The Reformist Ambassador

The Maldives must hold free and fair multi-party elections by 2008 or risk sliding into political ‘chaos’.

That was the stark warning from the Maldivian High Commissioner to London, Hassan Sobir, this week, during an exclusive interview with Minivan News.

The reclusive High Commissioner came out of his political shell to call on the constituent assembly, the Special Majlis, to speed up the process of reform to pave the way for the first competitive election in the Maldives’ history.

“People often ask me what would happen if the Special Majlis failed to pass the Constitutional Reform laws. I tell them it has no choice. The Majlis must enact the constitution reform before the deadline for presidential elections in 2008. It would be a great injustice to the people not to do so,” Sobir said.