Analysis & Opinion: DRP’s double whammy: Can the party live up to its pledges?

Barely over a month after the DRP’s new leadership took reins, pledging to bring the party back to power, it has been dealt with twin blows.

The party lost majority status in Parliament with the number of parliamentarians coming down to 27 whilst the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party’s number hit 30.

It was closely followed by the MDP recording the highest number of members registered in the party, outnumbering the DRP.

The Elections chief last month said that the Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) is no more the largest political party in the Maldives, in terms of the number of members registered.

And this double whammy for the party came just a month after the party’s third annual congress was held where a new leadership took over, midst pledges of coming back to power.

Lost status

When the DRP presidential candidate and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom lost the 2008 election, the party’s morale hit the rock bottom.

Far too long it remained dormant, being undecided as to who should lead the party at the 2013 presidential election.

In the meantime criticism mounted over the party’s lethargy and critics said it is high time Gayoom quit politics gracefully, than holding on to the leadership.

The party had new life injected back to its veins, when it won the parliamentary elections in May 2009, becoming the majority party in the House.

With the new Constitution vesting much powers in parliament, the DRP oozing with confidence knew it could effectively apply brakes on the executive.

A pact between the DRP (28 seats) and the PA (7 seats) brought the number of parliamentarians to 35 altogether, giving them a bigger say in the 77 member House, following the parliamentary elections.

The ruling MDP then had only 25 seats, falling short of the opposition number of members.
The DRP and MDP apart, the Qaumy party has 2 member, Republican Party 1 and 10 independent members, presently in Parliament.

Last month, the DRP lost majority status in the House, when former DRP Parliamentarian Alhan Fahmy and Independent Parliamentarian Abdul Ghafoor joined the MDP.

DRP’s newly appointed Deputy Leaders however expressed mixed reaction over the matter.

Ibrahim Shareef speaking to the Asian Tribune last week played down the lost majority status, whilst another Deputy Leader of the DRP, Umar Naseer called it “sad” for the party, urging the leader to “bring pride back to DRP.”

Making matters worse, relations between the DRP’s new leader, Thasmeen Ali and PA Leader Abdullah Yamin has soured after the latter sued the former over unpaid loans amounting to US$ 100,000.

It has now put the DRP, PA pact in Parliament in the balance, apart from the fact both Thameen and Yamin are set to contest the 2013 presidential election.

No more “largest” tag

Last month, the Elections Commission announced that the Opposition DRP was no more the largest political party.

In the Maldives, it is required for the people to register with the political party of their choice.

According to the latest statistics released by the Commission, the MDP has 31,171 members, narrowly outnumbering the DRP’s figure of 30,775.

However, the DRP responded that its number is poised to go past the MDP, when the new 2000 applications are processed by the Elections Commission.

Yet the Elections Commission has said people often register with a new party while still remaining members of another party, making it impossible for the commission to register them.

Arguments and counter arguments apart, it is surely a wake up call for the party to capitalize on its waning grassroots support.

As DRP Deputy Leader Shareef noted once it may the “norm for people to join the ruling party of the day to win political favours.”

But it is no reason for the DRP to be complacent about its declining grassroots supporters.

Checkmated competition & strained relations

Gayoom bowed out of politics in January this year, saying in a lighter vein he is “not young any more” leaving the door open for the young to take over.

Yet Gayoom handpicked his favourite Thasmeen, endorsing him ahead of the crucial party election at its national congress last month, tilting the balance in favour of Thasmeen.

When Gayoom’s blessings showered on Thasmeen, who was his running mate at the 2008 presidential election, it effectively barred any other contestants from running for the party’s top post.

So much so, the party’s newly appointed Deputy Leader Umar Naseer told the Asian Tribune in an interview last month: “This endorsement tipped the balance towards Thasmeen and as a result no body wanted to compete. It would have been competitive had HEP Gayyoom left an even ground.”

The end result saw Thameen been appointed the leader, uncontested.

As the party charter goes, its leader by default becomes the presidential candidate, and now Thasmeen is set to contest the 2013 presidential polls.

Yet it is no secret that there are differences of opinion between Deputy Leader Umar Naseer and DRP Leader Thasmeen.

Umar supported the idea of holding primaries to elect a presidential candidate at the Congress—which was vehemently opposed by Thasmeen.

When asked if the strained relations between Umar and Thasmeen will affect the party, the former told the Asian Tribune earlier: “It will only compel Thasmeen to work hard.”

To which extent the party will really work together despite differences and its share of recent setback is however a matter to be seen in the days to come.

Already bruised with lost majority status and lost largest party tag, midst strained relations in the leadership, analysts opine that the DRP surely has to work hard, if at all to walk its talk of making it the ruling party, once again.

- Asian Tribune -