President Abdulla Yameen came into power within a resilient coalition. Anyone who led political work back then was standing firmly by his side, except for opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). President Yameen started his tenure with half-brother and former President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Jumhooree Party (JP), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and Adhaalath Party (AP) as well as minority political groups all devoted to him.
With a lot of premeditating he was able to win the super majority of parliament as well. President Yameen had all the power in the palm of his hand. However, before he reached the middle of his term, Jumhooree party and Adhaalath Party had given up the ship, by the end of his term he had lost control over the parliament. Most of the members who stood firmly by him had abandoned him.
At the time of losing control over parliament, the people observed a few members and ministers tirelessly working to defend the president. A few names in particular, Member of Parliament for Inguraidhoo constituency Ibrahim Falah and minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr. Mohamed Shainee can be pinpointed.
Although, when the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) fired up their official campaigns for the presidential elections with full exhilaration, many faces that were formerly present have come to vanish from the picture.
Inguraidhoo MP Falah and Dr. Shainee’s voices have seemingly gone silent. Questions arise within the society about this matter and tell tales have flared within social media. The real reason behind this matter is yet shrouded.
Some people say that the reason why Falah isn’t seen in the ruling party’s activities is because he is out of the country. However while it has been two months since his retreat, there hasn’t been a hint of his presence. Has he, perhaps forfeit self-exile upon himself like several other member have?
The rumors now are that of the ruptures and squalls within the ruling progressive party of the Maldives (PPM). Talks on the same matter have splayed within opposition parties as well. Opposition claims that this will be seen in the upcoming term of the parliament on the 5th of February upon opening.
Also claiming that those who were seen under the president’s wing previously, will not be seen together this time. Perhaps it could be that clashes have created misunderstanding. However, there is a reason for the spread of these rumors.
The number of people who would defend the president and the government have significantly dropped. As PPM’s PG leader Ahmed Nihan keeps firing his tweets, the ones seen responding to the opposition in the news conferences held by the ruling party remain to be Member of Parliament for Fonadhoo constituency Abdul Raheem Abdulla and Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer. The economic minister is also seen as a letdown.
Due to the squalls within PPM, irreparable damage was done in the past as well. With the loss of the super majority of over 50 members it had cost them a lot. With the government having become vulnerable, power is being used to control citizens. Ones who can thread words into sentences are significantly less.
Using people who can’t understand their own jabbers in news conferences and gatherings have gotten them into a pickle. For instance, if MDA’s leader, coalition partner Mohamed ‘Sun’ Shiyam were to speak at a gathering, that’s the end of it. His gibberish dishonors the government. The fidgety speeches of the ‘energy minister’ remains unfathomable to confused citizens.
People like this are a smaller amount. The times when more verbally practiced frontrunners such as Ahmed Nihan speak in the government’s defense are insufficient. Albeit health minister Abdulla Nazim puts in his best efforts, as long as president’s Yameen’s fleet continues diminishing, the power increases for people such as himself.
The people will surely become bored of seeing the same faces in gatherings. Particularly with the lack of persons who can enthuse a remarkable speech, you can only meet with predicaments in such challenging campaigns. Although they can fill up the chairs at gathering by compulsorily bringing in people, if there is no one nearly entertaining enough to speak on stage the chances are they’re stirring negative impressions.
The odds on predicating the scope of President Yameen’s fleet now is when the parliaments opens its sessions for the New Year.
