Saturday, November 8, 2008

Smooth Transition Part 1: Phone Call Between Anni and Maumoon

This is a transcript of a telephone conversation between president-elect Nasheed (Anni) and outgoing president Maumoon. The conversation has been leaked by Himeyn Ingilaab and will appear in their website soon.

Maumoon: So have you selected the cabinet?

Nasheed: Yes

Maumoon: I heard that Dr Shaheed is the foreign minister

Nasheed: Yes

Maumoon: Ah! That is a good lad. He called me father of democracy. He said I belonged to the Club of Madrid* with such esteemed world leaders as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. Such a good lad. But spoiled by Dr Hassan. Who is the tourism minister?

Nasheed: Ahmed Ali Sawadh

Maumoon: Another good lad. He will increase corruption in the industry. He will please the resort owners. I am satisfied. Because I still hold some shares in a few resorts.

Nasheed: Which resorts?

Maumoon: That is a secret. I can't let you know that. You have taken my job. Now I have to have a source of income. Shouldn't I? I am old and Nasreena is old. We can't beg on the street at this age.

Nasheed: But Aneesa has proposed a bill on your behalf...

Maumoon: Don't you think I know what will happen, wise guy? You will replace the 8 members that I appointed with your own members. We will lose the majority in Majlis. Aneesa's bill will be thrown out.

Nasheed: I don't know. I will not have any control over the parliament.

Maumoon: But I am quite happy to know that your cabinet will consist of corrupt people. At least you will not get a good name from the people. Even you will not be saved from my legacy of corruption. That's what I call a smooth transition.

Nasheed: I know. That is why I am trying to save my face and hold a mid-term election. I will not stay as president after that.

Maumoon: Ah! I might contest in that election. If the DRP members allow me. Now let's get to serious business. In Theemuge there will be a top secret room. You will find strange equipment and different buttons. If the country is in danger and you need foreign assistance press the yellow button. Indian military planes will land at Hulhule within 45 minutes. In case of a regional or world war press the red button. Missiles will go from Aarah to various countries.

Nasheed: I didn't know you had such an arsenal.

Maumoon: I am not telling you every secret. Only the basic ones. Now let me tell you the location of the keys of the armoury.

Nasheed: No. I don't wanna know that before I take oath. I know how you were nailed in the Siyaasath program.

Maumoon: But for a smooth transition to take place, I have to tell you the location of the keys of the armoury.

Nasheed: I don't wanna know

Maumoon: Alright wise guy. I have told you enough. Now will you let me live in Muleeaage?

Nasheed: It is up to the Majlis to decide...

Maumoon: You are not as dumb as I thought. Now I have to bid farewell to the Gurkas in the palace. I will call you tomorrow to give you the details of my underground bunkers.


* The Club of Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 70 democratic former heads of state and government. In partnership with other organizations and governments that share its democracy-promotion goals, the Club of Madrid provides peer to peer counsel, strategic support and technical advice to leaders and institutions working towards democratic transition and consolidation.

3 comments:

Alif Laam Gaaf said...

There is no single word that I could think of after reading this article than a pure propagenda. If there is anyone who really understands the political folding that went on the country the only comment they coulg give to Dr. Munavvar will be "a blunt faiure". I really cant see any place for Dr Munnavar in the Maldivian politics after his sevral failed tricks.

Anonymous said...

when does HEP Maumoon leave Maldives and join the Club of Madrid? Or is he waiting for Dr Shaheed to facilitate that?

Anonymous said...

the first person who has to be rejected by the parliament is dr shaheed. he was summoned to the majlis before and the members were in the process of passing a motion of no confidence against him when he resigned. he has to be rejected because when he was the foreign minister earlier he allowed thousands of dollars to be paid to the UK public relations company Hill & Knowlton from the government treasury; appointed ex-employees of H & K to diplomatic missions of Maldives at Brussels and elsewhere; conducted affairs with foreign ministry staff including Shazra; brought former H & K employee Jessica Kate Griffiths to work on foreign ministry assignments and later transferred her to the NGO Open Society Association that Dr Shaheed co-founded; brought his relatives and friends to foreign ministry and gave them unfair promotions (examples are Boh Mundhoodh's father Kothanmaage Hussain Shareef and Hoarafushi Ibrahim Khaleel who was at TVM before); established so many useless embassies in different countries and wasted public money; used his connections in the diplomatic community to gain unfair advantages for his NGO the OSA and thus increasing the popularity of himself and his friend Dr Hassan Saeed who would later bid for presidency. This is just a short list and I urge the Auditor General to start an investigation into how the public funds were used by foreign ministry when dr shaheed was the minister under gayoom. The Anti-Corruption Commissioner and the parliament should investigate this too. and the parliament should reject dr shaheed as the foreign minister under Anni.