Higher highs - Lower lows

Grabbed the power
They came to power with promises. Deceptive promises with absolutely no intention of fulfilling them. Grabbing the power at any cost was the prime objective. They did achieve the objective. MDP took the reigns of the Maldives government on 11 November 2008.

Numbered days
Today, with just a half of their presidential term remaining, MDP leadership is twitchy because of the low public approval. But they should not be, as its is they who promised higher highs and lower lows to win over the hearts and minds of people and get the government.

Broken promises
We will lower the dollar rate.... MDP promised.
We will lower the cost of living.... MDP promised.
We will lower the crime rate ..... MDP promised.
We will increase the standard of living... MDP promised.
We will improve the public services ... MDP promised.

Malidivians now know
Maldivians are intelligent and highly politically aware. The government 'could fool some people some times, but can't fool all the people all the times' (as Bob Marley sings). People know that the MDP promises of lower lows has risen to higher highs and everything that the government promised to improve on has fallen to lower lows.The MDP government has failed big time. That much, people now know.

Final countdown
The goverment should not be discontent of the low public approval rating they have today, but should rather be seriously concerned that their presidency would be at best just a single term. As with the past two elections of Parliament and the Local Councils,  the people of Maldives would be the judge the jury and the executioner of the Presidential Elections 2013. They would give meaning to higher highs and lower lows.

Shark attack on land - Give the rule of law a chance

Lawless underworld of the lagoons, seas and oceans. The fight for survival continues.  Mostly the small fall prey to the bigger predators. It is not lawlessness, but the law of the seas: small eaten by the big. Shark attack!

Land is not sea. Humans have moved on from caves to huts, huts to cottages, cottages to houses. Welcome to the civilization. Welcome to the developed, civilized world. Welcome to the era of laws and regulations, enacted to harmonize the society and the way humans live.

Screams, gang-fights, rapes, drugs, robberies, blood, death, sirens, breaking news.  Come night, come day, almost every day. Shark attack. On the streets of Malé the capital of Maldives. Lawlessness or the law of the capital cities? Research suggests that crimes in capital cities are often higher. Main reasons being that majority of crimes evolve around money and desperation. Capital cities have more money, denser-populations, and naturally more desperate people. And more sharks. The stage for the organised-crimes. The  very moment that the law enforcers fail to enforce the ruel of law the problems surface and gets out of control. The Maldives is not an exception. Not anymore definitely!

Is it too late for the Maldives to return to innocence? It would be a tough but not an unachievable task. The government should have the will to restore peace and harmony. The government and authorities must commit to up hold the rule of law. The government and the authorities must be ready to attack the sharks. The society must be convinced that actions good or bad have consequences. The people must believe in justice. This may require making new laws or amending existing laws, but foremost it requires that authorities uphold the rule of existing laws.

God created sharks for the seas, where lawlessness is the law. Let's stop shark attacks on land. Lets not compromise human rights for criminals' rights. Lets join hands with the authorities to fight crime.


Related links:
Beat system enforced to fight rising city crime
New Delhi is still the rape cpital of the world
Property crimes still up in the capital city
Federal officials looks at Memphis' crime-prvention efforts

Democracy: thirst of the new generation

Traditionally politics have been attributed only for the politicians.  However, today Maldivians would be regarded as  highly participative in political affairs. I wish to share my views on why so many people are engaged in politics and its implications.

Politically inactive Maldivians became politically vibrant for  many reasons, the primes being:

• The Change: The majority of voting population, particularly the 18-35 year age group strongly believed that the country needed a change, and such change would only be possible with their active involvement.
• The Slavery: After coming to power MDP Government has been vocal and acting on a policy of 'reward jobs' for pro MDP political involvement and 'threat dismissals' for none involvement.
• The Uturn: MDP came to power by selling the 'Change' deceptively wrapped in the beautiful colors of democracy. Yet just after 3 months of MDP's governance people realized that MDP's democratic promises were a lure and that the people have been deceived by MDP. Hence people who began the democratic drive wanted to continue their fight for democracy, thereby choosing to continue their active involvement at the forefront of the politics,  though not for the Government.
• The People Power: The new constitutional 'local governance model' encourages active involvement of locals, particularly those who seek to compete in the local elections.

Now that Maldivians are politically super-active its hard to visit a restaurant, café or a 'hotaa' where people would not be having heated conversations, discussions, or even arguments about one or more of the politically polarized issues.

The Maldivians would need to slightly disengage in politics and spend more time on their respective productivity roles, in order for the country to gain an economic development momentum. Yet this would be possible only when Maldivians get a government that honors democracy and promotes democratic values as the new generation Maldivians are thirsty for democracy.

RELATED READING

Democracy to autocracy
Only Democracy Can Solve Our Problems, Says Civil Society Leader
Emerging Issues: Are We Ready For Government By the People?
Shame on political class for rotting fabric of democracy

Sleeping with the enemy - the enemy within

Sometime they just happen to be. Sometimes they are planted. Sometimes they get there. The enemy within. Dangerous, damaging, and above all a nuisance. No matter how much one wishes to be without them, somehow they would be there. Welcome to 21st Century Politics.

One key aspect that political parties allied or alone should focus on in order to succeed is to attempt to eradicate or minimize the number of enemies within. Particularly the ones who seek to compromise the collective mission.

But how does one identify the enemy within? Do they wear 'i'm the enemy' badge? Do they compromise collective target for their own agenda? Do they attempt to kill friends with 'accidental' friendly fire? Are they too loud mouthed to give away the position to the real enemy? or Are they simply stupid ? Or Do they play stupid to be smart?


Even though following the news on DhiTV, TVM, VTV, DhiFM, SunFM, Haveeru, Miadhu, or Aaafathis may be of some assistance in identifying the likely 'enemies within' it would be often difficult to identify and deal with them before its too late.


As they come in all shapes and sizes, be it DRP, MDP, DQM, Jumhooree, QI, PA or any other political party or a coalition, identifying and dealing with the 'Enemy Within' would remain one of the greatest challenges for political parties and coalitions to get the Government or remain in the Government.


Related articles:
Coalition politics: the enemy within
The Enemy Within: Angela Merkel's Fight to Hold on to Power