India comes down heavily on Maldives, calls for immediate course correction

NEW DELHI: With no early signs of an end to the political crisis in Maldives, India on Tuesday came down heavily on the Abdullah Yameen government and asserted that actions by his regime since the arrest of former President Md. Nasheed was a ‘sham and a travesty of justice’ and sought early course correction by the people in power in Male.

Delhi that apprehends that Maldives situation could impact regional stability feels that the Nasheed's ongoing trial is an attempt by President Yameen to eliminate his political opponents and prevent them from contesting the 2018 presidential elections.

Coming out strongly in support of the former President, senior diplomatic sources told ET that the outcome (March 13) of the trial (jail term of 13 years for Nasheed), has been of foregone conclusion with the verdict written long before he was charged with terrorism and remanded to custody.

“Every hearing in the court has been a deathblow to the rule of law…It is apparent that Yameen’s government, despite being seen as strong and stable, has seeds of instability within itself due to Yameen’s narrow outlook which has led to sustained efforts on the part of his coterie to neutralize other potential power centres and prospective threats,” an official claimed in the backdrop of the several President’s aides and alliance partners joining Opposition ranks.

The latest to quit the regime was Maldivian Defence Ministry Coordinator Mohamed Mushrif who resigned in protest of the government’s “brutality.” In a letter addressed to Yameen -- Mushrif contended that the prosecution of former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim was unfair and politically motivated. Ibrahim Luthfy, human rights envoy of the Maldivian government to the United Nations permanent mission to the Geneva, also resigned recently citing similar reasons.

Even the hardline Adhaalath Party (a former ally of Yameen) President Sheikh Imran stated recently that Maldives was ‘not on right track’, and that the government had been violating individual rights of the people, with rampant corruption within the government.

Calling for immediate course correction to establish rule of law in the islands of Maldives, diplomatic sources suggested that the Yameen should establish independence, transparency, interference, influence, competency, consistency, and accessibility of the country’s judiciary.

Meanwhile, Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has decided to launch a national civil disobedience campaign to free the former leader. Political sources from Male told ET that an opinion poll conducted secretly by the government itself revealed that its support among the public was below 25 percent.

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his pre-scheduled trip to Maldives on March 15 to send a strong message to the Yameen regime. Later while in Colombo he also met MDP leaders who sought Delhi’s assistance to defuse the crisis. It is no secret that Delhi is worried with the current situation in the Southern neighbouring country where it has deep security and strategic interests.