October 22, 2013
In the latest turn of events leading to the Maldives’ fiasco of a presidential election, the Supreme Court has trampled on democracy by postponing the Saturday 19 October vote. In previous weeks, the supposedly impartial body had already scrapped the second round of elections (just hours before it was to take place) and overturned the… » read more
Posted by OE
October 8, 2013
The Supreme Court of the Maldives has overturned the first round of a tense presidential election following allegations of fraud. The undertakings of this supposedly neutral institution are raising concern among the international community and the Maldivian opposition. On September 24, it “indefinitely postponed” the election’s second-round runoff, just days before it was to take… » read more
Posted by OE
September 23, 2013
Misogyny has deep roots in the Maldives. Women are traditionally taken out of school early and placed in subservient roles in society. Female participation in the labor force is on the increase but continues to account for barely a third of national jobs. The World Economic Forum reckons that women earn just 65 percent of… » read more
Posted by OE
September 16, 2013
Beatings, jail sentences, cultural vandalism, terrorism… Mariyam Imad searches for the roots of the religious intolerance that is gripping her homeland. For eight hundred years, the Maldives has been a devout, yet moderate Muslim state. Its citizens have worn colorful clothing, welcomed foreigners and peacefully progressed towards independence and democracy. But the tolerance and respect… » read more
Posted by OE
August 20, 2013
The Maldives were once a haven of democracy, moderate Islam and economic stability in South Asia. The election on 28 September offers a chance to redeem it, but recent developments suggest that chance is growing slim. Since its independence in 1965, the Republic of the Maldives has been run by autocrats who have driven prosperity… » read more
Posted by OE
