President Waheed today announced the members of the new Cabinet of the National Unity Government. They took the oath of office in a ceremony presided over by Justice Arif of the Supreme Court.

President Waheed said:

“A key responsibility of any government in a democracy is to promote the economic and social well being of its people. It’s my belief that at this challenging time for our nation that this is best achieved by establishing a cabinet and government that represents all shades of opinion. I want to make it absolutely clear that there is room around my cabinet table and all levels of government for representatives of every political party in the Maldives. In particular I would urge our colleagues in the MDP to put aside partisan differences and to take up my offer of significant representation in the government.”

At the same time President Waheed has also committed the National Unity Government to a range of initiatives that will protect democracy in the Maldives now and in the future.


He continued:

“Like many Maldivians I was extremely proud when we adopted our new constitution in 2008. And whilst there were always going to growing pains in our emerging democracy, no one of us would have predicted how turbulent and traumatic its early years would prove to be. But I remain confident that together we can find a way through all our difficulties and regain the optimism that we all so recently felt. I have an unswerving commitment to the principles of our constitution and the initiatives that I am announcing today will help us regain the respect of the international community but most importantly the trust of all our people.

I am proposing:

• An independent legal and constitutional audit of the Republic of the Maldives from its inception to the present day. It will be transparent and inclusive in its deliberations and will make the best use of both National and International expertise. Clearly we need to understand the events of the last week in the context of the 1283 days that we have been living with our new constitution. Its recommendations will help us consolidate democracy in the Maldives in the run up to the elections in 2013.
• A programme of judicial reform led by the Judicial Services Commission and assisted by both the Executive and Parliament. The independence of the judiciary must both be,and seen to be, protected but I strongly believe that we must build consensus between all branches of government
• A reaffirmation of our commitment to stamp out corruption at all levels of public life. In particular the conduct of the government in all its commercial relationships must be above reproach.
• A personal commitment that I will be vigilant in ensuring that all criminal prosecutions are only embarked upon when they can demonstrably be seen as legitimate when judged against the highest international standards.
• Ongoing monitoring of any police actions in respect of public demonstrations by the Independent Human Rights Commission of the Maldives.
• To continue to strengthen the independence and freedom of the press and media in the Maldives which is a cornerstone of all democracies.

The Republic of the Maldives is an independent nation with an honorable heritage. Whilst we are never too proud to ask for, and accept help from our many friends in the international community it is ultimately up to us to find the solutions to our challenges. Let us learn from recent events and move forwards not backwards.”