Male calms down with president's resignation

MALE - The Republic Square in Male looked calm and quiet on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning with families freely walking around and chattering in the very location where weeks of protests to oust President Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president in the archipelago country, took place.

The multiple protests that erupted with President Nasheed's order on the army to arrest a top judge sparked the public anger against him who finally announced his resignation on Tuesday evening.

The island nation, a paradise holiday destination renowned for its pristine white sand beaches, turquoise waters and high-end luxury, experienced a spate of protests which culminated to a clash between troops and the police who joined the protesters against the president. Nasheed who was earlier hailed as a human rights campaigner defeated the nation's long-time ruler in the country's first multi-party election. Nasheed began his term with great hopes, ending Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's 30-year-reign by winning the country's first democratic elections in 2008.

All hell broke loose for Nasheed after he ordered the military to arrest Abdulla Mohamed, the chief judge of the Criminal Court, who had ordered the release of a government critic detained illegally. The vice president, Supreme Court, Human Rights Commission, Judicial Services Commission and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights all called for Mohamed to be released.

In turn, the government accused the judge of political bias and corruption, saying the country's judicial system had failed and called for UN help to solve the crisis. Apart from the incident of the judge, Nasheed also faced multiple allegations no sooner he was elected president in 2008.

He was accused of leading 80 percent of Muslim nations to secularism and liberalism which people did not want to. The last South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit held at the cost of over 200 million Rupiah at the end sparked religious outcry against erecting of various replicas from SAARC countries.

Nasheed was also accused of becoming a dictator and accumulating all powers to himself despite his democratic beginning in 2008 when he was very much credited to the introduction of democratic moves and constitutional reforms.

"Nasheed became a victim of his own democratic moves introduced to the country after 30 years of dictatorial regime by his predecessor,"said a political analyst who wanted to remain anonymous.

"He was trying to accumulate all powers of parliament, judiciary and media to himself,"he said.

At the end, Nasheed could not abide by the law and he had no other choice but to resign, the analyst added.

"He (Nasheed) was an elected dictator. We elected him but he wanted to rule with an iron fist,"said a young law student told Xinhua at the Republic Square.  

"A change is always good," he added, welcoming the new President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, a former top UNICEF official.

"Waheed has worked in UN and had a lot of diplomatic connections and more than anything, with all seven political parties supporting him, it is going to be a better country,"he said.

According to political experts, Nasheed's move to resign was sudden and it was not until his failed to talk to protesting police and army. When Nasheed visited the protesting police at Republic Square on Tuesday morning and urged them to end the demonstration, they refused and instead chanted for his resignation.

The change started soon with the police taking over Nasheed's government owned media institution, the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC). The television channel was immediately renamed and replaced with former President Gayoom's old TV Maldives (TVM). The opposition party leaders and MPs were giving interviews on the TV channel, interspersed with patriotic songs, news reports and live footage of Nasheed's resignation and the vice president's appointment.

The newly-sworn-in president of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Waheed, who appeared on   TV, said that Maldivians have obtained the true assurance of their rights guaranteed by the constitution.

"Today, we have established rule of law in our beloved country. I will not order the police, military or any person to do anything against the law -- I promise it to the public. Everyone will have the protection of constitution and laws."

The majority, specially the younger generation which comprises the biggest percentage of Maldivian population, seemed confident with the newly appointed president. However, political analysts pointed out the discord within Nasheed's own MDP party was responsible for the situation.

An elderly Maldivian who was at the Republic Square with his family Tuesday night   said that the island nation experienced nothing compared to protests in Syria and Egypt. This is a peaceful country where one man ruled for 30 years and the next only for 3 years.

"There was no coup as reported by many media but a demonstration which led the president to resign and made way for another. What exactly happened was the Army and the police did not want to go against the public. That is what exactly happened here," he said.

"President Nasheed did not break the constitution but was trying to bend it for his sake but he was beaten up by the same constitution,"he added.

Expert said that Nasheed who is accused of multiple allegations would probably face legal action for his violation of constitution and his conduct. Shortly after his resignation, bottles of alcohol were found by Maldives'Drug Enforcement Department (DED) inside the house of the former president Tuesday evening, an evidence of illicit substances.