete sale of the ownership of such lease contracts to foreign parties. This is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, this sort of compromise with the demands of foreign parties will ensure that this country becomes more appealing to investors from abroad.

'They also accept that their country must be reported to men and women of that country by their own countrymen.'

Have you been following the recent wars in Afqhanistan and Iraq? Did you not see the foreign journalists scurrying about getting their footage and stories? It's a different situation you say? It's a war you say?

How about the journalists that covered the conference in Iran on the Holocaust? Yet another askewed reference you say? That the news was not published in Iran itself but in foreign media you say? How many Iranians do you think would have read these foreign publications on news.google.com? I have personally met Iranians who attest that news.google.com is available from within Iran and that they keep a keen eye on the articles posted there. In fact, these articles further clarify/solidify Iranian views (whether negative or positive) on matters such as the Holocaust and their recent nuclear research debacle.

Foreign media is not only a means of reinforcing Maldiwian politics, but also an inevitable constant which will always keep publishing news about our country (whether Nashyyyydhh likes it or not). If Nashyyyydhh is smart, he should sell exclusive rights on all news about Maldivez to a major news network out there, thus making some money out of it. Even then, the chosen news network would obviously sell those stories to its competitors in order to capitalize on their investment.

'Maldiwians will not have any right to decide, form, or push a political agenda of another country.'

That Maldivez will not infringe on the politics of other countries doesn't mean Maldiwians aren't interested in reading about them. In fact, we're all gossip-mongers over here, so much so that we'd love no less than the juicy details. Are we not bigots to be denying other countries the right to find the reality within Maldivez?

'This is quite different from empowering foreign nationals to run our political agenda for us, to be the political activists of this country through the channels of media.'

Yet you say, 'media is nothing but political activism. It pursues a strong political agenda for the nation' followed by, 'We would definitely need foreign knowledge, talent and expertise. We would also need their consultancy, guidance and technology transfer.'

Who do you think these foreign blokes are? A bunch of idiots? Do you think they'd give you all the knowledge they have and not publish their deeds? Do you think a political mind like Mahathir Mohamed would help improve our nation's politics and then just wither away without recognition?

My dear Nashyyyydhh, that is my reaction to your 'green statement.' Now I expect a comment from you or one of your team emphasizing what a so-called 'green-statement' is: that it's just a very loose attempt at surveying public opinion and that the meanings inherent within are wholly speculative. The point is, once published on a website under a ccTLD wholly owned by the government, such articles become views/thoughts of the nation. As such, I suggest that these articles be very thoroughly scrutinized before being published.


HERE'S THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE hyphen.gov.mv WEBSITE:

A “White Paper” is a draft policy statement of the Government seeking adoption or conclusion. A “Green Paper” is a pre - policy document prepared by the Government for public consultation on an issue for which a policy is just being debated or formulated. Following that line, I submit not a Green Paper but a “Green Statement” for consultation and advice.

By the way, my name is Mohamed Nashyyyydhh. I work at the Ministry of Information. I seek your reaction to this statement:

The Statement

The power to decide the future of Maldivez must belong to men and women of Maldivez birth – the children of this nation. Our political aspirations as a nation or as individuals or as groups must remain a truly Maldiwian affair. Our national debate must be run by Maldiwians for Maldiwians. It being the forum for that debate, and reflection of those aspirations, the Maldivez Media Landscape must be held by us, for us all.

The Rationale

The media is nothing but political activism. It pursues a strong political agenda for the nation.

No doubt, the people of every country have an absolute say in the political choices of their country. Every citizen of this country too has a fundamental right to take part in and actively pursue his or her beliefs and choices on the politics of this country. Each one of us has a fundamental right to take part in the choices this country makes as a nation. The journalists are the key activists in that political arena who push the agenda of the people forward, hold the government responsible on their behalf, and expose their shortcomings and design the way forward.

If we agree that, such activism is the legitimate description of the role of a free press or a free media, then the question is this? To which extent shall we allow our political agenda to be pushed by foreign interests: White or Black; Yellow or Colored; European or Asian; Moslem or Non Moslem?

This question becomes increasingly relevant in the realities of Maldivez today. It is becoming clearer and clearer that foreigners are “seriously” getting involved in our politics, through various channels. Media is very appropriately one of those channels. The question to answer is this: Is it good to involve foreigners to operate within Maldivez to push the political agenda of the Maldivez for the Maldiwians? Is it wise that we abandon our political rights and allow those to be pursued, pushed and manipulated by foreign interests?

Foreign journalists come here so that they can report Maldivez to their papers, networks and countries. They also accept that their country must be reported to men and women of that country by their own countrymen. That is so, simply because, they believe in the political significance of the media; political activism of journalists; and the acrobatism of the trade.

Maldiwians will not have any right to decide, form, or push a political agenda of another country. If that is so, should we not limit Maldiwian politics and agenda setting to children of the Maldivez soil alone?

We would definitely need foreign knowledge, talent and expertise. We would also need their consultancy, guidance and technology transfer. Foreign participation and assistance may be extremely useful in assisting Maldivez acquire the capacity to nurture a free and independent media and develop its institutions. This is quite different from empowering foreign nationals to run our political agenda for us, to be the political activists of this country through the channels of media.

Our tea boutiques, our barber saloons, our corner shops, our resorts, our imports may be dominated by foreign interests. But our media landscape is not a street barber’s saloon. Our media is the heart of our national debate; our politics; our future. The power to decide the future of Maldivez must belong to responsible men and women of Maldivez birth – the children of this nation.

You say what?

I am a patriot no more...

On www.photoblogs.org glance at the 'Hot Photoblogs' section and you will see Shazeen Samad Photography (at least at the time I am writing this post).

Shazeen, my friend, I believe you have been vindicated proper.

I tried www.wii.com and landed in a site which looked like a 12-year-old's class project - the reviews of the published games and the lack of upcoming ones were most disappointing. I tried www.playstation3.com and www.ps3.com ending up nowhere.

To get the low-down on the PS3 I finally decided to go to www.sony.com and navigate their menus, ending up at www.us.playstation.com/PS3/PS3Games (talk about long-winded). This site had all the content a PS3-seeker would want, albeit a dull template and colour scheme. Later on, I figured out that www.playstation.com did end up pointing me at www.us.playstation.com/PS3/PS3Games, again after some navigation.

In comparison, one just has to type www.xbox.com or www.xbox360.com on one's address bar and gets transported to all that needs to be learned about the Microsoft console. The Xbox site looks far less apprehensive than the PS3 site, and has better navigational aspects. Then again, everything finally boils down to the visual content of the games. Since I do not own either a PS3 or an Xbox360, the material I made comparisons on were from the respective sites. Here are some of the comparisons I made:

• Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) vs. Gears of War (Xbox360)


• Call of Duty 3 (PS3) vs. Call of Duty 3 (Xbox360)


• Rainbow Six Vegas (PS3) vs. Rainbow Six Vegas (Xbox360)


• Tony Hawk's Project 8 (PS3) vs. Tony Hawk's Project 8 (Xbox360)

Feature analysis gives us these points to ponder over:

• Both the Blu-Ray and the HD-DVD are being touted as near-equals


• The online content for both consoles are similar


• The Xbox360 offers better content-management (especially music) than the PS3


• The PS3's picture-handling options, including the gallery, are more comprehensive


• Subscriptions to network/media options are almost at par with either console


• The PS3 has a myriad of memory card reading options (available on the more expensive version only)

I say the clear winner is the Xbox360, not only because it 'got there' a year ahead, but also since the PS3 has been nothing but a glorified piece of engineering prowess with very little enhancement in the accompanying content - both in terms of the promotional material as well as the games themselves - over the Xbox360.

He started off with an ace and ended the match with a point gifted from an unforced error by a flabbergasted Blake, who seemed to be there more to witness 'history written', as Etienne de Villiers put it, than to clinch a victory. In the end, the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup championship of 2006 was concluded with a resounding victory for the number one player of the world, Roger Federer - the majestic 'lion king' from Switzerland.

Taking the first set 6-0, Federer established his superiority over the match from the very start. As was his intention throughout the championship, his gameplan consisted of playing Blake at his own game. The difference between the two players were the accuracy of the shots and the quickness off the line on the part of a much-empowered Federer.

That the media touted Federer as the player to eventually oust Bjorn Borg certainly would not have helped Blake's confidence. However, in the second set, the American looked to be putting up a fight before Federer stamped his authority on Blake's fourth service game to take the set 6-3.

Moments when the world number one looked relenting were those when his own mistakes played to Blake's advantage, allowing Blake to claw away 3 games in the second set and 4 in the third. However, at no point in the match did Federer look out of form, let alone vulnerable. The end of the match saw a frustrated Blake accepting the near-flawlessness of arguably the greatest tennis player - Federer had 41 winners to Blake's 18. Federer won 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.

During the ceremony following the match, both players showed much respect for each other, both in their off-stage interactions with each other as well as in their speeches. Blake accepting the outcome in gentlemanly grace and Federer with his renowned humbleness. Federer said his final farewells to this year's tennis season by thanking his girlfriend Mirka whom he credited for his continuing success.

The head-to-head statistics between the two players now stand at 6 wins for Federer and none for Blake. Next year promises both to be one filled with numerous battles between these two great tennis players as well as potentially the moment which sees the crowning of the greatest tennis player of all time: Roger Federer.

Once upon a time a father had a son
And the son and father had lots of fun
But loneliness in bed gave the father strife
So he grabbed himself a second wife
The wife was prepackaged with a son
Whom the father loved more than his real one
His true son was dismayed and went away
Got married and his own son came into the fray
The new father avoided his own one
For the sake of the future of his son
But lest he forget, the popular reflexion
Says 'like father, like son'

The Guidelines for Registration of Colleges, published by the Ministry of Higher Education, Employment and Social Security, is utterly hilarious. The document states all the requirements for registration in Dhivehi and specifies in English the content layout (no details whatsoever) of proposals made by parties interested. No wonder foreign institutes are dissuaded.

It is a fact that many Maldivians are concerned with the policies governing the tourism industry of the Maldives. Most concerns stem from the obvious polarity of the distribution of resources - tens of thousands receive a fraction when a handful enjoy magnitudes of the bounty. I reckon this disparity sprouts from ill-conceived policies - especially the Tourism Masterplan.

You're saying 'if you're so smart, why don't you make a policy yourself', aren't you? See if you like this proposition as a fundamental policy:

• Hotel - a hotel is defined as a property where accommodation can be rented, and services and facilities available (charged or otherwise).


• Resort - a resort is a self-sufficient hotel which patrons can opt to stay at as the only abode throughout the duration of their stay in the Maldives (wherein the resort provides all facilities and services needed by its patrons).


• Lease - hotel/resort properties shall be leased to individuals or legal entities under agreement. All such lease agreements shall expire on or before the 30th year from the date of signing.


• Assessment scheme - a scheme under which all bids will be assessed shall be published as part of the terms of the lease agreement. An integral part of this assessment scheme shall be a barometric scoring system which gives scores proportionate to the number of partners in the principle legal entity (implying that the lowest possible points shall be scored by bids of individual persons). If two or more parties attain the same scores, a winner shall be drawn from an open lottery.


• Partners - the partners of any legal entity, party to a lease agreement, may not sell, transfer or pledge their shares for a period of at least 15 years from the date of signing the lease agreement.


• Investment - once an individual or legal entity has been awarded a resort, they shall incorporate an investment firm (or a VC) of which the principle owner of the lease agreement shall attain no less than 20% of all shares. These shares shall not be relinquished, sold or pledged for a period of at least 15 years. The share structure of the investment firm may not be revised for a period of at least 15 years.


• Tax - a revenue tax of 3% of the gross revenue or a fixed sum of USD500,000.00, whichever is greater, shall be levied from the investing firm annually. Hotel/resort properties which have been leased before the ratification of this policy shall adhere to this new policy, and the taxation clause herein, from whence the existing agreements of such properties are terminated/expired.

Dear reader,

• Do you lack job security?


• Are you harbouring fears over the consequences of being fired?


• Are you afraid that you may not find proper employment if you get laid off?

If your answers are 'yes' to the above questions, I would appreciate your replies to the following ones:

• 1. Are your contributions to your organisation considered essential or valuable?


• 2. If the answer to the above question is 'no', are you working towards seeking positions in which you can make such contributions?


• 3. If the answer to question 2. is 'no', what is stopping you in the quest to gain promotions, and thereby attain positions of authority in your organisation?


• 4. Do these apprehensions over the security of your job stem from a) your lack of knowledge or experience in your area of expertise, b) your inability to maintain your professional consistency or c) your concern for loved ones?


• 5. If your answer to part c) of question 4. is 'yes', are you attaining the skills and proficiency required to become competitive in your line of work, and if not, are you training yourself in other areas of expertise in the hopes of become multi-talented?

You wonder why I ask you these questions? So many people tout fears over job security as the main reason for their reluctance to voice out their needs and concerns. I see this as a major deterrent in the quest for 'reform', and wish to understand the reasons behind these fears and apprehensions. I also wish to know what your views are with regards to rectifying this issue.

I thank you in advance for your comments and considerations.

I say the best way to tackle the political conundrums facing the Maldives is through education. Did I hear you scoff? Yes, everyone knows education is the key, but (again) no one's doing anything about it. Still, you are wondering how I could help break the deadlock, eh dear reader?

Here is a thought: what if a pressure group was formed to force the relevant education departments to enact a subject that covers Maldivian politics. We could call that subject Maldivian Citizenship. Still wondering about how this will help, are you not?

One of the many reasons why political parties cannot exert enough pressure on the government is because of their precarious existence due to the belay of the bill of the political party system. Since opposition activities are being (deliberately?) kept in limbo, creating a subject for teaching the political system of the Maldives (including the rights of citizenship) is the perfect workaround. The present regulations pertaining to the establishment and running of educational institutions do not prevent the teaching of politics or subject-matter related to politics. Even if there were regulations which prevent teaching subjects which present political distention, one can always stick to educating students about the constitution and the Law (including the implications/insinuations of all articles and clauses therein).

What say thee?

The Mandate of ZBP

• What is ZBP? - the Zero Barrier Party (ZBP) shall be a political party which shall criticize the Government of Maldives towards constantly improving its governance.


• Pacifism - ZBP shall inherently exercise pacifism, opting only the use of non-violent means in undertaking its activities. Members failing to do so shall have their memberships revoked and their crimes, if any, tried in a court of law.


• Goals? - ZBP will have three quintessential tasks: 1) enforcing transparent governance on the Government of Maldives such that all inquisitions of any citizen or legal entity should be answered, 2) making all policies open and fair such that all citizens/legal entities have equal rights to attain resources and opportunities governed by policies, and 3) implementing the legal infrastructure necessary to sustain the transparent governance and open policies.


• Elections - the party shall require at least half of its members to vote for any decisions it makes in an open ballot, unless otherwise stated in The Mandate of ZBP or other documentation ratified by the members of the party. The party shall not make any decision unless ratified by such an electoral process.


• Finances - all acquisition, dispersion and investment of finances for and of ZBP are subject to acceptance by at least 50% of the members of the party.


• Amendment of the mandate of ZBP - any additions, amendments and deletions made to The Mandate of ZBP can occur only upon acceptance by at least 50% of the members of the party.


• Implementation and enhancement - implementations and enhancements brought to the party's processes, organization structure, departments, committees, pressure groups and all relevant rules and regulations can only be carried out by committees comprising members elected by the members of the party. In this regard, the task of constituting the initial administrative department shall rest upon a committee elected by the members of the party.


• Law - ZBP shall be governed by the articles of 'this bill of law' upon its ratification.


• General assembly - ZBP shall hold a general assembly within the course of 30 days from receiving necessary 'licenses'/permissions from the relevant authorities. General assemblies shall be held once every year. At every general assembly a date shall be fixed for the following year's general assembly. The chair for the first general assembly shall be Mr. X of Clan Y. General assemblies shall hear all motions made by the members of the party.

Think that's alright for the initial mandate of ZBP (not including the rules and regulations of course), eh?

Maldives is in transition. It is hoping to move to a more modern democracy from its
present near-aristocratic mode of governance. It is hoping to usher in an era where individual rights are respected to the extent of facilitating any prudent choice in the walk of life. Yes, the nation's best minds have come together and formed political parties to do just this. They even have a solution: topple the current government and hope the next one will instigate positive change. Consider that for a solution and see if it infers a real one. I do not need a PhD in political science to figure out that something is wrong here. The lack of a detailed proposition as to HOW the changes can be brought about befuddles me.

The nation's 'top' political minds are constantly bickering about the lack of reform and progress. What exactly is the reform you are speaking of? Human rights is certainly not the most immediate of impediments. What progress are you speaking of? We seem to be on the ascension in the updrafts of progress. The nation has been progressively doing better over the years as far as its economy is concerned, and 
is not a good economy the foundation for all other progressions of a nation? What about education? Do you think laymen like myself could critically assess the goings-on of Maldivian politics if not for freedom to seek, assimilate and use knowledge?

Then what are all these political parties fighting for one might wonder. Why are they not peeling back the layers of political grit and exposing the true failures of our nation, as 
they are purportedly doing? Why is it that no Maldivian has seen a logarithmic reform agenda which does not 
require drastic departure from present politics (as is being suggested by 
the enthusiasts of 'procession politics') but presents a gradually culminating plan to reform the institution, 
which is designed to start at an agreeable compromise between the right and left wings?

I am sure, dear reader, that by now you are wondering whether I truly believe this government is perfect as it were. The short answer to that is NO by all means. So, what is exactly wrong? I believe the immediate need of the reformists should be the enforcement of transparency in all aspects of governance (especially with regards to the budget) and the abolishing of all closed policies, facilitating only open and fair ones. Transparency? Policies? By transparency I mean the ability for all Maldivians to make inquisitons of the government. There is nothing a government should keep from its people, and even if that something were material vital for the survival of the nation the institution should release it under the binding pressures of an NDA. By policies I mean those which govern the regulatory impositions over the various resources of the nation, such as its air, real estate, sea, etc (covering such crucial business opportunities as communications). Making policies open and fair means that everyone and anyone should be able to attain benefits from the nation's resources provided they are eligible by fulfilling prerequisites which are common to all individuals or entities (regardless of financial, political or social capacities).

Why are the opposition parties of the Maldives Government failing to make clear their intents with regards to these crucial aspects of governance? I say it has to be one of two reasons: 1) fear of prematurely unveiling scintillating plans which could help the opposition win over the public, or 2) wont of veiling the matters of finance and opportunities so that the successors to the present government 
can enjoy the benefits the latter's proponents may have had.

Two concerns have been nagging me after a drama that unfolded a little earlier this evening. I was sitting at a cafe' called 'Galanga' in Male' (that's the capital of Maldives) when some twenty or so policemen shuffled in and apprehended half-a-dozen foreigners, citing that they had entered the country by illegal means (the citation was proffered by a uniformed immigrations officer).

My concerns? 1) Does Maldives honour due process? If not, 2) am I in breach of my rights as a Maldivian by discussing my concerns?

Let me clarify. Due process is the treatment of all individuals based on the same rights (correct me if I'm wrong in my brief definitions). According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration any foreigner can attain a thirty-day visa on arrival to the Maldives subject only to three conditions stated on their website. As such how does one decide that any given foreigner has malice in mind (even if he/she were wearing a shirt that says 'I am Charles Manson reborn!' let alone one emblazoned 'Reuters') and others do not? Is there not a service policy which sanctifies due process? Consequentially, should not due process be considered and the government let suspicious individuals be monitored rather than immediately apprehended? Upon apprehension how does one get a confession from a would-be criminal (by bribing him with a box of Godiva?)?

If the government reserves the right to pass verdicts based on suspicion then they have every right to apprehend me for fear that my articles may inflame the public. Don't they?

(PS. Am off to have a coffee while I'm still free [Godiva beckons!].)

(PPS. On behalf of the people of Maldives I apologize for our government's failure to honour due process [unless the government can prove otherwise, in which case I would apologize to them for writing this article]. If we could help [hint hint], we would.)

so we will get SUSE Genuine Advantage soon?

The US State Department thinks Maldives has both historically and by present standards one of the most stable political climates in the world. That the nation has not seen much blood shed in the pursuit of political agendas is true, despite recent departure from this relative prosperity. However, the nation's politics has never been its Achilles' heal. Its undoing will be the teetering economy which is presently at the brink of toppling over under the burden of burgeoning misadministration.

As I mentioned in a previous post the increase in the financial needs of the Government of Maldives from 2002 through 2006 has been nearly geometric, constituting an annual increment of about 100%. The approximate budgetary needs for these years were (in millions of USD):

• Year 2002 - 60


• Year 2003 - 110


• Year 2004 - 150


• Year 2005 - 300


• Year 2006 - 620

What are these figures, you might ask. The annual budget acquired by the Government of Maldives is needed to cover all financial overheads incurred in any given year's business of governance. These overheads include the payroll, cost of procurement, transportation, utilities, rents, consultancy, sundries, and so on.

What financial model does the government of a country simulate best? Governance can be regarded as a service 'industry', and hence its business model best simulates that of a resort. The payroll of a resort generally constitutes about 30% of the total overheads. The Government of Maldives has an approximate total payroll for the year 2006 valued at about 85 million USD (assuming there are 30,000 souls working in the government with an average monthly salary of USD 230.00). Extrapolating on the model of a resort, thrice the amount of the payroll gives us a total budgetary requirement of about 250 million USD, which I (no one else has to buy into my rantings, of course) presume is enough to govern the Maldives.

I have mentioned previously that there has been very little enhancement in the business processes of the governance despite the consecutive near-doubling of the annual budgets over the past five years. This is not to say that we are not seeing visible changes in the various assets of the Maldives, such as Hulhumale', Velaanaage, the President's Office, etc. However, the process of innovation of the methods of governance remains slackened: methods such as the process of integrating populaces, developing education programs, and most importantly (but by no means the end of the list) developing industries.

Tourism is touted as Maldives' primary industry, which purpotedly brings in the biggest revenue. The resorts of the Maldives constitute a total capacity of approximately 17,000 beds with an industry-average occupancy of 80%. Given that the overall industry's average room rate is USD 150.00 per night, the industry's total income from room sales is just over 350 million USD. Along with extras, the total industrial revenue accrued from all 88 (or so) resorts should be approximately 600 million USD. From this figure, the government enjoys a revenue of about 40 million USD (average bed rent per bed per annum is USD 2,500.00), which is about 7% of the total revenue. Even if this percentage taxation were to increase to 20%, the government will only earn 120 million USD.

Another revenue source for the government from the tourism industry is import tax. Extrapolating from the annual procurement budget for a 5-star resort, I have estimated that for each room a total of USD 40,000.00 is spent on procurement through the period of a year. This means the total annual procurements of the tourism industry of Maldives amount to roughly 700 million USD. Assuming the average import tax is 20%, the revenue the government accrues from this is about 140 million USD. The final source of revenue from the tourism industry is through bed taxes which totals roughly 40 million USD. Now let us take a look at the cash inflow for the Government of Maldives from tourism (in millions of USD):

• Bed rent: 40


• Import duty: 140


• Bed tax: 40


• Total revenue: 220

220 million dollars is approximately 35% of the total budgetary requirements of the Maldives for year 2006, and is about 3.5 times that of the total budget of 2002. What has changed in tourism from 2001 till 2004? Almost nothing - the 11 resorts that followed the invitation for bids for Villivaru and Biyadhoo happened only in 2004. What has changed in the business processes of the Government of Maldives? Again, barely anything. For years 2002, 2003 and 2004, my questions are:

• Where did the net profit of 160 million USD go in 2002?


• Where did the net profit of 110 million USD go in 2003?


• Where did the net profit of 70 million USD go in 2004?


• How come the Maldives had a debt of 316 million USD in 2004?

Dear reader, I have only taken into consideration the revenue accrued from the tourism industry. I have not touched upon fisheries or the rest of imports other than that procured within the cornucopia of tourism. Let us assume that the average consumer's expenses would amount to USD 1,500 a year, and that 70% of this constitutes imported goods. Further assumptions that all imported goods are sold with a 100% margin and that the general import tax is 15% for consumer goods, then the total revenue from taxation on consumer goods amounts to just over 20 million USD. This is just (a marginally pessimistic estimation of) the revenue from consumer goods. What about taxation on raw material imported for productions in various industries, such as construction? Furthermore, there is the revenue from Dhiraagu, Stelco, Airports Authority, and so on.

Yet, we still show a deficit? Consider this for now: 85 million USD (the total payroll of the government) is only one-third of 220 million USD (the revenue accrued from the tourism industry alone).

http://shaafiee.pakaas.com

It's just getting its final touches. From 1st October 2006, I will reside there permanently.

The United States and Maldives are both countries which stamped out the British to gain their respective independences. Since then, what have either acheived?

• According to the CIA Factbook, the Maldives has nurtured 11 industries.
• The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) lists some 1170 industries in the United States.

Given that:

• The Maldives has been independent for 41 years and,
• The US has been independent for 230 years

It is surprising that:

• The Maldives versus US industries ratio is 1:106, while
• The ratio of the period of Independence enjoyed between Maldives versus US is 1:5

Does the phrase 'blown out of proportion' come to mind? In this case it's literal, don't you think?