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Is Bishop Mancham the right person to advise Maldivians?
20|12|2005 | Olhuala Editorial
Given the critical phase of political development the Maldives
is currently undergoing, it is our duty to be fully advised of
the record and merits of those "foreign experts" we are too
quick to employ. Olhuala.com has taken the time to do some
research and we are thoroughly astonished by what has come up.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has invited the former
Seychelles President (and associate of military coup-maker
France Albert René), The Right Honourable James Mancham as an
observer to its Congress. This is a disturbing development for
Maldivians who value stability, freedom and their religious
beliefs: Mr. Mancham is, according to many sources, a failed
politician reviled in the Seychelles, a brutal despot and a
Christian evangelist.
A fervent Christian himself, Mancham often uses the word
'Crusade' to define his policies and his years in opposition
have been marked by a steadfast alliance with the Roman Catholic
Church.
According to the US State Department, during James Mancham's
time as president of Seychelles, all top government posts were
held by whites, a small minority of the population of the
Seychelles. He also has a long history of good relations and
support of South Africa's apartheid regime and its members.
The State Department provides a number of further insights into
Mancham's barbaric rule.
On human rights:
"The President, whose party dominated the legislature, continued
to wield power virtually unchecked. Security forces arbitrarily
arrested and detained citizens. The Government failed to
investigate or punish those involved in the violations of
citizens' human rights."
On the military junta:
"The security forces, including about 400 Army personnel, a
National Guard of undisclosed confidential size, and the armed
"Police Mobile Unit" of 95 officers, had close ties to the
ruling party."
On the separation of powers:
"The President dominates the country through a pervasive system
of political patronage and control over government jobs,
contracts, and resources. The judiciary is subject to executive
interference."
"There was no regular system of independent monitoring of
prisons."
On press freedom:
"Freedom of speech and press is constrained by the legal ease
with which journalists can be penalized for alleged libel
through civil law suits. Certain subjects, such as high-level
corruption, remain largely taboo.
"The Ministry of Information publishes the only local daily
newspaper, The Nation, which presents the news with a government
bias and does not publish independent viewpoints on political
matters."
In November 1981, a group of mercenaries funded by the then
exiled Mancham attempted to overthrow the René government but
failed when they were detected at the airport and repelled.
Mancham's popularity even back in the Seychelles is
questionable: In the 1998 presidential elections, he gained a
paltry 13.8% of the vote, finishing in third place (out of
three). Politically rejected by the people, he and his
Democratic Party did not contest the 2001 elections, choosing
instead to make blanket criticisms of the popular René
government. In 2002, the SDP only gained 3.1% of the popular
vote.
Mancham however, has had his successes. Being from a country
that is 98% Christian (Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%,
other Christian 2.5%), after his political life ended in
failure, he has pursued an evangelical career, targeting Muslims
in the Seychelles and the region as being "in need of
enlightenment".
One of his biggest allies is Bishop Felix Paul, the former Roman
Catholic bishop of the Seychelles, who has said he watches blue
movies and has tried cultivating marijuana.
Mancham is also spokesman for Reverend Sun Myung Moon's "Now is
God's Time" Christian proselytising project. Speaking in
September 2005 on the work to spread Christianity Mancham said,
"We are hoping to be in every nation of the world, as a way of
changing the global conversation about how nations work together
beyond the traditional channels."
Several observers have questioned the MDP’s decision to invite
Mancham, to their congress. Is it the intention of the MDP to
assist Mancham’s evangelical activities in the Maldives (a radio
station operating from the Seychelles known as FIBA radio, has
been linked with the MDP, as known MDP officials have aired
their political propaganda on this channel. The channel is
primarily involved in spreading the Christian faith to the
Maldives) ? Or is it their intention to adopt Mancham’s harsh
methods of governance?
These are serious questions the general public would like to
know the answers to. Olhuala.com’s research goes on.
Ends. |
