President Yameen is determined to drown the Maldives Democracy

On Friday night, MDP Local Council Campagin rally protesting against declining Maldivian democracy, in Addu City was disrupted and forcefully stopped by the government of Yameen regime. Police in riot gear dispersed the crowd and pushed back the podium and the sound system. Several protesters were severely wounded in tussel with the local police. With Maldivians now imprisoned in their own land under barbaric regime of President Yameen, people are forced to think if this was the DEMOCRACY they fought for and won.

In December,2016 The civil court has ordered the elections commission to postpone January’s local council elections. The delay of the Local Council Elections is well planned and carried out jointly by the Government, Elections Commission and courts. With all state institutions deemed toothless and renderless by President Yameen, the whole of state machinery is now puppet of corrupt Yameen Government. Judge Ali Abdulla ruled in favour of President Abdulla Yameen.

Since November 2016 President Abdulla Yameen’s faction of the ruling party has been bribing supporters and coercing state employees to attend PPM(Y) political party rallies. State employees were threatened with dismissal and salary reductions for failure to attend the rally. Most people were reportedly given MVR500 (US$32.4) to attend the PPM(Y) rally.

Employee who works for the state owned utility company STELCO said his superiors had warned him of severe action, including dismissal, for failure to attend the PPM(Y)rallies. Employees of state-owned enterprises were given a sticker with a serial number upon entry to keep a check of their attendance in the rally. 

Maldivians, who spoke  on the condition of anonymity,  they were compelled to attend PPM(Y) political rally irrespective of the official work load that is already accumulating with tables full of files requiring their immediate attention. Another Maldivian, who works at the Maldives Ports Limited, said the company’s Chief Executive Office Mohamed Junaid “personally asked everyone to attend. He threatened us with dismissal and salary reductions if we didn’t join the rally."

The plight of Maldivians is not just restricted to lack of freedom and expression, but the whole pseudo "Free & Fair" democracy dream they are being brainwashed into believing...