Back when he was a mild-mannered civil servant, few in the Maldives predicted Abdulla Yameen would one day run the country, let alone with an iron grip, locking up judges, his rivals and even his 80-year-old half-brother.

Now, five years after skillfully manoeuvring his way to the top, the 59-year-old is on the cusp of being elected on Sunday to a second five-year term running the Indian Ocean archipelago beloved of foreign tourists.

All of his main rivals are either behind bars or in exile, local media are scared to be critical -- and even to report on the opposition -- and the electoral system has been rigged, his opponents claim.

Adding to the alarm of the United States, the European Union and regional heavyweight India, Yameen has also cosied up to China, using cheap credit from Beijing for a blitz of infrastructure building.

"When I was first sworn into office, our nation was in disarray. The state institutions were in chaos, and the institutions were... on the brink of collapse," Yameen said in a recent address to the nation.

Now though after five years, he had restored "stability and economic prosperity" to the nation of 340,000 people and more than 1,000 coral islands, he said.

Family business

Until 10 years ago, Yameen was just the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president from 1978 until 2008.

After working as a surveyor, Yameen got his first taste of government under Gayoom, serving in his cabinet as a trade minister and as employment minister.

But Gayoom was defeated at the country's first democratic election in 2008 and his young challenger Mohamed Nasheed became a reformist president.

However, Nasheed stepped down in 2012 after protests that he said were instigated by Gayoom.

Yameen stood in elections the following year, in which Nasheed won the first round, but the Supreme Court annulled the result.

A subsequent vote was then twice delayed, allowing Yameen time to forge alliances that helped him narrowly win a contested run-off.

When he was inaugurated, diplomats in nearby Sri Lanka thought Yameen would end up being a puppet of Gayoom, but the new president soon showed that he was his own man.

Early evidence that he meant business came in September 2015 when, after an alleged assassination attempt involving a blast on his yacht, Yameen had his deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed.

Then in February this year, Yameen showed how ruthless he could be when the Supreme Court moved to overturn convictions of his rivals, setting up a possible impeachment by his opponents in parliament.

Yameen hit back by declaring a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, arresting the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court and sending troops to take over parliament.

His aged half-brother Gayoom was jailed for allegedly conspiring with the Supreme Court to topple him.

The crackdown was condemned by the US and the EU, and described by the UN human rights chief as "an all-out assault on democracy".​​​​​​​

'Holding a fish'

Undeterred, Yameen has consistently ignored international pressure.

"It is... important that friends and partners in the international community, including India, refrain from any actions that could hinder resolving the situation facing the country," the foreign ministry said in a statement after the state of emergency was imposed.

The man who would have been Yameen's main rival in Sunday's election, former president Nasheed, is living in exile after being sentenced to 13 years in prison for a terrorism conviction which the UN says was politically motivated.

"Yameen is a very clever manipulator and a very intelligent person, but unfortunately he has a criminal mind," said Ahmed Naseem, a former foreign minister and opposition activist.

"He is not a charismatic popular figure. Even when he tries to carry a baby, it looks like he is holding a fish."

Back when he was a mild-mannered civil servant, few in the Maldives predicted Abdulla Yameen would one day run the country, let alone with an iron grip, locking up judges, his rivals and even his 80-year-old half-brother.

Back when he was a mild-mannered civil servant, few in the Maldives predicted Abdulla Yameen would one day run the country, let alone with an iron grip, locking up judges, his rivals and even his 80-year-old half-brother. Now, five years after skillfully manoeuvring his way to the top, the 59-year-old is on the cusp of being elected on Sunday to a second five-year term running the Indian Ocean archipelago beloved of foreign tourists. All of his main rivals are either behind bars or in exile, local media are scared to be critical -- and even to report on the opposition -- and the electoral system has been rigged, his opponents claim. Adding to the alarm of the United States, the European Union and regional heavyweight India, Yameen has also cosied up to China, using cheap credit from Beijing for a blitz of infrastructure building. "When I was first sworn into office, our nation was in disarray. The state institutions were in chaos, and the institutions were... on the brink of collapse," Yameen said in a recent address to the nation. Now though after five years, he had restored "stability and economic prosperity" to the nation of 340,000 people and more than 1,000 coral islands, he said. Family business Until 10 years ago, Yameen was just the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president from 1978 until 2008. After working as a surveyor, Yameen got his first taste of government under Gayoom, serving in his cabinet as a trade minister and as employment minister. But Gayoom was defeated at the country's first democratic election in 2008 and his young challenger Mohamed Nasheed became a reformist president. However, Nasheed stepped down in 2012 after protests that he said were instigated by Gayoom. Yameen stood in elections the following year, in which Nasheed won the first round, but the Supreme Court annulled the result. A subsequent vote was then twice delayed, allowing Yameen time to forge alliances that helped him narrowly win a contested run-off. When he was inaugurated, diplomats in nearby Sri Lanka thought Yameen would end up being a puppet of Gayoom, but the new president soon showed that he was his own man. Early evidence that he meant business came in September 2015 when, after an alleged assassination attempt involving a blast on his yacht, Yameen had his deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed. Then in February this year, Yameen showed how ruthless he could be when the Supreme Court moved to overturn convictions of his rivals, setting up a possible impeachment by his opponents in parliament. Yameen hit back by declaring a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, arresting the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court and sending troops to take over parliament. His aged half-brother Gayoom was jailed for allegedly conspiring with the Supreme Court to topple him. The crackdown was condemned by the US and the EU, and described by the UN human rights chief as "an all-out assault on democracy". 'Holding a fish' Undeterred, Yameen has consistently ignored international pressure. "It is... important that friends and partners in the international community, including India, refrain from any actions that could hinder resolving the situation facing the country," the foreign ministry said in a statement after the state of emergency was imposed. The man who would have been Yameen's main rival in Sunday's election, former president Nasheed, is living in exile after being sentenced to 13 years in prison for a terrorism conviction which the UN says was politically motivated. "Yameen is a very clever manipulator and a very intelligent person, but unfortunately he has a criminal mind," said Ahmed Naseem, a former foreign minister and opposition activist. "He is not a charismatic popular figure. Even when he tries to carry a baby, it looks like he is holding a fish."

Abdulla Yameen, unlikely Maldives strongman

Polling booths in the Maldives closed Sunday after three hours of extended voting in a controversial election marred by police raids on the opposition and allegations of vote rigging in favour of president Abdulla Yameen.

An election official said voting was extended due to technical glitches involving electronic voter registers, as well as a heavy voter turnout. Those in the queue to vote by 19:00 (1400GMT) would still be allowed to cast their ballots, he added.

More than a quarter of a million people were eligible to vote in around 400 polling booths across the coral islands.

Hundreds of people queued outside polling stations in the capital, Male, early on Sunday. On some islands, people started queuing on Saturday night.

Hardline President Abdulla Yameen is expected to cement his grip on power in the election.

The opposition and international groups have criticised for a lack of transparency and suppression of dissent.

A candidate must secure 50 per cent of the vote to win outright, failing which there would be a runoff three days later, according to election laws, but since there are only two candidates there will be no second round.

Yameen's government has jailed many of his main rivals, including former president and his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on charges ranging from terrorism to corruption.

The process is being closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are jostling to influence Indian Ocean nations. The European Union and the United States, meanwhile, have threatened sanctions if the vote is not free and fair.

(With inputs from agencies)

Polling booths in the Maldives closed Sunday after three hours of extended voting in a controversial election marred by police raids on the opposition and allegations of vote rigging in favour of president Abdulla Yameen.

Polling booths in the Maldives closed Sunday after three hours of extended voting in a controversial election marred by police raids on the opposition and allegations of vote rigging in favour of president Abdulla Yameen. An election official said voting was extended due to technical glitches involving electronic voter registers, as well as a heavy voter turnout. Those in the queue to vote by 19:00 (1400GMT) would still be allowed to cast their ballots, he added. More than a quarter of a million people were eligible to vote in around 400 polling booths across the coral islands. Hundreds of people queued outside polling stations in the capital, Male, early on Sunday. On some islands, people started queuing on Saturday night. Hardline President Abdulla Yameen is expected to cement his grip on power in the election. The opposition and international groups have criticised for a lack of transparency and suppression of dissent. A candidate must secure 50 per cent of the vote to win outright, failing which there would be a runoff three days later, according to election laws, but since there are only two candidates there will be no second round. Yameen's government has jailed many of his main rivals, including former president and his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on charges ranging from terrorism to corruption. The process is being closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are jostling to influence Indian Ocean nations. The European Union and the United States, meanwhile, have threatened sanctions if the vote is not free and fair. (With inputs from agencies)

Polls close in Maldives after heavy turnout: Official

The Maldives -- a country of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean best known for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- is voting on Sunday in a presidential election.

The archipelago of 260,000 people has seen political opposition suppressed and press freedom curtailed in recent years under its strongman leader.

Will the poll nudge the Maldives back toward democracy, or further its spiral into autocracy? Here are five things to know:

Who is the incumbent?

Abdulla Yameen, a once mild-mannered civil servant turned strongman president, is seeking a second term in office.&nbsp;

The 59-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 2013. The free press has been cowed, the military used to stave off impeachment, and most opponents -- even Yameen's own half-brother -- have been jailed.

In a power struggle in February, Yameen launched what the UN called an "all-out assault on democracy", declaring a state of emergency.

At its height, he sent soldiers to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges who had ordered the release of political prisoners. Emergency rule was not lifted for 45 days.

Who are the opposition?

The opposition have fielded a joint candidate, the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, 54. But campaigning has been difficult, with many key figures in exile.

Mohamed Nasheed, an exiled opposition figure and former president, withdrew his candidacy after being barred from running. He was convicted of terrorism in 2015 in a trial widely viewed as politically motivated.

Do they stand a chance?

The odds are stacked in Yameen's favour.

Rights groups say his regime has used harsh fines and vague decrees to silence dissent and impose censorship in the lead-up to polling day. Even wearing T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of opposition figures is out of bounds, local journalists say.

Human Rights Watch says new vote-counting rules adopted just days before the poll favour Yameen and may deny Maldivians a right to choose.

The opposition has publicly expressed confidence that voters -- at home and abroad -- will come out against the regime. But it has accused Yameen of laying the groundwork to "steal" this election.

Why does it matter?

There are broader geopolitical concerns at play.&nbsp;

The Maldives, like other smaller regional countries once firmly in India's orbit, has drifted closer to China in recent years, which has given hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to the atoll nation.

Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean -- a so-called "string of pearls" -- to counter the rise of its rival and secure its own economic interests.

The tropical archipelago is also a hugely popular holiday destination, attracting nearly 1.4 million foreigners in 2017.

What could happen next?

Election irregularities, or a repeat of February's constitutional hijinks, could see sanctions imposed.

The European Union said in July it was ready to impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals if the situation did not improve.&nbsp;

The US State Department this month warned it would "consider appropriate measures" if the election was not free and fair.

The Maldives -- a country of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean best known for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- is voting on Sunday in a presidential election.

The Maldives -- a country of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean best known for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- is voting on Sunday in a presidential election. The archipelago of 260,000 people has seen political opposition suppressed and press freedom curtailed in recent years under its strongman leader. Will the poll nudge the Maldives back toward democracy, or further its spiral into autocracy? Here are five things to know: Who is the incumbent? Abdulla Yameen, a once mild-mannered civil servant turned strongman president, is seeking a second term in office. The 59-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 2013. The free press has been cowed, the military used to stave off impeachment, and most opponents -- even Yameen's own half-brother -- have been jailed. In a power struggle in February, Yameen launched what the UN called an "all-out assault on democracy", declaring a state of emergency. At its height, he sent soldiers to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges who had ordered the release of political prisoners. Emergency rule was not lifted for 45 days. Who are the opposition? The opposition have fielded a joint candidate, the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, 54. But campaigning has been difficult, with many key figures in exile. Mohamed Nasheed, an exiled opposition figure and former president, withdrew his candidacy after being barred from running. He was convicted of terrorism in 2015 in a trial widely viewed as politically motivated. Do they stand a chance? The odds are stacked in Yameen's favour. Rights groups say his regime has used harsh fines and vague decrees to silence dissent and impose censorship in the lead-up to polling day. Even wearing T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of opposition figures is out of bounds, local journalists say. Human Rights Watch says new vote-counting rules adopted just days before the poll favour Yameen and may deny Maldivians a right to choose. The opposition has publicly expressed confidence that voters -- at home and abroad -- will come out against the regime. But it has accused Yameen of laying the groundwork to "steal" this election. Why does it matter? There are broader geopolitical concerns at play. The Maldives, like other smaller regional countries once firmly in India's orbit, has drifted closer to China in recent years, which has given hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to the atoll nation. Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean -- a so-called "string of pearls" -- to counter the rise of its rival and secure its own economic interests. The tropical archipelago is also a hugely popular holiday destination, attracting nearly 1.4 million foreigners in 2017. What could happen next? Election irregularities, or a repeat of February's constitutional hijinks, could see sanctions imposed. The European Union said in July it was ready to impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals if the situation did not improve. The US State Department this month warned it would "consider appropriate measures" if the election was not free and fair.

Paradise, power and polls: Five questions as Maldives vote

Back when he was a mild-mannered civil servant, few in the Maldives predicted Abdulla Yameen would one day run the country, let alone with an iron grip, locking up judges, his rivals and even his 80-year-old half-brother.

Now, five years after skillfully manoeuvering his way to the top, the 59-year-old is on the cusp of being elected on Sunday to a second five-year term running the Indian Ocean archipelago beloved of foreign tourists.

All of his main rivals are either behind bars or in exile, local media are scared to be critical -- and even to report on the opposition -- and the electoral system has been rigged, his opponents claim.

Adding to the alarm of the United States, the European Union and regional heavyweight India, Yameen has also cosied up to China, using cheap credit from Beijing for a blitz of infrastructure building.

"When I was first sworn into office, our nation was in disarray. The state institutions were in chaos, and the institutions were... on the brink of collapse," Yameen said in a recent address to the nation.

Now though after five years, he had restored "stability and economic prosperity" to the nation of 340,000 people and more than 1,000 coral islands, he said.

- Family business - 
Until 10 years ago, Yameen was just the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president from 1978 until 2008.

After working as a surveyor, Yameen got his first taste of government under Gayoom, serving in his cabinet as a trade minister and as employment minister.

But Gayoom was defeated at the country's first democratic election in 2008 and his young challenger Mohamed Nasheed became a reformist president.

However, Nasheed stepped down in 2012 after protests that he said were instigated by Gayoom.

Yameen stood in elections the following year, in which Nasheed won the first round, but the Supreme Court annulled the result.

A subsequent vote was then twice delayed, allowing Yameen time to forge alliances that helped him narrowly win a contested run-off.

When he was inaugurated, diplomats in nearby Sri Lanka thought Yameen would end up being a puppet of Gayoom, but the new president soon showed that he was his own man.

Early evidence that he meant business came in September 2015 when after an alleged assassination attempt involving a blast on his yacht, Yameen had his deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed.

Then in February this year, Yameen showed how ruthless he could be when the Supreme Court moved to overturn convictions of his rivals, setting up a possible impeachment by his opponents in parliament.

Yameen hit back by declaring a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, arresting the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court and sending troops to take over parliament.

His aged half-brother Gayoom was jailed for allegedly conspiring with the Supreme Court to topple him.

The crackdown was condemned by the US and the EU, and described by the UN human rights chief as "an all-out assault on democracy".

- 'Holding a fish' - 
Undeterred, Yameen had consistently ignored the international pressure.

"It is... important that friends and partners in the international community, including India, refrain from any actions that could hinder resolving the situation facing the country," the foreign ministry said in a statement after the state of emergency was imposed.

The man who would have been Yameen's main rival in Sunday's election, former president Nasheed, is living in exile after being sentenced to 13 years in prison for a terrorism conviction which the UN says was politically motivated.

"Yameen is a very clever manipulator and a very intelligent person, but unfortunately he has a criminal mind," said Ahmed Naseem, a former foreign minister and opposition activist.

"He is not a charismatic popular figure. Even when he tries to carry a baby, it looks like he is holding a fish." 
&nbsp;

Back when he was a mild-mannered civil servant, few in the Maldives predicted Abdulla Yameen would one day run the country, let alone with an iron grip, locking up judges, his rivals and even his 80-year-old half-brother. Now, five years after skillfully manoeuvering his way to the top, the 59-year-old is on the cusp of being elected on Sunday to a second five-year term running the Indian Ocean archipelago beloved of foreign tourists. All of his main rivals are either behind bars or in exile, local media are scared to be critical -- and even to report on the opposition -- and the electoral system has been rigged, his opponents claim. Adding to the alarm of the United States, the European Union and regional heavyweight India, Yameen has also cosied up to China, using cheap credit from Beijing for a blitz of infrastructure building. "When I was first sworn into office, our nation was in disarray. The state institutions were in chaos, and the institutions were... on the brink of collapse," Yameen said in a recent address to the nation. Now though after five years, he had restored "stability and economic prosperity" to the nation of 340,000 people and more than 1,000 coral islands, he said. - Family business - Until 10 years ago, Yameen was just the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president from 1978 until 2008. After working as a surveyor, Yameen got his first taste of government under Gayoom, serving in his cabinet as a trade minister and as employment minister. But Gayoom was defeated at the country's first democratic election in 2008 and his young challenger Mohamed Nasheed became a reformist president. However, Nasheed stepped down in 2012 after protests that he said were instigated by Gayoom. Yameen stood in elections the following year, in which Nasheed won the first round, but the Supreme Court annulled the result. A subsequent vote was then twice delayed, allowing Yameen time to forge alliances that helped him narrowly win a contested run-off. When he was inaugurated, diplomats in nearby Sri Lanka thought Yameen would end up being a puppet of Gayoom, but the new president soon showed that he was his own man. Early evidence that he meant business came in September 2015 when after an alleged assassination attempt involving a blast on his yacht, Yameen had his deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed. Then in February this year, Yameen showed how ruthless he could be when the Supreme Court moved to overturn convictions of his rivals, setting up a possible impeachment by his opponents in parliament. Yameen hit back by declaring a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, arresting the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court and sending troops to take over parliament. His aged half-brother Gayoom was jailed for allegedly conspiring with the Supreme Court to topple him. The crackdown was condemned by the US and the EU, and described by the UN human rights chief as "an all-out assault on democracy". - 'Holding a fish' - Undeterred, Yameen had consistently ignored the international pressure. "It is... important that friends and partners in the international community, including India, refrain from any actions that could hinder resolving the situation facing the country," the foreign ministry said in a statement after the state of emergency was imposed. The man who would have been Yameen's main rival in Sunday's election, former president Nasheed, is living in exile after being sentenced to 13 years in prison for a terrorism conviction which the UN says was politically motivated. "Yameen is a very clever manipulator and a very intelligent person, but unfortunately he has a criminal mind," said Ahmed Naseem, a former foreign minister and opposition activist. "He is not a charismatic popular figure. Even when he tries to carry a baby, it looks like he is holding a fish."

Maldives is a "challenge" for India at the moment as its current government is more inclined towards China, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said today, indicating that the ties between New Delhi and Male are yet to reach a level of normalcy.&nbsp

Lanba, however, added that patrolling of the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by the Indian Navy has again commenced and that India would continue to work with the government of the archipelago nation.&nbsp

He also said there is no necessity to get a military dimension to the Quad involving India, the US, Australia and Japan.

"Maldives is a challenge at the moment. The present government in Maldives is more inclined towards China. The constitution has been tweaked and some islands have been given to the Chinese for development. There is no news at the moment of any listening post in the Maldives. There is some development that is going on. We will have to wait and watch," Lanba said in response to a question at an event at the Vivekananda Foundation International.&nbsp

India's ties with Maldives nose-dived after it criticised the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing a 45-day emergency in the archipelago nation earlier this year.&nbsp

During the crisis, India had ignored calls for military intervention from the opposition parties in the island nation.

The influence of China on Maldives, an island nation in the Indian ocean, considered a backyard of India, has been growing and it is seen as a concern in New Delhi.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Maldives neither participated in the multi-national 'MILAN' naval conclave, a congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by the Indian Navy at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which was held in mid-March this year nor did its defence minister lead his country's delegation to take part in the DefExpo2018.&nbsp

"We (India) have an EEZ patrolling (exercise) that we regularly do with Maldives. We just finished one (exercise) last week. The one (exercise) previously held had been called off by the Maldivian government, but that has been recommenced. We continue to train their personnel. We just finished a special forces training camp. We will continue to work with the Maldivian government," Lanba said.

Responding to another question on the Quad, the Navy chief said it was a discussion forum for international good order and peace and following the norms of the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"We are not going down that route. I don't think there is a necessity to get a military dimension to the Quad," he said.

The Quad is also seen as a move to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region where Beijing has been trying to spread its influence.&nbsp

The meeting was held in Manila in November last year, which was attended by leaders of the four countries.

Lanba said the rapid growth of the Chinese navy is "apparent" and it is also in collusion with other "adversaries" in the Indian Ocean region.

"Deployment of Chinese naval ships have increased manifold since October 2008 and new bases have been set up," he said citing the example of the Djibouti naval base in Africa.&nbsp

On a question on deployment of tactical nuclear weapons at sea by Pakistan, the Navy chief said there is no such information, but Islamabad is in the process of developing a cruise missile which it hopes to fit on a submarine that is being built in China.&nbsp

The missile, he said, is also being built with the help of Chinese technology.&nbsp

He said the Indian Navy is "well-poised" for handling any exigency and the strategic roadmap the force follows keeps it ready for "assuring peace and winning wars should that become inevitable".&nbsp

Lanba said India and Bangladesh will hold its first coordinated patrol next month.

Responding to a question on whether he had any interaction with former Navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for alleged spying, in his career.&nbsp

"I don't have access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Unfortunately, in my service career, we have not worked together. The officer's mother and wife had met up with him. That was the first access we gained of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

What we came to know that he is hail and hearty and up and about," Lanba said.

Pakistan permitted a meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife at Islamabad in December last year.&nbsp

India's ties with the Maldives nosedived after it criticised the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing a 45-day emergency in the archipelago nation earlier this year

Maldives is a "challenge" for India at the moment as its current government is more inclined towards China, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said today, indicating that the ties between New Delhi and Male are yet to reach a level of normalcy. Lanba, however, added that patrolling of the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by the Indian Navy has again commenced and that India would continue to work with the government of the archipelago nation. He also said there is no necessity to get a military dimension to the Quad involving India, the US, Australia and Japan. "Maldives is a challenge at the moment. The present government in Maldives is more inclined towards China. The constitution has been tweaked and some islands have been given to the Chinese for development. There is no news at the moment of any listening post in the Maldives. There is some development that is going on. We will have to wait and watch," Lanba said in response to a question at an event at the Vivekananda Foundation International. India's ties with Maldives nose-dived after it criticised the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing a 45-day emergency in the archipelago nation earlier this year. During the crisis, India had ignored calls for military intervention from the opposition parties in the island nation. The influence of China on Maldives, an island nation in the Indian ocean, considered a backyard of India, has been growing and it is seen as a concern in New Delhi. Maldives neither participated in the multi-national 'MILAN' naval conclave, a congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by the Indian Navy at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which was held in mid-March this year nor did its defence minister lead his country's delegation to take part in the DefExpo2018. "We (India) have an EEZ patrolling (exercise) that we regularly do with Maldives. We just finished one (exercise) last week. The one (exercise) previously held had been called off by the Maldivian government, but that has been recommenced. We continue to train their personnel. We just finished a special forces training camp. We will continue to work with the Maldivian government," Lanba said. Responding to another question on the Quad, the Navy chief said it was a discussion forum for international good order and peace and following the norms of the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea (UNCLOS). "We are not going down that route. I don't think there is a necessity to get a military dimension to the Quad," he said. The Quad is also seen as a move to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region where Beijing has been trying to spread its influence. The meeting was held in Manila in November last year, which was attended by leaders of the four countries. Lanba said the rapid growth of the Chinese navy is "apparent" and it is also in collusion with other "adversaries" in the Indian Ocean region. "Deployment of Chinese naval ships have increased manifold since October 2008 and new bases have been set up," he said citing the example of the Djibouti naval base in Africa. On a question on deployment of tactical nuclear weapons at sea by Pakistan, the Navy chief said there is no such information, but Islamabad is in the process of developing a cruise missile which it hopes to fit on a submarine that is being built in China. The missile, he said, is also being built with the help of Chinese technology. He said the Indian Navy is "well-poised" for handling any exigency and the strategic roadmap the force follows keeps it ready for "assuring peace and winning wars should that become inevitable". Lanba said India and Bangladesh will hold its first coordinated patrol next month. Responding to a question on whether he had any interaction with former Navy official Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for alleged spying, in his career. "I don't have access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. Unfortunately, in my service career, we have not worked together. The officer's mother and wife had met up with him. That was the first access we gained of Kulbhushan Jadhav. What we came to know that he is hail and hearty and up and about," Lanba said. Pakistan permitted a meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife at Islamabad in December last year.

Maldives a 'challenge', more inclined towards China: Navy chief Sunil Lanba

Maldives has declined an invitation by India to send a ministerial-level delegation to the Defence Expo, a biennial exhibition of weapons and military hardware, which will be held in Chennai next week, official sources said.

The decision by Maldives is seen as an apparent snub to New Delhi which was critical of the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing emergency in the island nation earlier this year.

Sources told PTI that Maldives has conveyed to New Delhi that its defence minister would be travelling abroad and it would not be possible for him to lead a delegation to attend the expo, which will be held from April 11-14 in Thiruvidandai, south Chennai.

In February, Maldives had declined India's invitation to participate in the eight-day mega naval exercise - Milan - from March 6-13.

Ties between India and Maldives nosedived after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared emergency on February 5 following an order by the country's Supreme Court to release a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.

On February 21, India had reacted strongly over the extension of emergency by a month. The emergency was lifted 45 days later.

China has been trying to expand its influence over Maldives and it had appeared to be supportive of President Yameen's decision to clamp emergency.

Interestingly, Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a rare visit to Maldives this week. Bajwa met Maldivian defence minister Adam Shareef Umar and called on Maldives President Yameen.

Sources said India has also invited China for the Defence Expo but there has not been any response from Beijing.&nbsp;

In February, Maldives had declined India's invitation to participate in the eight-day mega naval exercise — Milan — from March 6-13

Maldives has declined an invitation by India to send a ministerial-level delegation to the Defence Expo, a biennial exhibition of weapons and military hardware, which will be held in Chennai next week, official sources said. The decision by Maldives is seen as an apparent snub to New Delhi which was critical of the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing emergency in the island nation earlier this year. Sources told PTI that Maldives has conveyed to New Delhi that its defence minister would be travelling abroad and it would not be possible for him to lead a delegation to attend the expo, which will be held from April 11-14 in Thiruvidandai, south Chennai. In February, Maldives had declined India's invitation to participate in the eight-day mega naval exercise - Milan - from March 6-13. Ties between India and Maldives nosedived after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared emergency on February 5 following an order by the country's Supreme Court to release a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials. On February 21, India had reacted strongly over the extension of emergency by a month. The emergency was lifted 45 days later. China has been trying to expand its influence over Maldives and it had appeared to be supportive of President Yameen's decision to clamp emergency. Interestingly, Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa paid a rare visit to Maldives this week. Bajwa met Maldivian defence minister Adam Shareef Umar and called on Maldives President Yameen. Sources said India has also invited China for the Defence Expo but there has not been any response from Beijing.

Maldives snubs India again, says will not attend Defence Expo

India is a brother, but China is like a long-lost cousin found, Maldives Ambassador to China Mohamed Faisal has said, asserting that his country would push ahead with Chinese projects despite New Delhi&#39;s concerns.

The Maldives will further embrace Chinese investment but is aware it risks getting caught between China and India, Faisal told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

&quot;China is like a long-lost cousin that we have found, a long-lost cousin who is willing to help us,&quot; he said yesterday after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen lifted a state of emergency in the troubled South Asian nation after 45 days.

&quot;India is a brother. We are a family, we may quarrel and we may have arguments but in the end, we will sit down and resolve it,&quot; the diplomat said.

He claimed that the Maldives has taken a number of projects to India for finance &quot;but we did not receive the necessary finance.&quot;

China, which looks at Maldives as a major participant in its 21st century Maritime Silk Road plan in the Indian Ocean, has made heavy investments in the nation of islands which has 26 tropical atolls and 1,000 small islands.

China has put up a staunch defence of Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, stonewalling international pressure and enabling him to stay in power during the current crisis.

The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago was plunged into chaos early last month when the Supreme Court called for the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, ruling that their trials were politically motivated and flawed.

The government refused to implement the ruling.

Yameen imposed a state of emergency and arrested apex court judges and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Opposition party leaders in Maldives alleged that China is tacitly backing Yameen, which emboldened him to resort to unconstitutional actions like arresting Supreme Court judges.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed who was in exile abroad had called for Indian intervention in Maldives to save the democracy in the island nation. He had alleged that China is indulging in land grabbing, threatening not just the Maldives, but the peace and the stability of the entire region.

Faisal said Maldives will not allow any foreign military establishments.

&quot;Our government has made it very clear that we are not going to allow any kind of military establishments or military undertakings in the Maldives. Not for China, not for any other countries,&quot; he said.

More than 70 per cent of the Maldives&#39; foreign debt is owed to China, but Faisal said it was not having trouble making payments, adding that the country had taken some concessional loans to pay as its tourism market expanded.

&quot;Right now, it&#39;s only seven islands that Chinese have invested in, in the tourism sector. For a country with such capacity as China I think it is a very low number and&nbsp;it should be more than that.&quot;

China had expressed interest in building a port in the Maldives, Faisal said, but there was no confirmed plan at present.&nbsp;

The Maldives will further embrace Chinese investment but is aware it risks getting caught between China and India, Faisal told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

India is a brother, but China is like a long-lost cousin found, Maldives Ambassador to China Mohamed Faisal has said, asserting that his country would push ahead with Chinese projects despite New Delhi's concerns. The Maldives will further embrace Chinese investment but is aware it risks getting caught between China and India, Faisal told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. "China is like a long-lost cousin that we have found, a long-lost cousin who is willing to help us," he said yesterday after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen lifted a state of emergency in the troubled South Asian nation after 45 days. "India is a brother. We are a family, we may quarrel and we may have arguments but in the end, we will sit down and resolve it," the diplomat said. He claimed that the Maldives has taken a number of projects to India for finance "but we did not receive the necessary finance." China, which looks at Maldives as a major participant in its 21st century Maritime Silk Road plan in the Indian Ocean, has made heavy investments in the nation of islands which has 26 tropical atolls and 1,000 small islands. China has put up a staunch defence of Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, stonewalling international pressure and enabling him to stay in power during the current crisis. The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago was plunged into chaos early last month when the Supreme Court called for the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, ruling that their trials were politically motivated and flawed. The government refused to implement the ruling. Yameen imposed a state of emergency and arrested apex court judges and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Opposition party leaders in Maldives alleged that China is tacitly backing Yameen, which emboldened him to resort to unconstitutional actions like arresting Supreme Court judges. Former president Mohamed Nasheed who was in exile abroad had called for Indian intervention in Maldives to save the democracy in the island nation. He had alleged that China is indulging in land grabbing, threatening not just the Maldives, but the peace and the stability of the entire region. Faisal said Maldives will not allow any foreign military establishments. "Our government has made it very clear that we are not going to allow any kind of military establishments or military undertakings in the Maldives. Not for China, not for any other countries," he said. More than 70 per cent of the Maldives' foreign debt is owed to China, but Faisal said it was not having trouble making payments, adding that the country had taken some concessional loans to pay as its tourism market expanded. "Right now, it's only seven islands that Chinese have invested in, in the tourism sector. For a country with such capacity as China I think it is a very low number and it should be more than that." China had expressed interest in building a port in the Maldives, Faisal said, but there was no confirmed plan at present.

India is a brother, but China a long lost cousin found: Maldives envoy

China is meddling in the internal affairs of the Maldives and engaged in massive land grabbing, posing a major security threat to India and the entire Indian Ocean region, a former Maldivian foreign minister and Opposition leader had said.

Ahmed Naseem, who is in the US to brief Trump administration officials on the political turmoil in the Maldives and China&#39;s alleged interference in the island nation, said his country is now a &quot;full-blown dictatorship&quot;.

&quot;China likes to tell the West not to meddle in the domestic affairs of Asian countries. But in the Maldives, China is only too happy to meddle in our domestic affairs, by corrupting the ruling elite and encouraging an authoritarian president to double down on repression,&quot; Naseem said yesterday addressing a gathering at top American think-tank South Asia Centre of Atlantic Council here.

The Maldives has been witnessing political crisis as President Abdulla Yameen declared an emergency in the island nation on February 5 after the Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely-criticised trials.

The emergency was extended for another 30 days on February 20. There has been international condemnation of the Maldivian government&#39;s moves.

&quot;Almost all the democratic gains that we made in recent years have been lost since President Yameen assumed power in 2013. Every opposition leader is in jail, or exile. The military has stormed, and now occupies, the parliament,&quot; he said.

Asserting that the Maldives is now a &quot;full-blown dictatorship&quot;, Naseem, who is also vice chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Maldivian Democratic Party, said, &quot;It&#39;s difficult to believe that President Yameen would have dared to do all this, defying India and the West -- without the implicit support of his new best friend in Beijing.&quot;

He said that Beijing likes dictatorships because &quot;dictators are easier to bribe, and dictatorships are easier to seduce into a Chinese debt trap.&quot;

&quot;This facilitates China&#39;s primary goal which is a land grab. More specifically, China appears to be keen on building a base in the Maldives which one day may house warships and submarines,&nbsp;Naseem alleged.

&quot;China&#39;s standard prescription for a land grab have been&nbsp;change state type to autocracy, dismantle transparency and democratic oversight, acquire infrastructure projects, very often vanity projects; roads that lead to nowhere, bridges that don&#39;t bridge.

&quot;Prices of these projects are often extremely inflated, and financed through commercial loans or supplier credit. The receiving country, therefore, cannot pay back the debt, and that debt is used as a disciplining regime,&quot; he alleged.

Calling it a &quot;classic case of debt trap&quot;, he said, &quot;When countries can&#39;t pay back the debt, they ask for equity and we end up relinquishing sovereignty. Without firing a single shot, China has grabbed more land than the East India Company.&quot;

Describing this as a dangerous situation, Naseem said that this affects not just the Maldives, but the security and stability of the entire Indian Ocean region.

&quot;In particular, China&#39;s actions are undermining India&#39;s security concerns. What is happening in the Maldives is not just about democracy. It&#39;s about peace, stability, and security of entire neighbourhood,&nbsp;he said.

Naseem alleged that Yameen&#39;s &quot;criminal activities&quot; undermine the US-led, rule-based international system.

Last month, a Maldivian oil tanker was photographed by the Japanese air force engaged in suspected sanction-busting activities, he said.

The Maldivian government furiously denied any involvement in the incident, claiming the tanker was using a fake Maldivian flag.

But since then, the tanker has been connected to the Maldives where it is registered&nbsp;and also to President Yameen&#39;s family, he said.

&quot;We have now learned that a member of Yameen&#39;s family used the tanker as collateral in an application for a USD 4 million mortgage at the Bank of Maldives.

&quot;The opposition believes that Yameen has a fleet of 27 oil tankers, which are being used to systematically bust UN sanctions on North Korea. This business model is nothing new for President Yameen. In the early 2000s, he was documented selling bootleg oil to the Burmese junta, in breach of then UN sanctions,&nbsp;Naseem said.

So this is the problem we face in the Maldives. China is propping up, and actively encouraging a criminal regime, which is busy dismantling the institutions of democracy to cement his rule, and busy selling off the country to Beijing,&quot; the former foreign minister said.

Naseem warned the Washington audience that the Maldives is becoming more volatile, more lawless, and more in the grip of Islamic extremists.

&quot;I don&#39;t think things are going to end well, unless this regime can be brought to a swift end and democracy restored,&nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

China is meddling in the internal affairs of the Maldives and engaged in massive land grabbing, posing a major security threat to India and the entire Indian Ocean region, a former Maldivian foreign minister and Opposition leader had said

China is meddling in the internal affairs of the Maldives and engaged in massive land grabbing, posing a major security threat to India and the entire Indian Ocean region, a former Maldivian foreign minister and Opposition leader had said. Ahmed Naseem, who is in the US to brief Trump administration officials on the political turmoil in the Maldives and China's alleged interference in the island nation, said his country is now a "full-blown dictatorship". "China likes to tell the West not to meddle in the domestic affairs of Asian countries. But in the Maldives, China is only too happy to meddle in our domestic affairs, by corrupting the ruling elite and encouraging an authoritarian president to double down on repression," Naseem said yesterday addressing a gathering at top American think-tank South Asia Centre of Atlantic Council here. The Maldives has been witnessing political crisis as President Abdulla Yameen declared an emergency in the island nation on February 5 after the Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely-criticised trials. The emergency was extended for another 30 days on February 20. There has been international condemnation of the Maldivian government's moves. "Almost all the democratic gains that we made in recent years have been lost since President Yameen assumed power in 2013. Every opposition leader is in jail, or exile. The military has stormed, and now occupies, the parliament," he said. Asserting that the Maldives is now a "full-blown dictatorship", Naseem, who is also vice chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Maldivian Democratic Party, said, "It's difficult to believe that President Yameen would have dared to do all this, defying India and the West -- without the implicit support of his new best friend in Beijing." He said that Beijing likes dictatorships because "dictators are easier to bribe, and dictatorships are easier to seduce into a Chinese debt trap." "This facilitates China's primary goal which is a land grab. More specifically, China appears to be keen on building a base in the Maldives which one day may house warships and submarines, Naseem alleged. "China's standard prescription for a land grab have been change state type to autocracy, dismantle transparency and democratic oversight, acquire infrastructure projects, very often vanity projects; roads that lead to nowhere, bridges that don't bridge. "Prices of these projects are often extremely inflated, and financed through commercial loans or supplier credit. The receiving country, therefore, cannot pay back the debt, and that debt is used as a disciplining regime," he alleged. Calling it a "classic case of debt trap", he said, "When countries can't pay back the debt, they ask for equity and we end up relinquishing sovereignty. Without firing a single shot, China has grabbed more land than the East India Company." Describing this as a dangerous situation, Naseem said that this affects not just the Maldives, but the security and stability of the entire Indian Ocean region. "In particular, China's actions are undermining India's security concerns. What is happening in the Maldives is not just about democracy. It's about peace, stability, and security of entire neighbourhood, he said. Naseem alleged that Yameen's "criminal activities" undermine the US-led, rule-based international system. Last month, a Maldivian oil tanker was photographed by the Japanese air force engaged in suspected sanction-busting activities, he said. The Maldivian government furiously denied any involvement in the incident, claiming the tanker was using a fake Maldivian flag. But since then, the tanker has been connected to the Maldives where it is registered and also to President Yameen's family, he said. "We have now learned that a member of Yameen's family used the tanker as collateral in an application for a USD 4 million mortgage at the Bank of Maldives. "The opposition believes that Yameen has a fleet of 27 oil tankers, which are being used to systematically bust UN sanctions on North Korea. This business model is nothing new for President Yameen. In the early 2000s, he was documented selling bootleg oil to the Burmese junta, in breach of then UN sanctions, Naseem said. So this is the problem we face in the Maldives. China is propping up, and actively encouraging a criminal regime, which is busy dismantling the institutions of democracy to cement his rule, and busy selling off the country to Beijing," the former foreign minister said. Naseem warned the Washington audience that the Maldives is becoming more volatile, more lawless, and more in the grip of Islamic extremists. "I don't think things are going to end well, unless this regime can be brought to a swift end and democracy restored, he said.

China meddling in Maldives' internal affairs: Former foreign minister Ahmed Naseem

Maldives health minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maldives-turns-down-indian-invite-to-naval-exercise-34200">Dunya Maumoon resigned today</a> pained by the arrest of his father as the crisis in the island nation continued unabated.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Today, at this time of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-opposition-protesters-arrested-after-top-court-validates-emergency-rule-34207"> pain and crisis for both my family </a>and my country, it is my sincere hope to see my father home at the earliest,&rdquo; Maumoon said, adding, &ldquo;I call upon the international community to support the Maldivian people to help us overcome this crisis and to build a stronger democratic system.&quot;

Maldives president &nbsp;Abdulla Yameen had declared a state of emergency on February which was extended by 30-days after the Supreme Court gave its approval.

Dunya&#39;s father is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is also the president&#39;s half-brother. Gayoom ruled the country for 30 years until 2008. He was arrested last month as the government crackdown on several top government officials including the chief justice who was put behind bars.

&ldquo;He is not just my father, but the father of the nation, who has built this country and has earned the respect and love of the people,&rdquo; Dunya said.

Last week the Maldives government had arrested at least another four opposition members under the state of emergency laws for protesting against President Abdulla Yameen&#39;s government.

The United States, Canada including India, along with the United Nations, have urged Yameen to lift the emergency but the government has ignored all suggestions so far.&nbsp;

The government said in a statement it had to take &quot;difficult steps&quot; to safeguard the constitution and ensure that &quot;civil and political rights&quot; were protected.

Under the emergency, Yameen&#39;s administration has arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government.

Maldives president Abdulla Yameen had declared a state of emergency on February which was extended by 30-days after the Supreme Court gave its approval.

Maldives health minister Dunya Maumoon resigned today pained by the arrest of his father as the crisis in the island nation continued unabated. “Today, at this time of pain and crisis for both my family and my country, it is my sincere hope to see my father home at the earliest,” Maumoon said, adding, “I call upon the international community to support the Maldivian people to help us overcome this crisis and to build a stronger democratic system." Maldives president Abdulla Yameen had declared a state of emergency on February which was extended by 30-days after the Supreme Court gave its approval. Dunya's father is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is also the president's half-brother. Gayoom ruled the country for 30 years until 2008. He was arrested last month as the government crackdown on several top government officials including the chief justice who was put behind bars. “He is not just my father, but the father of the nation, who has built this country and has earned the respect and love of the people,” Dunya said. Last week the Maldives government had arrested at least another four opposition members under the state of emergency laws for protesting against President Abdulla Yameen's government. The United States, Canada including India, along with the United Nations, have urged Yameen to lift the emergency but the government has ignored all suggestions so far. The government said in a statement it had to take "difficult steps" to safeguard the constitution and ensure that "civil and political rights" were protected. Under the emergency, Yameen's administration has arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government.

Maldives health minister resigns, calls for 'international support'

The US today expressed disappointment over the Maldivian government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-parliament-approves-extension-of-state-of-emergency-by-30-days-33529">extending the state of emergency by another 30 days</a> and asked President Abdulla Yameen to uphold the rule of law in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation.

Yameen yesterday extended a draconian state of emergency by another month yesterday, bolstering his grip on power in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation.

&quot;The United States is disappointed by reports that Maldivian President Yameen has extended the state of emergency in that country for an additional 30 days,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

&quot;The US continues to call on President Yameen to end the state of emergency, uphold the rule of law, permit the full and proper functioning of the Parliament and the judiciary, restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people of the Maldives, and respect the Maldives&#39; international human rights obligations and commitments,&quot; Nauert said.

Yameen earlier this month had declared a 15-day state of emergency curtailing the powers of the judiciary and the legislature after the country&#39;s Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.

The Maldives&#39; Parliament yesterday extended the state of emergency by approving Yameen&#39;s recommendation. Only 38 MPs were present for the vote, which took place hours before the state of emergency was due to expire, despite 43 lawmakers being needed for the vote to take place as required by the Constitution.

All 38 were from the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives. The opposition boycotted the vote.

The state of emergency will now end on March 22.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal in an editorial expressed concern over China&#39;s increasing influence in Male.

&quot;Xi Jinping&#39;s Belt and Road Initiative puts the expansion of Chinese power and influence above all else, and the Maldives is an example of the collateral damage. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called China&#39;s practices &#39;predatory economics&#39;, and too often that&#39;s right,&quot; the daily said.

India, it said, is naturally concerned that China could use the Maldives ports to expand its military presence in the Indian Ocean.

India&#39;s economic ties with the Maldives are also being eclipsed, the editorial said.

&quot;In 2012 the Yameen administration terminated a contract with an Indian company to renovate the country&#39;s airport in favour of a Chinese company. Last year, the government pushed a trade agreement with China through parliament without debate, eliminating tariffs on 95 per cent of Chinese goods over eight years,&quot; it said.

According to the daily, as part of Xi&#39;s Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing granted loans and sent state-owned companies to develop the Maldives ports and other public works.

A new International Monetary Fund report projects the Maldives&#39; external debt will hit 51.2 per cent of GDP in 2021 from 34.7 per cent in 2016 as a result of the projects, it said.&nbsp;

The US asked President Abdulla Yameen to uphold the rule of law in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation.

The US today expressed disappointment over the Maldivian government extending the state of emergency by another 30 days and asked President Abdulla Yameen to uphold the rule of law in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation. Yameen yesterday extended a draconian state of emergency by another month yesterday, bolstering his grip on power in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation. "The United States is disappointed by reports that Maldivian President Yameen has extended the state of emergency in that country for an additional 30 days," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. "The US continues to call on President Yameen to end the state of emergency, uphold the rule of law, permit the full and proper functioning of the Parliament and the judiciary, restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people of the Maldives, and respect the Maldives' international human rights obligations and commitments," Nauert said. Yameen earlier this month had declared a 15-day state of emergency curtailing the powers of the judiciary and the legislature after the country's Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials. The Maldives' Parliament yesterday extended the state of emergency by approving Yameen's recommendation. Only 38 MPs were present for the vote, which took place hours before the state of emergency was due to expire, despite 43 lawmakers being needed for the vote to take place as required by the Constitution. All 38 were from the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives. The opposition boycotted the vote. The state of emergency will now end on March 22. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal in an editorial expressed concern over China's increasing influence in Male. "Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative puts the expansion of Chinese power and influence above all else, and the Maldives is an example of the collateral damage. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called China's practices 'predatory economics', and too often that's right," the daily said. India, it said, is naturally concerned that China could use the Maldives ports to expand its military presence in the Indian Ocean. India's economic ties with the Maldives are also being eclipsed, the editorial said. "In 2012 the Yameen administration terminated a contract with an Indian company to renovate the country's airport in favour of a Chinese company. Last year, the government pushed a trade agreement with China through parliament without debate, eliminating tariffs on 95 per cent of Chinese goods over eight years," it said. According to the daily, as part of Xi's Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing granted loans and sent state-owned companies to develop the Maldives ports and other public works. A new International Monetary Fund report projects the Maldives' external debt will hit 51.2 per cent of GDP in 2021 from 34.7 per cent in 2016 as a result of the projects, it said.

US disappointed over extension of emergency in Maldives

Parliament in the Maldives on Tuesday approved a 30-day extension of a state of emergency sought by President Abdulla Yameen who cited an ongoing national security threat and constitutional crisis.

Countries including the United States, India and Canada along with the United Nations have urged Yameen to lift the emergency and restore normalcy.

Tour operators say hundreds of hotel bookings have been cancelled daily since the 15-day emergency was imposed on Feb. 5 despite government assurances that all is normal in the resort islands, which are far from the capital.

Yameen imposed the emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders and ordered his government to free those held in prison.

The emergency &quot;shall only apply to those alleged to have carried out illegal activities &ndash; it shall not apply to otherwise law abiding residents of, or visitors to, the Maldives,&quot; a statement from Yameen`s office said on Tuesday.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Tuesday saying Washington was disappointed by the extension of the state of emergency.

Since Feb. 5, the government has arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on charges of attempting to usurp power.

Yameen has ignored the court rulings but stopped short of saying he would not obey them. He has jailed opposition members and fired two police chiefs who said they would uphold the court rulings.

Yameen took power in 2013 and his recent moves aim to consolidate power ahead of an election this year.&nbsp;

The country`s neighbour India urged the government to release the nine opposition leaders as required by the Supreme Court.

All 38 ruling party lawmakers approved the vote at an extraordinary session of parliament boycotted by the opposition who cited the constitution to say it required 43 MPs.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed, who is in exile, said the government could not extend the emergency without 43 votes.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, leader of the opposition coalition`s parliamentary group, said: &quot;This state of emergency is illegal .... Yameen has, in effect, hijacked the entire state and is ruling the Maldives like a military dictator.&quot;

Parliament says it passed the extension to the emergency under a procedure that does not require a quorum and it sought an opinion on the matter from the Supreme Court.

Former attorney general Ahmed Ali Sawad said more than half of MPs should be present for a vote on the emergency decree.

&quot;This is fundamental legislative check on an executive action having wide ranging ramifications on the rights, liberties and affairs of the people,&quot; Sawad told Reuters.

Shahinda Ismail, executive director of Maldives Democracy Network said the ruling party has effectively and completely removed all democratic and lawful systems of governance.

President Yameen imposed the emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling

Parliament in the Maldives on Tuesday approved a 30-day extension of a state of emergency sought by President Abdulla Yameen who cited an ongoing national security threat and constitutional crisis. Countries including the United States, India and Canada along with the United Nations have urged Yameen to lift the emergency and restore normalcy. Tour operators say hundreds of hotel bookings have been cancelled daily since the 15-day emergency was imposed on Feb. 5 despite government assurances that all is normal in the resort islands, which are far from the capital. Yameen imposed the emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders and ordered his government to free those held in prison. The emergency "shall only apply to those alleged to have carried out illegal activities – it shall not apply to otherwise law abiding residents of, or visitors to, the Maldives," a statement from Yameen`s office said on Tuesday. The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Tuesday saying Washington was disappointed by the extension of the state of emergency. Since Feb. 5, the government has arrested the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on charges of attempting to usurp power. Yameen has ignored the court rulings but stopped short of saying he would not obey them. He has jailed opposition members and fired two police chiefs who said they would uphold the court rulings. Yameen took power in 2013 and his recent moves aim to consolidate power ahead of an election this year. The country`s neighbour India urged the government to release the nine opposition leaders as required by the Supreme Court. All 38 ruling party lawmakers approved the vote at an extraordinary session of parliament boycotted by the opposition who cited the constitution to say it required 43 MPs. Former president Mohamed Nasheed, who is in exile, said the government could not extend the emergency without 43 votes. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, leader of the opposition coalition`s parliamentary group, said: "This state of emergency is illegal .... Yameen has, in effect, hijacked the entire state and is ruling the Maldives like a military dictator." Parliament says it passed the extension to the emergency under a procedure that does not require a quorum and it sought an opinion on the matter from the Supreme Court. Former attorney general Ahmed Ali Sawad said more than half of MPs should be present for a vote on the emergency decree. "This is fundamental legislative check on an executive action having wide ranging ramifications on the rights, liberties and affairs of the people," Sawad told Reuters. Shahinda Ismail, executive director of Maldives Democracy Network said the ruling party has effectively and completely removed all democratic and lawful systems of governance.

Maldives parliament extends emergency by 30 days

India today said it was waiting to see what steps the Maldives government would take after the 15-day Emergency declared by President Abdulla Yameen gets over in the next few days.

External Affairs Minister spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India had called on the government of Maldives to lift the state of Emergency and restore the democratic process, including the functioning of judiciary, which is &quot;free of intimidation&quot;.

&quot;We have noticed that the Emergency in Maldives is valid for the next few days and we will wait to see the steps which will be taken by the government of Maldives after this,&quot; Kumar said.

Maldives, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, plunged into turmoil after Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency on February 5, amid a standoff between the president and the Supreme Court.

When asked about China, which has opposed any military intervention in the Maldives, Kumar said India had made its stand clear on it.

&quot;We note that China said the Maldives government has the ability to protect the security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Maldives. We hope that all countries can play a constructive role in Maldives, instead of doing the opposite,&quot; Kumar said.

India urged Maldives government to lift the Emergency and restore the democratic process

India today said it was waiting to see what steps the Maldives government would take after the 15-day Emergency declared by President Abdulla Yameen gets over in the next few days. External Affairs Minister spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India had called on the government of Maldives to lift the state of Emergency and restore the democratic process, including the functioning of judiciary, which is "free of intimidation". "We have noticed that the Emergency in Maldives is valid for the next few days and we will wait to see the steps which will be taken by the government of Maldives after this," Kumar said. Maldives, an archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, plunged into turmoil after Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency on February 5, amid a standoff between the president and the Supreme Court. When asked about China, which has opposed any military intervention in the Maldives, Kumar said India had made its stand clear on it. "We note that China said the Maldives government has the ability to protect the security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Maldives. We hope that all countries can play a constructive role in Maldives, instead of doing the opposite," Kumar said.

India awaiting Maldives' action post Emergency

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed said that the island nation owned $1.5 to 2 billion debt to China which forces it to cede territory to the communist state.

Nasheed who was president till 2012 fled to the UK after conviction in anti-terror law for ordering the arrest of a judge.

Speaking to the Nikkei Asian Review in an interview, the former Maldives president said the Maldives takes in less than $100 million a month in government revenue, however, as of January, China accounted for &quot;nearly 80%&quot; of the Maldives&#39; foreign debt.

The Chinese government denied the allegation.

Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, said in a statement,&quot;Recently, former Maldivian President Nasheed made a lot of false remarks in the Indian media. He pointed fingers at the practical cooperation between China and Maldives and alleged that China engaged in so-called land grabbing of Maldivian islands, which undermines the security of the Indian Ocean region.&quot;

&quot;These allegations are apparently groundless with no regard to facts, Ji Rong said.

Nasheed told the Nikkei Asian Review: &quot;Roads going to nowhere, airports that will be empty,&quot; adding that, &quot;all the while, the Maldives&#39; debts are accruing interest at high rates.&quot;

&quot;If the Maldives falls behind, China will ask for equity from the owners of various islands and infrastructure operators, and Beijing will then &quot;get free hold of that land,&quot; he told the newspaper.

&quot;Without firing a single shot, China has grabbed more land than the East India Company at the height of the 19th century,&quot; Nasheed said.

Nasheed alleged that China had already occupied &quot;16 islands&quot; under president Abdulla Yameen.

However, China said: &quot;As a matter of fact, when Nasheed was the President, China and Maldives had already launched relevant cooperation projects.&quot;

&quot;The land grabbing allegation by Nasheed is apparently meant to serve certain political purposes of him,&quot; the Chinese foreign ministry said in its statement.

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Maldivian opposition supporters holds placards near the main opposition Maldives Democratic Party headquarters during a protest demanding the government to release jailed opposition leaders in Male. (Reuters)
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Nasheed was president till 2012 fled to the UK after conviction in anti-terror law for ordering the arrest of a judge.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed said that the island nation owned $1.5 to 2 billion debt to China which forces it to cede territory to the communist state. Nasheed who was president till 2012 fled to the UK after conviction in anti-terror law for ordering the arrest of a judge. Speaking to the Nikkei Asian Review in an interview, the former Maldives president said the Maldives takes in less than $100 million a month in government revenue, however, as of January, China accounted for "nearly 80%" of the Maldives' foreign debt. The Chinese government denied the allegation. Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, said in a statement,"Recently, former Maldivian President Nasheed made a lot of false remarks in the Indian media. He pointed fingers at the practical cooperation between China and Maldives and alleged that China engaged in so-called land grabbing of Maldivian islands, which undermines the security of the Indian Ocean region." "These allegations are apparently groundless with no regard to facts, Ji Rong said. Nasheed told the Nikkei Asian Review: "Roads going to nowhere, airports that will be empty," adding that, "all the while, the Maldives' debts are accruing interest at high rates." "If the Maldives falls behind, China will ask for equity from the owners of various islands and infrastructure operators, and Beijing will then "get free hold of that land," he told the newspaper. "Without firing a single shot, China has grabbed more land than the East India Company at the height of the 19th century," Nasheed said. Nasheed alleged that China had already occupied "16 islands" under president Abdulla Yameen. However, China said: "As a matter of fact, when Nasheed was the President, China and Maldives had already launched relevant cooperation projects." "The land grabbing allegation by Nasheed is apparently meant to serve certain political purposes of him," the Chinese foreign ministry said in its statement. Maldivian opposition supporters holds placards near the main opposition Maldives Democratic Party headquarters during a protest demanding the government to release jailed opposition leaders in Male. (Reuters) ×

China has grabbed more land than the East India Company: ex-Maldives president Nasheed

Two journalists, an Indian and a British national of Indian origin, who were arrested on Friday in the Maldives under State of Emergency decree for national security purposes will be deported, the police said.

Indian citizen Money Sharma from Amritsar and India-born British national Atish Ravji Patel, both working for AFP, were in the crisis-hit Indian Ocean atoll nation to cover the state of Emergency, which was declared on February 6 by President Abdulla Yameen.

The two were taken into police custody on Friday and will be deported as they were &ldquo;working in the country on a tourist visa in violation of the immigration law.&rdquo; However, no legal action will be taken against them, the Maldives government said in a press release.

&ldquo;We would like to note that although they (the two journalists) have been asked to leave the Maldives, no other legal steps shall be taken against them,&rdquo; the statement said.

&ldquo;All foreign nationals intending to work in the country should obtain either a business or work visa and this applies to journalists as well,&rdquo; it said.

India&#39;s external affairs ministry confirmed that it had received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained.

&quot;Received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained by the Maldivian authorities. We have asked our Embassy to get in touch with the local authorities to ascertain more details of the case,&quot; the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

&quot;We don&#39;t have freedom of press anymore. Last night one of the leading TV stations was closed. We call for their immediate release and restoration of democracy and rule of law,&quot; Ali Zahir, Member of Parliament, Maldives said about the arrest of the two reporters.

&nbsp;

Indian citizen Money Sharma from Amritsar and India-born British national Atish Ravji Patel, both working for AFP, were in the crisis-hit Indian Ocean atoll nation to cover the state of Emergency, which was declared on February 6 by President Abdulla Yameen

Two journalists, an Indian and a British national of Indian origin, who were arrested on Friday in the Maldives under State of Emergency decree for national security purposes will be deported, the police said. Indian citizen Money Sharma from Amritsar and India-born British national Atish Ravji Patel, both working for AFP, were in the crisis-hit Indian Ocean atoll nation to cover the state of Emergency, which was declared on February 6 by President Abdulla Yameen. The two were taken into police custody on Friday and will be deported as they were “working in the country on a tourist visa in violation of the immigration law.” However, no legal action will be taken against them, the Maldives government said in a press release. “We would like to note that although they (the two journalists) have been asked to leave the Maldives, no other legal steps shall be taken against them,” the statement said. “All foreign nationals intending to work in the country should obtain either a business or work visa and this applies to journalists as well,” it said. India's external affairs ministry confirmed that it had received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained. "Received information about an Indian national, Money Sharma, working as a journalist, who has been detained by the Maldivian authorities. We have asked our Embassy to get in touch with the local authorities to ascertain more details of the case," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "We don't have freedom of press anymore. Last night one of the leading TV stations was closed. We call for their immediate release and restoration of democracy and rule of law," Ali Zahir, Member of Parliament, Maldives said about the arrest of the two reporters.

Indian, British journalists arrested in Maldives to be deported

Famed as an upmarket tourist destination of white beaches and turquoise waters, the island nation of the Maldives is troubled by political turmoil and rising sea levels. The country is a collection of 26 atolls made up of 1,192 tiny islands scattered 800 kilometres (550 miles) across the equator.

Only 200 islands are inhabited with the country&#39;s population put at 3,40,000 in the last census but estimated at around 4,17,000 in 2016 by the World Bank.

Its 298 square kilometres (115 square miles) are home to about three per cent of the world&#39;s coral reefs.

Tourism is the principal income earner, providing 41 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 and nearly 20 per cent of jobs, the World Travel and Tourism Council says.

The archipelago&#39;s beauty drew around 1.28 million tourists in 2016, a four-per cent rise over the previous year, according to UN&#39;s World Tourism Organization data.

It is a destination especially prized among honeymooners, such as Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes who visited in 2006. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled with an iron fist for 30 years until 2008, when he lost the first multi-party polls to human rights activist Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012 after a police mutiny and demonstrations that he said were part of a coup plot.

In disputed elections the following year, he was defeated by Gayoom&#39;s half brother, Abdulla Yameen, the current president.

In 2015, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail on a terrorism charge widely criticised as politically motivated.

In 2016, he was granted prison leave for medical treatment in London, where he secured political asylum with the help of high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

While Nasheed continues to push for change from exile, Yameen declared a state of emergency on February 6 after judges ordered the release of his opponents. Eighty per cent of the Maldives is less than a metre above sea level, making it one of the countries most threatened by rising sea levels linked to climate warming.

In 2009, Nasheed held a cabinet meeting underwater to raise awareness of the risk, also warning his people could become climate refugees. Situated along Indian Ocean trading routes and about 650 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives has been colonised several times.

Once a Buddhist kingdom, it converted to Islam around the 12th century.

Portuguese explorers occupied the main island of Mahe in the 16th century. The territory then became protectorates of the Dutch and the British before complete independence on 1965.

Sunni Islam today remains the state religion, all other religions being banned. The Maldives follows a moderate version of Islam while banning alcohol, except in tourist hotels, and homosexuality.

It also flogs women found guilty of &quot;fornication&quot;, says Amnesty International, which is critical of the human rights situation that it says includes restrictions on peaceful protests and expression.

The Maldives left the Commonwealth in 2016 in a row over criticism of its rights record.

There are fears of radicalisation with the arrival of Middle East preachers and via radical websites.

Nearly 60 Maldivians are known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with foreign jihadists, and some are believed to have returned.

In travel advice issued this year, the United States urged increased caution due to the possibility of a terror attack.

It is a destination especially prized among honeymooners, such as Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes who visited in 2006.

Famed as an upmarket tourist destination of white beaches and turquoise waters, the island nation of the Maldives is troubled by political turmoil and rising sea levels. The country is a collection of 26 atolls made up of 1,192 tiny islands scattered 800 kilometres (550 miles) across the equator. Only 200 islands are inhabited with the country's population put at 3,40,000 in the last census but estimated at around 4,17,000 in 2016 by the World Bank. Its 298 square kilometres (115 square miles) are home to about three per cent of the world's coral reefs. Tourism is the principal income earner, providing 41 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 and nearly 20 per cent of jobs, the World Travel and Tourism Council says. The archipelago's beauty drew around 1.28 million tourists in 2016, a four-per cent rise over the previous year, according to UN's World Tourism Organization data. It is a destination especially prized among honeymooners, such as Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes who visited in 2006. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled with an iron fist for 30 years until 2008, when he lost the first multi-party polls to human rights activist Mohamed Nasheed. Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012 after a police mutiny and demonstrations that he said were part of a coup plot. In disputed elections the following year, he was defeated by Gayoom's half brother, Abdulla Yameen, the current president. In 2015, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail on a terrorism charge widely criticised as politically motivated. In 2016, he was granted prison leave for medical treatment in London, where he secured political asylum with the help of high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. While Nasheed continues to push for change from exile, Yameen declared a state of emergency on February 6 after judges ordered the release of his opponents. Eighty per cent of the Maldives is less than a metre above sea level, making it one of the countries most threatened by rising sea levels linked to climate warming. In 2009, Nasheed held a cabinet meeting underwater to raise awareness of the risk, also warning his people could become climate refugees. Situated along Indian Ocean trading routes and about 650 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives has been colonised several times. Once a Buddhist kingdom, it converted to Islam around the 12th century. Portuguese explorers occupied the main island of Mahe in the 16th century. The territory then became protectorates of the Dutch and the British before complete independence on 1965. Sunni Islam today remains the state religion, all other religions being banned. The Maldives follows a moderate version of Islam while banning alcohol, except in tourist hotels, and homosexuality. It also flogs women found guilty of "fornication", says Amnesty International, which is critical of the human rights situation that it says includes restrictions on peaceful protests and expression. The Maldives left the Commonwealth in 2016 in a row over criticism of its rights record. There are fears of radicalisation with the arrival of Middle East preachers and via radical websites. Nearly 60 Maldivians are known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with foreign jihadists, and some are believed to have returned. In travel advice issued this year, the United States urged increased caution due to the possibility of a terror attack.

The Maldives, a honeymoon haven in peril

The United States today called on Maldives President Abdulla Yameen to ensure the proper functioning of the Parliament and restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and institutions in the country.

&quot;The US calls on President Yameen, the army, and police to comply with the rule of law, implement the Supreme Court&#39;s lawful ruling, ensure the full and proper functioning of the Parliament, and restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and institutions of Maldives,&quot; a State Department spokesperson told PTI.

He was responding to questions on the current situation in Maldives.

The spokesperson, however, did not weigh in on former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed seeking military intervention from India.

Nasheed yesterday had asked India to play its role of &quot;liberators&quot; and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in Maldives.

&quot;We are troubled by reports that Yameen has declared a state of emergency, which gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects, bans public gatherings, imposes travel restrictions, and suspends parts of the Maldivian Constitution,&quot; he said.

Asserting that the US stands with the people of Maldives, the State Department spokesperson said Yameen, the army and police should respect the Maldives&#39; international human rights obligations and commitments.

Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad Zeid Al Hussein said the declaration of the state of emergency in the Maldives and the resulting suspension of constitutional guarantees have swept away the checks and balances and separation of powers necessary in any functioning democracy.

He warned that this could potentially lead to a greater number of violations of the rights of people in the Island country.

&quot;The suspension of several functions of the judiciary and Parliament, and the restrictions on a series of constitutional rights create a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of the President,&quot; he said.

The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) said it remains deeply concerned over the escalating tensions and the resultant law and order situation in Maldives.

In a statement, it called on all parties to respect the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and to take into account the overall interest of their country to avoid any untoward incident, which could undermine the peace and stability in the country.

The OIC also stressed the need for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing political crisis in line with the constitutional provisions. 
&nbsp;

Maldives, which has seen a number of political crisis since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Nasheed in 2012, plunged into a political chaos on Thursday last when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were &quot;politically motivated and flawed&quot;.

The nine political leaders included Nasheed.

The Yameen government refused to implement the ruling, prompting a wave of protests in Maldives capital, Male.

Following clashes and protests, the Yameen government imposed the emergency, evoking concerns from the international community.

However, on Tuesday night the Maldives&#39; Supreme Court revoked the order to release nine high-profile political prisoners.

Nasheed yesterday had asked India to play its role of "liberators" and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in Maldives.

The United States today called on Maldives President Abdulla Yameen to ensure the proper functioning of the Parliament and restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and institutions in the country. "The US calls on President Yameen, the army, and police to comply with the rule of law, implement the Supreme Court's lawful ruling, ensure the full and proper functioning of the Parliament, and restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and institutions of Maldives," a State Department spokesperson told PTI. He was responding to questions on the current situation in Maldives. The spokesperson, however, did not weigh in on former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed seeking military intervention from India. Nasheed yesterday had asked India to play its role of "liberators" and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in Maldives. "We are troubled by reports that Yameen has declared a state of emergency, which gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects, bans public gatherings, imposes travel restrictions, and suspends parts of the Maldivian Constitution," he said. Asserting that the US stands with the people of Maldives, the State Department spokesperson said Yameen, the army and police should respect the Maldives' international human rights obligations and commitments. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al Hussein said the declaration of the state of emergency in the Maldives and the resulting suspension of constitutional guarantees have swept away the checks and balances and separation of powers necessary in any functioning democracy. He warned that this could potentially lead to a greater number of violations of the rights of people in the Island country. "The suspension of several functions of the judiciary and Parliament, and the restrictions on a series of constitutional rights create a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of the President," he said. The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) said it remains deeply concerned over the escalating tensions and the resultant law and order situation in Maldives. In a statement, it called on all parties to respect the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and to take into account the overall interest of their country to avoid any untoward incident, which could undermine the peace and stability in the country. The OIC also stressed the need for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing political crisis in line with the constitutional provisions. Maldives, which has seen a number of political crisis since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Nasheed in 2012, plunged into a political chaos on Thursday last when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed". The nine political leaders included Nasheed. The Yameen government refused to implement the ruling, prompting a wave of protests in Maldives capital, Male. Following clashes and protests, the Yameen government imposed the emergency, evoking concerns from the international community. However, on Tuesday night the Maldives' Supreme Court revoked the order to release nine high-profile political prisoners.

US calls on Maldives to restore rights of people and institutions

Days after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the Maldives, Joint Opposition spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof on Wednesday said that officials within the government are threatening the Member of Parliament (MPs) of the opposition party.

Mahloof said in a statement that &quot;We are very worried that MPs are getting lots of threats, especially from officials within government. According to the constitution, we should be given security round the clock.&quot;

&quot;But it&#39;s been more than a year Yameen stopped that. Some members of the gangs are also threatening MPs, so we are deeply concerned because there were sad incidents of MPs being stabbed to death and paralyzed too. Lot of MPs were attacked even recently,&quot; he added.

Maldivian journalist Junayd took to Twitter to inform about the threat calls to Mahloof.

&quot;A coordinator [political post] at the tourism ministry has called MP @AhmedMahloof and threatened to kill him, Mahloof has said. #MaldivesInCrisis #MaldivesCrisis,&quot; he tweeted.

Earlier today, the opposition called for other countries to intervene in the crisis.

Ali Zahir, deputy leader of Adhaalath Party (AP), demanded an immediate intervention to resolve the turmoil as the situation continues to worsen after the arrest of top judges and politicians.

Zahir told ANI, &quot;This is the time for other countries to help us. I wonder what the international community is waiting for to happen. Do they want to help us only after we become another Syria?&quot;

Citing concerns, he added, &quot;President Yameen first hijacked and dysfunctioned the parliament and now he has done the same with the judiciary.&quot;

There has been worldwide condemnation of the government&#39;s move, with the United States also expressed concern.

India on Tuesday said it was disturbed by the declaration of emergency in the country following the refusal of the Abdulla Yameen government to abide by the numinous court ruling ordering release of political prisoners.

Joint Opposition spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof 'we are very worried that MPs are getting lots of threats, especially from officials within government. According to the constitution, we should be given security round the clock'

Days after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the Maldives, Joint Opposition spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof on Wednesday said that officials within the government are threatening the Member of Parliament (MPs) of the opposition party. Mahloof said in a statement that "We are very worried that MPs are getting lots of threats, especially from officials within government. According to the constitution, we should be given security round the clock." "But it's been more than a year Yameen stopped that. Some members of the gangs are also threatening MPs, so we are deeply concerned because there were sad incidents of MPs being stabbed to death and paralyzed too. Lot of MPs were attacked even recently," he added. Maldivian journalist Junayd took to Twitter to inform about the threat calls to Mahloof. "A coordinator [political post] at the tourism ministry has called MP @AhmedMahloof and threatened to kill him, Mahloof has said. #MaldivesInCrisis #MaldivesCrisis," he tweeted. Earlier today, the opposition called for other countries to intervene in the crisis. Ali Zahir, deputy leader of Adhaalath Party (AP), demanded an immediate intervention to resolve the turmoil as the situation continues to worsen after the arrest of top judges and politicians. Zahir told ANI, "This is the time for other countries to help us. I wonder what the international community is waiting for to happen. Do they want to help us only after we become another Syria?" Citing concerns, he added, "President Yameen first hijacked and dysfunctioned the parliament and now he has done the same with the judiciary." There has been worldwide condemnation of the government's move, with the United States also expressed concern. India on Tuesday said it was disturbed by the declaration of emergency in the country following the refusal of the Abdulla Yameen government to abide by the numinous court ruling ordering release of political prisoners.

Maldives crisis: Opposition MPs receiving death threats

The nation of a 1,000 islands is currently battling a thousand problems. Mayhem, bloodshed and a ruthless dictatorship are now threatening the peaceful people of the Maldives. Maldivian citizens, the country&#39;s judiciary and its joint opposition have been making fervent appeals to India, and India alone, to come to their rescue.

India has been guarded. The appeals are now expanding to address other countries. Does India have to act and act now? Yes.

At the root of the Maldives&rsquo; worst crisis is its current, authoritarian president, Abdulla Yameen. Whatever views one may hold about western definitions of democracy which are usually applied on everyone and his uncle elsewhere in the world when it comes to twisting arms in exchange for other, bilateral gains,&nbsp; one thing can be said with certainty : no individual in no matter how powerful an office, could hold his entire country to ransom &ndash; like President Yameen is doing, unless he has the backing and the support of someone or something very powerful.&nbsp;

Media across the world have reported in depth about President Yameen&rsquo;s two closest allies: The Wa&rsquo;habi kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The People&rsquo;s Republic of China. But are they really backing him?

The Maldivian opposition has united like never before. Former foes have joined hands. They are determined to save their country from spiralling out of control and joining the ranks of nations that are viewed as rogue states under ruthless dictators. such as North Korea. The country&rsquo;s first democratically-elected president, Mohammed Nasheed, remains is in exile. For years, Mr Nasheed has been appealing to big neighbour, India, to help.

Even the judges of Maldive&rsquo;s Supreme Court &ndash; who are at the heart of this crisis - have directed their urgent pleas to India, which has often come to the rescue of the Maldives in the past: in 1988, to shake off and kill 19 Tamil terrorists from neighboring Sri Lanka and quell a coup against the then President Maumoon Gayoom; to provide drinking water to Male both in ships and by air, when the tiny capital&rsquo;s water purification plant gave up the ghost in more recent years.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Ever since President Mohammed Nasheed was toppled in a dubious run-off vote which saw Yameen take the reigns, India has turned an icy shoulder. PM Narendra Modi must be the world leader who has clocked the maximum flight miles in the shortest span of time, both within and outside the South Asia region. And yet, the Maldives - conspicuously - remains the only country Mr Modi has not touched down in.

And yet, India is playing its usual game of wait-and-watch. It&rsquo;s understandable in a way. India-bashing remains a favourite past-time across South Asia. The Big Brother is not terribly keen on now being abused as the Big Bully. In all likelihood, New Delhi will not go for unilateral military intervention.&nbsp;

But there are signs to watch out for. Perhaps sensing India&rsquo;s reticence, a recent appeal from Mr Nasheed&rsquo;s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was subtle re-worded.

&ldquo;President Nasheed continues to engage with concerned international partners, including India and other neighbouring countries, seeking resolution to the ongoing crisis and urges India to act swiftly,&rdquo; read a late night press release, even as army boots stomped into Male&rsquo;s Supreme Court and arrested judges.

So who are the &ldquo;other neighbouring countries&rdquo;, who share South Asian cousinhood with the Maldivians? And the concerned international partners from outside the South Asia region?

The Maldives&rsquo;international partners include China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Europe, the U.K. and almost the entire international community, for whose jeunesse d&rsquo;oree,&nbsp; the beautiful Maldives and its expensive resorts remain a favourite playground.&nbsp; All those countries have expressed concern at the alarming events unfolding in Male. The United States, Canada and others have demanded that Mr Yameen respect his Supreme Court and uphold democracy and India and Sri Lanka have reacted along the same lines of the western nations.

But Male&rsquo;s closest strategic and investment partner, China,&nbsp; has merely issued a travel advisory to its citizens.

&nbsp;And at least till this report went to press, Pakistan has - remained silent.

The Maldives is part of China&rsquo;s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. But the project is under fire in the many nations it touches across the Indian Ocean all the way up to Africa for its brand of debt-trap diplomacy and soft loans in exchange for strategic favours.&nbsp; Uppermost on Beijing&rsquo;s mind will be the protection of its investments and assets in the Maldives, of course.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Where does Saudi Arabia stand? The country which has slowly and steadily spread its brand of Wa&rsquo;habi Islam across the Maldives with the full support of President Yameen?&nbsp; There&rsquo;s just one inconvenience: the new and reportedly dynamic Saudi Crown Prince Salman. Observers say that under Prince Salman and for whatever reason, President Yameen&rsquo;s Saudi dalliance is over.

And what&rsquo;s with Pakistan? The biggest Muslim country in the community of South Asian nations, home to the world&rsquo;s second-largest Muslim population?

President Yameen and ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif met in 2017 and signed several bilateral agreements. Pakistan and the Maldives under President Yameen share a mutual friend: China.

So why has Pakistan not breathed a word about the standoff in the Maldives so far? What is Islamabad thinking?

China cannot intervene directly in the Maldives without incurring even more mistrust than it already has through its controversial honey-trap diplomacy and investment in the Indian Ocean region. But it could certainly use some South Asia genetics to do the job:&nbsp; like those of its close ally, Pakistan, as a front face. In this case, of any initiative to defuse the tension in the Maldives.&nbsp; Pakistan&rsquo;s international image is down the tubes. Being seen as the author of a&nbsp; diplomatic grand gesture &ndash; even if a compromise with Yameen &ndash; will give the country with the unenviable reputation of being a nursery for terrorists, a tremendous boost.&nbsp;

New Delhi must act, and act fast.&nbsp; To avoid the label of big bully, India, too, can proceed in a collective international effort.&nbsp; The United States and India are on the same page, as far as the events in the Maldives are concerned.&nbsp; The United States has said loudly and clearly that it views India as its key strategic ally in South Asia. Now there&rsquo;s even a Quad -involving Japan and eventually, Australia, all of whom have made the Indian Ocean their business. A major diplomatic success in averting a stultifying crisis, could lend weight and depth to that new alliance and &ndash; save our ears from more India-bashing too.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

The nation of a 1,000 islands is currently battling a thousand problems

The nation of a 1,000 islands is currently battling a thousand problems. Mayhem, bloodshed and a ruthless dictatorship are now threatening the peaceful people of the Maldives. Maldivian citizens, the country's judiciary and its joint opposition have been making fervent appeals to India, and India alone, to come to their rescue. India has been guarded. The appeals are now expanding to address other countries. Does India have to act and act now? Yes. At the root of the Maldives’ worst crisis is its current, authoritarian president, Abdulla Yameen. Whatever views one may hold about western definitions of democracy which are usually applied on everyone and his uncle elsewhere in the world when it comes to twisting arms in exchange for other, bilateral gains, one thing can be said with certainty : no individual in no matter how powerful an office, could hold his entire country to ransom – like President Yameen is doing, unless he has the backing and the support of someone or something very powerful. Media across the world have reported in depth about President Yameen’s two closest allies: The Wa’habi kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The People’s Republic of China. But are they really backing him? The Maldivian opposition has united like never before. Former foes have joined hands. They are determined to save their country from spiralling out of control and joining the ranks of nations that are viewed as rogue states under ruthless dictators. such as North Korea. The country’s first democratically-elected president, Mohammed Nasheed, remains is in exile. For years, Mr Nasheed has been appealing to big neighbour, India, to help. Even the judges of Maldive’s Supreme Court – who are at the heart of this crisis - have directed their urgent pleas to India, which has often come to the rescue of the Maldives in the past: in 1988, to shake off and kill 19 Tamil terrorists from neighboring Sri Lanka and quell a coup against the then President Maumoon Gayoom; to provide drinking water to Male both in ships and by air, when the tiny capital’s water purification plant gave up the ghost in more recent years. Ever since President Mohammed Nasheed was toppled in a dubious run-off vote which saw Yameen take the reigns, India has turned an icy shoulder. PM Narendra Modi must be the world leader who has clocked the maximum flight miles in the shortest span of time, both within and outside the South Asia region. And yet, the Maldives - conspicuously - remains the only country Mr Modi has not touched down in. And yet, India is playing its usual game of wait-and-watch. It’s understandable in a way. India-bashing remains a favourite past-time across South Asia. The Big Brother is not terribly keen on now being abused as the Big Bully. In all likelihood, New Delhi will not go for unilateral military intervention. But there are signs to watch out for. Perhaps sensing India’s reticence, a recent appeal from Mr Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was subtle re-worded. “President Nasheed continues to engage with concerned international partners, including India and other neighbouring countries, seeking resolution to the ongoing crisis and urges India to act swiftly,” read a late night press release, even as army boots stomped into Male’s Supreme Court and arrested judges. So who are the “other neighbouring countries”, who share South Asian cousinhood with the Maldivians? And the concerned international partners from outside the South Asia region? The Maldives’international partners include China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Europe, the U.K. and almost the entire international community, for whose jeunesse d’oree, the beautiful Maldives and its expensive resorts remain a favourite playground. All those countries have expressed concern at the alarming events unfolding in Male. The United States, Canada and others have demanded that Mr Yameen respect his Supreme Court and uphold democracy and India and Sri Lanka have reacted along the same lines of the western nations. But Male’s closest strategic and investment partner, China, has merely issued a travel advisory to its citizens. And at least till this report went to press, Pakistan has - remained silent. The Maldives is part of China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. But the project is under fire in the many nations it touches across the Indian Ocean all the way up to Africa for its brand of debt-trap diplomacy and soft loans in exchange for strategic favours. Uppermost on Beijing’s mind will be the protection of its investments and assets in the Maldives, of course. Where does Saudi Arabia stand? The country which has slowly and steadily spread its brand of Wa’habi Islam across the Maldives with the full support of President Yameen? There’s just one inconvenience: the new and reportedly dynamic Saudi Crown Prince Salman. Observers say that under Prince Salman and for whatever reason, President Yameen’s Saudi dalliance is over. And what’s with Pakistan? The biggest Muslim country in the community of South Asian nations, home to the world’s second-largest Muslim population? President Yameen and ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif met in 2017 and signed several bilateral agreements. Pakistan and the Maldives under President Yameen share a mutual friend: China. So why has Pakistan not breathed a word about the standoff in the Maldives so far? What is Islamabad thinking? China cannot intervene directly in the Maldives without incurring even more mistrust than it already has through its controversial honey-trap diplomacy and investment in the Indian Ocean region. But it could certainly use some South Asia genetics to do the job: like those of its close ally, Pakistan, as a front face. In this case, of any initiative to defuse the tension in the Maldives. Pakistan’s international image is down the tubes. Being seen as the author of a diplomatic grand gesture – even if a compromise with Yameen – will give the country with the unenviable reputation of being a nursery for terrorists, a tremendous boost. New Delhi must act, and act fast. To avoid the label of big bully, India, too, can proceed in a collective international effort. The United States and India are on the same page, as far as the events in the Maldives are concerned. The United States has said loudly and clearly that it views India as its key strategic ally in South Asia. Now there’s even a Quad -involving Japan and eventually, Australia, all of whom have made the Indian Ocean their business. A major diplomatic success in averting a stultifying crisis, could lend weight and depth to that new alliance and – save our ears from more India-bashing too. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Who is going to rescue the Maldives?

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency in the honeymoon islands on Monday before heavily armed troops stormed the country&#39;s top court and a former leader was arrested in a deepening political crisis.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/security-forces-storm-maldives-supreme-court-reports-31894">Security forces storm Maldives Supreme Court</a>

The tiny tourist archipelago in the Indian Ocean has been plunged into chaos, with the president pitted against the Supreme Court after he refused to comply with its Thursday order to release nine political dissidents.

The standoff comes amid a years-long government crackdown on dissent that has battered the image of the upmarket holiday paradise, with the president jailing almost all the political opposition since he came to power in 2013.

On Monday, Maldives police arrested Yameen`s estranged half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had sided with the main opposition.

The 80-year-old &mdash; president for 30 years until the country`s first democratic elections in 2008 &mdash; was taken from his home in the capital Male around midnight on Monday, according to a tweet from his daughter Yumna Maumoon.

&quot;I have not done anything to be arrested,&quot; Gayoom said in a video message to supporters posted on Twitter.

&quot;I urge you to remain steadfast in your resolve too. We will not give up on the reform work we are doing.&quot;

Heavily armed troops and police special operations units had earlier stormed the Supreme Court building where Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and others were sheltering, the court said on Twitter, though their fate was not immediately clear.

Hundreds of people had gathered outside the courts complex and police used pepper spray to disperse the crowds.

The court`s shock move on Thursday had also ordered the government to restore the seats of 12 legislators sacked for defecting from Yameen`s party.

The opposition now has the majority in the assembly &mdash; meaning they could potentially impeach the president.

But the government, which has ordered police and troops to resist any attempt to arrest or impeach Yameen, said the court was not above the law.

&quot;The Supreme Court ruling stands in defiance of the highest authority in the country: the constitution,&quot; spokesman Ibrahim Hussain Shihab said in a statement.

&quot;The Supreme Court must remember that it too is bound by law.&quot;

He said the government would &quot;facilitate calm&quot; and ensure the safety of all citizens and tourists &quot;throughout this unusual period&quot;.In a blow to the regime, the court`s Thursday decision also paved the way for exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed &mdash; the first to be democratically elected but who was controversially convicted of terrorism in 2015 &mdash; to run for president this year.

Yameen, who has faced several unsuccessful opposition attempts to impeach him for alleged corruption, responded by shuttering parliament and on Monday his aide Azima Shukoor announced the state of emergency on national television.

&quot;The reason for the declaration is that the Supreme Court`s ruling was obstructing the functioning of the government,&quot; Azima said. 
The emergency declaration gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain individuals, curtails the powers of the judiciary and bars parliament from impeaching Yameen.

But it must be officially conveyed to parliament within two days, according to officials.

Nasheed, who has expressed fears of unrest, said the declaration amounted to martial law as an opposition legislator called it a &quot;desperate move&quot;.

&quot;(This) is tantamount to a declaration of martial law in the Maldives,&quot; Nasheed said while urging regional superpower India to intervene.Opposition legislators have also called on the international community to pressure Yameen.

The United States said it was &quot;troubled and disappointed&quot; at reports the leader had declared a state of emergency while calling on him to comply with the rule of law.

&quot;Despite being elected in 2013 with the support of a broad coalition, President Yameen has systematically alienated his coalition, jailed or exiled every major opposition political figure, deprived elected Members of Parliament of their right to represent their voters in the legislature, revised laws to erode human rights... and weakened the institutions of government,&quot; the State Department said in a statement.

India meanwhile asked its nationals to defer all non-essential travel to the archipelago, saying that the situation in the country was a matter of concern.

The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the US previously welcomed the court`s decision, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the weekend called for &quot;restraint&quot; as the crisis escalated.

Police also arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom at his residence along with his son-in-law

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency in the honeymoon islands on Monday before heavily armed troops stormed the country's top court and a former leader was arrested in a deepening political crisis. Also read: Security forces storm Maldives Supreme Court The tiny tourist archipelago in the Indian Ocean has been plunged into chaos, with the president pitted against the Supreme Court after he refused to comply with its Thursday order to release nine political dissidents. The standoff comes amid a years-long government crackdown on dissent that has battered the image of the upmarket holiday paradise, with the president jailing almost all the political opposition since he came to power in 2013. On Monday, Maldives police arrested Yameen`s estranged half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had sided with the main opposition. The 80-year-old — president for 30 years until the country`s first democratic elections in 2008 — was taken from his home in the capital Male around midnight on Monday, according to a tweet from his daughter Yumna Maumoon. "I have not done anything to be arrested," Gayoom said in a video message to supporters posted on Twitter. "I urge you to remain steadfast in your resolve too. We will not give up on the reform work we are doing." Heavily armed troops and police special operations units had earlier stormed the Supreme Court building where Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and others were sheltering, the court said on Twitter, though their fate was not immediately clear. Hundreds of people had gathered outside the courts complex and police used pepper spray to disperse the crowds. The court`s shock move on Thursday had also ordered the government to restore the seats of 12 legislators sacked for defecting from Yameen`s party. The opposition now has the majority in the assembly — meaning they could potentially impeach the president. But the government, which has ordered police and troops to resist any attempt to arrest or impeach Yameen, said the court was not above the law. "The Supreme Court ruling stands in defiance of the highest authority in the country: the constitution," spokesman Ibrahim Hussain Shihab said in a statement. "The Supreme Court must remember that it too is bound by law." He said the government would "facilitate calm" and ensure the safety of all citizens and tourists "throughout this unusual period".In a blow to the regime, the court`s Thursday decision also paved the way for exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed — the first to be democratically elected but who was controversially convicted of terrorism in 2015 — to run for president this year. Yameen, who has faced several unsuccessful opposition attempts to impeach him for alleged corruption, responded by shuttering parliament and on Monday his aide Azima Shukoor announced the state of emergency on national television. "The reason for the declaration is that the Supreme Court`s ruling was obstructing the functioning of the government," Azima said. The emergency declaration gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain individuals, curtails the powers of the judiciary and bars parliament from impeaching Yameen. But it must be officially conveyed to parliament within two days, according to officials. Nasheed, who has expressed fears of unrest, said the declaration amounted to martial law as an opposition legislator called it a "desperate move". "(This) is tantamount to a declaration of martial law in the Maldives," Nasheed said while urging regional superpower India to intervene.Opposition legislators have also called on the international community to pressure Yameen. The United States said it was "troubled and disappointed" at reports the leader had declared a state of emergency while calling on him to comply with the rule of law. "Despite being elected in 2013 with the support of a broad coalition, President Yameen has systematically alienated his coalition, jailed or exiled every major opposition political figure, deprived elected Members of Parliament of their right to represent their voters in the legislature, revised laws to erode human rights... and weakened the institutions of government," the State Department said in a statement. India meanwhile asked its nationals to defer all non-essential travel to the archipelago, saying that the situation in the country was a matter of concern. The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the US previously welcomed the court`s decision, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the weekend called for "restraint" as the crisis escalated.

Maldives declares state of emergency as Yameen tightens grip on power, India warns travellers

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday advised citizens to defer all non-essential travels to the country and urged expatriates to remain on alert due to the recent developments.

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Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Male and other atolls untill further notice. Detailed travel advisory at <a href="https://t.co/DCdCkojESK">https://t.co/DCdCkojESK</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/960544516418621441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian expatriates in Maldives are also alerted to the need for heightened security awareness and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings.

&quot;The prevailing political developments in Maldives and the resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for the government. Indian nationals are, therefore, advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice,&quot; the advisory said.

The advisory by India came immediately after beleaguered Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency.

Yameen, who has been defying Supreme Court&#39;s orders on releasing former president Mohamed Nasheed, and free eight other political opponents from prison, has now given sweeping powers to security forces in the country, which is facing widespread domestic protests against the president.

On Monday morning, Maldives capital Male remained tense, with the opposition and general public unrelentingly asking President Yameen to step down and allow a new leadership to take charge.

(With inputs from PTI)

The advisory by India came immediately after beleaguered Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday advised citizens to defer all non-essential travels to the country and urged expatriates to remain on alert due to the recent developments. Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Male and other atolls untill further notice. Detailed travel advisory at https://t.co/DCdCkojESK — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 5, 2018 × In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian expatriates in Maldives are also alerted to the need for heightened security awareness and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings. "The prevailing political developments in Maldives and the resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for the government. Indian nationals are, therefore, advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice," the advisory said. The advisory by India came immediately after beleaguered Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency. Yameen, who has been defying Supreme Court's orders on releasing former president Mohamed Nasheed, and free eight other political opponents from prison, has now given sweeping powers to security forces in the country, which is facing widespread domestic protests against the president. On Monday morning, Maldives capital Male remained tense, with the opposition and general public unrelentingly asking President Yameen to step down and allow a new leadership to take charge. (With inputs from PTI)

India asks its nationals to defer travel to Maldives

The US today<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-declares-state-of-emergency-as-yameen-tightens-grip-on-power-india-warns-travellers-31911"> condemned the Maldives government </a>declaring that it stands with the people of Maldives and urged the government and military to &quot;respect the rule of law&quot;.

Media reports said Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed, judge Ali Hameed and judicial service administrator Hassan Saeed who were in the premises were arrested.&nbsp;

Earlier in the night, former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and his son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem were arrested from their home in the capital.

Special operations unit in riot gear advanced towards the Supreme Court in an attempt to break the gates on Monday&nbsp;night.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and several others were huddled inside the Supreme Court.

On Monday, President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency lasting 15 days.

&quot;Though certain rights will be restricted, general movements, services and businesses will not be affected,&rdquo; the president said while declaring emergency.

The state of emergency was imposed after the Supreme Court ordered the release of nine political prisoners, including former president Mohamed Nasheed which led the government to be on collision course against the judiciary.

 
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Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and several others are inside the Supreme Court.

The US today condemned the Maldives government declaring that it stands with the people of Maldives and urged the government and military to "respect the rule of law". Media reports said Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed, judge Ali Hameed and judicial service administrator Hassan Saeed who were in the premises were arrested. Earlier in the night, former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and his son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem were arrested from their home in the capital. Special operations unit in riot gear advanced towards the Supreme Court in an attempt to break the gates on Monday night. Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and several others were huddled inside the Supreme Court. On Monday, President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency lasting 15 days. "Though certain rights will be restricted, general movements, services and businesses will not be affected,” the president said while declaring emergency. The state of emergency was imposed after the Supreme Court ordered the release of nine political prisoners, including former president Mohamed Nasheed which led the government to be on collision course against the judiciary.

Maldives emergency: Special operations unit enter Supreme Court, arrest Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-are-sensitive-to-special-status-demands-raised-by-andhra-mps-government-32001">We are sensitive to demands of special status raised by Andhra MPs: Government</a>

MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1-policeman-killed-as-terrorists-fire-shots-inside-srinagar-hospital-pakistani-terrorist-flees-31962">Second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1-policeman-killed-as-terrorists-fire-shots-inside-srinagar-hospital-pakistani-terrorist-flees-31962"> policeman injured in Srinagar hospital attack dies</a>

One policeman was killed and another got critically after an imprisoned Pakistani terrorist on Tuesday fired at them inside Srinagar&#39;s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital before fleeing from the spot.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/supreme-courts-order-is-unconstitutional-maldives-president-yameen-31993">Maldives: Top justices arrested, President Yameen accuses judges of plotting to overthrow him</a>

Maldives&#39; President Abdulla Yameen has called the Supreme Court&#39;s order unconstitutional. Yameen quashed the Supreme Court&#39;s directive to release nine prisoners noting that there were several obstacles to enforcing the apex court&#39;s ruling which the government was not able to communicate with the court.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-poised-to-launch-worlds-most-powerful-rocket-31995">SpaceX poised to launch &#39;world&#39;s most powerful rocket&#39;</a>

SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world&#39;s most powerful rocket, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/british-court-to-decide-today-on-lifting-of-julian-assange-arrest-warrant-32000">British court to decide today on lifting of Julian Assange arrest warrant</a>

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may leave the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, following a British court&#39;s judgement on the final arrest warrant against him.

We are sensitive to demands of special status raised by Andhra MPs: Government MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Second policeman injured in Srinagar hospital attack dies One policeman was killed and another got critically after an imprisoned Pakistani terrorist on Tuesday fired at them inside Srinagar's Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital before fleeing from the spot. Maldives: Top justices arrested, President Yameen accuses judges of plotting to overthrow him Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen has called the Supreme Court's order unconstitutional. Yameen quashed the Supreme Court's directive to release nine prisoners noting that there were several obstacles to enforcing the apex court's ruling which the government was not able to communicate with the court. SpaceX poised to launch 'world's most powerful rocket' SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world's most powerful rocket, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day. British court to decide today on lifting of Julian Assange arrest warrant Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may leave the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, following a British court's judgement on the final arrest warrant against him.

WION Evening News Brief, February 6, 2018

Beleaguered Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days in the&nbsp;island nation Monday evening.&nbsp;The announcement was made on state television by his aide Azima Shukoor.

The announcement came after the country&#39;s Supreme Court ordered the government to release key political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs, something Yameen has refused to do so far.&nbsp;

All basic rights have been suspended, MP Eva Abdulla said.

She added that the declaration of emergency gives the security forces sweeping powers to detain and arrest suspects.&nbsp;

Reports said security forces had stormed the Supreme Court:&nbsp;

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BREAKING NEWS: 
THE NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCES OF THE MALDIVES HAVE BROKEN INTO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE MALDIVES.
&mdash; Maldives Judiciary (@judiciarymv) <a href="https://twitter.com/judiciarymv/status/960565376693104640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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SO Police and the military are already inside the supreme court as per CJ
&mdash; Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) <a href="https://twitter.com/hsuood/status/960564331317379072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Husnu Al Suood is a former attorney general of the Maldives.&nbsp;

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Now security forces have started breaking the gates of the supreme court as per CJ.
&mdash; Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) <a href="https://twitter.com/hsuood/status/960554477613756416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Maldives CJ informed me that the security forces have blockaded and locked the Supreme Court building from outside and hence the justices are without any food now.
&mdash; Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) <a href="https://twitter.com/hsuood/status/960551470696312832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Maldives CJ called me a a little while ago and asked me to inform the public to to protect him and the institution. He is expecting the police and army to storm into the Supreme Court building at any moment.
&mdash; Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) <a href="https://twitter.com/hsuood/status/960542522408714241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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State of Emergency has been declared in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maldives</a> for 15 days; protests are being held in the country since President Abdulla Yameen refused to follow SC&#39;s ruling to release key political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs (Earlier visuals from Male) <a href="https://t.co/p5HJ9dYg08">pic.twitter.com/p5HJ9dYg08</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960533430579683328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/maldives-minister-resigns-to-protest-government-response-to-supreme-court-ruling-31857" target="_blank">Maldives minister resigns to protest government response to Supreme Court ruling</a> 
&nbsp;

And that security forces had arrested former President&nbsp;Maumoon Abdul Gayoom:&nbsp;

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I have just recieved the disturbing news that the MNDF Maldives has forcibly entered the residence of former prez MAG.
&mdash; Mohamed Nasheed (@Mohamed_Nasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mohamed_Nasheed/status/960577893314183168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mohamed Nasheed is a former president of the Maldives.&nbsp;

News of Gayoom&#39;s arrest was also tweeted by his daughter Yumna Maumoon:&nbsp;

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SO police broke down the door and are arresting my father President <a href="https://twitter.com/maumoonagayoom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maumoonagayoom</a> and husband <a href="https://twitter.com/MNadhym?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MNadhym</a> right now. <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbKeshap?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAmbKeshap</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesDauris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesDauris</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EU_Maldives?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EU_Maldives</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CanHCSriLanka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanHCSriLanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AusHCSriLanka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AusHCSriLanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AkhileshIFS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AkhileshIFS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amnesty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amnesty</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UNHumanRights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNHumanRights</a>
&mdash; Yumna Maumoon (@yumna_maumoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/yumna_maumoon/status/960580454570115072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A large number of <a href="https://twitter.com/PoliceMv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PoliceMv</a> around my residence. To protect me or to arrest me? No idea. <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbKeshap?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USAmbKeshap</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AkhileshIFS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AkhileshIFS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MNDF_Official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MNDF_Official</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hrcmv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hrcmv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/amnesty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amnesty</a>
&mdash; Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/maumoonagayoom/status/960575120094896128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Government spokesperson Ibrahim Shihab told WION that while a state of emergency had been imposed, there was no curfew.

He added that the government had not wanted to escalate the growing protests in the country -- which had broken out after the government had refused to comply with the Supreme Court&#39;s orders -- which is why the emergency had been imposed.&nbsp;

India&#39;s ministry of external affairs meanwhile said &quot;Indian expatriates in the&nbsp;Maldives are alerted to the need for heightened security awareness, and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings.&quot;

It added that &quot;prevailing political developments in Maldives and resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for the Government of India. Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice.&quot;&nbsp;

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Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Male and other atolls untill further notice. Detailed travel advisory at <a href="https://t.co/DCdCkojESK">https://t.co/DCdCkojESK</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/960544516418621441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869" target="_blank">Political crisis in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869" target="_blank">Maldives</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869" target="_blank"> continues, demand for President&#39;s resignation grows</a>

The US said that it &quot;stands with the people of Maldives.&quot; And that the &quot;Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions.

&quot;The world is watching,&quot; it added.&nbsp;

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America stands with the people of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maldives</a>. The Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. The world is watching: US National Security Council <a href="https://t.co/aHOw22ROUP">pic.twitter.com/aHOw22ROUP</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960565001311408128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

President Abdulla Yameen had earlier on Monday declared a state of emergency in the island nation for 15 days

Beleaguered Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days in the island nation Monday evening. The announcement was made on state television by his aide Azima Shukoor. The announcement came after the country's Supreme Court ordered the government to release key political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs, something Yameen has refused to do so far. All basic rights have been suspended, MP Eva Abdulla said. She added that the declaration of emergency gives the security forces sweeping powers to detain and arrest suspects. Reports said security forces had stormed the Supreme Court: BREAKING NEWS: THE NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCES OF THE MALDIVES HAVE BROKEN INTO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE MALDIVES. — Maldives Judiciary (@judiciarymv) February 5, 2018 × SO Police and the military are already inside the supreme court as per CJ — Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018 × Husnu Al Suood is a former attorney general of the Maldives. Now security forces have started breaking the gates of the supreme court as per CJ. — Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018 × Maldives CJ informed me that the security forces have blockaded and locked the Supreme Court building from outside and hence the justices are without any food now. — Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018 × Maldives CJ called me a a little while ago and asked me to inform the public to to protect him and the institution. He is expecting the police and army to storm into the Supreme Court building at any moment. — Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018 × State of Emergency has been declared in #Maldives for 15 days; protests are being held in the country since President Abdulla Yameen refused to follow SC's ruling to release key political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs (Earlier visuals from Male) pic.twitter.com/p5HJ9dYg08 — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × Also read: Maldives minister resigns to protest government response to Supreme Court ruling And that security forces had arrested former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom: I have just recieved the disturbing news that the MNDF Maldives has forcibly entered the residence of former prez MAG. — Mohamed Nasheed (@Mohamed_Nasheed) February 5, 2018 × Mohamed Nasheed is a former president of the Maldives. News of Gayoom's arrest was also tweeted by his daughter Yumna Maumoon: SO police broke down the door and are arresting my father President @maumoonagayoom and husband @MNadhym right now. @USAmbKeshap @JamesDauris @EU_Maldives @CanHCSriLanka @AusHCSriLanka @AkhileshIFS @amnesty @UNHumanRights — Yumna Maumoon (@yumna_maumoon) February 5, 2018 × A large number of @PoliceMv around my residence. To protect me or to arrest me? No idea. @USAmbKeshap @AkhileshIFS @MNDF_Official @hrcmv @amnesty — Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) February 5, 2018 × Government spokesperson Ibrahim Shihab told WION that while a state of emergency had been imposed, there was no curfew. He added that the government had not wanted to escalate the growing protests in the country -- which had broken out after the government had refused to comply with the Supreme Court's orders -- which is why the emergency had been imposed. India's ministry of external affairs meanwhile said "Indian expatriates in the Maldives are alerted to the need for heightened security awareness, and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings." It added that "prevailing political developments in Maldives and resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for the Government of India. Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice." Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Male and other atolls untill further notice. Detailed travel advisory at https://t.co/DCdCkojESK — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 5, 2018 × Also read: Political crisis in Maldives continues, demand for President's resignation grows The US said that it "stands with the people of Maldives." And that the "Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. "The world is watching," it added. America stands with the people of #Maldives. The Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. The world is watching: US National Security Council pic.twitter.com/aHOw22ROUP — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 ×

Security forces storm Maldives Supreme Court: Reports

India had always been a good friend of Maldives. The culture, demography, festivals and social aspects, in many ways, are similar to India. The country shares an affinity with India which is rarely matched in any other instance. Thus, in November 1988, when the elected government of President Moumoon Abdul Gayoom was under threat from the PLOTE mercenaries of&nbsp; Sri Lanka, India helped in the restoration of democracy in the Maldives.&nbsp; These PLOTE mercenaries were, reportedly, hired by Ibrahim Nasir, one of the former presidents of Maldives and funded by Abdullah Luthufi, a rich Maldivian businessman who had business ventures in Sri Lanka and the aim was to take over the country forcefully.

&nbsp;

Being a close ally, India immediately intervened and dispatched its 1600 strong team of 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade, and the democracy was restored in the island nation. Operation Cactus is considered a rare operation where Indian Air Force landed its heavy aircrafts on an unknown island airstrip in the pitch-dark night.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Today, after the passage of nearly 30 years, history is about to repeat itself when the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is involved in the current political turmoil of Maldives. The Supreme Court has declared the decision to put Gayoom&#39;s opposition leaders into the jails on frivolous charges as illegal and ordered the restoration of democracy. India may be required to repeat its actions of 1988 to restore democracy once again.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Abdulla Yameen was elected as the president under disputed circumstances in 2013 and this election was annulled by the Supreme Court in view of a large number of ineligible voters being registered in the second round of voting. Mr Yameen lost badly in the first round but won in the second round under circumstances which were found illegal by the Supreme Court.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Soon after he took over, he stripped 12 Members of Parliament, belonging to the opposition party from their position to gain a majority. These members were reinstated by the Supreme Court three days ago and, hence, Yameen&#39;s government has now become the minority. Not only this, the Supreme Court had also ordered the release of nine political prisoners from the party of the ex-president Mohammad Nasheed who were put behind the bars under the fake charges of terrorism.

&nbsp;

In addition, the Supreme Court also ordered the removal of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil who was responsible for doing all wrong things as a &quot;yes man&quot; of Abdulla Yameen. The story is not yet finished, there is a lot more to worry.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On Sunday, The Chief of Maldivian Defence Forces, Major General Ahmad Shiyam had given a statement that he will not obey the orders of Supreme Court but of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil only. Soon, after the opposition, as well as Supreme Court, urged the Parliament to remove the island nation&rsquo;s attorney general and its chief prosecutor, soldiers in riot gear surrounded the Parliament building in Male. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the parliamentary leader of the opposition, accused both of breaking the law by failing to act on the Supreme Court verdict.

&nbsp;

Attorney General, as well as the president, both declared Supreme Court verdict as illegal and they instructed all the agencies not to obey any order of the Supreme Court. The 12 MPs who were reinstated by the Supreme Court have been arrested after they landed in Male. Parliament is suspended till indefinite orders and two major opposition leaders have also been put behind bars.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This is a serious situation and a direct threat to democracy in the island nation. Despite live appeals from India, the US and the European Union, Abdulla Yameen has refused to obey the Supreme Court orders. He is accused of serious corruption and human rights abuse since he took over the government and had been using all means to suppress the voices of the country, including press and other media channels. In 2015, Mr Modi had to call off his planned visit to the Maldives in view of Mohammad Yameen cracking down on his opposition and acting against democracy.

&nbsp;

Due to these activities, Abdulla Yameen has gone on the wrong side of his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country for over 30 years successfully and considered a fatherly figure in the island-nation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India must watch this situation carefully, while the previous president Mohammad Nasheed was considered a close ally of India, Abdulla Yameen is not only accused of serious frauds and irregularities but had started developing proximity with China after he joined the Maritime Silk Route Project. China is taking advantage of this and developing series of ports and other infrastructure in the Maldives which is not at all in the interest of India. When it comes to the domination of the Indian Ocean, China&rsquo;s presence can seriously harm the interests of India. Chinese are already present in Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Djibouti in Horn of Africa and Gwadar in Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Their presence in the Maldives will almost cover the entire Indian Ocean region.

&nbsp;

My take on the situation is simple. As an old ally and the largest democracy in the world, it is the utmost duty of India to ensure that democratic governments survive in its neighbourhood and, hence, we must intervene to resolve this crisis.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India&rsquo;s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future. Not only this, it will secure our trade routes and help establish India as maritime prowess.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

India’s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future.

India had always been a good friend of Maldives. The culture, demography, festivals and social aspects, in many ways, are similar to India. The country shares an affinity with India which is rarely matched in any other instance. Thus, in November 1988, when the elected government of President Moumoon Abdul Gayoom was under threat from the PLOTE mercenaries of Sri Lanka, India helped in the restoration of democracy in the Maldives. These PLOTE mercenaries were, reportedly, hired by Ibrahim Nasir, one of the former presidents of Maldives and funded by Abdullah Luthufi, a rich Maldivian businessman who had business ventures in Sri Lanka and the aim was to take over the country forcefully. Being a close ally, India immediately intervened and dispatched its 1600 strong team of 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade, and the democracy was restored in the island nation. Operation Cactus is considered a rare operation where Indian Air Force landed its heavy aircrafts on an unknown island airstrip in the pitch-dark night. Today, after the passage of nearly 30 years, history is about to repeat itself when the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is involved in the current political turmoil of Maldives. The Supreme Court has declared the decision to put Gayoom's opposition leaders into the jails on frivolous charges as illegal and ordered the restoration of democracy. India may be required to repeat its actions of 1988 to restore democracy once again. Abdulla Yameen was elected as the president under disputed circumstances in 2013 and this election was annulled by the Supreme Court in view of a large number of ineligible voters being registered in the second round of voting. Mr Yameen lost badly in the first round but won in the second round under circumstances which were found illegal by the Supreme Court. Soon after he took over, he stripped 12 Members of Parliament, belonging to the opposition party from their position to gain a majority. These members were reinstated by the Supreme Court three days ago and, hence, Yameen's government has now become the minority. Not only this, the Supreme Court had also ordered the release of nine political prisoners from the party of the ex-president Mohammad Nasheed who were put behind the bars under the fake charges of terrorism. In addition, the Supreme Court also ordered the removal of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil who was responsible for doing all wrong things as a "yes man" of Abdulla Yameen. The story is not yet finished, there is a lot more to worry. On Sunday, The Chief of Maldivian Defence Forces, Major General Ahmad Shiyam had given a statement that he will not obey the orders of Supreme Court but of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil only. Soon, after the opposition, as well as Supreme Court, urged the Parliament to remove the island nation’s attorney general and its chief prosecutor, soldiers in riot gear surrounded the Parliament building in Male. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the parliamentary leader of the opposition, accused both of breaking the law by failing to act on the Supreme Court verdict. Attorney General, as well as the president, both declared Supreme Court verdict as illegal and they instructed all the agencies not to obey any order of the Supreme Court. The 12 MPs who were reinstated by the Supreme Court have been arrested after they landed in Male. Parliament is suspended till indefinite orders and two major opposition leaders have also been put behind bars. This is a serious situation and a direct threat to democracy in the island nation. Despite live appeals from India, the US and the European Union, Abdulla Yameen has refused to obey the Supreme Court orders. He is accused of serious corruption and human rights abuse since he took over the government and had been using all means to suppress the voices of the country, including press and other media channels. In 2015, Mr Modi had to call off his planned visit to the Maldives in view of Mohammad Yameen cracking down on his opposition and acting against democracy. Due to these activities, Abdulla Yameen has gone on the wrong side of his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country for over 30 years successfully and considered a fatherly figure in the island-nation. India must watch this situation carefully, while the previous president Mohammad Nasheed was considered a close ally of India, Abdulla Yameen is not only accused of serious frauds and irregularities but had started developing proximity with China after he joined the Maritime Silk Route Project. China is taking advantage of this and developing series of ports and other infrastructure in the Maldives which is not at all in the interest of India. When it comes to the domination of the Indian Ocean, China’s presence can seriously harm the interests of India. Chinese are already present in Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Djibouti in Horn of Africa and Gwadar in Pakistan. Their presence in the Maldives will almost cover the entire Indian Ocean region. My take on the situation is simple. As an old ally and the largest democracy in the world, it is the utmost duty of India to ensure that democratic governments survive in its neighbourhood and, hence, we must intervene to resolve this crisis. India’s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future. Not only this, it will secure our trade routes and help establish India as maritime prowess. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why India needs to help Maldives to counter threats to democracy

The Maldives&#39; state health minister said on Monday he has resigned from the administration of President Abdulla Yameen in protest against the government&#39;s decision to not enforce a Supreme Court order freeing opposition leaders from prison.

State Health Minister Hussain Rasheed&#39;s resignation is the first since the government defied Thursday&#39;s court order and said it will resist any attempt to enforce the decision.

&quot;It is not possible for my conscience to accept the lack of answers to the way the government is dealing with the orders of the highest court on state institutions,&quot; Rasheed said in his letter of resignation, which was reviewed by Reuters.

State Health Minister Hussain Rasheed's resignation is the first since the government defied Thursday's court order and said it will resist any attempt to enforce the decision

The Maldives' state health minister said on Monday he has resigned from the administration of President Abdulla Yameen in protest against the government's decision to not enforce a Supreme Court order freeing opposition leaders from prison. State Health Minister Hussain Rasheed's resignation is the first since the government defied Thursday's court order and said it will resist any attempt to enforce the decision. "It is not possible for my conscience to accept the lack of answers to the way the government is dealing with the orders of the highest court on state institutions," Rasheed said in his letter of resignation, which was reviewed by Reuters.

Maldives minister resigns to protest government response to Supreme Court ruling

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/better-that-someone-sells-pakodas-than-begs-amit-shah-in-parliament-31850">Better </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/better-that-someone-sells-pakodas-than-begs-amit-shah-in-parliament-31850">that</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/better-that-someone-sells-pakodas-than-begs-amit-shah-in-parliament-31850"> someone sells </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/better-that-someone-sells-pakodas-than-begs-amit-shah-in-parliament-31850">pakodas</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/better-that-someone-sells-pakodas-than-begs-amit-shah-in-parliament-31850"> than begs: Amit Shah in Parliament</a>

It took a lot of time for this government to fill the &quot;hole&quot; it inherited from its predecessor, BJP President Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha Monday. Shah was making his debut speech in Parliament.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gurgaon-school-murder-case-cbi-says-fingerprints-of-juvenile-accused-found-at-crime-scene-31867">Gurgaon school murder case: CBI says fingerprints of juvenile accused found at crime scene</a>

The CBI filed a 1,000-page charge sheet in the Gurgaon school murder case on Monday.&nbsp;

The charge sheet says the fingerprints of the juvenile accused were found at the crime scene. And that the source of the murder weapon -- a knife -- has been identified.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-20-years-in-power-tripura-cm-manik-sarkar-has-rs-2410-in-bank-31864">After 20 years in power, Tripura CM Manik Sarkar has Rs 2,410 in the bank</a>

Manik Sarkar, the chief minister of the poll-bound state Tripura has cash amounting to a little over Rs 3500.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-extends-fall-bonds-slip-rupee-flat-31854">Sensex falls for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-extends-fall-bonds-slip-rupee-flat-31854">fifth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-extends-fall-bonds-slip-rupee-flat-31854"> day in a row, closes at 34,757</a>

Indian shares fell for a fifth straight session on Monday, with the broader NSE index hitting its lowest in a month, as Asian shares slumped, while worries remained that the Reserve Bank of India would turn more hawkish at its policy meeting later this week.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869">Political crisis in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869">Maldives</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/political-crisis-in-maldives-continues-demand-for-presidents-resignation-grows-31869"> continues, demand for President&#39;s resignation grows</a>

Maldives capital Male continues to remain tense, with the opposition and general public unrelentingly asking President Yameen to step down and allow a new leadership to take charge.

Better that someone sells pakodas than begs: Amit Shah in Parliament It took a lot of time for this government to fill the "hole" it inherited from its predecessor, BJP President Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha Monday. Shah was making his debut speech in Parliament. Gurgaon school murder case: CBI says fingerprints of juvenile accused found at crime scene The CBI filed a 1,000-page charge sheet in the Gurgaon school murder case on Monday. The charge sheet says the fingerprints of the juvenile accused were found at the crime scene. And that the source of the murder weapon -- a knife -- has been identified. After 20 years in power, Tripura CM Manik Sarkar has Rs 2,410 in the bank Manik Sarkar, the chief minister of the poll-bound state Tripura has cash amounting to a little over Rs 3500. Sensex falls for fifth day in a row, closes at 34,757 Indian shares fell for a fifth straight session on Monday, with the broader NSE index hitting its lowest in a month, as Asian shares slumped, while worries remained that the Reserve Bank of India would turn more hawkish at its policy meeting later this week. Political crisis in Maldives continues, demand for President's resignation grows Maldives capital Male continues to remain tense, with the opposition and general public unrelentingly asking President Yameen to step down and allow a new leadership to take charge.

WION Evening News Brief, February 5, 2018

The beleaguered Maldives government Sunday ordered police and troops to reject any move by the Supreme Court to arrest or impeach President Abdulla Yameen over his refusal to release political prisoners.

The tiny tourist archipelago has been plunged into a political crisis pitting the country&#39;s top court against Yameen, whose crackdown on dissent has tarnished the nation&#39;s image as an upmarket holiday paradise.

On Thursday &mdash; in a move that surprised many &mdash; judges ordered authorities to release nine political dissidents and restore the seats of 12 legislators who had been sacked for defecting from Yameen&#39;s party, ruling the cases were politically motivated.

But the Yameen government has so far refused, shuttering parliament and resisting international calls to comply.

In a national television address on Sunday Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government remained defiant.

&quot;Any Supreme Court order to arrest the president would be unconstitutional and illegal. So I have asked the police and the army not to implement any unconstitutional order,&quot; Anil said.

The reinstatement of the dozen legislators gave the opposition a majority in the 85-member assembly, and it can now potentially impeach Yameen.

However the authorities shut parliament indefinitely on Saturday to avert such a move. Yameen also sacked two police chiefs after the court&#39;s decision.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party &mdash; led by the country&#39;s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed &mdash; has urged the government to respect the top court&#39;s decision, fearing any refusal might trigger unrest in the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims.

The Maldivian government said Friday it had concerns about releasing those convicted for &quot;terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, and treason&quot;.

The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the United States welcomed the court&#39;s decision as a move towards restoring democracy in the politically troubled Indian Ocean nation.

Nasheed was barred from contesting any election in the Maldives after a controversial 2015 terrorism conviction which was internationally criticised as politically motivated. He lives abroad after travelling out of the country in 2016 on prison leave for medical treatment.

In a national television address on Sunday Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government remained defiant

The beleaguered Maldives government Sunday ordered police and troops to reject any move by the Supreme Court to arrest or impeach President Abdulla Yameen over his refusal to release political prisoners. The tiny tourist archipelago has been plunged into a political crisis pitting the country's top court against Yameen, whose crackdown on dissent has tarnished the nation's image as an upmarket holiday paradise. On Thursday — in a move that surprised many — judges ordered authorities to release nine political dissidents and restore the seats of 12 legislators who had been sacked for defecting from Yameen's party, ruling the cases were politically motivated. But the Yameen government has so far refused, shuttering parliament and resisting international calls to comply. In a national television address on Sunday Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government remained defiant. "Any Supreme Court order to arrest the president would be unconstitutional and illegal. So I have asked the police and the army not to implement any unconstitutional order," Anil said. The reinstatement of the dozen legislators gave the opposition a majority in the 85-member assembly, and it can now potentially impeach Yameen. However the authorities shut parliament indefinitely on Saturday to avert such a move. Yameen also sacked two police chiefs after the court's decision. The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party — led by the country's first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed — has urged the government to respect the top court's decision, fearing any refusal might trigger unrest in the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims. The Maldivian government said Friday it had concerns about releasing those convicted for "terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, and treason". The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the United States welcomed the court's decision as a move towards restoring democracy in the politically troubled Indian Ocean nation. Nasheed was barred from contesting any election in the Maldives after a controversial 2015 terrorism conviction which was internationally criticised as politically motivated. He lives abroad after travelling out of the country in 2016 on prison leave for medical treatment.

Maldives govt warns Supreme Court against impeachment move

The Maldivian opposition Saturday accused President Abdulla Yameen of resisting local and international pressure to comply with a landmark Supreme Court order to free nine political prisoners.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said Yameen was yet to release any in line with Thursday&#39;s shock decision of the apex court to quash the dissidents&#39; convictions.

&quot;Although Yameen has said he will abide by the ruling, he is yet to comply with the order delivered more than 36 hours ago,&quot; Colombo-based MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said on Saturday morning.

The court on Thursday night said that cases against the nine dissidents, including former president Mohamed Nasheed, were politically motivated and asked the government to release themimmediately.

It also ordered the reinstatement of 12 legislators who were expelled for defecting, and effectively gave the opposition a majority in the 85-member assembly.

In a statement issued overnight, the joint opposition, which includes Nasheed&#39;s MDP, said it feared the regime would ignore the release order and that it would trigger further unrest in the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims.

&quot; We are deeply fearful that the government&#39;s refusal to implement the Supreme Court order could escalate to unrest and incite violence across the country,&quot; the joint opposition said.

Nasheed, the country&#39;s first democratically elected president, has urged the government to respect the top court&#39;s decision.

The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the United States welcomed the court&#39;s decision as a move towards restoring democracy in the politically troubled Indian Ocean nation.

Earlier, Nasheed had said the ruling cleared the way for him to return to the Maldives and contest elections due later this year.

&quot;I can contest and will contest,&quot; he told AFP in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

For its part, the Maldivian government announced Friday that it had concerns about releasing those who had been convicted for &quot;terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, and treason&quot;.

Yameen&#39;s office said Attorney General Mohamed Anil had raised the administration&#39;s concerns with the chief justice.

Nasheed was barred from contesting any election in the Maldives after a controversial 2015 terrorism conviction internationally criticised as politically motivated.

The Maldives&#39; popular image as an upmarket holiday paradise has been severely damaged by a major crackdown on dissent under Yameen, who has overseen the jailing of almost all his political opponents.

The opposition said there were sporadic clashes Friday night between anti-government activists and the police in the Maldives.

Yameen was yet to release any in line with apex court's decision to quash the dissidents' convictions

The Maldivian opposition Saturday accused President Abdulla Yameen of resisting local and international pressure to comply with a landmark Supreme Court order to free nine political prisoners. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said Yameen was yet to release any in line with Thursday's shock decision of the apex court to quash the dissidents' convictions. "Although Yameen has said he will abide by the ruling, he is yet to comply with the order delivered more than 36 hours ago," Colombo-based MDP spokesman Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said on Saturday morning. The court on Thursday night said that cases against the nine dissidents, including former president Mohamed Nasheed, were politically motivated and asked the government to release themimmediately. It also ordered the reinstatement of 12 legislators who were expelled for defecting, and effectively gave the opposition a majority in the 85-member assembly. In a statement issued overnight, the joint opposition, which includes Nasheed's MDP, said it feared the regime would ignore the release order and that it would trigger further unrest in the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims. " We are deeply fearful that the government's refusal to implement the Supreme Court order could escalate to unrest and incite violence across the country," the joint opposition said. Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected president, has urged the government to respect the top court's decision. The United Nations, Australia, Britain, Canada, India and the United States welcomed the court's decision as a move towards restoring democracy in the politically troubled Indian Ocean nation. Earlier, Nasheed had said the ruling cleared the way for him to return to the Maldives and contest elections due later this year. "I can contest and will contest," he told AFP in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. For its part, the Maldivian government announced Friday that it had concerns about releasing those who had been convicted for "terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, and treason". Yameen's office said Attorney General Mohamed Anil had raised the administration's concerns with the chief justice. Nasheed was barred from contesting any election in the Maldives after a controversial 2015 terrorism conviction internationally criticised as politically motivated. The Maldives' popular image as an upmarket holiday paradise has been severely damaged by a major crackdown on dissent under Yameen, who has overseen the jailing of almost all his political opponents. The opposition said there were sporadic clashes Friday night between anti-government activists and the police in the Maldives.

Maldives opposition fears government scuttling prisoner release

People&rsquo;s Majlis Secretariat or the parliament secretariat of the Maldives has claimed in a statement that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-military-takes-over-parliament-to-stop-presidents-impeachment-18238">Monday&rsquo;s military lockdown</a> in its premises was within legal bounds and the Maldives National Defence Force was acting on a request to &ldquo;thwart any unconstitutional or unlawful acts&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Upon receiving credible reports that some Honourable Members and political activists had broken through a police cordon, scaled the perimeter walls of the Majlis and engaged in unconstitutional and unlawful acts in the confines of the People&rsquo;s Majlis, security forces were instructed to ensure that law and order was restored and additional measures taken to guard against further unlawful acts in the Majlis. These instructions were issued in accordance with Majlis Rules of Procedure to ensure speedy restoration of law and order and to ensure that the security arrangements in the Majlis are not comprise,&rdquo; the statement read.&nbsp;

In the statement, the parliament secretariat said the no-confidence motion was not included in the agenda for July 24 at any point and on July 20 the Deputy Speaker of the Majlis had notified the MPs that the no-confidence motion against the speaker had been adjudged as invalid.&nbsp;

The secretariat went on to say that there were enhanced security arrangements in the Maldivian capital of Male due to Independence Day celebrations and the lawmakers were notified that no sessions or committees of the parliament would be scheduled between July 23 and July 31.&nbsp;

&ldquo;In spite of the clear and methodical processes that had been followed in recent days, some elements had called for direct action on 24 July, under the guise of parliamentary procedures. These actions were in gross violation of the Constitution, governing laws and Majlis Rules of Procedure.&rdquo; the parliament secretariat said. &nbsp;

President Abdulla Yameen&rsquo;s office cited the Parliament Secretariat&rsquo;s statement and said that the MNDF took steps to &ldquo;ensure the security and safety of the premises&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The Government of Maldives refutes claims made by some media outlets that the Parliament has been taken over by the Military.&rdquo; the president&rsquo;s office added.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Maldives Independent reported that the organisation of national legislatures, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, on Monday expressed concern over opposition lawmakers being &ldquo;subjected to a campaign of intimidation and coercion&rdquo; ahead of the no-confidence vote.

&ldquo;The IPU is deeply worried that these actions are seemingly intended to take away the small majority in Parliament that wanted to dismiss the Speaker in today&rsquo;s vote of no-confidence, which was thwarted as a result,&rdquo; the organisation said in a statement, Maldives Independent reported.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Maldives military on Monday took over the country&#39;s Parliament and barred lawmakers from entering the building in a bid to stop the impeachment of Speaker and the President&#39;s close ally Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed over allegations of corruption, mismanagement and rights abuses.

The no-confidence motion against the Speaker, supported by 45 of the Parliament&#39;s 85 lawmakers as per the Opposition, was to be taken up on Monday. The Opposition accuses the Speaker of blocking its requests to summon government officials accused of corruption.&nbsp;

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The Maldivian army has locked down the country&#39;s parliament after the opposition vowed to move ahead with a vote against a key ally of President Abdulla Yameen. WION brings you more on this (WION)
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President Abdulla Yameen?s office also cited the Parliament Secretariat?s statement and said that the MNDF took steps to 'ensure the security and safety of the premises'

People’s Majlis Secretariat or the parliament secretariat of the Maldives has claimed in a statement that Monday’s military lockdown in its premises was within legal bounds and the Maldives National Defence Force was acting on a request to “thwart any unconstitutional or unlawful acts”. “Upon receiving credible reports that some Honourable Members and political activists had broken through a police cordon, scaled the perimeter walls of the Majlis and engaged in unconstitutional and unlawful acts in the confines of the People’s Majlis, security forces were instructed to ensure that law and order was restored and additional measures taken to guard against further unlawful acts in the Majlis. These instructions were issued in accordance with Majlis Rules of Procedure to ensure speedy restoration of law and order and to ensure that the security arrangements in the Majlis are not comprise,” the statement read. In the statement, the parliament secretariat said the no-confidence motion was not included in the agenda for July 24 at any point and on July 20 the Deputy Speaker of the Majlis had notified the MPs that the no-confidence motion against the speaker had been adjudged as invalid. The secretariat went on to say that there were enhanced security arrangements in the Maldivian capital of Male due to Independence Day celebrations and the lawmakers were notified that no sessions or committees of the parliament would be scheduled between July 23 and July 31. “In spite of the clear and methodical processes that had been followed in recent days, some elements had called for direct action on 24 July, under the guise of parliamentary procedures. These actions were in gross violation of the Constitution, governing laws and Majlis Rules of Procedure.” the parliament secretariat said. President Abdulla Yameen’s office cited the Parliament Secretariat’s statement and said that the MNDF took steps to “ensure the security and safety of the premises”. “The Government of Maldives refutes claims made by some media outlets that the Parliament has been taken over by the Military.” the president’s office added. Meanwhile, Maldives Independent reported that the organisation of national legislatures, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, on Monday expressed concern over opposition lawmakers being “subjected to a campaign of intimidation and coercion” ahead of the no-confidence vote. “The IPU is deeply worried that these actions are seemingly intended to take away the small majority in Parliament that wanted to dismiss the Speaker in today’s vote of no-confidence, which was thwarted as a result,” the organisation said in a statement, Maldives Independent reported. Maldives military on Monday took over the country's Parliament and barred lawmakers from entering the building in a bid to stop the impeachment of Speaker and the President's close ally Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed over allegations of corruption, mismanagement and rights abuses. The no-confidence motion against the Speaker, supported by 45 of the Parliament's 85 lawmakers as per the Opposition, was to be taken up on Monday. The Opposition accuses the Speaker of blocking its requests to summon government officials accused of corruption. The Maldivian army has locked down the country's parliament after the opposition vowed to move ahead with a vote against a key ally of President Abdulla Yameen. WION brings you more on this (WION) ×

Maldives Parliament lockdown: Military acted on request, says parliament secretariat

WION &nbsp;spoke with the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, in London. He spoke of the influence Saudi Arabia has had on the Maldives, the one China is trying to exert on it, and that it is imperative that the Maldives be a stable, democratic nation &ndash; for there has never been a stable Indian Ocean region without a stable Maldives.

Here is a full transcript of the interview.&nbsp;

Q: Thank you President Nasheed. Now you were the first democratically elected leader of the Maldives in 2008 supported by a coalition of opposition to President Gayoom. Why did you get into politics?

A: My joining politics was an accident of history. I started as a journalist. But every time I wrote, they arrested me. So I lost my twenties to jail. As an attempt to not be arrested, I became a member of Parliament. They arrested me. The arrests kept coming and finally we left the Maldives and formed a political party-in-exile in Sri Lanka and later in England. Through that, we were able to galvanise our people to political activism, amend the constitution and have our first multi-party election. So, because I was involved in all of this all throughout, right from &#39;89 up to 2005-2006, I had been working very hard. I was only writing, but I worked hard to defend human rights and freedom of expression. And I was fortunate to win that election in 2008.&nbsp;

Q: But by 2012 you were forced to resign and then later you had to go into exile a lot of pro-democracy supporters felt abandoned, why did you have to leave?

A: I was arrested after the election. After the coup, we went into another election in 2013. That was rigged. They kept nullifying the election results and going for another round, for as many rounds till they won it. Then we decided to be a loyal opposition and remain one. But in 6-7 months, President Yameen decided to arrest me. And then as a former President, I was in prison for one year. But I was able to leave on medical grounds with help from the UK, the US, India and Sri Lanka. I came to England and sought refuge here. I will go back. I intend to go back to the Maldives, hopefully soon. Yes it&rsquo;s sad I am not there. I miss the Maldives a lot. But unfortunately I have very little option.&nbsp;

Q: Now President Gayoom ruled the country for 30 years with an iron fist. He has been accused of being a despot and accused of torture but now you joining forces with him to try and oust the current president. Aren&rsquo;t you going to lose a lot of support from your backers?

A: I think there is a far greater need to get democracy back on track than me being popular. The issue is that the country must get back on a more democratic track. For that, everyone must join hands and try to find common ground. I am very happy that we&rsquo;ve managed to structure that coalition.&nbsp;

Q: Even though President Gayoom for many of your countrymen wouldn&#39;t represent democrarcy?

&nbsp;A: All of us, President Gayoom, myself, all other political leaders and the people of the Maldives, we&rsquo;ve learned a lot over the last 15 years. We&rsquo;ve experienced probably what other countries have gone through in 50 years. We went through the same in a period of 8-9 years. We&rsquo;ve all learned a lot and we must see that country is back on a proper democratic course. To do that, we must bring everyone together and isolate the President. Again, I am happy to be able to do that.&nbsp;

Q: Now there are rumours that President Gayoom asked for 100 thousand dollars from you to show your honesty and integrity and commitment to this and you have paid half of that sum. what do you say to that?

A: Anyone who knows me would know that I wouldn&rsquo;t have 50,000 dollars in my bank account. Right now, I have 6,000 pounds. And for me, 50,000 dollars is a lot of money. And I don&rsquo;t think President Gayoom, or anyone in the Maldives actually, would believe that. These are rumours and we must understand that. There are no facts whatsoever to this rumour. It would be silly wouldn&rsquo;t it? President Gayoom asking me for money! I don&rsquo;t think that would every happen and no, it did not happen.&nbsp;

Q: So who is benefiting from spreading these rumours?

A: It is President Yameen who is benefitting from spreading these rumours.&nbsp;

Q: This is all coming from President Yameen?

A: He has a rumour-mongering mill that produces all these false allegations. Then he even brings them up in courts through trumped-up charges &ndash; kangaroo courts I would argue &ndash; and then sentences people with no facts on hand whatsoever. I am afraid that even today as we speak, one of the bigger businessmen in the Maldives has been charged for bribing MPs. When President Gayoom left the government, there were about 17 MPs who crossed sides. That&rsquo;s all that happened. People who supported President Gayoom crossed over to the Opposition.&nbsp;

Q: You have previously said that the vice president is a victim rather than an accomplice to president Yameen. How so?

A: When I started getting to know former vice president Ahmed Adeeb, he was very young. He still is, &nbsp;about 32 I think. Then he came into politics, into a big job, and was given tasks by the President. You would know from the television documentary how President Yameen had tasked him to do all these things. I am not suggesting that he is innocent. But we must look into all the connections and the bigger picture of what was happening. So I think Adeeb was a victim.&nbsp;

Q: Well in the documentary there is certainly a lot of proof on his phone that he is connected.&nbsp;

A: Of course he is connected. I am not arguing that he isn&rsquo;t. But we must go through a proper investigation, a proper trial to finally say that. What I am saying is that he came into this because of President Yameen. Yameen inducted him into these wrongdoings.&nbsp;

Q: So he is a victim of persuasion?

A: Yes, a victim of persuasion. Power is a rather odd thing. You can get all sorts of people to do anything. When you are the President. And I am telling you after having been one. And I am telling you that President Yameen is in the business of bringing in young people to task them with things that he wants done.&nbsp;

Q: So as a President do you think you have overstepped the mark with power then?

A: I would agree.&nbsp;

Q: How so?

A: After 30 years of single-party rule autocracy, it is possible to topple a dictator. But it is not so easy to uproot a dictatorship. We have never had multi-party governance or multi-party politics in the Maldives. We are still very feudal and therefore to move from feudalism to pluralism overnight is not possible. So there have been instances. I am sure if you go into my government and analyse it you would see instances of the President &ndash; me &ndash; doing doing or envisaging things that he shouldn&rsquo;t have.&nbsp;

Q: Anything spring to mind?

A: One of the things was the schools and the health system. Especially the power houses. Our islands have local, small powerhouses. We have 196 islands and we wanted to, in our govt, consolidate all these powerhouses into a number of bigger companies. But these powerhouses were actually owned by islanders and we were too harsh in trying to get that back into a system. That was our intention. But what we actually did is to confiscate someone else&rsquo;s property.&nbsp;

Q: It is very brave to admit your failings.&nbsp;

A: We have to move forward and learn from our mistakes. I worry about these things. I worry about how we governed and therefore I sit down and think and try to come out with it.&nbsp;

Q: Now you have been shuttling from Sri Lanka to London where you now live. has either of these countries provided you with any support for your cause?

A: England has given me safe refuge. I have not done anything wrong in Sri Lanka according to Lankan law. So Sri Lanka being a free country, I can always go there. I meet the President, PM &ndash; I&rsquo;ve known them before they came to power and before I became President. I used to work in Sri Lanka as a journalist in the nineties. So I know the country and a number of people, their society. Sri Lankans are always helpful. I have always had the view that to stabilise the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka must play a more robust role. Sri Lanka has 20 million people, 500,000 soldiers and a booming economy &ndash; they are I think 3% of world trade. It&rsquo;s a good country to take more control.&nbsp;

Q: Now you have received support from Western human rights groups and the celebrity lawyer, Amal Clooney. Now some in South Asia are weary of these groups believing they have a geo-political agenda. What do you say to those concerns?

&nbsp;A: Pain is not a geo-political agenda. Human rights is not. You feel pain, I feel pain. If you torture anyone, you will feel the pain. So I think it is very important we try to eradicate human rights abuses and see we get proper and correct governance. I don&rsquo;t think or believe that South Asians would mistake me or our intentions. I have lived almost all my life in South Asia. I am a South Asian and I believe that South Asian people are aware of our predicament and what we are trying to do.&nbsp;

Q: Now the Maldives have always been a traditional but tolerant Islamic country but that seems to be changing. Do you believe that is the influence of Saudi Wahhabism?

A: The Saudis have propagated a very narrow version of Islam in the Maldives for the last 40 years. Therefore, a fair number of people of the Maldives have prescribed to that view of Islam. That has also created a breeding ground for more radical Islam &ndash; the ISIS and other jihadi groups. So I think yes that it is very unfortunate that this has happened and is going on. We must understand that any Islamic movement anywhere in the world is going to have an impact on the Maldives as well. But we must be mindful of what&rsquo;s happening and we must protect, we must make sure we maintain our way of life. We were brought up as Muslims. We remain Muslims and we remain understanding Muslims not at odds with the rest of the world.&nbsp;

Q: The highest number of South Asian jihadist have come from the Maldives. Where is this radical Islam coming from?

A: From the propagation of this very narrow version of Islam by the Saudis for the last 40 years &ndash; they have their imams, they have their mosques, and they are now wanting to change the school curriculum. Apparently, train our judiciary. Apparently, train our military. Apparently, they also want to purchase an atoll. They of course do want to come to holiday and they are very welcome to do that. But all the other work they have done in the last so many years, we are just waking up to it.&nbsp;

Q: It could be philanthropic motives. They could just want to help the Maldives.

A: It could be but unfortunately the vested interest in it and the strategic agenda behind it, it is now becoming very obvious.&nbsp;

Q: Any you think that is radical Islam?

A: I think it is more than radical Islam. They know that the West is not going to continue buying their oil. And they know that their biggest market would lie in Asia, in China. But you cannot cross the Indian Ocean without crossing the Maldives. You can&rsquo;t take your oil to China without crossing the Maldives. Therefore, the Maldives becomes strategically important. It is our strategic location that is our undoing and therefore they have strategic designs on the Maldives.&nbsp;

Q: Now China is making strides in the Indian Ocean, they have bought an atoll and that has New Delhi worried. What do you think the Chinese strategy is?

A: We have signed into the Chinese maritime silk route under President Yameen. Again, they want to safeguard and own shipping routes and trade routes. And again, our strategic location means that therefore they must have clout in the Maldives. They have, already, as you mentioned, bought a number of islands and are in the process of establishing strategic infrastructure on these islands. This is very, very unfortunate but it is happening at rapid speed and therefore we must be very, very mindful of what&rsquo;s going on. If you do not have a stable Maldives, you will not have a stable Indian Ocean. Historically, this has always been true.&nbsp;

Q: Does China&rsquo;s desire to dominate the Ocean worry you?

A: Yes, it does worry us tremendously. We have always been an independent country for the last 2,000-3,000 years and we have a language of our own, a written history that goes back 1,500 years and we like to have control over our affairs. We like to be asked.&nbsp;

Q: You think that China&rsquo;s influence, buying the islands, means that China wants to control the Maldives?

A: It is difficult to see how the Chinese could do anything other than control the Maldives. Our biggest worry is human rights. And they are not concerned about democracy and governance. This is no reason not to like the Chinese &ndash; we do like the Chinese people, that&rsquo;s not the issue here. The issue is that they have a single-party state and want to impress their ideas, their views, their ways on us and we don&rsquo;t like that.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Q: Now many people will remember your high publicised underwater cabinet meeting on the ocean floor to highlight the rising sea levels. Was that a publicity stunt?

A: Our means are very modest we don&rsquo;t have large funds for publicity. When we went to the 2009 Copenhagen summit, we were of the view that the international community must understand the gravity of the issue, especially about low-lying islands. We asked a publicity company but they quoted a huge figure which we couldn&rsquo;t pay. So we thought let&rsquo;s give it a shot ourselves. And came up with this idea. The objective was to impress upon the international community the gravity of the issue. And I hope that we achieved, and I believe we achieved, that objective.&nbsp;

Q: How serious is climate change for the Maldives? Is it the most pressing issue?

A: Climate change is the most pressing issue. We will not be there. Sea levels will rise. It&rsquo;s a done deal now. So, we must go into more adaptation, we must find ways how we may be able to survive after climate change.&nbsp;

Q: There is no reversing?

A: There is no reversing this, with respect to the Maldives. The planet is going to get hotter by 2 degrees. Because we already have 400 parts per million of carbon in our atmosphere, the planet is heating. Our coral is bleaching, the seas are rising, the glaciers are melting &ndash; we can see all this already. It is very obvious. You can&rsquo;t cut a deal with physics. You can&rsquo;t negotiate with the laws of science and it is madness to think we could find other solutions. No, we can&rsquo;t. Unfortunately, we are now faced with this predicament, this difficulty, and now the only option available to us would be heavy adaptation. And even in adaptation, the most important measures are democracy, governance and protection of human rights. Without that, you do the wrong things, build the wrong water breakers at the wrong places, you do everything wrong. So first is democracy and then, perhaps better adaptation methods. Again, I would seek more biological natural adaptation than concrete adaptation.&nbsp;

Q: Were you then dismayed when you heard the American President, Donald Trump, say that climate change isn&rsquo;t happening?

A: The American people would understand and would know. I don&rsquo;t think any politician can change these facts. We can say these things. There are people who still don&rsquo;t believe that man landed on the moon. Even in the Maldives, I&rsquo;ve met many such. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean people didn&rsquo;t go to the moon. Again, the science is sorted.&nbsp;

Q: But he is not any man. He is the President of the United States.Does that not worry you?

A: Well, we have to respect the decision of the people of the United States. They decided to elect a P:resident as they always do. And for all sorts of reasons we now have one whom some of the liberal left do not like. But we have seen so many Republican presidents. People had reservations about them but they came out looking like having done good work. I&rsquo;ll point to President Reagan.&nbsp;

Q: So you have hope.&nbsp;

A: Because I am a centre-right politician!

Q: Have you met Prime Minister Modi?

A: I have met PM Modi before he became PM. But when the election happened, I was in jail so I didn&rsquo;t have an opportunity to meet him as PM.&nbsp;

Q: What do you make of him as a leader?

A: I think he is an excellent leader. I quite like the way he is going about it. Indian development is so rapid and for the benefit of not only South Asia but the rest of the world as well.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Q: Now India has been providing financial aid to the Maldives - supporting a hospital and even the army - are you somewhat disappointed that democratic India is supporting the current government and not backing your cause?

A: No, I am not disappointed. I think India should always be engaged in the Maldives no matter who is in government. think it would be highly irresponsible if the Indian government did not do that.&nbsp;

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WION&#39;s Amanda Clark spoke with the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, in London. He talks about the influence Saudi Arabia has had on the Maldives, China&#39;s desire to dominate the Indian ocean, Indian PM Modi and more. (WION)
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Mohamed Nasheed added that 'India should always be engaged in the Maldives no matter who is in government'

WION spoke with the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, in London. He spoke of the influence Saudi Arabia has had on the Maldives, the one China is trying to exert on it, and that it is imperative that the Maldives be a stable, democratic nation – for there has never been a stable Indian Ocean region without a stable Maldives. Here is a full transcript of the interview. Q: Thank you President Nasheed. Now you were the first democratically elected leader of the Maldives in 2008 supported by a coalition of opposition to President Gayoom. Why did you get into politics? A: My joining politics was an accident of history. I started as a journalist. But every time I wrote, they arrested me. So I lost my twenties to jail. As an attempt to not be arrested, I became a member of Parliament. They arrested me. The arrests kept coming and finally we left the Maldives and formed a political party-in-exile in Sri Lanka and later in England. Through that, we were able to galvanise our people to political activism, amend the constitution and have our first multi-party election. So, because I was involved in all of this all throughout, right from '89 up to 2005-2006, I had been working very hard. I was only writing, but I worked hard to defend human rights and freedom of expression. And I was fortunate to win that election in 2008. Q: But by 2012 you were forced to resign and then later you had to go into exile a lot of pro-democracy supporters felt abandoned, why did you have to leave? A: I was arrested after the election. After the coup, we went into another election in 2013. That was rigged. They kept nullifying the election results and going for another round, for as many rounds till they won it. Then we decided to be a loyal opposition and remain one. But in 6-7 months, President Yameen decided to arrest me. And then as a former President, I was in prison for one year. But I was able to leave on medical grounds with help from the UK, the US, India and Sri Lanka. I came to England and sought refuge here. I will go back. I intend to go back to the Maldives, hopefully soon. Yes it’s sad I am not there. I miss the Maldives a lot. But unfortunately I have very little option. Q: Now President Gayoom ruled the country for 30 years with an iron fist. He has been accused of being a despot and accused of torture but now you joining forces with him to try and oust the current president. Aren’t you going to lose a lot of support from your backers? A: I think there is a far greater need to get democracy back on track than me being popular. The issue is that the country must get back on a more democratic track. For that, everyone must join hands and try to find common ground. I am very happy that we’ve managed to structure that coalition. Q: Even though President Gayoom for many of your countrymen wouldn't represent democrarcy? A: All of us, President Gayoom, myself, all other political leaders and the people of the Maldives, we’ve learned a lot over the last 15 years. We’ve experienced probably what other countries have gone through in 50 years. We went through the same in a period of 8-9 years. We’ve all learned a lot and we must see that country is back on a proper democratic course. To do that, we must bring everyone together and isolate the President. Again, I am happy to be able to do that. Q: Now there are rumours that President Gayoom asked for 100 thousand dollars from you to show your honesty and integrity and commitment to this and you have paid half of that sum. what do you say to that? A: Anyone who knows me would know that I wouldn’t have 50,000 dollars in my bank account. Right now, I have 6,000 pounds. And for me, 50,000 dollars is a lot of money. And I don’t think President Gayoom, or anyone in the Maldives actually, would believe that. These are rumours and we must understand that. There are no facts whatsoever to this rumour. It would be silly wouldn’t it? President Gayoom asking me for money! I don’t think that would every happen and no, it did not happen. Q: So who is benefiting from spreading these rumours? A: It is President Yameen who is benefitting from spreading these rumours. Q: This is all coming from President Yameen? A: He has a rumour-mongering mill that produces all these false allegations. Then he even brings them up in courts through trumped-up charges – kangaroo courts I would argue – and then sentences people with no facts on hand whatsoever. I am afraid that even today as we speak, one of the bigger businessmen in the Maldives has been charged for bribing MPs. When President Gayoom left the government, there were about 17 MPs who crossed sides. That’s all that happened. People who supported President Gayoom crossed over to the Opposition. Q: You have previously said that the vice president is a victim rather than an accomplice to president Yameen. How so? A: When I started getting to know former vice president Ahmed Adeeb, he was very young. He still is, about 32 I think. Then he came into politics, into a big job, and was given tasks by the President. You would know from the television documentary how President Yameen had tasked him to do all these things. I am not suggesting that he is innocent. But we must look into all the connections and the bigger picture of what was happening. So I think Adeeb was a victim. Q: Well in the documentary there is certainly a lot of proof on his phone that he is connected. A: Of course he is connected. I am not arguing that he isn’t. But we must go through a proper investigation, a proper trial to finally say that. What I am saying is that he came into this because of President Yameen. Yameen inducted him into these wrongdoings. Q: So he is a victim of persuasion? A: Yes, a victim of persuasion. Power is a rather odd thing. You can get all sorts of people to do anything. When you are the President. And I am telling you after having been one. And I am telling you that President Yameen is in the business of bringing in young people to task them with things that he wants done. Q: So as a President do you think you have overstepped the mark with power then? A: I would agree. Q: How so? A: After 30 years of single-party rule autocracy, it is possible to topple a dictator. But it is not so easy to uproot a dictatorship. We have never had multi-party governance or multi-party politics in the Maldives. We are still very feudal and therefore to move from feudalism to pluralism overnight is not possible. So there have been instances. I am sure if you go into my government and analyse it you would see instances of the President – me – doing doing or envisaging things that he shouldn’t have. Q: Anything spring to mind? A: One of the things was the schools and the health system. Especially the power houses. Our islands have local, small powerhouses. We have 196 islands and we wanted to, in our govt, consolidate all these powerhouses into a number of bigger companies. But these powerhouses were actually owned by islanders and we were too harsh in trying to get that back into a system. That was our intention. But what we actually did is to confiscate someone else’s property. Q: It is very brave to admit your failings. A: We have to move forward and learn from our mistakes. I worry about these things. I worry about how we governed and therefore I sit down and think and try to come out with it. Q: Now you have been shuttling from Sri Lanka to London where you now live. has either of these countries provided you with any support for your cause? A: England has given me safe refuge. I have not done anything wrong in Sri Lanka according to Lankan law. So Sri Lanka being a free country, I can always go there. I meet the President, PM – I’ve known them before they came to power and before I became President. I used to work in Sri Lanka as a journalist in the nineties. So I know the country and a number of people, their society. Sri Lankans are always helpful. I have always had the view that to stabilise the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka must play a more robust role. Sri Lanka has 20 million people, 500,000 soldiers and a booming economy – they are I think 3% of world trade. It’s a good country to take more control. Q: Now you have received support from Western human rights groups and the celebrity lawyer, Amal Clooney. Now some in South Asia are weary of these groups believing they have a geo-political agenda. What do you say to those concerns? A: Pain is not a geo-political agenda. Human rights is not. You feel pain, I feel pain. If you torture anyone, you will feel the pain. So I think it is very important we try to eradicate human rights abuses and see we get proper and correct governance. I don’t think or believe that South Asians would mistake me or our intentions. I have lived almost all my life in South Asia. I am a South Asian and I believe that South Asian people are aware of our predicament and what we are trying to do. Q: Now the Maldives have always been a traditional but tolerant Islamic country but that seems to be changing. Do you believe that is the influence of Saudi Wahhabism? A: The Saudis have propagated a very narrow version of Islam in the Maldives for the last 40 years. Therefore, a fair number of people of the Maldives have prescribed to that view of Islam. That has also created a breeding ground for more radical Islam – the ISIS and other jihadi groups. So I think yes that it is very unfortunate that this has happened and is going on. We must understand that any Islamic movement anywhere in the world is going to have an impact on the Maldives as well. But we must be mindful of what’s happening and we must protect, we must make sure we maintain our way of life. We were brought up as Muslims. We remain Muslims and we remain understanding Muslims not at odds with the rest of the world. Q: The highest number of South Asian jihadist have come from the Maldives. Where is this radical Islam coming from? A: From the propagation of this very narrow version of Islam by the Saudis for the last 40 years – they have their imams, they have their mosques, and they are now wanting to change the school curriculum. Apparently, train our judiciary. Apparently, train our military. Apparently, they also want to purchase an atoll. They of course do want to come to holiday and they are very welcome to do that. But all the other work they have done in the last so many years, we are just waking up to it. Q: It could be philanthropic motives. They could just want to help the Maldives. A: It could be but unfortunately the vested interest in it and the strategic agenda behind it, it is now becoming very obvious. Q: Any you think that is radical Islam? A: I think it is more than radical Islam. They know that the West is not going to continue buying their oil. And they know that their biggest market would lie in Asia, in China. But you cannot cross the Indian Ocean without crossing the Maldives. You can’t take your oil to China without crossing the Maldives. Therefore, the Maldives becomes strategically important. It is our strategic location that is our undoing and therefore they have strategic designs on the Maldives. Q: Now China is making strides in the Indian Ocean, they have bought an atoll and that has New Delhi worried. What do you think the Chinese strategy is? A: We have signed into the Chinese maritime silk route under President Yameen. Again, they want to safeguard and own shipping routes and trade routes. And again, our strategic location means that therefore they must have clout in the Maldives. They have, already, as you mentioned, bought a number of islands and are in the process of establishing strategic infrastructure on these islands. This is very, very unfortunate but it is happening at rapid speed and therefore we must be very, very mindful of what’s going on. If you do not have a stable Maldives, you will not have a stable Indian Ocean. Historically, this has always been true. Q: Does China’s desire to dominate the Ocean worry you? A: Yes, it does worry us tremendously. We have always been an independent country for the last 2,000-3,000 years and we have a language of our own, a written history that goes back 1,500 years and we like to have control over our affairs. We like to be asked. Q: You think that China’s influence, buying the islands, means that China wants to control the Maldives? A: It is difficult to see how the Chinese could do anything other than control the Maldives. Our biggest worry is human rights. And they are not concerned about democracy and governance. This is no reason not to like the Chinese – we do like the Chinese people, that’s not the issue here. The issue is that they have a single-party state and want to impress their ideas, their views, their ways on us and we don’t like that. Q: Now many people will remember your high publicised underwater cabinet meeting on the ocean floor to highlight the rising sea levels. Was that a publicity stunt? A: Our means are very modest we don’t have large funds for publicity. When we went to the 2009 Copenhagen summit, we were of the view that the international community must understand the gravity of the issue, especially about low-lying islands. We asked a publicity company but they quoted a huge figure which we couldn’t pay. So we thought let’s give it a shot ourselves. And came up with this idea. The objective was to impress upon the international community the gravity of the issue. And I hope that we achieved, and I believe we achieved, that objective. Q: How serious is climate change for the Maldives? Is it the most pressing issue? A: Climate change is the most pressing issue. We will not be there. Sea levels will rise. It’s a done deal now. So, we must go into more adaptation, we must find ways how we may be able to survive after climate change. Q: There is no reversing? A: There is no reversing this, with respect to the Maldives. The planet is going to get hotter by 2 degrees. Because we already have 400 parts per million of carbon in our atmosphere, the planet is heating. Our coral is bleaching, the seas are rising, the glaciers are melting – we can see all this already. It is very obvious. You can’t cut a deal with physics. You can’t negotiate with the laws of science and it is madness to think we could find other solutions. No, we can’t. Unfortunately, we are now faced with this predicament, this difficulty, and now the only option available to us would be heavy adaptation. And even in adaptation, the most important measures are democracy, governance and protection of human rights. Without that, you do the wrong things, build the wrong water breakers at the wrong places, you do everything wrong. So first is democracy and then, perhaps better adaptation methods. Again, I would seek more biological natural adaptation than concrete adaptation. Q: Were you then dismayed when you heard the American President, Donald Trump, say that climate change isn’t happening? A: The American people would understand and would know. I don’t think any politician can change these facts. We can say these things. There are people who still don’t believe that man landed on the moon. Even in the Maldives, I’ve met many such. But that doesn’t mean people didn’t go to the moon. Again, the science is sorted. Q: But he is not any man. He is the President of the United States.Does that not worry you? A: Well, we have to respect the decision of the people of the United States. They decided to elect a P:resident as they always do. And for all sorts of reasons we now have one whom some of the liberal left do not like. But we have seen so many Republican presidents. People had reservations about them but they came out looking like having done good work. I’ll point to President Reagan. Q: So you have hope. A: Because I am a centre-right politician! Q: Have you met Prime Minister Modi? A: I have met PM Modi before he became PM. But when the election happened, I was in jail so I didn’t have an opportunity to meet him as PM. Q: What do you make of him as a leader? A: I think he is an excellent leader. I quite like the way he is going about it. Indian development is so rapid and for the benefit of not only South Asia but the rest of the world as well. Q: Now India has been providing financial aid to the Maldives - supporting a hospital and even the army - are you somewhat disappointed that democratic India is supporting the current government and not backing your cause? A: No, I am not disappointed. I think India should always be engaged in the Maldives no matter who is in government. think it would be highly irresponsible if the Indian government did not do that. WION's Amanda Clark spoke with the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, in London. He talks about the influence Saudi Arabia has had on the Maldives, China's desire to dominate the Indian ocean, Indian PM Modi and more. (WION) ×

It is difficult to see how the Chinese could do anything other than control the Maldives: Ex-Maldives president

The Maldives speaker of parliament survived an impeachment vote on Monday amid chaos after a dozen opposition legislators were sent out from the chamber for unruly behaviour.

The motion against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, a close ally of President Abdulla Yameen, was defeated by 48 votes against none in an 85-member parliament after all opposition lawmakers walked out in protest at their colleagues&#39; expulsion.

Opposition legislators said Yameen&#39;s coalition suddenly changed the usual electronic voting system just before the impeachment so it would not show how members voted.

An opposition coalition including the parties of exiled ex-leader Mohamed Nasheed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had said some government legislators were expected to vote for impeachment.&nbsp;

Maldives Independent, an online news website, showed videos of opposition legislators being physically forced out of the chamber before the vote. The public, media, and non-government organisations were also barred from parliament during the vote.

Ruling party member Abdullah Khaleel said on Twitter the public was not admitted &quot;to avoid planned disruption by the opposition&quot;.&nbsp;

Nasheed`s party said in a statement that 13 opposition law makers were forcibly removed by military officers after being manhandled, dragged and subject to disproportionate force.

Government officials were not available for comment immediately despite repeated calls.&nbsp;

The opposition submitted the impeachment motion, saying the speaker has been deliberately ignoring requests from opposition law makers to summon government officials for questioning on matters of public importance and national development.

The Indian Ocean island nation has been mired in political unrest since Nasheed, its first democratically elected leader, was ousted in 2012. He was later sentenced to 13 years in jail on terrorism charges after a widely denounced trial.&nbsp;

Nasheed now lives in exile.&nbsp;

Yameen&#39;s administration has arrested most opponents who might challenge him in 2018. The opposition alleges the administration is trying to cover up corruption including money laundering. The government has denied the accusations.&nbsp;

The largely Muslim island chain with a population of 400,000 has other looming problems that tarnish its reputation as a tourist paradise. Significant numbers of radicalised Maldives youths have enlisted to fight for Islamic State militants in the Middle East.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The motion against Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed was defeated by 48 votes against none after all opposition lawmakers walked out in protest at their colleagues' expulsion

The Maldives speaker of parliament survived an impeachment vote on Monday amid chaos after a dozen opposition legislators were sent out from the chamber for unruly behaviour. The motion against Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, a close ally of President Abdulla Yameen, was defeated by 48 votes against none in an 85-member parliament after all opposition lawmakers walked out in protest at their colleagues' expulsion. Opposition legislators said Yameen's coalition suddenly changed the usual electronic voting system just before the impeachment so it would not show how members voted. An opposition coalition including the parties of exiled ex-leader Mohamed Nasheed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had said some government legislators were expected to vote for impeachment. Maldives Independent, an online news website, showed videos of opposition legislators being physically forced out of the chamber before the vote. The public, media, and non-government organisations were also barred from parliament during the vote. Ruling party member Abdullah Khaleel said on Twitter the public was not admitted "to avoid planned disruption by the opposition". Nasheed`s party said in a statement that 13 opposition law makers were forcibly removed by military officers after being manhandled, dragged and subject to disproportionate force. Government officials were not available for comment immediately despite repeated calls. The opposition submitted the impeachment motion, saying the speaker has been deliberately ignoring requests from opposition law makers to summon government officials for questioning on matters of public importance and national development. The Indian Ocean island nation has been mired in political unrest since Nasheed, its first democratically elected leader, was ousted in 2012. He was later sentenced to 13 years in jail on terrorism charges after a widely denounced trial. Nasheed now lives in exile. Yameen's administration has arrested most opponents who might challenge him in 2018. The opposition alleges the administration is trying to cover up corruption including money laundering. The government has denied the accusations. The largely Muslim island chain with a population of 400,000 has other looming problems that tarnish its reputation as a tourist paradise. Significant numbers of radicalised Maldives youths have enlisted to fight for Islamic State militants in the Middle East. (Reuters)

Maldives speaker survives impeachment vote

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