Maldivian President Muizzu says predecessor operated on orders of a ‘foreign ambassador’
- In Reports
- 11:49 PM, Mar 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has alleged that his predecessor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, operated on orders from “a foreign ambassador.”
Speaking with Public Service Media (PSM) and addressing an inquiry about the opposition's criticism concerning the recent acquisition of military drones, Muizzu stated that during its tenure from 2018 to 2023, the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), similarly commanded a significant majority in Parliament.
"However, the party failed to protect Maldives’ independence, leaving it in the hands of a foreign country,” Muizzu was quoted as saying by Sun.mv, a news portal.
His remarks, coming on the back of his demand for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel who operate three aircraft in the Maldives, were perceived as an apparent reference to India.
Without specifying which country he was referring to, Solih added, “We had lost independence in all sense of the word, including economically. After having done all this, they would naturally not accept our efforts to remedy all this and put the country on a track that the Maldivian people want....”
During Solih's administration, there was a prioritization of an "India First" policy, with the Maldives being among the primary beneficiaries of India's "Neighbourhood First" strategy. New Delhi invested substantial sums of money into development and infrastructure initiatives throughout Solih's time in office.
During the presidential election last year, Muizzu campaigned on the pledge to remove around 80 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives, tasked with operating two helicopters and an aircraft primarily utilised for humanitarian aid and medical evacuation missions. India has recently replaced the military crews operating one helicopter with civilian personnel, and the rest are scheduled to be withdrawn by May.
Muizzu expressed his belief in transparency, but he noted that certain sensitive information, such as the cost of the drones acquired by the Maldives, classified as "military secrets," are not typically disclosed by any country.
“In such matters that are crucial to national security, I am heavily reliant on counsel from our chief of defence force and our generals,” he said.
While the Indian side has refrained from publicly criticising Muizzu's apparent alignment with China, policymakers in New Delhi are cautiously observing the increasing closeness between Male and Beijing across various domains including trade and security.
The People’s National Congress (PNC) administration accuses the former administration of becoming overly reliant on India, while the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) accuses the current administration of jeopardising longstanding relations with India and cultivating stronger ties with China. Notably, a Chinese surveillance vessel recently visited the Maldives for replenishment, and earlier this month, China and the Maldives signed an agreement for Beijing to provide non-lethal military equipment free of charge.
Last year, less than 24 hours after taking oath as the President, formally requested India to withdraw 88 military personnel from his country by March 15, saying the Maldivian people had given him a "strong mandate" to make this request to New Delhi. The first batch has already left the archipelago nation.
Image source: AP
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