The Maldives: A Shinning Example of Islamic Democracy?
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The Rebirth of Democracy Power
The Maldives is world-renowned for its breathtaking beaches and high-end resorts for wealthy Westerners. The grouping of islands though is less known for its political arrangement.
For much of the past 30 years the country had been run by a ruthless autocrat (redundancy on my part) who was also became Asia'a longest serving leader, Messer Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
But on October 28th 2008, the people of Maldives voted in free election and voted out Messer Gayoom for a once house arrested opposition leader, Mr. Mohamed Nasheed. Gayoom accepted defeat and has stepped down, allowing for Mr. Nasheed to step into governance and become president.
The new democratic change, brought on by 2003 street protests, was created with celebration in the island capital of Male.
Mr. Nasheed now has the task ahead of him of establishing a proper government a putting the Maldives back on track; the nation has fallen 31 places in the last year on perceived corruption rankings compiled by Transparency International.
He will also have to make good on his main election platform of economic development. Although the Maldives is the richest Asian nation in terms of GDP per head, the nation worries up a slump in tourism revenue given the global economic slowdown; its budget deficit is at 30% of GDP and foreign reserves have fallen to a lump amount of $116 million.
If Mr. Nasheed can create proper democratic government, a balance between individual freedoms protected by the state and religious law (Islamic law), and make the Maldives more prosperous: He can be responsible for creating a genuine Islamic democracy that will be, to quote John Winthrope's description of America, a "city on a hill" for Muslims and the entire world. Let's hope so.
