Gayoom's 2008 Challenges

Last year was a politically momentous year for the Indian Ocean island of the Maldives. It was, I guess you could say, a year of firsts.

It was the year when the face of politics changed, both literally and figuratively, for the first time in 30 years.

It was the year when Asia’s longest serving leader, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, was defeated in the country’s first multi-party elections.

Gayoom came to power in 1978, succeeding his political rival, the former late president Ibrahim Nasir.

Once in office, he won the hearts of many Maldivians while others viewed him as a dictator who ruled with an iron-fist, clamping down on a catalogue of rights usually considered as the pillars of democracy.

In 2005, Gayoom banned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from being distributed in the Maldives; an act which speaks volumes.

Although, Gayoom won each of the presidential elections over the past three decades, with a reported 90 per cent of the vote, he was the sole candidate in all of these elections.

These victories can only be described as empty. His opponents, furthermore, claim the elections were rigged.

The main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), accused Gayoom of violating human rights and using religion as a tool to subjugate the population.

It took the party members years to finally defeat Gayoom but they did not give up and it is in part due to their unremitting spirit, that democracy, in the true sense of the word, was finally able to put down roots in the Maldives.

But Gayoom challenged the opposition at every stage, deflecting every crisis thrown at him, until the bitter end. I can't remember ever seeing anyone so politically astute.

And just what were these crises? During his long reign, he came face to face with several incidents designed to end his rule.

Most notably, the 1988 coup attempt and the 2004 Black Friday demonstration, when thousands protested in Republican Square demanding democratic reform.

Gayoom defied every one of these incidents, declaring himself to be the victor at every turn.

In a sense, his first failure did not come until last year when he was beaten by Mohamed Nasheed, the leader of the MDP and a former political prisoner, in the presidential elections.

But the year had begun ominously with an attempt on Gayoom’s life.

In January 2008, Mohamed Murushid, 20, tried to stab Gayoom with a 12-inch life; lucky for the former president, a 15-year-old boy scout came to his rescue.

But after watching videos of the incident, many journalists questioned where this so-called boy scout was. As far as we could see, Gayoom had defended himself against the blade.

The next milestone of the year was the drafting of the new constitution. In July 2008, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the presidential palace to protest for the ratification of the constitution to be expedited.

A week later on 7 August 2008, the constitution was ratified by Gayoom in a ceremony held at Dharubaaruge Hall.

And then of course, we come to the the first multi-party elections in the Maldives, held on 8 October 2008 – a day that will go down in history.

At the end of the first round, Gayoom led with 41 per cent of the vote and Nasheed with 25 per cent. Although five candidates contested, no single person obtained as many votes as Gayoom.

In accordance with the rules, as no one candidate secured 50 per cent of the votes, a second round was held.

At this crucial juncture, several other political parties rallied around Nasheed, pledging their support in exchange for a number of political privileges, including cabinet seats.

And so the coalition was born and Nasheed was victorious with 54 per cent of the vote to Gayoom’s 46 per cent.

But of course, we have to wonder, especially with the upcoming parliamentary elections, whether Nasheed would have received as many votes without the backing of the coalition.

Either way, there is no denying the time for change was ripe and was ushered in through democratic channels.

I have always believed Gayoom’s greatest mistake for losing the elections was his campaign strategy.

While Nasheed and the coalition were campaigning about social issues, Gayoom’s team entertained the party’s supporters by organising dance and puppet shows.

Rather than using prominent and publicly accepted figures like Shaheen Hameed and the former cabinet minister Mohamed Nasheed, Gayoom used comedians like Alhaan Fahumee and Ali Waheed to boost his ratings and win votes; a strategy that backfired.

And now we welcome in a new year and with it comes a new set of questions and expectations.

What role will Gayoom play in politics this year? And what challenges will he and his party face?

Whatever happens, it will be an exciting year in politics as we see how our fledgling democracy grows and takes shape, and as we watch the two rival parties switch places for the first time in 30 years.