More Elections. This Time the Maldives

7 October 2008

Just as Barack Obama and John McCain are flaying each other in pre-election desperation, it’s easy to forget that the US is not the only place where democracy is at work.

The Maldives, a small group of islands south west of Sri Lanka are having its most important elections tomorrow. These will be the first multi-party presidential elections. The significance of these elections is that the people will have a genuine say for the first time over who is president.

Up until now the parliament chose the presidential candidate, then the public voted on whether they backed this candidate. In such cases, people may be loathe to reject the parliament’s choice, simply because there is no alternative.

Tomorrow they will have a choice. Half-a-dozen parties will be putting up candidates for the president.

This could, maybe, spell the end of the thirty year incumbency of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is just shy of his seventy-first birthday.

You don’t need me to tell you that thirty years is a long time to be the head of state, especially for a position that holds power over the parliament and the Executive.

The people of the Maldives may well choose to return Maumoon Abdul Gayoom for yet another term. The important thing here is that now, for the first time, they have the choice, and for anyone who believes in democracy, that is where true power must rest.

- Phil