Free and fair elections incompatible with Golhaa Boa Gayyoom

DO Editorial
"It's not the people who vote that count. It's the people who count the votes." (Josef Stalin) Elections in the Maldives under Dictator Gayyoom have been a sordid drama of disinformation, intrigue, machination, intimidation, coercion and fraud. Every trick in the cheat sheet was used to guarantee the result, while ensuring that the elections looked superficially free and fair, when in fact they were neither. more

Golhaabo's 'Haazaa' economy backfires

DO News Review

Maldives Dictator Gayyoom's promise to increase government employee salaries –a rather transparent election sop –has backfired badly on him. As predicted, the announcement has driven consumer prices through the ceiling, making an already difficult life impossible for ordinary Maldivians. They are not amused. The price of a staple item such as a loaf of bread has increased from 11 rufiyaa to 15. Taxi drivers have announced a fare hike from 15 to 20 rufiyaa, while landlords are contemplating an increase in rents, which is expected to be in the range of 20 to 30%. The high shop rents, when they come, will be most certainly passed on to the consumer, thereby worsening the situation. more

President's Niece Gives Photographer The Finger

Minivan News

President Gayoom’s niece showed photographers the finger this afternoon as she left the Majlis building. Fathin Hameed, one of Gayoom's personal appointees to the Special Majlis, exited the building at 12.30pm with several other MPs from Gayoom’s ruling Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party. As usual several photographers and journalists were camped outside the Majlis building, waiting for MPs. The photographer who was the target of Fathin's gesture said she turned away from the main entrance to leave by a side exit. When she saw a photographer at the side exit, she returned to the main courtyard, and mouthed something to him before raising her middle finger. more

Dictator Genral Gayyoom's true legacy

Do Special Review
One leaves behind only what one brings. When Golhaabo came to power, he came with a gun. When he finally relinquishes power he will leave behind box cutters, swords and homemade bombs. "Violence, violence, violence:" That will be Gayoom's legacy. One could almost hear Gayyoom in his death bed bequeathing his heritage, "To Maldivians I leave two things: drugs and extremism. If they hold on to those, they will never have peace, even after I'm gone…"
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Dictator uses people's money for his Presidential campaign

DO News Review

It was announced on Sunday that in 2008 the government would increase the wages of the state employees. Further measures include the government funding the books and stationary needed by all students from Grades 1 to 12. Additionally the fee for participating in the O' level and A' Level exams are to be paid by the government for those who can't afford it. more

DOLLARS AND SINNERS: The criminal nexus between resort owners and Dictator Gayyoom

DO Editorial

"All dictatorships are cruel and wasteful. They deprive the populace of basic rights while enriching a small minority at the expense of rational development." These opening lines of the introduction to a research article from Stanford Graduate School of Business could very well be referring to Maldives Dictator Gayyoom. Actually, the article was referring to Alberto Fujimori of Peru who was deposed following one of the most notorious corruption scams in history. This uncanny resemblance exists because while dictators may differ, their methods are identical. Like Fujimori, Gayyoom also maintains his stranglehold on power through a bribery scheme, which in his case is bankrolled by Maldivian tourist resort owners, who are the real beneficiaries of Gayyoom's kleptocracy. Through patronage and favors, the scheme ensures the loyalty of atoll and island officials. more