Maldives in transition

Yesterday was a red letter for the people of Maldives who saw their country step into democracy after three decades of one party rule.

By all accounts it was a monumental achievement for a country that was virtually unknown until the early 70s. It also speaks volumes for people's power and the voice of democracy crying out to be heard in many a country ruled under the one party regimes. One hopes this spirit of democracy of the Maldivian people would pervade all those dark corners of the world where democratic freedoms are stifled and people's liberties suppressed.

Maldives yesterday celebrated its transition to a full democracy following the ouster of its long serving leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the Presidential run off. According to reports wild street celebrations greeted the election of Mohamed 'Anni' Nasheed an ex political prisoner educated in Sri Lanka, ending the long drawn out agitation for democratic reforms in the atoll nation.

Clearly the people of Maldives were yearning for change. It was apparent to observers of the unravelling scene in the archipelago that it was only a matter of time before the bottled up sentiments of the populace would erupt.

It is to the credit of President Gayoom that he recognised the mood of the people and set in motion the necessary process for change. He is also instrumental in transforming the Maldives from an unknown chain of islands to an internationally renowned destination.

It is hoped that the process of transition of power will pass off without hassle. It will be interesting to note how the people of Maldives would adapt to the new changes and their new found freedom.

This is because in a majority of cases countries which emerged out of one party rule were beset with even worse problems than those encountered before.

It is therefore incumbent on all democracies particularly the SAARC family to help assist this nascent democracy to flourish, overcoming its teething problems.

It would be interesting to see how the atoll nation will fashion out its democratic structures. There is bound to be opposition from some quarters to the many liberal reforms that are central to a democracy.

We hope that such issues would not lead to any instability in the initial stages of the democratic experiment in the Maldives. Of course a democracy presupposes fundamental rights and freedom of expression and worship. How the economy will adapt to the new changes under the new dispensation will also be watched with interest.

The unravelling of the new structures is bound to inject new life to the Maldivian economy and open out its legendary tourist industry further with the dismantling of some taboos and restrictions that existed before. It will also prove a catalyst to social change that could have its own benefits.

Sri Lanka has a unique relationship with the Maldives. The two countries are close neighbours and a large number of Lankans are employed in the Maldives, especially in the hospitality industry.

The two countries also have healthy trade ties. Many Maldivians study here - in fact both the outgoing and incoming Presidents of Maldives have been educated here. Many Maldivians consider Sri Lanka their second home.

The excellent diplomatic ties that now exist between the two countries are likely to improve under the new presidency. All Sri Lankan leaders have been very close to the Maldivian leadership and top-level visits to each other's countries have been rather common.

Sri Lanka too should look at ways to attract new trade and markets with the new look Maldives particularly in the tourist sector where both countries have a lot in common. Fisheries is another area that invites a lot of potential. Ideally this scenario should be exploited by Sri Lankan businessmen and industrialists at the earliest.

There should be more avenues to broaden people-to-contact with more cultural, educational and tourism exchanges between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We should lose no time in further cementing our existing relations with the new Maldivian leadership that would take Lanka-Maldives ties to a new levels.