Maldives new regime to come out with policy roadmap

MALE: Maldives new regime is likley to come out with a roadmap detailing the steps to be taken and policies that will be followed by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan led government trying to strengthen its position in the crisis-hit nation.

"We will issue our roadmap today giving an overview of how the government will function, what policies would be followed," said a senior Presidential Office source.

The roadmap comes a day after Hassan sweared in his new and expanded cabinet as he tries to cement his position as the head of a 'unity government'.

Seeking to end a raging political crisis that erupted after the resignation of first democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed last week, his former deputy had sweared in new members of his cabinet from different political parties.

Incidentally, Waheed also left key portfolios like Foreign Affairs and Finance vacant among two others and has claimed that he wants to bring Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on board.

Nasheed has refused to accept Waheed's legitimacy to rule the picturesque Indian Ocean island nation.

The proposed roadmap documents also comes a day after Nasheed's supporters had laid siege to the street outside the Majlis shouting slogans against the current regime.