NEW DELHI: Famed for its white sand beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is seeking re-election, has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameen’s critics say he has systematically rolled back democratic freedoms, jailing rivals and controlling courts. Like elsewhere in South Asia, China has made fast inroads into the Maldives with aid and investment, challenging India’s long-held position as the dominant regional power.
A look at the Maldives, and why the election matters:
Threatened by rising seas
The Maldives is a low-lying archipelago in South Asia formed from a chain of about 1,200 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, 430 kilometres southwest of India. The reefs, less than a metre (3.2 feet) above the sea, attract scuba divers from around the world, but they’re also threatened by rising temperatures and sea levels. Former President Mohammad Nasheed held an underwater Cabinet meeting in 2009 to highlight the threat of climate change.
Vicious politics
The Maldives was a British protectorate until 1965. The centuries-old sultanate was restored again a year later until 1968. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom came to power in 1978 through a public referendum, ruling with an iron fist until 2008. That year, Mohammad Nasheed became the country’s first freely-elected president. But Nasheed was forced to resign and later was sentenced to a 13-year prison term. He was later granted asylum in the United Kingdom when he travelled there for medical treatment, and continues to live in exile.
Nasheed was succeeded by his running mate, Mohammad Waheed Hasan. Current President Yameen, Gayoom’s half brother, won in 2013. His former vice-president, Ahmad Adeeb, Gayoom, two ex-defence ministers, a prosecutor general and opposition lawmakers are among those who have been jailed during Yameen’s five-year tenure. All of the trials have been criticised for alleged lack of fairness.
With Nasheed ineligible to run in the elections because of his conviction, the opposition joined forces around longtime lawmaker Ebrahim Mohammad Solih, Yameen’s only contender.
Implications
The opposition and outside observers had cautioned that because of Yameen’s tight control of government institutions, Sunday’s election could be rigged. The European Union cancelled plans to send observers after determining that the Maldives had not met the conditions for monitoring. The US threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.
Nasheed told reporters in neighbouring Sri Lanka on Friday that the elections are critical for stability in the Indian Ocean, where he said a “cold war was brewing” between India and China.
