Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Maldives military still does not have pilots capable of operating three aircraft donated by India, Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon has acknowledged, days after 76 Indian defence personnel left the island nation at the instance of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

Mr. Ghassan made the remarks at a press conference held at the President’s Office here on May 11 to brief the media about the withdrawal of Indian soldiers stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft and their replacement with civilians from India.

Responding to a question from a journalist, Mr. Ghassan said there were no Maldivian soldiers with the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) who could operate the three aircraft donated by the Indian military despite some soldiers who began training to fly them under agreements formed by previous governments.

“As it was a training that required passing various stages, our soldiers had not reached completion due to various reasons. Therefore, there aren’t any people in our force at the moment who are licensed or fully operational to fly the two helicopters and Dornier aircraft,” Mr. Ghassan was quoted as saying by the Adhadhu.com news portal.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain after Mr. Muizzu, a pro-China leader, insisted on the withdrawal of all Indian military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the island nation by May 10. India has already withdrawn 76 military personnel.

However, the Maldives government has no intention of removing the doctors from India at Senahiya military hospital, a Maldivian media report said.

Contrary to Mr. Ghassan’s remarks, when the current administration’s senior officials were in the opposition during the past five years, they criticised the previous government and claimed that there were capable pilots in the MNDF, the Adhadhu.com report noted.

Training Maldivians was the main reason for the arrival of Indian soldiers with the helicopters donated during former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen’s governments and the Dornier aircraft brought during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government, it said.

Despite the failure to complete the training to date, Foreign Minister Zameer said on May 11 that the agreement to replace the Indian soldiers with civilians also included provisions for training local pilots.

The Opposition parties have demanded a probe and impeachment of Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu following the leaked report of his alleged corruption from 2018. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Ahead of the parliamentary polls in the Maldives, the Opposition parties have demanded a probe and impeachment of President Mohamed Muizzu following the leaked report of his alleged corruption from 2018, a charge dismissed by him.

Elections to the Majlis are to be held on Sunday and the atmosphere has been vitiated by the trading of charges between the main Opposition the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Mr. Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC).

Local media reports have highlighted that the political storm started on Monday with an anonymous handle ‘Hassan Kurusee’ posting on social media X leaked intelligence reports, including documents prepared by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Maldives Monetary Authority and the Maldives Police Service that allegedly linked President Muizzu to corruption.

“These reports, dated circa 2018, claim irregularities in money transfers to President Muizzu’s personal bank account, highlighting 10 critical red flag indicators of financial misconduct. These indicators suggest involvement with politically exposed persons, embezzlement, structured transactions, and the use of corporate entities to hide fund origins,” news portal Maldives Republic (mvrepublic.com) reported.

The allegations soon created a political storm with several reactions pouring in on various social media channels. News portals and newspapers, however, tread with caution. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People’s National Front (PNF) demanded an investigation into the matter.

Former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed urged Mr. Muizzu’s impeachment following the leaked intelligence reports. Taking to his social media handle X, Dr. Jameel reposted these documents, emphasising the need for accountability at all levels of governance.

Apart from demanding Mr. Muizzu’s impeachment, Dr. Jameel, a senior member of the Progressive Party of Maldives, “also accused President Muizzu of extensive corruption in his flagship Ras Male’ development project and alleged excessive spending on public relations. Dr. Jameel has called on President Muizzu to cooperate with independent investigations into these allegations,” mvrepublic.com said.

The news portal also claimed that this was the first time an FIU report was leaked and said, there has been no official confirmation or response from government bodies regarding the legitimacy of the reports or the allegations.

Adhadhu.com reported that President Muizzu responded late on Tuesday night to corruption allegations declaring that the Opposition “cannot show any wrongdoing on his part regardless of how far attempts to implicate him are taken” and also accused the Opposition of leaking the reports out of desperation.

“The same allegations had been made during his campaigns for mayor and President,” he said adding, the response would also be the same as before.

“While you attempt to pin something on me like this, you couldn’t do it before and you can’t do it now. There’s nothing you can show against me no matter how far you take this,” Adhadhu.com said, quoting the President.

Atoll Times gave a detailed account of what President Muizzu said in his defence, including how he would “never compromise the rights of the people and that no matter how many such allegations are made, nobody will be able to show anything done in such a manner.”

“The last five years Opposition was in government, if there was anything done wrong, it would have come to light,” Mr. Muizzu said.

“The President’s remarks came after the Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People’s National Front (PNF) called on the relevant authorities to investigate the serious allegations against the President. But no government investigative agency has yet to comment on the issue,” Adhadhu.com reported.

A total of 368 candidates are contesting for 93 seats in this year’s parliamentary elections on April 21, according to media reports. The outcome of the elections will determine whether the Opposition parties can act against President Muizzu, who assumed charge in November last year.

Male:

Ahead of the parliamentary polls in the Maldives, the opposition parties have demanded a probe and impeachment of President Mohamed Muizzu following the leaked report of his alleged corruption from 2018, a charge dismissed by him.

Elections to the Majlis are to be held on Sunday and the atmosphere has been vitiated by the trading of charges between the main opposition the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC).

Local media reports have highlighted that the political storm started on Monday with an anonymous handle ‘Hassan Kurusee’ posting on social media X leaked intelligence reports, including documents prepared by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Maldives Monetary Authority and the Maldives Police Service that allegedly linked President Muizzu to corruption.

“These reports, dated circa 2018, claim irregularities in money transfers to President Muizzu’s personal bank account, highlighting 10 critical red flag indicators of financial misconduct. These indicators suggest involvement with politically exposed persons, embezzlement, structured transactions, and the use of corporate entities to hide fund origins,” news portal Maldives Republic (mvrepublic.com) reported.

The allegations soon created a political storm with several reactions pouring in on various social media channels. News portals and newspapers, however, tread with caution. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People’s National Front (PNF) demanded an investigation into the matter.

Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed urged Muizzu’s impeachment following the leaked intelligence reports. Taking to his social media handle X, Jameel reposted these documents, emphasising the need for accountability at all levels of governance.

Apart from demanding Muizzu’s impeachment, Jameel, a senior member of the Progressive Party of Maldives, “also accused President Muizzu of extensive corruption in his flagship Ras Male’ development project and alleged excessive spending on public relations. Jameel has called on President Muizzu to cooperate with independent investigations into these allegations,” mvrepublic.com said.

The news portal also claimed that this was the first time an FIU report was leaked and said, there has been no official confirmation or response from government bodies regarding the legitimacy of the reports or the allegations.

Adhadhu.com reported that President Muizzu responded late on Tuesday night to corruption allegations declaring that the opposition “cannot show any wrongdoing on his part regardless of how far attempts to implicate him are taken” and also accused the opposition of leaking the reports out of desperation.

“The same allegations had been made during his campaigns for mayor and President,” he said adding, the response would also be the same as before.

“While you attempt to pin something on me like this, you couldn’t do it before and you can’t do it now. There’s nothing you can show against me no matter how far you take this,” Adhadhu.com said, quoting the President.

Atoll Times gave a detailed account of what President Muizzu said in his defence, including how he would “never compromise the rights of the people and that no matter how many such allegations are made, nobody will be able to show anything done in such a manner.” “The last five years opposition was in government, if there was anything done wrong, it would have come to light,” Muizzu said.

“The President’s remarks came after the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People’s National Front (PNF) called on the relevant authorities to investigate the serious allegations against the President. But no government investigative agency has yet to comment on the issue,” Adhadhu.com reported.

A total of 368 candidates are contesting for 93 seats in this year’s parliamentary elections on April 21, according to media reports. The outcome of the elections will determine whether the opposition parties can act against President Muizzu, who assumed charge in November last year. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on April 6 said India’s gesture to renew the quota to allow the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for his nation signifies the longstanding bilateral friendship and the commitment to further expand trade and commerce.

“India allowed the export of certain quantities of essential commodities for the year 2024-25 at the request of the Maldives government,” the Indian High Commission said, in Male, on April 5.

Announcing the move through a post on social media platform X, the Indian High Commissioner said that this was being done “under a unique bilateral mechanism” under which the quotas for each of these items have been revised upwards.

“The approved quantities are the highest since this arrangement came into effect in 1981,” the notice by the mission said. Mr. Zameer took to X to thank India for the move.

“I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for the renewal of the quota to enable #Maldives to import essential commodities from India during the years 2024 and 2025,” Mr. Zameer wrote.

“This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship, and the strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce between our two countries,” he said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar responded to Zameer’s post, saying India stands firmly committed to its Neighbourhood First and SAGAR policies.

Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is India’s policy or doctrine of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy underlines the renewed primacy that the country seeks to attach to its neighbouring countries.

The announcement for the renewal of the quota comes amidst a diplomatic row between the two countries since November last year when President Mohamed Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, within hours of taking the oath demanded India to repatriate its 88 military personnel from his country.

The relations further deteriorated when three Maldivian officials made crass comments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted photos and videos of the Lakshadweep Islands resulting in a heavy backlash by Indians, including many celebrities. #BoycottMaldives campaign resulted in a significant decline in Indian tourists to the island nation too.

The 1981 India and Maldives trade agreement provides for the export of essential commodities. According to the records from the Indian High Commission, growing from modest beginnings, India-Maldives bilateral trade crossed the $300 million mark for the first time in 2021, which further crossed the $500 million mark in 2022.

According to Friday’s announcement, there has also been an increase of 5% in the quotas for eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and dal (pulses).

Last year as well, India continued the export of rice, sugar and onions to the Maldives despite a worldwide ban on export of these items from India. “India remains strongly committed to supporting human-centric development in the Maldives, as part of its ‘Neighbourhood First policy,” it said.

“The quota for river sand and stone aggregates, crucial items for the booming construction industry in the Maldives, has been increased by 25% to 10,00,000 MT each,” it added.

Surrounded by the ocean, the islands in the Maldives and the many atolls don’t have enough river sand to support their construction industry, hence the need for importing sand and stone aggregates to the country.

Male:

Asserting that Maldives is not a small nation, President Mohamed Muizzu has said that the steps taken by his government to ensure the Indian Ocean island nation’s security on its own should not concern any “external parties”.

The pro-China Maldivian leader’s comments came days after the first batch of Indian military personnel operating a helicopter gifted by India left the island nation after Muizzu stepped up his anti-India rhetoric.

Muizzu had asked India to withdraw nearly 90 military personnel from the island nation soon after he assumed office in November last year. India has agreed to replace the military personnel with civilians and continue the operations of two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided to the country for humanitarian and medical evacuation services.

Muizzu’s latest comments came while while speaking at a ceremony to launch the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) Air Corps and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a press release by the President’s Office said on Friday.

Asserting that Maldives isn’t a small nation, Muizzu said the country is capable of monitoring its jurisdiction.

“Maldives is an independent and sovereign nation and that surveillance of the Maldives’ jurisdiction should not concern any external parties,” he said, without naming any country.

He “affirmed the importance of the Maldives navigating its course towards self-reliance and remaining an independent and sovereign nation in every aspect,” the press release said.

Muizzu said that Maldives’ independence and sovereignty “must be in the common interest of the entire populace, despite varying ideologies”.

He added that this would not impede the Maldives’ close relations with all countries.

Muizzu, seen as a pro-China leader, has affirmed that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be present inside his country after May 10.

He rode to power last year on an anti-India stance, and within hours of taking oath, demanded India to remove its personnel from the strategically located archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean.

Muizzu announced new initiatives to strengthen the Maldives’ military capabilities at the ceremony.

An initiative to mobilise resources to recondition neglected military resources and bring them up to a standard for military use and public service was launched, the press release said.

Meanwhile, Maldivian defence minister Ghassan Maumoon said that the launch of the Maldives National Defence Force Air Corps has shocked enemies and friends.

Ghassan said the role of defence forces and the strategies of war have changed in the modern world, adding that armies are now dependent on technology and tactics are used to reduce risk to lives.

“It is a sophisticated technology platform used in developed countries in the world. At the same time, it is a weapon with firepower that can take defensive manoeuvres to defend the country’s sovereignty while focusing on surveillance and search and rescue,” he was quoted as saying by Adhdhu.com, a news portal.

Ghassan said the tide of war has changed in the world resulting in decreasing attempts to invade or occupy another country. However, he claimed that powerful countries now try to influence the sovereignty of other countries.

“By openly saying that we have the right to live in an independent and sovereign Maldives and by openly saying that Maldivians have the right to stand on their own feet, working with courage to quickly upgrade the ranks of the Maldivian military and the goal achieved through that has shocked enemies and friends,” he said.

The Chief of Defence Force Lt. Gen. Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef said that the military capabilities of the MNDF have greatly increased with the launch of the MNDF Air Corps and the use of drones.

“In the 4000 years of independent Maldives, today is a historic day as the Air Corps has been inaugurated for the first time to defend the country by air, conduct search operations and assist fishermen and vessels in maritime incidents,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Friday expressed concerns over the repercussions of India’s recent boycott call, particularly in the realm of tourism. Mr Nasheed, currently in India, also issued an apology on behalf of the Maldivian people.

The diplomatic strain between India and the Maldives, simmering for a while, hit another low as President Mohamed Muizzu, perceived as pro-China, announced plans to expel all Indian military personnel from the country by March 10. This move raised tensions and prompted a boycott call from India, impacting various sectors, notably tourism, a crucial component of the Maldivian economy.

“It has impacted the Maldives a lot, and I am actually here in India. I’m very worried about this. I want to say the people of the Maldives are sorry, we are sorry that this has happened. We want Indian people to come on their holidays to the Maldives, and there will not be any change in our hospitality,” Mr Nasheed said as quoted by news agency ANI. 

Mr Nasheed acknowledged India’s historically responsible approach in dealing with such matters, stating that instead of exerting pressure, India proposed a diplomatic discussion.

“When the president of the Maldives wanted Indian military personnel to leave, you know what India did? They did not twist their arms. They did not display muscle, but just simply told the government of Maldives, ‘Okay, let’s have a discussion on that’,” he said. 

On the recent defence agreement between Maldives and China, Mr Nasheed dismissed it as not being a defence pact but rather an acquisition of equipment. 

“I think that Muizzu wanted to buy some equipment, mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. It is very unfortunate that the government thought that there is a need for more tear gas and more rubber bullets. Governance is not through the barrel of the gun,” he said. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently stated that misunderstandings can arise between nations and expressed optimism in resolving the dispute through diplomatic means.

“Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy, and politics is politics. The whole world doesn’t always run with obligation…so if we have encountered such a situation, the solution will come through diplomacy only,” Mr Jaishankar said.

“We have to make people understand, sometimes people don’t even have complete knowledge of things, sometimes people get misguided on what others say,” he added.

Earlier, the Maldives announced that it would not extend the agreement that permitted India to conduct hydrographic surveys in collaboration with the Maldives.

President Muizzu broke from the established tradition by opting not to visit India on his first official trip, instead choosing to visit Turkey and then China.

New Delhi:

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Friday expressed concerns over the repercussions of India’s recent boycott call, particularly in the realm of tourism. Mr Nasheed, currently in India, also issued an apology on behalf of the Maldivian people.

The diplomatic strain between India and the Maldives, simmering for a while, hit another low as President Mohamed Muizzu, perceived as pro-China, announced plans to expel all Indian military personnel from the country by March 10. This move raised tensions and prompted a boycott call from India, impacting various sectors, notably tourism, a crucial component of the Maldivian economy.

“It has impacted the Maldives a lot, and I am actually here in India. I’m very worried about this. I want to say the people of the Maldives are sorry, we are sorry that this has happened. We want Indian people to come on their holidays to the Maldives, and there will not be any change in our hospitality,” Mr Nasheed said as quoted by news agency ANI. 

Mr Nasheed acknowledged India’s historically responsible approach in dealing with such matters, stating that instead of exerting pressure, India proposed a diplomatic discussion.

“When the president of the Maldives wanted Indian military personnel to leave, you know what India did? They did not twist their arms. They did not display muscle, but just simply told the government of Maldives, ‘Okay, let’s have a discussion on that’,” he said. 

On the recent defence agreement between Maldives and China, Mr Nasheed dismissed it as not being a defence pact but rather an acquisition of equipment. 

“I think that Muizzu wanted to buy some equipment, mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. It is very unfortunate that the government thought that there is a need for more tear gas and more rubber bullets. Governance is not through the barrel of the gun,” he said. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently stated that misunderstandings can arise between nations and expressed optimism in resolving the dispute through diplomatic means.

“Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy, and politics is politics. The whole world doesn’t always run with obligation…so if we have encountered such a situation, the solution will come through diplomacy only,” Mr Jaishankar said.

“We have to make people understand, sometimes people don’t even have complete knowledge of things, sometimes people get misguided on what others say,” he added.

Earlier, the Maldives announced that it would not extend the agreement that permitted India to conduct hydrographic surveys in collaboration with the Maldives.

President Muizzu broke from the established tradition by opting not to visit India on his first official trip, instead choosing to visit Turkey and then China.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Stepping up his anti-India rhetoric, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has affirmed that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be present inside his country after May 10, a media report said on March 5.

Mr. Muizzu’s statement comes less than a week after an Indian civilian team reached the Maldives to take charge of one of the three aviation platforms in the island nation, well ahead of the March 10 deadline agreed by the two nations for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.

“Addressing the Baa atoll Eydhafushi residential community during his tour across the atoll, the President stated that due to his government’s success in expelling Indian troops from the country, people who spread false rumours, are attempting to twist the situation,” a news portal Edition.mv reported.

“That these people [Indian military] are not departing, that they are returning after changing their uniforms into civilian clothing. We must not indulge such thoughts that instil doubts in our hearts and spread lies,” the portal quoted Mr. Muizzu, widely regarded as a pro-China leader, as saying.

“There will be no Indian troops in the country come May 10. Not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. The Indian military will not be residing in this country in any form of clothing. I state this with confidence,” he said, on a day when his country signed an agreement with China to receive free military aid.

Earlier last month, after a high-level meeting in Delhi on February 2 between the two sides, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said India would replace its military personnel operating the three aviation platforms in the Maldives by May 10 and the first phase of the process would be completed by March 10. In his maiden address to Parliament on February 5, he made similar remarks.

There are 88 military personnel manning the three Indian platforms that have been providing humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives for the last few years using two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft.

Mr. Muizzu rode to power last year on an anti-India stance and within hours of taking oath demanded India to remove its personnel from the strategically located archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

Edition.mv further reported that while the first troops to depart the country are the Indian military personnel operating the two helicopters in Addu City, the military personnel present in Haa Dhaalu atoll Hanimaadhoo and Laamu atoll Kahdhoo are also expected to leave ahead of May 10.

India had agreed to remove their troops from Maldives under the condition that a number of their civilians equivalent to the military presence are brought to operate the aircraft.

“The Opposition has been directing criticism at the administration asserting that the Indian personnel sent to Maldives as civilians are in reality military officials out of uniform and that the government has no way to ascertain otherwise,” the portal claimed.

Meanwhile, local media reports also said that Maldives has successfully tied up with Sri Lanka to run flights for medical evacuation last week, further indicating that it is bent on removing all Indian troops in whichever category.

Further highlighting that securing true independence is a concept he regards with utmost priority, the President remarked that the State is exerting efforts with due importance “to regain the southern maritime area deprived of the country in addition to expelling Indian troops from the Maldives.”

“I am confident we can achieve this. The delay in concluding this task is due to the adverse procedures practiced during the implementation. It was done without even taking the matter to the Parliament … in violation of the Constitution as well,” the portal quoted the President as saying.

The Maldives’ proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland’s western coast and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) gives it significant strategic importance.

The Maldives has been India’s key maritime neighbour in the IOR and it occupies a special place in its initiatives such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First Policy.’

“The people have decided and don’t want Indian troops to stay in the Maldives. Therefore, foreign soldiers cannot be here against our sentiments, against our will,’’ the President-elect said.
| Photo Credit: AFP

India looks forward to engaging the new Maldives government on “all issues”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, responding to the Maldivian President-elect Mohamed Muizzu’s statement that Indian military personnel would be asked to leave the islands.

On Wednesday evening, Indian High Commissioner to Male Munnu Mahawar met Mr. Muizzu, and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating him on his electoral victory.

“Our High Commissioner in Male called on the President-elect, and he had a good discussion on various aspects of our bilateral relationship including development cooperation,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. 

‘India Out’ campaign

Last Saturday’s run-off election saw Mr. Muizzu, the former Mayor of Male, defeat incumbent Maldives President Ibu Solih by 19,000 votes, or an 8% margin. The results have been widely seen as an upset for India, that had close ties with the Solih administration. Speaking at a public rally after the elections, Mr. Muizzu, who stood as the candidate for the PNC-PPM coalition that had campaigned on an “India Out” plank, had said that the “sovereignty” of the Maldives was most important.

“The people have decided and don’t want Indian troops to stay in the Maldives. Therefore, foreign soldiers cannot be here against our sentiments, against our will,’’ the President-elect was quoted as saying by Maldivian news outlets on Tuesday.

“So, I have to tell the [Indian] ambassador who is going to meet me that we will have a very good relationship with these values,” he had added. 

Coast Guard project opposed

While India has had a strong military presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) for many years, naval and airforce personnel have been stationed in the Addu and Lammu islands since 2013 in order to maintain and operate two helicopters and Dornier aircraft that India had loaned the Maldives for reconnaissance operations over the past decade. In November 2021, the Maldives National Defence Force told a Parliamentary Committee that a total of 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives.

In February 2021, the Maldivian opposition protested an MoU or draft agreement on maritime security signed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with the Maldives Defence Minister, in order to construct a Coast Guard harbour base at the Uthuru Thilafalhu atoll. The construction was inaugurated during a visit by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in May this year, and this has been the focus of the PPM’s “India Out” protests. 

‘Close collaboration needed’

While the MEA spokesperson did not specifically respond to Mr. Muizzu’s threat to remove Indian military personnel — a move that could overturn an important component of India-Maldives strategic ties in the past few years — he said that the two countries needed to cooperate “closely”.

“The focus of our partnership with Maldives has always been on capacity building and working together to address our shared challenges and priorities. As neighbours, we need to collaborate closely to address the challenges confronting our region such as transnational crimes and Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief,” Mr. Bagchi said, adding that the government looks forward to “engaging with the new administration in Maldives on all such issues.” 

Voters seen at a polling station in Maldivian capital Male Saturday morning, on the day of the Presidential elections of the Indian Ocean Archipelago.
| Photo Credit: Meera Srinivasan

 Maldivian voters, known for their high, near-90% turnout in past elections, began lining up at polling stations in capital Male early on Saturday, to choose their President in a crucial contest.

Several schools, set up as polling stations, were buzzing with early voters. While eight candidates, including three independents, are running for the country’s top office, for voters it was a choice between continuity and change.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say I want change, but I certainly want improvement in planning policy and implementing it,” said a 33-year-old voter who asked not to be named. “I am here to basically exercise my democratic right,” she told The Hindu, outside a polling station.

Incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, elected in 2018 from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), is seeking a second term after his party split with Parliamentary Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed deciding to break away. His supporters formed The Democrats and have fielded a separate candidate. Male Mayor Mohamed Muizzu, backed by the People’s National Congress in the main oppositional camp, has emerged an important contender, according to local political observers.

Most candidates, including President Solih, have promised good governance, economic development and opportunities for youth in their manifestos. Some voters said the televised debate helped them make up their mind. “I did not want to go just by the poll manifesto, so I took a decision based on the debate. I think we need a leader who has a clear vision and the ability to express it to the public,” said a first-time voter, also requesting anonymity.  

As many as 574 ballot boxes have been placed across the capital, and in over 300 atolls, in addition to tourist resorts and overseas election centres, the island nation’s Election Commission said, highlighting the logistics behind the elections. The Indian Ocean archipelago has a 99.4 % literacy rate, and of its 5.2 lakh-population, more than half are eligible to vote. If no candidate secures over 50 % of the vote, a run-off election will have to be held within 21 days, authorities said.