A press release issued by New Maldives Movement has said that yesterday that the DRP Members tabled a constitutional amendment in the Maldives Constitutional Assembly designed to block the candidacy of Dr Hassan Saeed of the New Maldives Movement. The press release claimed that Dr Hassan is the frontrunner in the forthcoming contest which is scheduled to take place in November 2008.
"This underhand move continues Gayoom's campaign of intimidation and obstruction aimed at undermining the growing democracy movement and removing his opponents from public life, and is the latest of several attempts specifically targeting myself and my supporters. It is corrupt tactics like these that have ensured that half of all Maldivians continue to live in absolute poverty, on just over a dollar a day in a country that is widely regarded as a paradise in the west. If this move is allowed to pass unopposed then there can be no hope of fair elections in November. At stake is a truly democratic Muslim state which could act as a model for other Muslim countries around the world” said Dr. Hassan Saeed in the press release.
The press release noted that this was third attempt made by the ruling DRP to thwart Dr. Hassan Saeed's Presidential hopes. The release also noted that in November 2007, a similar motion was tabled by DRP front bench to disqualify Dr Hassan, but was dropped in the face of international pressure as well as a further attempt by DRP, to raise the age threshold to 40 was also dropped in November due to international pressure. Dr Hassan Saeed turns 38 tomorrow revealed the press release.
"In recent weeks Gayoom and his spokesmen have attempted to blame political parties and the newly formed Opposition Alliance leaders, of which New Movement is an integral part, in particular for an attack he suffered (which I have unambiguously condemned) when visiting the island of Hoarafushi in the north. Further, on three separate occasions, whilst I was Attorney General, Gayoom attempted to ban political parties, and would appear intent on using this event to justify doing the same again” said Dr. Hassan in the press release.
According to the press release issued New Maldives Robert Evans MEP who recently visited the Maldives in his capacity as Chair of the European Parliament South Asia delegation, on being informed of this development said that he has repeatedly expressed his intention to hold President Gayoom to his promise to hold free and fair multi part elections in 2008.
According to New Maldives that MEP Evans said “It is difficult to see how this latest proposal does anything but contradict this undertaking".
Dr Hasssan Saeed served as Attorney- General from November 2003 to August 2007. He resigned together with the Justice Minister Mohamed Jameel and the Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed accusing President Gayoom of deliberately sabotaging the democratic reform process.
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