By our correspondent in Male’
Thousands of people gathered at the Artificial Beach of Male’ on Saturday to commemorate the second anniversary of the pro-democracy demonstration held at Republican Square in August 2004. The original demonstration resulted in a brutal crackdown by the National Security Service on the democracy activists.
The scene was very different two years later, as the security personnel watched without their riot gear and batons. They were providing security for the area while traffic police diverted traffic off the zone.
Across the Artificial Beach, on Namira Building, security personnel trained their powerful cameras and binoculars on the demonstrators.
However, unlike the demonstration of January 2006, this time they didn’t use megaphones to threaten the crowd. Neither did they jam the phone conversations in the area even though they had a dish antenna to do that just in case things went out of control. Namira Building is owned by Jangiya Nazim, MP for Meemu Atoll, and a close associate of President Gayoom’s brother Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
The smooth way the gathering went was a surprise for several activists who had seen nothing but police brutality at such peaceful gatherings. The secret negotiations between the government and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) can be attributed to the behaviour of the security forces. While many people were aware that an understanding existed between the government and MDP about the event, there was still apprehension of a move by the police. Some people were also wondering if MDP had applied for permission to hold the event, under the much loathed presidential decree on Freedom of Assembly. The party denied it while the government claimed that MDP had taken permission. There was no denying of the fact that the party is going through a stage of political change, in which negotiations play a key role.
However, government ministers such as Qasim Ibrahim did not address the rally despite being announced and publicized by MDP as a key event of the day.
A light drizzle continued throughout the evening and this could have been a reason for low turnout than expected. However, several people stood under umbrellas, or just under the drizzle, perhaps remembering how things unfolded two years ago. The fact that hundreds of people attended the festivities, organized by MDP as a carnival rather than a demonstration, gave more hope for the future of the democracy movement. Thousands of people had faced rain and snow for days in the Ukranian capital of Kiev to make what is today known as Orange Revolution. The Artificial Beach on August 12 was different than that, but it was full of hope for tomorrow.
MDP’s Vice President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, Shadow Cabinet’s Minister of Justice and Law Mariya Ahmed Didi, and Abbas Adil Riza, the President of Kuda Henveyru Branch were among those who addressed the crowd in the afternoon.
Zuhaira Umar, one of the activists arrested during the crackdown of 2004, also addressed the gathering. Zuhaira’s name was announced as a wanted person by the NSS and she called the security forces herself before she was arrested. People still remember the inspiring speeches of the former radio announcer on Black Friday, 2004.
Some of the heroes of the Black Friday preferred to avoid the limelight and blended with the crowd this time.
In the evening speeches by MDP politicians and activists were followed by live music, making the atmosphere lively and resembled the activities of Otpor. The youth activists of Serbia had used music and speech as a way of attracting mass support for the movement to oust Slobodan Milosevic, the Butcher of Balkans. Maldivian activists have been inspired by videos featuring Otpor.
Reeko Moosa Manik, MDP MP and candidate for party presidency, made a lengthy speech about the torture he received at the hands of the government, back in 1980s. 
Moosa Manik’s brother Reeko Ibrahim Manik was implicated in a plan to come to power in the secret ballot of parliament for nominating a president in 1983 by conspiring with some MPs. Moosa Manik claimed that as a young man he was introduced to the police brutality when he was needlessly put in prison and tortured. His brother Ibrahim Manik has made a comeback in Maldivian politics when he applied to form the Maldivian Social Democratic Party. He has yet to receive the signatures of 3,000 people to officially register the party.
Moosa Manik is the sole candidate for party presidency in the Congress to be held this month. Congress members may vote for him or they may change the voting procedures allowing each member of the MDP a vote in electing the president. Presently only the members of the Congress enjoy voting rights. While the party is moving away from indirect democracy towards direct representation of members, MDP has ironically backed parliamentary system over presidential system in the forthcoming nationwide referendum.
The decision has created division among party members and supporters as many people feel the party should have left the decision to the people in the referendum rather than choosing a side.
Aishath Sherin, a prominent MDP activist, addressed the crowd, reminding the people about the brutality of Adam Zahir, the sadistic Police Chief, who is an icon of torture in the Maldives. She said Adam Zahir must be removed from his post as the first step before talking about removing dictator Gayoom.
Reeko Moosa Manik has yet to provide some explanations to the public about his previous business relations with Adam Zahir. The former actor has yet to provide details about entertaining the infamous former Foreign Minister Fathulla Jameel at the minister’s resort Kandooma. Moosa Manik had also not disclosed his close ties with the Universal Group.
Male’ member for Special Majlis, Mohamed Nasheed (Colonel) also addressed the crowd. However, some people booed him over rumours about his close ties with Sun Travel Shiyam, the Deputy Leader of Gayoom’s Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).
MP for Addu Atoll, Ibrahim Shareef (Ma Vota Shareef) also gave a speech. Shareef, who was previously known as Addu Shareef and Wajjeege Shareef, has earned a new nickname Ma Vota Shareef, from his election slogan ‘Ma Vota Shareef Ah’ which means ‘My Vote for Shareef’ in Addu dialect.
Shareef, who is known to distort facts, devoted his speech to promote parliamentary system. As usual he tried to take the advantage of the Maldivian people’s general ignorance of politics by attributing all vices in the world to the presidential system. He caused an uproar recently when he said in an MDP meeting in Addu that out of 8 countries in the G8, seven countries have parliamentary system of government.
At the gathering MDP circulated leaflets promoting parliamentary system. Instead of assisting the public make an informed decision, the leaflets were full of propaganda.
“If you want to see more Maldivians martyred in Maldivian jails from the bullets of rifles, batons of police and attacks of goons, then presidential system is the system that will most conveniently facilitate that,” cautioned the leaflet in Dhivehi language.
Despite the rhetoric and propaganda, the night was filled with a sense of hope and nostalgia. MDP’s Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed, who was arrested in 2005 while commemorating the first anniversary of Black Friday, has not been released yet. What the government does with his case in the following weeks will show if the recent talks have failed or borne fruit.
Member of Special Majlis for Addu Atoll, Husnu Suood, tried to bring a sense of activism to last night’s gathering. He urged the crowd to go and bring Anni from his house where he is under government-imposed house arrest, and march towards Presidential Palace.
However, MDP leadership decided that it was not to be a night of revolution and ended the festivities with more music. The event is said to continue in the evening of August 13.
Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(Maldives)
http://www.maldivesculture.com/news/emergency_rule_maldives.htm
http://www.dhivehiobserver.com./news/eyewitness_account.htm
http://www.dhivehiobserver.com/profiles/zuhairaumar.htm
