Not exactly paradise
Monday, February 18th, 2008
When one thinks of the Maldives one thinks of a tropical tourist destination of high repute, of turquoise seas and waving palm trees. That is of course true, but there is a different underlying reality.
The President of the Maldives has been in office for three decades, and under him the islands have indeed become a premier place to visit for their beauty and warm climate. However democracy and human rights have not been on his agenda. There is now a process underway to have local, parliamentary and presidential elections probably starting later this year. A new constitution will soon be unveiled. A vigorous and articulate opposition to the President, who plans to re-stand, has emerged. Many have been imprisoned and harassed, or had gone into exile. Now the word change is in the air, but also nervousness that the elections will not be free and fair.
The Conservative Party, through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, has been assisting the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party, which will soon choose a presidential candidate. The islands are strategically located in the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to the emerging economic success stories in South and East Asia.
Francis Maude and I have just been there to assist. We were warmly received and had some pretty direct conversations with key Government personnel, as well as our sister party, who have every chance of winning.
The 300,000 population is exclusively Muslim, but abhors fundamentalism. Its leaders are extraordinarily Anglophile, have strong links to this country and want our help at this crucial time in their history. Today I have put down the following Parliamentary Questions to the Foreign Secretary;
1) What assessment he has made of the constitutional and democratic reform process in the Maldives, and if he will make a statement
2) What preparations are being made to ensure that forthcoming elections in the Maldives are free and fair
3) What representations have been made to the Government of the Maldives about open charges against a substantial number of its citizens
We will assist them very willingly. They deserve our support and they will certainly get it. We want to keep a spotlight on events unfolding in the Maldives. We must not let them down.