Information You Can Use: A Bi-monthly Service for the UN and Civil Society
Volume 2, Issue 4, July-August 2005

Civil Society and Taking Power

20 June 2005
By the editorial team of Minivan News
Source: Minivan News

The Government’s recent moves towards a multiparty system of governance and media liberalization give the impression, at least superficially, of a commitment to cultivating a modern democratic system of governance.

Certainly multiparty elections will be an important component in the evolution of a receptive, well-governed state; however, equally important will be a civil society that has the ability to independently question and critique government policy and actions. Perhaps, if the government lets it, the new Minivan paper will help fill this role.

Speaking on the topic of Maldivian civil society earlier this year, Chief Government Spokesman Ahmed Shaheed commented: “We recognize that a healthy and vibrant civil society is fundamental to a modern democracy.”

Civil society, admittedly, is something of a slippery concept. Utilitarian definitions usually include non-state organizations, interest groups and associations such as trade unions, professional associations, higher education students, religious bodies and the media. Collectively these, each in its own way, help maintain a check on the power of the state.

A vibrant civil society should function as an arena where numerous social movements and civic organizations arrange themselves in such a way as to express themselves and their interests – a forum for empowering themselves.

Of course, when the state has its hand in or prohibits such organizations the vibrancy fades. Given the government’s near omnipresence and ubiquitous nature, it is left with a profound advantage over Maldivian civil society.

Civil society should function as the public’s opposition to the government – always reminding its constituent politicians that their job is to serve for them.

The Chief Spokesman went on to state, “The Government’s policy is to encourage and support civil society organizations as evident from recently enacted legislation, and from the manner in which the post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction efforts are being carried out.”

Sadly, identifying this so-called support is not easy. For instance, the government’s lack of cooperation with the humanitarian organization Friends of Maldives (FOM) stands in contrast to the latter part of this statement. The government continues to sit on tons of FOM aid, while they launch a campaign of disinformation against its director and founder.

In a more general uncooperative manner, the government has refused to grant registration to Aminath Najeeb's "Human Rights Maldives" NGO. This obviously calls into question the government's “encouragement and support” of genuine civil society that could question and curtail the powers of the government. As such, it is hard to imagine that this government is ready to have its citizens lay the foundations of a modern democracy.

This being said, the granting of a licence to the Minivan newspaper could be a small step forward in the government’s allowance of a legitimised social forum.

Independent media is of course an integral part of civil society. This gives a venue for citizens to communicate what they identify as their problems, concerns and potential solutions – giving people a voice is a first step in their appropriation of power.

Whether Minivan is allowed to step into such a role will become clear in the coming days and weeks. The devil, as always, will be in the details. What will be palatable to government the censors – and what will be the repercussions for that which is not palatable?

A multiparty system in itself does not produce or sustain democracy. Nor does a multiparty system institutionalise broad participation in political life. This must be supported by a vibrant, vital and critical civil society.

Civil society can wield much more power than stuffy political systems – take its destruction of authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe during the late 1980s. But first, the people must take this power for themselves.

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