NDI Report: The Desire for Change in the Maldives

The NDI is a highly respected political NGO, headed by former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright. The NDI’s mandate is to promote democracy throughout the world. The NDI was invited by the Maldivian government and UNDP to do its assessment into the possibility of establishing political parties in the Maldives in August 2004. The NDI sent a four-person team, headed by the former Prime Minister of Bosnia, to the Maldives in October 2004. The team met with hundreds of people in the Maldives and outside the country. These included representatives of the Government, including President Gayoom, members of civil society groups, the UN and members of the opposition, including democracy detainees and the leadership of the MDP.

The Political Environment for Reform

The NDI noted that “the desire for reform is nearly universal among the public; in fact, the delegation did not meet with a single individual who felt that reform was not needed”. The perceived need for reform was conclusively proven by the NDI’s findings, and there seemed to be a very positive response to the types of reforms laid down by the President in his 9th June 2004 speech. However, the NDI found that there was strong skepticism as to whether the President would ever carry out his reforms in a timely and meaningful way.