Speech by His Excellency Mohamed Nasheed, at the British Conservative Party Annual Conference

Good morning,

I first addressed a Conservative conference three years ago.

Since then, against the odds, my party defeated a dictatorship that reigned over the people of my country for thirty long years. And it was in no small part due to the efforts of our friends in the Conservative Party.

Today I can proudly stand before you as the first democratically elected president of the Maldives.

Without reciting my country’s tourist literature I hope I can tease your imagination with a picture of its physical beauty. The seas and the sands are exactly as they appear in the travel agent’s brochure.

But three years ago all was not well in our islands. All of this beauty was harshly contrasted with the oppression suffered under an authoritarian regime.

The earliest days of the regime long ago foretold the horrors to follow. Within their first four months in power, they had already detained 400 people as political prisoners.

Not surprisingly these obscenities were never mentioned internationally as an incentive to visit my country.

But I speak as a man who has personally experienced the worst that a malicious regime can contrive in order to suppress its citizens. I was imprisoned on sixteen different occasions and spent a total of six years in jail. Of these, I spent eighteen months in solitary confinement. The thing that saddens me most about these experiences is that I was not able to witness the birth of my two daughters.

It was a tough reminder of one of the fundamental truths of our shared Conservative philosophy: that the freedom of the individual should not be destroyed at the whim of an over-mighty state.

One of the first people released after the elections was a man who four years ago held up a banner calling for the resignation of my predecessor. I urged him to exercise his new freedom to hold the government to account. I am pleased that the fellow has already taken up my offer, and is now calling for my resignation.

I am proud to report that there are now no political prisoners in Maldives.

We continue to campaign in support of those in other countries such as Aung Sang Suu Kyi who are not so lucky. Those involved in the reform movement in the Maldives drew inspiration from their sacrifice and we will not forget them even as we enjoy new freedoms.

When I became president of my country almost one year ago, my first act was to destroy the buildings that housed the detention and torture apparatus.

We also scaled back on the pomp and ceremony. I chose not to live in the opulent, multi-million dollar palace which had been home to my predecessor, and transferred it to the judiciary to house the Supreme Court– a gesture which emphasises the new government’s commitment to separation of powers and the sanctity of the rule of law.

The challenges confronting us are great.

I need not rehearse here the statistics relating to climate change. I will simply tell you that if the process continues unchecked, my grandchildren will find their island home has disappeared completely under the seas. The actions we are taking will provide a template – a survival kit – for other nations across the world.

For us, the success or failure of the Copenhagen summit might be a matter of life or death. But I see here an opportunity as well as a threat: for me targets are not just for the reduction of consumption but also for harnessing human ingenuity to find alternative energy.

Many of you will have visited the Eden Project in Cornwall. We have initiated a twinning arrangement with them where we are able to learn more about the best ways to promote sustainable development all over the planet.

Ultimately my aim is to foster in the Maldives the world’s first carbon neutral economy, where any emissions are fully offset. When the price of failure is the loss of our nation, we have the strongest incentive to succeed.

The first democratic administration of our country has inherited an economic crisis. This is both due to the global recession, as well as the fiscal irresponsibility of our predecessors. But I have taken immediate action to tackle it and ensure that we live within our means.

We are completely overhauling the public sector. We are reducing bureaucracy and cutting down on waste. Our budget deficit stands at an unsustainable level of 30% of GDP. Our reforms aim to halve that amount by the end of 2010.

If we share many problems, I know from the policies being developed here that we also find common ground in our solutions. Quality of governance is now the key. Across the world, most recently in Japan and Germany, voters are recognising that centre-right parties are offering the only solutions to the financial crisis.

When voters are given their chance, they opt to put their nation in good hands, offering their support for responsible politics, for sound economic management and political leadership – such as that offered by a Conservative government led by David Cameron.

I have every reason to wish you well. For it was your party that did so much to help bring democracy and freedom to our country. Not just with the platitudes, but with real, practical help: campaign advice, training and resources which matter as much in Maldives as in Manchester.

I cherish the friendship of William Hague and the Shadow Foreign Office team. Funding from the Conservative Programme of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy helped us as it has helped many other countries. From our very first meeting, the energy and determination of the Director of the International Office, Philippa Broom, gave us the courage to believe that our democratic dreams could come true.

So, I will shortly return to paradise. The good news is that starting next month British Airways will be introducing direct flights from London to Maldives. So I look forward soon to welcoming many of you to my home in the future – whether you come as tourists or as members of a new Conservative administration beginning the challenge of restoring your country after the next election.

When I fly home, I am going back to the world’s first democratic 100% Muslim state. We are proud of our achievement and everyone in this hall should be proud of the part you have played in our success.

Thank you!