Maldives parties boycott President for 'anti-India stance'
PTC News Desk: Maldivian opposition parties, critical of President Mohamed Muizzu's perceived 'anti-India stance,' have decided to boycott his upcoming address to Parliament. The Maldivian Democratic Party and The Democrats, the country's two major opposition groups, made this decision ahead of Muizzu's first presidential address at the opening session of the People’s Majlis (Parliament) for the current year. Their stance against the President is rooted in what they perceive as his unfavorable position towards India.
This development follows the formal request from the Maldives' government to New Delhi, urging them to provide "comprehensive details" regarding an incident on January 31. During this incident, Indian Coast Guard personnel allegedly boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels within the Maldives' economic zone. Tensions between the two nations have escalated, contributing to a strain in their bilateral relations.
President Muizzu, considered to be leaning towards China, assumed office in November 2023 after defeating the India-friendly incumbent, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Soon after taking office, Muizzu formally asked New Delhi to withdraw its military presence from the Maldives, citing the country's desire for India to respect the democratic will of its people.
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On February 2, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi announced that a "set of mutually workable solutions" had been agreed upon with the Maldives concerning the continued operations of Indian aviation platforms in the island nation. This statement followed the Maldives' foreign ministry's earlier announcement that India would replace military personnel on one aviation platform by March 10 and complete the replacement on the other two platforms by May 10.
Amidst the ongoing diplomatic tensions, a high-level meeting occurred in Delhi between representatives of the Maldives and India. The resulting joint statement indicated an effort to find common ground in resolving the issues at hand.
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(Inputs from agencies)
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