Maldives in transition
Yesterday was a red letter for the people of Maldives who saw
their country step into democracy after three decades of one
party rule.
By all accounts it was a monumental achievement for a country
that was virtually unknown until the early 70s. It also speaks
volumes for people's power and the voice of democracy crying out
to be heard in many a country ruled under the one party regimes.
One hopes this spirit of democracy of the Maldivian people would
pervade all those dark corners of the world where democratic
freedoms are stifled and people's liberties suppressed.
Maldives yesterday celebrated its transition to a full
democracy following the ouster of its long serving leader
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the Presidential run off. According to
reports wild street celebrations greeted the election of Mohamed
'Anni' Nasheed an ex political prisoner educated in Sri Lanka,
ending the long drawn out agitation for democratic reforms in
the atoll nation.
Clearly the people of Maldives were yearning for change. It
was apparent to observers of the unravelling scene in the
archipelago that it was only a matter of time before the bottled
up sentiments of the populace would erupt.
It is to the credit of President Gayoom that he recognised
the mood of the people and set in motion the necessary process
for change. He is also instrumental in transforming the Maldives
from an unknown chain of islands to an internationally renowned
destination.
It is hoped that the process of transition of power will pass
off without hassle. It will be interesting to note how the
people of Maldives would adapt to the new changes and their new
found freedom.
This is because in a majority of cases countries which
emerged out of one party rule were beset with even worse
problems than those encountered before.
It is therefore incumbent on all democracies particularly the
SAARC family to help assist this nascent democracy to flourish,
overcoming its teething problems.
It would be interesting to see how the atoll nation will
fashion out its democratic structures. There is bound to be
opposition from some quarters to the many liberal reforms that
are central to a democracy.
We hope that such issues would not lead to any instability in
the initial stages of the democratic experiment in the Maldives.
Of course a democracy presupposes fundamental rights and freedom
of expression and worship. How the economy will adapt to the new
changes under the new dispensation will also be watched with
interest.
The unravelling of the new structures is bound to inject new
life to the Maldivian economy and open out its legendary tourist
industry further with the dismantling of some taboos and
restrictions that existed before. It will also prove a catalyst
to social change that could have its own benefits.
Sri Lanka has a unique relationship with the Maldives. The
two countries are close neighbours and a large number of Lankans
are employed in the Maldives, especially in the hospitality
industry.
The two countries also have healthy trade ties. Many
Maldivians study here - in fact both the outgoing and incoming
Presidents of Maldives have been educated here. Many Maldivians
consider Sri Lanka their second home.
The excellent diplomatic ties that now exist between the two
countries are likely to improve under the new presidency. All
Sri Lankan leaders have been very close to the Maldivian
leadership and top-level visits to each other's countries have
been rather common.
Sri Lanka too should look at ways to attract new trade and
markets with the new look Maldives particularly in the tourist
sector where both countries have a lot in common. Fisheries is
another area that invites a lot of potential. Ideally this
scenario should be exploited by Sri Lankan businessmen and
industrialists at the earliest.
There should be more avenues to broaden people-to-contact
with more cultural, educational and tourism exchanges between
Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We should lose no time in further
cementing our existing relations with the new Maldivian
leadership that would take Lanka-Maldives ties to a new levels. |