Gasim lauds Nasheed, Maumoon

Jumhooree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim on Friday praised former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed.

The MP from Maamigili constituency made the remarks while speaking at the opening ceremony of his party’s national assembly in Dharubaaruge.

Explaining how in the former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's administration he had faced a lot of hardships while he was in Singapore for medical treatment after having been jailed, Gasim said that it was Nasheed who had helped him in that situation. He said he had to face major hurdles after the government revoked his passport when his medical visa had expired in Singapore.

"Even after submitting the documents given (by the hospital), the government did not accept it. I became a stranded man with no-country. I did not have a country. Even through that, with his [Nasheed's] help and support under Singapore's impressive laws and regulations [and] by God's grace, I managed to stay in Singapore for three months without any documents, under a special permission," he said.

He noted that Nasheed had also helped him travel to Germany from Singapore for further treatment.

"I would like to thank him for that. I don't want to keep this a secret. It's the right time, and I believe that it's something I have to talk about on this occasion. That is how I am, inside and out," said Gasim, who helped bring Nasheed to power in 2008.

Nasheed lost to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in MDP’s presidential primary. Instead of backing President Solih, who has become the party's presidential candidate officially, Nasheed has been pushing Gasim to contest the presidential election.

"President Nasheed and I have worked very hard for this country and have suffered a lot," he said, referring to Nasheed’s efforts to bring democracy to the Maldives.

At the meeting, Gasim praised Maumoon for his role in the drafting of the new constitution and bringing democracy to the Maldives. As the then president, Maumoon also believed that it was necessary to do the concerns expressed by the people and the statements made by outsiders, he said.

"I would like to commend him [Maumoon] while in this position," said Gasim, who was the speaker of the special assembly that drafted the constitution.

He said Maumoon had written to him twice requesting him to expedite the process of drafting the constitution when he was the speaker of the special assembly at the time.

"Had it not been for his [Maumoon's] full support, we would not have been able to enjoy this happy democratic life of today. The development the country has achieved and the infrastructure and social development it has achieved would not have been possible. I would like to thank Al-Ustaz Maumoon Abdul Gayoom with uncontainable gratitude and commendation," he said at the meeting, which was also attended by MRM president and Maumoon’s son Faris Maumoon.

Gasim said Maumoon had done a lot of service to the country during his 30-year-long rule. There will be pros and cons with every ruler, he said.

"No one in power will do 100% good. We have to see if the bad was more or the good," he said.

Gasim praised Nasheed and Maumoon, while President Solih had already invited the existing coalition partners of the current government, including JP and MRM, to join the coalition in the next presidential election.

So far, a decision on the invitation has been taken by the Adhaalath Party only. The party decided to remain with President Solih.