LORD OF 2000 ISLES

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 September 1938, Page 10

LORD OF 2000 ISLES

DEMOCRACY IN MALDIVES. COLOMBO, July 26. 'Pho inhabitants of the Mai dive Archipelago, the group of coral atolls and islets in the Indian Ocean about 400 miles south-west of Ceylon, are •completing arrangements for their Sultans “Coronation.” On Thursday, at Male, the largest ol the “two thousand isles,” will take place the Ceremony of the Assumption of the Sword of State by Sultan Hassan Nuridin Iskander TI., who was elected on March 12. 1935, to the long line of Sultans' who have ruled over the Maldives for 800 years, and have paid allegiance to the British Crown since 1887. The “Corenation” will be threefold in character: religious, political, and social. It will take place at eight o’clock in the morning, and the Slate Sword will be handed to the Sultan by the Chief Justice, who is also the High Priest. Two representatives of tho Ceylon Government will attend the ceremony on H.M. Survey Ship Stork, and there will follow rejoicings, illuminations, and other events of a festive character lasting at least a week.

The Maldives represent an interesting constitutional experiment in democratic government in one of the more remote and little known parts of the Empire. Until a, few years ago the Sultans possessed autocratic powers, an express condition of the i ecoguition of the sovereignty of the British Crown over the islands, by the State Agreement of 1887, being that there is as little intervention as possible in the internal affairs of the group. . In 1932. however, the previous Sultan, Muhammed .Shams-ufi-Din Iskandar 111., influenced by developments elsewhere, granted a moie or less democratic constitution, which was ushered in with a Durbar. Unfortunately, in 1931. the Sultan was considered to have acted contrary to the constitution by wilfully interfering with the administration of justice, and was dethroned by the people in accordance will) Article 51 of the Maldivian Constitution, after a. reign of thirty-one years.

SULTAN PREFERS RETIREMENT. The ‘'revolution" was entirely •'bloodless,” and, from what can be gathered, the Sultan, who never enjoyed his position, prefers his mure retired' life. The new Sultan, a near relative, was elected in Die following year under a modified Constitution. This provides lor one Assembly only, a Legislative Council of -thirty-three members, of whom twenty-eight, are elected, and live are nominated. There is*a Cabinet of four Ministers. The Prime Minister is selected by the Sultan from tho members of tire People’s Assembly, and the Premier selects his colleagues, who form the Cabinet. The Sultan is chosen from the Royal Family, but his fitness for the position is carefully weighted beforehand.' He lias power of veto, and can refuse to assent to legislation twice, but any measure passed by the Council a third time becomes law, and the Sultan can object to it only by dissolving the Council.

Tm? Maidive Island!, are one of I lie most difficult. places in the world for the ordinary traveller Io reach. They are extremely dangerous to shipping, and the usual channel of contact with Ceylon and India is the buggalow, a pi<'( u rcs<| ue sailing vessel which, against monsoon winds, may take weeks or months to complete the journey. Consequently the inhabit-

ants are very isolated, and naturally conservative in outlook, although they arc progressive in matters of government.

Of these 2,000 romantic isles, only 217 are inhabited, and Male, the largest. is but. a mile long and half a mile wide.