| Written by Ajay Makan, on 16-08-2007 20:34 |
Foreign Minister Dr Shaheed has broken his silence about claims he submitted his resignation from government this afternoon.
In a statement Shaheed said, "I have not relinquished office. I met the President and told him I was not willing to be bullied by corrupt politicians. And he has pledged his full support to root out corruption."
There has been feverish speculation around Male' all day that the Foreign Minister had quit.
Just before 6pm opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) announced it was official, claiming Dr Shaheed “told me himself.”
Sources close to the Foreign Minister said he had submitted a letter of resignation but had been called to the President's office to discuss it.
Although he has not resigned, the Foreign Minister, renowned for his speedy response to rumours, allowed speculation over his position to continue for several hours. It is clear he came close to quitting the government.
Instead of resigning, however, Shaheed appears to have demanded a showdown with the President, in which he told him, “I am not willing to be bullied by corrupt politicians.”
The Foreign Minister says he received Gayoom's "full support" to “root out corruption.”
Shaheed’s place in the cabinet has been subject to intense speculation since Dr Hassan Saeed and Mohamed Jameel quit the cabinet two weeks ago.
Dr Hassan Saeed is a close friend of Shaheed and they are together considered the architects of the Maldives’ reform process.
Both Saeed and Jameel said they resigned, “because the reform process has failed.”
In the aftermath of the resignations, Shaheed promised to remain in government, “as long as I am able to serve the reform agenda.”
It now seems the “bullying” of “corrupt politicians,” has made him think twice about whether he is "able to serve the reform agenda,” within the government.
It is unclear who the Foreign Minister feels he has been bullied by.
He has encountered considerable animosity from hardliners in the cabinet, which is bound to have increased following the departure of his two key allies two weeks ago.
He has also faced a no confidence motion in the Majlis and has been summoned before a Majlis committee, led by Abdullah Yameen, the President's brother-in-law, who left the government following the rapid rise of Shaheed, Dr Saeed and other young ministers.
Asked which corrupt politicians he was referring to, Shaheed said, "people in the Maldives know who the bullies are. And they know who is corrupt. To say anything further would be defamatory and I could end up in court."
Shaheed would not be drawn on whether there are corrupt politicians and bullies in the cabinet, but said, "I have no issue with the government." Courtesy: Minivan News
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