Asian Centre for Human Rights’ call for withdrawal of Gayoom’s reform agenda “does not make any sense”: Shaheed
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/?page=engdetails&id=4651
05 April 2005

MALE, April 5 (HNS) -- Responding to a call by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) for the withdrawal of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s comprehensive reform agenda, the Chief Government Spokesman, Ahmed Shaheed has said that the call for the withdrawal of the President's reform agenda “does not make any sense.”

“The reform process is transparent, all-embracing and contains a clear commitment to a modern democracy, and it has also been warmly welcomed by all who seek reform. The 31-point reform proposals formally presented by the President to the People's Special Majlis (the Constitutional Assembly) on 14 February 2005 provide a historic opportunity to establish a multiparty democracy in the Maldives,” Shaheed was quoted as saying in a press release by the President’s Office.

"The government's commitment to establishing a multiparty system in the Maldives is clear and evident. That is why we have engaged an expert from the Commonwealth to formulate a Political Parties Bill and an Electoral Reform Bill to be included in the legislative programme of the current parliament, as announced by the President at the annual inauguration of the People's Majlis (the parliament), in February of this year. The necessary amendments to the Constitution were presented by the President when he submitted his Green Paper of 31-point proposals for constitutional reform to the Constitutional Assembly on 14 February."

The proposals provide for strengthening of fundamental rights, including the right to set up and operate political parties and the removal of the gender bar on contesting for the presidency, the separation of powers, the establishment of effective parliamentary governance, the independence of the judiciary and the protection and promotion of human rights, said the press release issued on Monday.

"The reform programme initiated by the President in his current term of office includes constitutional changes, institutional reforms, legal reform, and the complete modernisation of the criminal justice system.”

The constitutional changes can only be made by the Constitutional Assembly, and that has now held fifteen sessions. The President called on the Assembly in his Presidential Address of 27 February 2005, to conclude its work of providing a constitutional framework for a modern and vibrant multiparty democracy, as envisaged in his 31-point proposals, “in about one year's time”.

Institutional reforms implemented over the past one year include the establishment of a national Human Rights Commission, making the police force a civilian authority, reorganizing and reforming the jail system, setting up of a jail oversight body of Judges and MPs, establishing a Public Complaints Bureau, signing a prisons access agreement with the ICRC and granting Amnesty International access to prisons.

In the area of legal reform and reform of the criminal justice system, a five-year Criminal Justice Action Plan has been formulated with the support of donors. The plan covers, among other things, drafting a new Penal Code, a Criminal Procedures Bill, a Police Powers Bill, a Parole Bill and a Prisons Bill. Already, provision for legal representation has been strengthened to enable access to lawyers from the time of arrest onwards, fundamental rights have been strengthened by the codification of arrestable and non-arrestable offences, and the UN Convention Against Torture has been acceded to.

In addition to this, numerous legal reform measures are underway and these include the drafting of a bill on political parties, a bill on electoral reform, and a bill on freedom of information and media.

These reform measures are being undertaken in a very transparent manner, and with the involvement of donor countries and organisations that promote human rights. The government has engaged the assistance of the Commonwealth in the reform programme, and has established a dialogue with Amnesty International with regard to identifying areas of concern and ways to address them. The Government has also invited donors to contribute to the reform process.

"It is evident that already a number of important reform initiatives have been implemented and that the process of reform is in full swing. The Government hopes that the Constitutional Assembly would complete its work, including setting up a multiparty framework as proposed by the President, in the shortest possible timeframe, which we hope will not exceed one year”, said Shaheed.

“We are surprised that the Asian Centre for Human Rights issued a politicised and partisan report on the Maldives without seeking any information or response from the Government or a dialogue on the matters that they were commenting on”, he added.

"The Maldives has a unique and historic chance to move from a traditional system to a modern democracy, and we will not allow self-interested opponents of reform with hidden agendas to deny the people the chance of ushering in a modern multiparty democracy," Shaheed went on to say.

"The President has demonstrated great statesmanship and a bold vision by initiating widespread institutional, constitutional, legal and judicial reform, and a number of reforms have already been implemented and more are in progress. We will not be deterred in this pursuit by the antics of those who seek power over reform," Shaheed added.