Since the day I wrote “Things Fall Apart [engineered by…?]” much has changed and so has my perception of the reform and democratization process that we have been going through for the last four years. My post was written on February 13, 2006 and two years and five months have passed since.

Today I asked the same question, but in a completely different frame of mind. Rather an evolved frame of mind. We have since, had a strong opposition to the government that has grown from just Anni and his followers to a crowd of diverse interest groups led by many. The government has lost more than seven cabinet ministers in a span of less than one and a half years, clearly showing how difficult it has been to rally people behind personalities rather than ideals. The opposition has been no better, with a complete lack of focus and credible authenticity to leading the reform process.

The challenge to day is to recoup this nation into one from the pieces that have become of it. The challenge of leading the way to that nationhood where there will be liberty, freedom and prosperity. It can only be handled by those with a clear vision, and rallying support behind a political ideology rather than a person. Yet, what we have, to replace the current regime that is based on the person of Maumoon, are yet other possible regimes – either of Anni, Ibra, Umaru, the Islamic Scholars, or the the dynamic trio of ex-ministers and DRP frontrunners.

The Decision Day or “Rayyithunge Ninmumuge Dhuvas” is edging closer by the day now. Yet, there has been little effort (if any) to educate the people on the Decision that they will make. This is perhaps because there are no organizations in civil society that are free of influnces from new political cults that have emerged recently. The political parties which represent the cult figures that they support, do not educate the people on the critical Decision that they will take on that fateful day; but go on inflating the ego of their Master and showing the Evil in others. Yet the opposition to Maumoon and his party claim to be in alliance to overthrow the current regime.

I think that the task of educating the public is a function of the outgoing Constituent Assembley of Khaassa Majlis that they overlooked. They wrote a chapter on transition which ensured that their interests were well proteced. They failed to write a chapter on educating the public on educating the people on the critical Decision that they will take. I sincerely hope that the MPs of the Constituent Assembley would take up this crucial matter and make the necessary effort to educate the public on the Decision of the People. In my opinion, the new or revised constitution is meaningless without educating the people on the implications of the decisions that they will make on that fateful Decision Day.

“Think Nation” project undertaken by the Minister of Information and Legal Reform lacks credibility in it that it does not have the involvement of Khaassa Majlis nor the key stakeholders in the reform process.