MDP do more explaining of its policies and less bashing of Gayyoom
It was with high hopes and expectations that I went to the meeting of MDP on Monday night. It was the first general meeting after the formal registration of the party. It was at times exhilarating and hilarious; but it was at times disappointing as well. I don't think anyone went there expecting it to be a circus where the clowns performed and the kids clapped. We want our political figures and organizations to be more mature and organized. We may of course ridicule the regime when the need arises, but the opposition politicians should rise from the level of continuously ridiculing the regime. We need to hear some concrete political talk as well.
In his brief address to the members, party chairman, Nasheed promised to bring down the current regime. He said that Gayyoom has to step down and that MDP will bring down Gayyoom and that Gayyoom has no choice but to step down and that Gayyoom can't stay in power for too long! Well, that was basically a summary of all that Nasheed said. He mentioned the name of Gayyoom's party about ten times while MDPs name was mentioned only once. It was largely a negative speech; whereas I expected it to be a positive one that showed us how MDP will lead the country out of abject poverty and oppression.
In Shareef's speech, he spoke about some important points but made some ill-timed jokes about a ?Ministry of UKG and LKG!? MDP leadership should concentrate on laying out their policies and how they will lead this country if and when they come to power. Munawwar's speech was generally fine, but he failed to mention the name of Gayyoom or Shuaib Shah or Gayyoom's daughters which he referred to, without naming them specifically. His speech would have had a better impact, had he referred to those people by name.
There was some reading of ill-timed poetry and some sarcasm too. I would say that it would be better for MDP to leave the ridiculing and sarcasms to the media and concentrate on the serious business of leading the people. Before I went to the meeting Monday night, a friend told me that it would be a well organized meeting with each delegate talking about a specified subject and I was disappointed, to say the least.
I had hoped to hear the delegates talk about the FPID scandal, the Air Maldives bankruptcy scandal, the mysterious fire at FPID, the exorbitantly high budget of the Presidential Palace and the unnecessary expenditures for the Presidential retreat at Aarah as well as his office.
I had also hoped to hear MDP delegates talk about the alleged corruptions at the Atolls Ministry, the lack of economic prudence in the millions invested at Hulhumale, the unjust awarding of free plots of land to ministers, and also about any rationale behind the extremely high budgets of NSS and the Police forces. I had also hoped to hear the delegates talk about the way the former Education Minister Shaugee messed the Education sector and also question the new appointment of Zahiya Zareer to such an important sector. I had also hoped to hear the delegates talk about the continued increase in the number of expatriate labor in the country and its impact on the country's work force.
Ordinary members also expected to hear delegates talk about the government's plans to introduce new taxes and about any existing taxes that can be abolished. MDP has promised free health and education services. Can they deliver on those promises without introducing new taxes? We needed to hear someone talking about these critical issues and explain the rationale behind these policies and how they would add-up. We also wanted to hear someone talking about the current regime's mismanagement of the fisheries and agricultural sector.
We wanted to hear MDP delegates address the issue of our relative sluggishness at the diplomatic front over the past quarter of a century. We also needed MDP to talk about Gayyoom's failures in controlling the ballooning evils of narcotic drugs and the increases in divorce rates and the lack of proper and affordable housing especially in the capital Male'. Having a gender and family ministry is just an excuse and a front to hide the tremendous social problems and evils prevalent in our small society, we needed to hear some debate on that as well.
We also needed MDP delegates to talk about our mysterious dependence on India for providing doctors and medicine. How will MDP reverse that dependence and make Maldives self-reliant and provide excellent health services? We also needed MDP delegates to talk about combining the Atolls Ministry and the Home Ministry as one Ministry. How about having a department of Atolls development under the Home Ministry? It seems discriminatory towards the islanders and even wasteful to have a separate ministry for the Atolls.
I had also hoped that the delegates would talk about the failure of Gayyoom's regime in bringing meaningful recovery to the tourism sector after the setbacks of the tsunami. We also wanted the delegates to talk about the destruction of our national museum and the failure of the current regime to provide an adequate building and facilities for a proper museum. The regime has failed to make the tourism industry more dynamic. They have been too busy counting the golden eggs laid by the sector. Can MDP do better? We needed to know.
It is not my intention to belittle MDP or its leaders who have made great sacrifices and played a huge role in bringing the current reforms and freedoms to this country. But if MDP is ambitious enough to lead this country out of the current quagmire, then it has to show more seriousness and substantially more leadership.
Of course I want to see Gayyoom's regime replaced by a more capable and sincere government. Hopefully MDP will fill that position in the coming days. But we, the ordinary members of the party, are still wondering who will lead the party in the future. Will it be the current chairman, Nasheed or will it be Ibrahim Hussain Zaki? Will Munawwar and Ibrahim Ismail come forward to lead us? Does Dr. Waheed deserve the reign of the party when he did not participate in the recent political struggles wherein people such as Nasheed and Ibra made great sacrifices?
I believe that it was a mistake to postpone the election of a fresh leadership of the party. Party chairman Nasheed promised us that MDP will announce a shadow cabinet by July 26. This promise was not delivered by the Independence Day. No one is talking about that now. If MDP fails to deliver on its first formal promise to the members, then they would have put their first step forward on a wrong foot. Are we already seeing signs of similarity with the current regime that have made numerous unrealised promises?

Israeli troops kill top Palestinian fugitive
Israeli troops killed a top Palestinian fugitive and a close accomplice in a West Bank shootout Monday, prompting threats of "unprecedented" revenge by the violent Islamic Jihad group.
The wanted man, Luay Saadi, was the leader of Islamic Jihad's military wing in the West Bank and was blamed for the deaths of 12 Israelis in a series of attacks in recent months. Saadi, 30, was killed in a hail of bullets as he fired on troops during an attempted escape from a hideout, an Israeli army commander said.
Also Monday, an international envoy accused Israel of stalling in talks with the Palestinians on opening a key Gaza border crossing and other issues left unresolved after Israel's withdrawal from the coastal territory.
Envoy James Wolfensohn has pushed for a quick deal, saying it's crucial for the economic recovery of impoverished Gaza.
"The government of Israel, with its important security concerns, is loath to relinquish control, almost acting as though there has been no withdrawal, delaying making difficult decisions and preferring to take difficult matters back into slow-moving subcommittees," Wolfensohn wrote in a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, obtained by The Associated Press.
The West Bank firefight erupted in the Tulkarem refugee camp before dawn Monday.
Israeli commandos surrounded an apartment building after learning that Saadi and his top lieutenant, Majed al Askar, were hiding there, said Col. Aharon Haliva, the top Israeli army commander in the area.
As soldiers approached the building, al Askar and another man ran toward a car parked outside and opened fire from the vehicle, wounding one soldier, Haliva said. The commander of the force returned fire, killing al Askar and arresting the second man.
Saadi, meanwhile, tried to flee through a back door, but ran into an Israeli force, Haliva said. Saadi opened fire and was killed by troops, the commander said.
Islamic Jihad threatened revenge attacks.
"Our retaliation for this crime will be unprecedented," said a spokesman for the group in Gaza, who only gave his code name, Abu Abdallah, for fear of Israeli reprisals.
In a statement, the Islamic Jihad's military wing blamed Israel for the breakdown of an informal, nine-month-old truce, or "calm."
Saadi's killing "reflects the serious intention of the enemy to end this calm, which we do not regret," the statement said. "We are not going to stand with our hands tied while the blood of our holy warriors is being shed everywhere."
Islamic Jihad, one of the smallest of the Palestinian militant groups, has been ambivalent about the informal truce, which has largely been kept by the larger Hamas group since February.
Islamic Jihad has carried out a series of attacks in recent months, including suicide attacks in the towns of Tel Aviv and Netanya. Islamic Jihad maintained the attacks were carried out in retaliation for perceived Israeli truce violations.

Wilma kills 13 on way possibly to Mexico or US
Hurricane Wilma has killed at least 13 people in the Caribbean and forced evacuation of 50,000 from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday before heading to Florida.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, said Wilma remained a Category 4 hurricane with powerful winds of 230 kph, and meteorologists forecast it would be gaining force in the coming hours.
If Wilma touches down on the Yucatan Peninsula, it is expected to bring heavy downpours to the beach resorts and western Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico, experts said.
Authorities had ordered evacuation of residents, mainly from the popular resort of Cancun and other towns in the eastern coast of Quintana Roo state.
Some 27,000 tourists from beach hotels and 30,000 residents in Mujeres Island, Puerto Juarez, Holbox, Arenas, Contoy, Punta Allenislets and Tulum coast had been evacuated on Thursday.

The National Water Commission said one of the two scenarios under consideration was that the hurricane "would be directly hitting Cancun" on Friday morning.
Another projection indicated that Wilma would spin off south of the hurricane-weary Florida, the United States.
Wilma was moving northwest at about 8 kph with a 700 km diameter, 100 km more than the deadly Katrina, which killed over 1,200 people in the US Gulf in August, said Alberto Hernandez, spokesman of the National Meteorological Service.

According to reports from Havana, Cuba, Wilma hit some parts of the three eastern provinces of the country, forcing more than 5,200 people to seek shelters.
Since Wednesday tourists had been advised to leave south Florida and Mexico's Mujeres Island and authorities planned to evacuate people in lowlands ranging over Cuba, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Jamaica, Haiti and Cayman Islands.

Henry’s return a boon in Arsenal victory
Striker scores twice in 2-0 win over Sparta Prague for Champions win

Thierry Henry returned from injury to score two goals Tuesday and help Arsenal maintain its perfect record in the Champions League with a 2-0 win at Sparta Prague.
Six minutes after he came off the bench to replace injured Jose Antonio Reyes, Henry showed his class. He collected a pass from Kolo Toure, fouled a defender and sent a curling foot shot into the corner of Sparta's goal from the edge of the area with goalkeeper Jaromir Blazek diving in vain.
Henry's second came 16 minutes before the final whistle. Robert Pires provided him with a precise pass, and Henry broke into the area and beat two Sparta defenders before scoring with a low shot.

Beckhams seek libel damages over claims their marriage is unhappy
Soccer star David Beckham and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria are taking legal action against a newspaper that claimed their "happy marriage" is a sham.
The pair are seeking libel damages against the News of the World newspaper over an article which carried the headline: "Posh and Becks on the Rocks." The case will be heard before a judge and jury at London's Law Courts in December.
During a pretrial hearing Monday, the couple's lawyer Hugh Tomlinson said the Beckhams would argue that they had been defamed by the newspaper and there was no truth in the story that alleged that the pair were maintaining a false image of a happy marriage to protect their financial interests.
Richard Spearman, for News Group Newspapers - publishers of the News of the World, said the article suggested that because the Beckhams' "substantial fortunes depend upon their public perception, the claimants have been cynically and hypocritically trying, for financial reasons, to convince the public that they continue to enjoy a happy marriage."
Spearman said the defence would argue that that suggestion was true and would also question the state of the celebrity marriage.
"Is it unhappy, rocked by rows and tensions because of David Beckham's infidelity or is it happy? We say unhappy," Spearman said.
Tomlinson, speaking for the Beckhams, said the couple promote themselves as a happily married couple because they are.
The trial starts Dec. 5 and is expected to take two weeks.
It is not the first time that David Beckham, the England and Real Madrid soccer star whose income is the highest in world soccer, has pursued libel action against Britain's tabloid media.
In August, Beckham accepted damages from the People tabloid for an article that falsely accused him of making hate calls to a former nanny.

Saddam Goes on Trial for 1982 Massacre
Saddam Hussein went on trial Wednesday for a massacre of his fellow Iraqis, turning immediately argumentative and challenging the legitimacy of the court trying him two years after his capture for the killings of 150 Shiites.
When the trial began, the 68-year-old ousted Iraqi leader looking thin with a salt-and-pepper beard in a dark gray suit and open-collared white shirt stood and asked the presiding judge: "Who are you? I want to know who you are."
"I preserve my constitutional rights as the president of Iraq," Saddam said. "I do not recognize the body that has authorized you and I don't recognize this aggression. What is based on injustice is unjust … I do not respond to this so-called court, with all due respect."

The presiding judge, Rizgar Mohammed Amin, a Kurd, tried to get Saddam to formally identify himself, but Saddam refused. After several moments, he sat down.
Amin later read the charges, which are the same for all the defendants, and told them they face possible execution if convicted. The panel of five judges will both hear the case and render a verdict in what could be the first of several trials of Saddam for atrocities carried out during his 23-year-rule.
Saddam faces charges in a 1982 massacre of nearly 150 Shiites that could carry the death penalty if he is convicted. The former leader and his seven co-defendants were seated in three rows of black chairs, partitioned behind a low white metal barrier, in the center of the court directly in front of the judges bench.

Bill Gates
Well, somebody had to be the richest man on Earth, but why did it have to be him? William Henry Gates III, now just called "Bill Gates" or "billg", rules over a company that is the undisputed monopoly of the computer software business, with tendrills extending in nearly all related fields (and some unrelated ones as well). Through his efforts and the efforts of the folks he has groomed over the decades, his domain and personal wealth have increased at near psychotic-levels while at the same time causing what some might consider permanent damage to the landscape of the very industry he helped form.
In the present day, it is quite useless to discern where Microsoft ends and Bill begins, and vice versa. Instead, to get any idea of Bill Gates, it's best to go back to the 1970s and the early 1980s, before Microsoft went public and shot the little dweeb into the financial stratosphere.
People with roman numerals after their names generally don't lead hard lives, and Gates started his life in a rich suburb of Seattle, Washington. He was sent to the Lakeside Private school starting at age 13, where the school started acquiring a number of high-tech toys from local industry and sales. Gates fell in love with computers at that point, a relationship that never really soured for him.
With his best friend Paul Allen, Gates founded the Lakeside Programming Group in 1971. Not a company but really more of a social group, they made it a goal to get as much computer time as possible from local businesses. One particularly useful contact was the Computer Center Corporation, C-Cubed, which Gates and the rest of the Programming Group would do computer work for in exchange for time on the machines at night. In the first of several major ironies, Gates and pals would comb through the source code of the computer systems they worked on to get programming ideas. more