The former Maldives president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ex-maldives-president-makes-comeback-with-landslide-win-for-party-208667">Mohamed Nasheed</a> has been nominated as the country's parliamentary speaker and is set to be sworn in Tuesday, a party official said.

Nasheed was unanimously chosen to head the People's Majlis, or the parliament, by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which won a near three-quarter majority in the 87-member assembly in April.

"He is unanimously chosen as the Speaker," a party official told AFP. "He will be sworn in at the inaugural session of the new parliament elected at the historic April vote."

Nasheed -- who until six months ago was still in exile -- has vowed to use his party's thumping mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Maldives.

The MDP's closest rivals, the Jamhooree Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives, both won five seats. Two minor parties and independents secured 12 seats among them.&nbsp;

The Maldives, a holiday destination popular with honeymooners, is only just emerging from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary.

Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his rival Abdulla Yameen, who was dumped as president in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption allegations.

Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen.

Nasheed returned to the Maldives in November after the Supreme Court quashed a terrorism conviction against him.

The former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has been nominated as the country's parliamentary speaker and is set to be sworn in Tuesday, a party official said.

The former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has been nominated as the country's parliamentary speaker and is set to be sworn in Tuesday, a party official said. Nasheed was unanimously chosen to head the People's Majlis, or the parliament, by his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which won a near three-quarter majority in the 87-member assembly in April. "He is unanimously chosen as the Speaker," a party official told AFP. "He will be sworn in at the inaugural session of the new parliament elected at the historic April vote." Nasheed -- who until six months ago was still in exile -- has vowed to use his party's thumping mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Maldives. The MDP's closest rivals, the Jamhooree Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives, both won five seats. Two minor parties and independents secured 12 seats among them. The Maldives, a holiday destination popular with honeymooners, is only just emerging from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary. Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his rival Abdulla Yameen, who was dumped as president in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption allegations. Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen. Nasheed returned to the Maldives in November after the Supreme Court quashed a terrorism conviction against him.

Maldives former President Mohamed Nasheed tipped as new Speaker

A court in the Maldives Monday quashed a controversial conviction of former vice president Ahmed Adeeb and ordered a fresh trial on allegations that he attempted to assassinate his boss.

The High Court set aside the 15-year sentence handed to Adeeb in 2016 after he was found guilty of trying to blow up then-president Abdulla Yameen's speed boat in September 2015.

However, the three-judge bench in a majority decision Monday ordered that Adeeb be held in custody for 15 days pending a fresh trial.

The court held that his original trial appeared to have been politically motivated. Adeeb was considered a close confidant of Yameen until he was dramatically impeached in

November 2015 following allegations he was trying to topple the president.

Yameen escaped unhurt when an explosion ripped through his speed boat, but his wife and two others were slightly injured.

The FBI was called in to investigate the incident but found no evidence the blast was caused by a bomb.

During his five-year tenure that ended with a shock defeat in September last year, Yameen had jailed all his political opponents. He faced the risk of international sanctions over his human rights record.

Yameen had also jailed his main political rival, Mohamed Nasheed, for 13 years on a terrorism charge which was overturned in November after his Maldivian Democratic Party won the September presidential election.&nbsp;

A court in the Maldives Monday quashed a controversial conviction of former vice president Ahmed Adeeb and ordered a fresh trial on allegations that he attempted to assassinate his boss.

A court in the Maldives Monday quashed a controversial conviction of former vice president Ahmed Adeeb and ordered a fresh trial on allegations that he attempted to assassinate his boss. The High Court set aside the 15-year sentence handed to Adeeb in 2016 after he was found guilty of trying to blow up then-president Abdulla Yameen's speed boat in September 2015. However, the three-judge bench in a majority decision Monday ordered that Adeeb be held in custody for 15 days pending a fresh trial. The court held that his original trial appeared to have been politically motivated. Adeeb was considered a close confidant of Yameen until he was dramatically impeached in November 2015 following allegations he was trying to topple the president. Yameen escaped unhurt when an explosion ripped through his speed boat, but his wife and two others were slightly injured. The FBI was called in to investigate the incident but found no evidence the blast was caused by a bomb. During his five-year tenure that ended with a shock defeat in September last year, Yameen had jailed all his political opponents. He faced the risk of international sanctions over his human rights record. Yameen had also jailed his main political rival, Mohamed Nasheed, for 13 years on a terrorism charge which was overturned in November after his Maldivian Democratic Party won the September presidential election.

Maldives quashes terror conviction of ex-vice president

The party of exiled former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has won the country's first outright majority in parliament in its democratic history, officials results showed Wednesday.

The final count released by the Election Commission shows Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won 65 of the 87 seats in parliament in elections held Saturday -- a more than two-thirds majority.

His party will rule without needed to form a coalition, an unprecedented election outcome for the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.

The MDP's closest rivals, the Jamhooree Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives, both won five seats. Two minor parties and independents secured 12 seats among them.&nbsp;

Nasheed -- who until five months ago was still in exile -- has vowed to use his party's thumping mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Maldives.

The holiday destination popular with honeymooners is only just emerging from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary.

Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his rival Abdulla Yameen, who was dumped as president in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption and embezzlement allegations.

Yameen did not run but his party -- the Progressive Party of Maldives –- only collective five seats.

Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen.

Nasheed returned to the Maldives in November after the Supreme Court quashed a terrorism conviction against him.

 
&nbsp;

The party of exiled former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has won the country's first outright majority in parliament in its democratic history, officials results showed Wednesday.

The party of exiled former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed has won the country's first outright majority in parliament in its democratic history, officials results showed Wednesday. The final count released by the Election Commission shows Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won 65 of the 87 seats in parliament in elections held Saturday -- a more than two-thirds majority. His party will rule without needed to form a coalition, an unprecedented election outcome for the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. The MDP's closest rivals, the Jamhooree Party and Progressive Party of the Maldives, both won five seats. Two minor parties and independents secured 12 seats among them. Nasheed -- who until five months ago was still in exile -- has vowed to use his party's thumping mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Maldives. The holiday destination popular with honeymooners is only just emerging from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary. Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his rival Abdulla Yameen, who was dumped as president in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption and embezzlement allegations. Yameen did not run but his party -- the Progressive Party of Maldives –- only collective five seats. Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen. Nasheed returned to the Maldives in November after the Supreme Court quashed a terrorism conviction against him.

Party of exiled former Maldives leader wins historic victory

The former Maldives president on Sunday vowed sweeping reforms and an end to government corruption after leading his party to a record landslide victory just five months since returning from exile.

Mohamed Nasheed, 51, made a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) securing more than two-thirds in the 87-member assembly.

Nasheed promised to use his party's mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Indian Ocean archipelago as it emerges from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary.

"Our foremost duty is to bring peace to the government", Nasheed told supporters in the capital Male on Sunday.

Provisional results from the Elections Commission showed Nasheed's party won 68 seats with the Jamhooree Party a distant second, securing just seven.

The party of former strongman president Abdulla Yameen trailed with only four.

Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his arch-rival Yameen, who was dumped in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption and embezzlement allegations.

Yameen did not run, but his party -- the Progressive Party of Maldives -- finished in third. The remaining seats were collected by minor parties and independents.

Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen.

The former leader declared the days of "Rolex watches and Kohinoor are over", referring to high-profile scandals in the Maldives where MPs have allegedly been bought with luxury gifts, including gems.

"The parliament you have elected today possesses integrity," said Nasheed, who won a seat in the People's Majlis, or parliament representing a constituency in the capital Male.

"You desired to reform the general well-being of the nation... Hopefully, we will succeed in fulfilling your wishes."

Nasheed also vowed to transform the Maldives, a popular honeymoon destination home to 340,000 Sunni Muslims, into a parliamentary democracy.

An executive presidential system was adopted under political reforms in 2008 when dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom stood down after 30 years in power.

Two of Gayoom's children contested this poll, but only one was successful in winning a seat.

As the results trickled in Saturday, and Nasheed's victory was clearly within grasp, the dogged political veteran declared the Maldives was heading for "golden yellow dawn". Yellow is the colour of his party.

Challenges ahead

Election officials estimated the final turnout to be 80 per cent, less than the September presidential election but a record for a parliamentary poll. The official final results are expected later.

President Solih, who has promised to investigate corruption allegations against Yameen, thanked voters for delivering "a huge majority" for the MDP.

"While we celebrate, we must also not forget the immense challenges that lie ahead of us," he said in a statement.

Election commissioner Ahmed Shareef told reporters there had been no complaints of irregularities in the run up to the vote, during balloting or at the count.

The thumping MDP victory caps a remarkable comeback for Nasheed, who until November was a fugitive in exile.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years prison in 2015 but left the Maldives a year later, after being granted prison leave for medical treatment in Britain.&nbsp;

The charges were dropped by the Supreme Court after Solih toppled Yameen, with judges saying there was no basis for the charges.

International rights groups had decried the terrorism conviction, imposed while Yameen was in power, as politically motivated and unjustified.

The Maldives was on the verge of being slapped with Western-led sanctions before Solih won the presidential election on a pledge to end corruption in the country, best known for its luxury tourism.

Nasheed has also opposed heavy borrowing from China under Yameen's administration, accusing the former strongman of mortgaging the island paradise to Beijing for infrastructure projects.

The former Maldives president on Sunday vowed sweeping reforms and an end to government corruption after leading his party to a record landslide victory just five months since returning from exile.

The former Maldives president on Sunday vowed sweeping reforms and an end to government corruption after leading his party to a record landslide victory just five months since returning from exile. Mohamed Nasheed, 51, made a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) securing more than two-thirds in the 87-member assembly. Nasheed promised to use his party's mandate to usher in a new era of stability and democracy in the Indian Ocean archipelago as it emerges from years of strongman rule, political crises and corruption scandals miring the government and judiciary. "Our foremost duty is to bring peace to the government", Nasheed told supporters in the capital Male on Sunday. Provisional results from the Elections Commission showed Nasheed's party won 68 seats with the Jamhooree Party a distant second, securing just seven. The party of former strongman president Abdulla Yameen trailed with only four. Nasheed's comprehensive victory was another rebuke for his arch-rival Yameen, who was dumped in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption and embezzlement allegations. Yameen did not run, but his party -- the Progressive Party of Maldives -- finished in third. The remaining seats were collected by minor parties and independents. Nasheed was barred from running in the presidential election but his former deputy, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged triumphant over Yameen. The former leader declared the days of "Rolex watches and Kohinoor are over", referring to high-profile scandals in the Maldives where MPs have allegedly been bought with luxury gifts, including gems. "The parliament you have elected today possesses integrity," said Nasheed, who won a seat in the People's Majlis, or parliament representing a constituency in the capital Male. "You desired to reform the general well-being of the nation... Hopefully, we will succeed in fulfilling your wishes." Nasheed also vowed to transform the Maldives, a popular honeymoon destination home to 340,000 Sunni Muslims, into a parliamentary democracy. An executive presidential system was adopted under political reforms in 2008 when dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom stood down after 30 years in power. Two of Gayoom's children contested this poll, but only one was successful in winning a seat. As the results trickled in Saturday, and Nasheed's victory was clearly within grasp, the dogged political veteran declared the Maldives was heading for "golden yellow dawn". Yellow is the colour of his party. Challenges ahead Election officials estimated the final turnout to be 80 per cent, less than the September presidential election but a record for a parliamentary poll. The official final results are expected later. President Solih, who has promised to investigate corruption allegations against Yameen, thanked voters for delivering "a huge majority" for the MDP. "While we celebrate, we must also not forget the immense challenges that lie ahead of us," he said in a statement. Election commissioner Ahmed Shareef told reporters there had been no complaints of irregularities in the run up to the vote, during balloting or at the count. The thumping MDP victory caps a remarkable comeback for Nasheed, who until November was a fugitive in exile. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years prison in 2015 but left the Maldives a year later, after being granted prison leave for medical treatment in Britain. The charges were dropped by the Supreme Court after Solih toppled Yameen, with judges saying there was no basis for the charges. International rights groups had decried the terrorism conviction, imposed while Yameen was in power, as politically motivated and unjustified. The Maldives was on the verge of being slapped with Western-led sanctions before Solih won the presidential election on a pledge to end corruption in the country, best known for its luxury tourism. Nasheed has also opposed heavy borrowing from China under Yameen's administration, accusing the former strongman of mortgaging the island paradise to Beijing for infrastructure projects.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed makes comeback with landslide win for party

The exiled former leader of the Maldives has led his party to a landslide victory only five months after returning to the country, preliminary results showed Sunday.

Ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, 51, was set for a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party headed for a two-thirds majority in the 87-member assembly.

Saturday's poll was the first test of public opinion since autocratic former president and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-ex-leader-abdulla-yameen-makes-comeback-in-landmark-vote-208324">Nasheed's arch-rival Abdulla Yameen was forced to stand down</a> after his five-year term, facing charges of money laundering and embezzlement.

Nasheed returned to the country after his former deputy President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won an unexpected victory in September presidential elections for the MDP. Yameen had barred Nasheed from contesting.

Preliminary results from Saturday's election showed the MDP winning 50 out of the 87 seats, while private media reports projected the party eventually getting up to 68 seats.

"The Maldives is about to welcome new dawn, golden yellow dawn," Nasheed told his supporters in Male on Saturday. Yellow is the colour of his party.

Election officials estimated the final turnout to be between 70 and 80 per cent, down from the 89 per cent recorded at the September presidential election which unexpectedly toppled Yameen.

Nasheed, now set to take over the leadership of the legislature, has promised to turn the country into a parliamentary democracy by scrapping the executive presidential system adopted under political reforms in 2008.

President Solih said in a statement that the MDP had "secured a huge majority in Majlis (parliament)".

"While we celebrate, we must also not forget the immense challenges that lie ahead of us," he said.

Solih campaigned for the MDP asking voters to return a parliament that could work with him to deliver on his election promises in September to investigate corruption under Yameen.

While Yameen was not a candidate, his Progressive Party of Maldives was seen as the main challenger to the MDP -- but ended up with a poor showing, and is projected to get only four seats.

Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on a controversial terrorism charge when Yameen was in power. However, the conviction was overturned last year after the presidency changed.

Election commissioner Ahmed Shareef told reporters there had been no complaints of irregularities in the runup to the vote, during balloting or at the count.

The Maldives was on the verge of being slapped with Western-led sanctions before Solih won the presidential election on a pledge to end corruption in the country best known for its luxury tourism.&nbsp;

The exiled former leader of the Maldives has led his party to a landslide victory only five months after returning to the country, preliminary results showed Sunday.

The exiled former leader of the Maldives has led his party to a landslide victory only five months after returning to the country, preliminary results showed Sunday. Ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, 51, was set for a dramatic return to the top of the national parliament, with his Maldivian Democratic Party headed for a two-thirds majority in the 87-member assembly. Saturday's poll was the first test of public opinion since autocratic former president and Nasheed's arch-rival Abdulla Yameen was forced to stand down after his five-year term, facing charges of money laundering and embezzlement. Nasheed returned to the country after his former deputy President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won an unexpected victory in September presidential elections for the MDP. Yameen had barred Nasheed from contesting. Preliminary results from Saturday's election showed the MDP winning 50 out of the 87 seats, while private media reports projected the party eventually getting up to 68 seats. "The Maldives is about to welcome new dawn, golden yellow dawn," Nasheed told his supporters in Male on Saturday. Yellow is the colour of his party. Election officials estimated the final turnout to be between 70 and 80 per cent, down from the 89 per cent recorded at the September presidential election which unexpectedly toppled Yameen. Nasheed, now set to take over the leadership of the legislature, has promised to turn the country into a parliamentary democracy by scrapping the executive presidential system adopted under political reforms in 2008. President Solih said in a statement that the MDP had "secured a huge majority in Majlis (parliament)". "While we celebrate, we must also not forget the immense challenges that lie ahead of us," he said. Solih campaigned for the MDP asking voters to return a parliament that could work with him to deliver on his election promises in September to investigate corruption under Yameen. While Yameen was not a candidate, his Progressive Party of Maldives was seen as the main challenger to the MDP -- but ended up with a poor showing, and is projected to get only four seats. Nasheed was jailed for 13 years on a controversial terrorism charge when Yameen was in power. However, the conviction was overturned last year after the presidency changed. Election commissioner Ahmed Shareef told reporters there had been no complaints of irregularities in the runup to the vote, during balloting or at the count. The Maldives was on the verge of being slapped with Western-led sanctions before Solih won the presidential election on a pledge to end corruption in the country best known for its luxury tourism.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed makes comeback with landslide win

The Maldives on Monday reaffirmed its "India-First Policy, saying it looks forward to working closely with India on all issues and will remain sensitive towards its security and strategic concerns as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership.

The Maldivian leaders also expressed commitment to support India's efforts to combat terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, and crimes such as piracy, organised crime, narcotic drugs and human trafficking.

Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the strategically located Indian Ocean island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year.

She held talks with President Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, former President Mohamed Nasheed and other top leaders.

The External Affairs Minister and Solih took stock of the progress made in bilateral relations since his visit to India in December 2018.

Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Shahid during their meeting on Sunday discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and also noted the number of high-level exchanges, between the two countries over the past three months.

They recalled the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Solih in November as well as his visit to India in December.&nbsp;

The bilateral talks between the Foreign Ministers were followed by a joint ministerial meeting in which Swaraj held discussions with Shahid, Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer and other ministers.

She also met Maldivian Home Minister Imran Abdulla on Monday and discussed steps to continue the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship. 
"Foreign Minister Shahid reiterated his government's "India-First Policy'' and said that his Government looks forward to working closely with the Government of India on all issues. He also reiterated that the Government of Maldives would remain sensitive towards India's security and strategic concerns, " according to a joint statement.

Maldives is an important country for India's maritime security and there have been concerns in India over China's growing influence over the country in the last few years.&nbsp;

The two foreign ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region, and to strengthen coordination in enhancing regional maritime security.

Shahid expressed the commitment of the Maldives to support efforts to combat terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, and crimes such as piracy, organised crime, narcotic drugs and human trafficking.

They reiterated the importance of an effective multilateral system as a key factor in tackling global challenges and agreed on the need to pursue reform of the main UN bodies, including the General Assembly, and the UN Security Council.

The Maldivian side expressed its support for India's candidature for permanent membership of an expanded and reformed UNSC. The Maldivian side also reiterated support for India's candidature for non-permanent seat for the year 2020-21.

The two sides signed three agreements, including on exemption from visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports, an MoU regarding Indian grant assistance for implementation of high impact community development projects through local bodies and a pact on collaboration in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Shahid thanked India for its support towards the renovation of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), which stands as an enduring symbol of friendship between the two countries. The IGMH is the first and largest government healthcare facility in the Maldives, built with Indian assistance.

Shahid also thanked India for providing financial assistance in the form of budgetary support, currency swap, and concessional lines of credit to the island nation.

Welcoming the increase in trade volume over the past few years, both foreign ministers agreed to improve connectivity as a means to promote the exchange of goods and services, culture, and people.

The ministers also agreed on the need to boost private sector involvement, and to hold the Maldives-India Business Forum in 2019.

Shahid expressed the government's appreciation for the continued support extended from India towards the development of human resources, including capacity building programmes, and provision of training and scholarship opportunities.

He highlighted in particular, the 1000 additional slots over the next five years for training and capacity building, announced during the State Visit of President Solih to India.

Highlighting the importance of combating the impacts of climate change, especially detrimental to developing countries, including Small Island Developing States, the Foreign Ministers agreed on the need to strengthen the global response to climate change, through multilateral forums including the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, the statement said.

Swaraj reiterated that India attaches the highest importance to its relationship with Maldives, which is marked by trust, transparency, mutual understanding, and sensitivity.

She said that in line with the Government of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, India stands ready to fully support the Government of Maldives in its socio-economic development.

The Maldives on Monday reaffirmed its "India-First Policy, saying it looks forward to working closely with India on all issues and will remain sensitive towards its security and strategic concerns as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership.

The Maldives on Monday reaffirmed its "India-First Policy, saying it looks forward to working closely with India on all issues and will remain sensitive towards its security and strategic concerns as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership. The Maldivian leaders also expressed commitment to support India's efforts to combat terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, and crimes such as piracy, organised crime, narcotic drugs and human trafficking. Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the strategically located Indian Ocean island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year. She held talks with President Solih, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, former President Mohamed Nasheed and other top leaders. The External Affairs Minister and Solih took stock of the progress made in bilateral relations since his visit to India in December 2018. Swaraj and her Maldivian counterpart Shahid during their meeting on Sunday discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and also noted the number of high-level exchanges, between the two countries over the past three months. They recalled the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Solih in November as well as his visit to India in December. The bilateral talks between the Foreign Ministers were followed by a joint ministerial meeting in which Swaraj held discussions with Shahid, Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, Finance Minister Ibrahim Ameer and other ministers. She also met Maldivian Home Minister Imran Abdulla on Monday and discussed steps to continue the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship. "Foreign Minister Shahid reiterated his government's "India-First Policy'' and said that his Government looks forward to working closely with the Government of India on all issues. He also reiterated that the Government of Maldives would remain sensitive towards India's security and strategic concerns, " according to a joint statement. Maldives is an important country for India's maritime security and there have been concerns in India over China's growing influence over the country in the last few years. The two foreign ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region, and to strengthen coordination in enhancing regional maritime security. Shahid expressed the commitment of the Maldives to support efforts to combat terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, and crimes such as piracy, organised crime, narcotic drugs and human trafficking. They reiterated the importance of an effective multilateral system as a key factor in tackling global challenges and agreed on the need to pursue reform of the main UN bodies, including the General Assembly, and the UN Security Council. The Maldivian side expressed its support for India's candidature for permanent membership of an expanded and reformed UNSC. The Maldivian side also reiterated support for India's candidature for non-permanent seat for the year 2020-21. The two sides signed three agreements, including on exemption from visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and official passports, an MoU regarding Indian grant assistance for implementation of high impact community development projects through local bodies and a pact on collaboration in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Shahid thanked India for its support towards the renovation of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), which stands as an enduring symbol of friendship between the two countries. The IGMH is the first and largest government healthcare facility in the Maldives, built with Indian assistance. Shahid also thanked India for providing financial assistance in the form of budgetary support, currency swap, and concessional lines of credit to the island nation. Welcoming the increase in trade volume over the past few years, both foreign ministers agreed to improve connectivity as a means to promote the exchange of goods and services, culture, and people. The ministers also agreed on the need to boost private sector involvement, and to hold the Maldives-India Business Forum in 2019. Shahid expressed the government's appreciation for the continued support extended from India towards the development of human resources, including capacity building programmes, and provision of training and scholarship opportunities. He highlighted in particular, the 1000 additional slots over the next five years for training and capacity building, announced during the State Visit of President Solih to India. Highlighting the importance of combating the impacts of climate change, especially detrimental to developing countries, including Small Island Developing States, the Foreign Ministers agreed on the need to strengthen the global response to climate change, through multilateral forums including the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, the statement said. Swaraj reiterated that India attaches the highest importance to its relationship with Maldives, which is marked by trust, transparency, mutual understanding, and sensitivity. She said that in line with the Government of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, India stands ready to fully support the Government of Maldives in its socio-economic development.

Will remain sensitive towards India's security, strategic concerns: Maldives

The island nation Maldives plunged into chaos after former president Abdulla Yameen declared an emergency earlier this year.

On February 5, Yameen imposed a 15-day-long emergency after a Supreme Court ruling quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders.

During the restrictions, Yameen’s administration arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and a Supreme Court administrator on charges of trying to overthrow the government, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The Supreme court went on to reverse its decision to quash the convictions of the opposition leaders.

The state of emergency in the island nation went on for over a month, precisely for 45 days, until Yameen finally lifted the restriction on March 22.&nbsp;

Rights group Amnesty International had said the Maldivian government was using the emergency “as a licence for repression, targeting members of civil society, judges and political opponents”.

Since then, Yameen’s ruling coalition enacted laws without a required quorum in parliament, approved by the Supreme Court after its chief justice was arrested in February for alleged corruption under emergency regulations.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in August called for greater democracy and the restoration of an independent judiciary in the Maldives.

A report by a European think tank, described the political situation in the Maldives under Yameen as "worse than had been previously understood and continues to deteriorate."

A number of electoral laws were amended by the government, with only 34 out of the 85 Members of Parliament voting for the passing of the amendments, making it unconstitutional, the report added.

In June, the Maldivian Opposition parties agreed to field a joint candidate for the presidential elections that were held in September.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mohamed-nasheed-maldives-fighter-politician-and-champion-of-earth-184556">Former president Mohamed Nasheed</a>, who was in exile, announced that he won't contest the presidential polls. Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) parliamentary leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was named as the common candidate for the general elections.&nbsp;

After polls were conducted on September 23, results released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 per cent of the vote, well behind MDP's Solih on 58.3 per cent -- the only other name on ballot papers.&nbsp;

Yameen called for nationwide protests over alleged vote rigging but later conceded defeated.&nbsp;

“Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results. I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him,” Yameen said in a televised press conference.

"I did everything I had to do on behalf of the majority of Maldivians or in the interests of the nation. So, even today, I won't say I regret it," Yameen added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-president-ibrahim-solih-a-reformer-who-must-hold-together-a-diverse-coalition-184835">Ibrahim Mohamed Solih</a>, in November, was sworn in as the new Maldivian president.&nbsp;

Veteran lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih overcame the detention and exile of key opposition figures to win this year's presidential poll and unseat incumbent Abdulla Yameen, but he must now keep together a coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed, both former presidents.

The island nation Maldives plunged into chaos after former president Abdulla Yameen declared an emergency earlier this year. On February 5, Yameen imposed a 15-day-long emergency after a Supreme Court ruling quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders.

The island nation Maldives plunged into chaos after former president Abdulla Yameen declared an emergency earlier this year. On February 5, Yameen imposed a 15-day-long emergency after a Supreme Court ruling quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders. During the restrictions, Yameen’s administration arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge and a Supreme Court administrator on charges of trying to overthrow the government, news agency Reuters reported. The Supreme court went on to reverse its decision to quash the convictions of the opposition leaders. The state of emergency in the island nation went on for over a month, precisely for 45 days, until Yameen finally lifted the restriction on March 22. Rights group Amnesty International had said the Maldivian government was using the emergency “as a licence for repression, targeting members of civil society, judges and political opponents”. Since then, Yameen’s ruling coalition enacted laws without a required quorum in parliament, approved by the Supreme Court after its chief justice was arrested in February for alleged corruption under emergency regulations. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in August called for greater democracy and the restoration of an independent judiciary in the Maldives. A report by a European think tank, described the political situation in the Maldives under Yameen as "worse than had been previously understood and continues to deteriorate." A number of electoral laws were amended by the government, with only 34 out of the 85 Members of Parliament voting for the passing of the amendments, making it unconstitutional, the report added. In June, the Maldivian Opposition parties agreed to field a joint candidate for the presidential elections that were held in September. Former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was in exile, announced that he won't contest the presidential polls. Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) parliamentary leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was named as the common candidate for the general elections. After polls were conducted on September 23, results released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 per cent of the vote, well behind MDP's Solih on 58.3 per cent -- the only other name on ballot papers. Yameen called for nationwide protests over alleged vote rigging but later conceded defeated. “Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results. I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him,” Yameen said in a televised press conference. "I did everything I had to do on behalf of the majority of Maldivians or in the interests of the nation. So, even today, I won't say I regret it," Yameen added. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in November, was sworn in as the new Maldivian president. Veteran lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih overcame the detention and exile of key opposition figures to win this year's presidential poll and unseat incumbent Abdulla Yameen, but he must now keep together a coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed, both former presidents.

Maldivian political chaos: 45 days of emergency that shook the island nation 

Former Maldivian President, also the first to be elected democratically, Mohamed Nasheed's returned to the country last month after the Maldivian top court overturned a terrorism conviction against him. Nasheed returned to the island nation after being in exile for nearly two years.&nbsp;

Nasheed can aptly be called quite significant to the political fabric of the Maldives. The 2003 Maldives civil unrest was a product of the public rage that erupted after an investigation, that Nasheed has pressed for, revealed that a 19-year-old prisoner was tortured to death in Maafushi jail.&nbsp;

Nasheed's political journey has been a tough one, marred by many controversies that had him spend a considerable amount of his life in prison. Nasheed's critical views on former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's regime landed him in jail multiple times, reports suggest he was jailed over twenty times under Gayoom's rule.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I have been charged and imprisoned over 14 times, mostly for writing dissenting journalism. Congratulations to President Gayoom for receiving the honour marking the Diamond Jubilee of Maldives Journalism.
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1072808625528164353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Born on 17 May 1967 in Malé, Maldives, Nasheed earned his education in the Maldives and in Sri Lanka before leaving for the United Kingdom where he studied maritime studies.

He was elected to the Maldivian parliament in the year 2000. Nasheed went into an exile to the United Kingdom in 2003 and formed the Maldivian Democratic Party. The British government recognised him as a political refugee. He returned to the country after over a year but was arrested again while holding a demonstration with MDP supporters in 2005.

Former Amnesty prisoner of conscience, Nasheed has been identified as a pro-democracy leader who feels deeply for environmental concerns. In 2008, he managed to overthrow the nearly three-decade-long rule of former president Gayoom in nation's first democratic polls.&nbsp;

During his presidency, Nasheed vowed to turn the Maldives carbon-neutral in the coming decade and held the world's first-ever underwater cabinet meeting. The United Nations awarded him its most prestigious &nbsp;environmental award, 'Champion of the Earth.'

But Nasheed's effort of achieving democratic stability at home was shortlived as Opposition-led protests began taking shape. His own cabinet resigned in 2010, Nasheed claimed that the Opposition was making it impossible to govern.&nbsp;

In 2012, anti-government protests gripped the island nation after Nasheed ordered the arrest of Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed. After ongoing protests and constitutional crisis, Nasheed, in a nationwide broadcast, announced his resignation.&nbsp;

In March 2015, Nasheed was convicted on a terrorism charge and sentenced to 13 years at Maafushi jail over Abdulla Mohamed's arrest. Amnesty International called the conviction as "politically motivated." Nasheed took political asylum in the United Kingdom in 2016.&nbsp;

In 2017, Nasheed vowed to return to the Maldives and contest presidential polls against President Abdulla Yameen whose refusal to comply with the court’s order to release political prisoners drew international criticism.

Nasheed was barred from contesting the September 23 poll. The elections were won by his party's nominee Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who crushed Yameen's five-year rule.

In November, the Maldives top court overturned the terrorism conviction against Nasheed stating that the former president was wrongfully charged and should not have been convicted in the 2015 trial.

"President Nasheed's entire trial was a politically-motivated sham," his lawyer, Hisaan Hussein, said after his conviction was quashed.

"It is appalling that an innocent man was unjustly forced to spend a year in jail, 35 months in exile, and was prevented from standing for political office."

Nasheed's appeal against his 13-year jail sentence had languished before the courts for years and came through only recently when the case reopened after Yameen's defeat. &nbsp;

Shortly after returning to his motherland, Nasheed seemed to have resumed his effort as an environmental campaigner. &nbsp;

The newly-elected Maldivian president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, invited Nasheed to head the country's negotiating delegation at the Katowice talks in Poland. The talks are aimed at agreeing on rules for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We must cease the dinosaur language of climate change, begging the greatest polluters to cut carbon emissions on ethical grounds. We must demand robust investment in clean &amp; renewable energy to end investment in and consumption of fossil fuels. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COP24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COP24</a>
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1073114556845547521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-tells-un-climate-talks-we-are-not-prepared-to-die-183833">In Poland, Nasheed stated</a> that everything in power will be done to combat the climate crisis. He also said that not much progress has been made "almost 10 years since" he was last at these climate negotiations.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I welcome outcome of COP24. The world has agreed that all nations must commit to new emissions targets by 2020. Maldives will play its part and submit its new target next year, in line with 1.5 degrees and GoM’s intention to rapidly shift to solar power. <a href="https://t.co/ttafMDDJq4">https://t.co/ttafMDDJq4</a>
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/1074253474014027776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"But almost 10 years since I was last at these climate negotiations, I must say, nothing much seems to have changed. We are still using the same old, dinosaur language," he said.

Former Maldivian President, also the first to be elected democratically, Mohamed Nasheed's returned to the country last month after the Maldivian top court overturned a terrorism conviction against him.

Former Maldivian President, also the first to be elected democratically, Mohamed Nasheed's returned to the country last month after the Maldivian top court overturned a terrorism conviction against him. Nasheed returned to the island nation after being in exile for nearly two years. Nasheed can aptly be called quite significant to the political fabric of the Maldives. The 2003 Maldives civil unrest was a product of the public rage that erupted after an investigation, that Nasheed has pressed for, revealed that a 19-year-old prisoner was tortured to death in Maafushi jail. Nasheed's political journey has been a tough one, marred by many controversies that had him spend a considerable amount of his life in prison. Nasheed's critical views on former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's regime landed him in jail multiple times, reports suggest he was jailed over twenty times under Gayoom's rule. I have been charged and imprisoned over 14 times, mostly for writing dissenting journalism. Congratulations to President Gayoom for receiving the honour marking the Diamond Jubilee of Maldives Journalism. — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) December 12, 2018 × Born on 17 May 1967 in Malé, Maldives, Nasheed earned his education in the Maldives and in Sri Lanka before leaving for the United Kingdom where he studied maritime studies. He was elected to the Maldivian parliament in the year 2000. Nasheed went into an exile to the United Kingdom in 2003 and formed the Maldivian Democratic Party. The British government recognised him as a political refugee. He returned to the country after over a year but was arrested again while holding a demonstration with MDP supporters in 2005. Former Amnesty prisoner of conscience, Nasheed has been identified as a pro-democracy leader who feels deeply for environmental concerns. In 2008, he managed to overthrow the nearly three-decade-long rule of former president Gayoom in nation's first democratic polls. During his presidency, Nasheed vowed to turn the Maldives carbon-neutral in the coming decade and held the world's first-ever underwater cabinet meeting. The United Nations awarded him its most prestigious environmental award, 'Champion of the Earth.' But Nasheed's effort of achieving democratic stability at home was shortlived as Opposition-led protests began taking shape. His own cabinet resigned in 2010, Nasheed claimed that the Opposition was making it impossible to govern. In 2012, anti-government protests gripped the island nation after Nasheed ordered the arrest of Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed. After ongoing protests and constitutional crisis, Nasheed, in a nationwide broadcast, announced his resignation. In March 2015, Nasheed was convicted on a terrorism charge and sentenced to 13 years at Maafushi jail over Abdulla Mohamed's arrest. Amnesty International called the conviction as "politically motivated." Nasheed took political asylum in the United Kingdom in 2016. In 2017, Nasheed vowed to return to the Maldives and contest presidential polls against President Abdulla Yameen whose refusal to comply with the court’s order to release political prisoners drew international criticism. Nasheed was barred from contesting the September 23 poll. The elections were won by his party's nominee Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who crushed Yameen's five-year rule. In November, the Maldives top court overturned the terrorism conviction against Nasheed stating that the former president was wrongfully charged and should not have been convicted in the 2015 trial. "President Nasheed's entire trial was a politically-motivated sham," his lawyer, Hisaan Hussein, said after his conviction was quashed. "It is appalling that an innocent man was unjustly forced to spend a year in jail, 35 months in exile, and was prevented from standing for political office." Nasheed's appeal against his 13-year jail sentence had languished before the courts for years and came through only recently when the case reopened after Yameen's defeat. Shortly after returning to his motherland, Nasheed seemed to have resumed his effort as an environmental campaigner. The newly-elected Maldivian president, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, invited Nasheed to head the country's negotiating delegation at the Katowice talks in Poland. The talks are aimed at agreeing on rules for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. We must cease the dinosaur language of climate change, begging the greatest polluters to cut carbon emissions on ethical grounds. We must demand robust investment in clean & renewable energy to end investment in and consumption of fossil fuels. #COP24 — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) December 13, 2018 × In Poland, Nasheed stated that everything in power will be done to combat the climate crisis. He also said that not much progress has been made "almost 10 years since" he was last at these climate negotiations. I welcome outcome of COP24. The world has agreed that all nations must commit to new emissions targets by 2020. Maldives will play its part and submit its new target next year, in line with 1.5 degrees and GoM’s intention to rapidly shift to solar power. https://t.co/ttafMDDJq4 — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) December 16, 2018 × "But almost 10 years since I was last at these climate negotiations, I must say, nothing much seems to have changed. We are still using the same old, dinosaur language," he said.

Mohamed Nasheed: Maldives' fighter-politician and 'Champion of Earth'

In a big relief to the former President of Maldives, the top court acquitted former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday as it&nbsp;quashed the controversial terror charge&nbsp;against him.

"President Nasheed's entire trial was a politically-motivated sham," his lawyer, Hisaan Hussein, said after his conviction was quashed.

"It is appalling that an innocent man was unjustly forced to spend a year in jail, 35 months in exile, and was prevented from standing for political office."

Nasheed, the leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, was expected to contest the September poll but was barred on account of his terrorism conviction.

His party's nominee, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, ran and unexpectedly defeated Yameen despite curbs on opposition campaigning.

The Amnesty International had described&nbsp;the arrest as "politically motivated", and the United States Department of State expressed concern at "apparent lack of appropriate criminal procedures during the trial".

The 51-year-old leader has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad while serving the jail sentence.&nbsp;

However, in November this year, Nasheed came back to the Maldives from exile after&nbsp;the top court ruled against the arrest and said that he will not be detained until his appeal against the jail sentence&nbsp;is heard.

In a big relief to the former President of Maldives, the top court acquitted former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday as it quashed the controversial terror charge against him.

In a big relief to the former President of Maldives, the top court acquitted former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday as it quashed the controversial terror charge against him. "President Nasheed's entire trial was a politically-motivated sham," his lawyer, Hisaan Hussein, said after his conviction was quashed. "It is appalling that an innocent man was unjustly forced to spend a year in jail, 35 months in exile, and was prevented from standing for political office." Nasheed, the leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, was expected to contest the September poll but was barred on account of his terrorism conviction. His party's nominee, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, ran and unexpectedly defeated Yameen despite curbs on opposition campaigning. The Amnesty International had described the arrest as "politically motivated", and the United States Department of State expressed concern at "apparent lack of appropriate criminal procedures during the trial". The 51-year-old leader has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad while serving the jail sentence. However, in November this year, Nasheed came back to the Maldives from exile after the top court ruled against the arrest and said that he will not be detained until his appeal against the jail sentence is heard.

Maldives Supreme Court acquits former president Mohamed Nasheed

One week after taking power, the new government of the Maldives says it has no idea how much it owes China, which has led a construction spree in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, but fears the debts run up in the past five years could be unsustainable.

Mohamed Nasheed, a former president now serving as an adviser to new President Mohamed Ibrahim Solih, said that the Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, Zhang Lizhong, handed the government an invoice for $3.2 billion - equivalent to around $8,000 for every inhabitant of the archipelago. China denies that, however, and says the number is closer to $1.5 billion.

"It was an invoice. It just had a figure, $3.2 billion. It was shocking," said Nasheed. "It wasn't just a conversation, it was a written note handed over, it was clear, you owe us this much."

Nasheed said Zhang gave Solih the note at a meeting on Oct. 6, days after his stunning election victory over former President Abdulla Yameen. He did not give further details of exactly how the note was worded.

Asked about Nasheed's comments, China's Foreign Ministry said that its ambassador in the Maldives had rejected "this untruth" in statements to local media, referring to an interview with news website Avas in which Zhang was quoted as saying reports of debt of around $3 billion were "deeply exaggerated".

China has underwritten millions of dollars in loans for infrastructure in the Maldives, located along its busy shipping route to the Middle East.

But the unprecedented building boom in the island chain of around 400,000 people - known for its white sand beaches and luminous cyan water - stoked fears it was loading up on debt and prompted a strident opposition campaign that helped Solih defeat Yameen in an election in September.

CONFLICTING FIGURES

After taking office at the weekend, Solih's administration has said the country's finances are in worse shape than expected, and that it will take weeks or months to untangle details of all the deals struck with Chinese firms.

"We are at a loss to understand how much we really owe to China," said Nasheed.

"Direct debt, or direct bilateral government-to-government debt is one thing, but there is on top of that sovereign guarantees for the private sector. And there is also on top of that our state-owned enterprises who have gone into debt."

Yameen could not be reached for comment. But he said during the campaign that more work had occurred over the last few years than at any point in the past, and for that, he had taken on debt.

"Years of development have come during a short period of four or five years. But if we didn't take on debt as I said, and waited to do it with the income the Maldives earns this wouldn't have been possible," he said.

In the Avas interview, Zhang said the Maldives' debt to China was $600 million to construct a sea bridge linking the capital Male with the airport, expand the airport, and build residential tower blocks on land reclaimed from the sea. Another $900 million had been earmarked as commercial loans to some state-owned companies to fund projects from power to housing, the ambassador said, but much of that had not yet been issued.

That was broadly supported by the governor of the Maldives central bank in testimony before the parliament's public finance committee on Wednesday, in which he estimated the country's liabilities to China at $1.5 billion.

Maldives Monetary Authority' Governor Ahmed Naseer, who was appointed by the previous government, said he believed a total of government-to-government debt from China amounted to $600 million. The remaining $900 million was an estimate of loans financed by Chinese banks with sovereign guarantees from the Maldives government, he said.

Nasheed said the Chinese ambassador's public statements were at variance with what the Chinese side had conveyed to Solih. The ambassador had since requested a meeting with him, he said.

Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid said on Thursday he planned to visit China soon to discuss bilateral issues.

SOVEREIGN GUARANTEES

An official who was in Solih's transition team and who joined the government this week said he too had been told about the Chinese note submitted last month, and that the figure may have swelled because of sovereign guarantees that were given.

"We are trying to unravel this. It looks like lots of IOUs were issued, pieces of paper. We are trying to find out, how many and to whom," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

With annual revenues of $1.5 billion and an annual gross domestic product of around $3.9 billion, it would be hard for the Maldives to service such a high debt, another incoming official, who is reviewing the liabilities of state-run enterprises, said.

"We cannot go into default. We will face a default situation if we agree the debt to be what the sovereign guarantees are saying," the official said, asking not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.

Signs of the infrastructure boom are everywhere in Male, from where tourists are whisked off in high-speed boats to luxury resorts built on atolls.

Yameen also leased Chinese developers an unspecified number of islands to build resorts for tourists, a fifth of whom are Chinese, in a dramatic expansion of ties since Beijing opened its embassy in the Maldives eight years ago.

"We would like to reiterate, mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Maldives takes place on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and has already achieved results that are plain for all to see, and has been welcomed by the people of the Maldives," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"We believe that under the leadership of the new Maldives government, China-Maldives friendly cooperation will continue to advance, and will keep making new achievements."

One week after taking power, the new government of the Maldives says it has no idea how much it owes China, which has led a construction spree in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, but fears the debts run up in the past five years could be unsustainable.

One week after taking power, the new government of the Maldives says it has no idea how much it owes China, which has led a construction spree in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, but fears the debts run up in the past five years could be unsustainable. Mohamed Nasheed, a former president now serving as an adviser to new President Mohamed Ibrahim Solih, said that the Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, Zhang Lizhong, handed the government an invoice for $3.2 billion - equivalent to around $8,000 for every inhabitant of the archipelago. China denies that, however, and says the number is closer to $1.5 billion. "It was an invoice. It just had a figure, $3.2 billion. It was shocking," said Nasheed. "It wasn't just a conversation, it was a written note handed over, it was clear, you owe us this much." Nasheed said Zhang gave Solih the note at a meeting on Oct. 6, days after his stunning election victory over former President Abdulla Yameen. He did not give further details of exactly how the note was worded. Asked about Nasheed's comments, China's Foreign Ministry said that its ambassador in the Maldives had rejected "this untruth" in statements to local media, referring to an interview with news website Avas in which Zhang was quoted as saying reports of debt of around $3 billion were "deeply exaggerated". China has underwritten millions of dollars in loans for infrastructure in the Maldives, located along its busy shipping route to the Middle East. But the unprecedented building boom in the island chain of around 400,000 people - known for its white sand beaches and luminous cyan water - stoked fears it was loading up on debt and prompted a strident opposition campaign that helped Solih defeat Yameen in an election in September. CONFLICTING FIGURES After taking office at the weekend, Solih's administration has said the country's finances are in worse shape than expected, and that it will take weeks or months to untangle details of all the deals struck with Chinese firms. "We are at a loss to understand how much we really owe to China," said Nasheed. "Direct debt, or direct bilateral government-to-government debt is one thing, but there is on top of that sovereign guarantees for the private sector. And there is also on top of that our state-owned enterprises who have gone into debt." Yameen could not be reached for comment. But he said during the campaign that more work had occurred over the last few years than at any point in the past, and for that, he had taken on debt. "Years of development have come during a short period of four or five years. But if we didn't take on debt as I said, and waited to do it with the income the Maldives earns this wouldn't have been possible," he said. In the Avas interview, Zhang said the Maldives' debt to China was $600 million to construct a sea bridge linking the capital Male with the airport, expand the airport, and build residential tower blocks on land reclaimed from the sea. Another $900 million had been earmarked as commercial loans to some state-owned companies to fund projects from power to housing, the ambassador said, but much of that had not yet been issued. That was broadly supported by the governor of the Maldives central bank in testimony before the parliament's public finance committee on Wednesday, in which he estimated the country's liabilities to China at $1.5 billion. Maldives Monetary Authority' Governor Ahmed Naseer, who was appointed by the previous government, said he believed a total of government-to-government debt from China amounted to $600 million. The remaining $900 million was an estimate of loans financed by Chinese banks with sovereign guarantees from the Maldives government, he said. Nasheed said the Chinese ambassador's public statements were at variance with what the Chinese side had conveyed to Solih. The ambassador had since requested a meeting with him, he said. Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid said on Thursday he planned to visit China soon to discuss bilateral issues. SOVEREIGN GUARANTEES An official who was in Solih's transition team and who joined the government this week said he too had been told about the Chinese note submitted last month, and that the figure may have swelled because of sovereign guarantees that were given. "We are trying to unravel this. It looks like lots of IOUs were issued, pieces of paper. We are trying to find out, how many and to whom," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. With annual revenues of $1.5 billion and an annual gross domestic product of around $3.9 billion, it would be hard for the Maldives to service such a high debt, another incoming official, who is reviewing the liabilities of state-run enterprises, said. "We cannot go into default. We will face a default situation if we agree the debt to be what the sovereign guarantees are saying," the official said, asking not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to reporters. Signs of the infrastructure boom are everywhere in Male, from where tourists are whisked off in high-speed boats to luxury resorts built on atolls. Yameen also leased Chinese developers an unspecified number of islands to build resorts for tourists, a fifth of whom are Chinese, in a dramatic expansion of ties since Beijing opened its embassy in the Maldives eight years ago. "We would like to reiterate, mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Maldives takes place on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and has already achieved results that are plain for all to see, and has been welcomed by the people of the Maldives," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters. "We believe that under the leadership of the new Maldives government, China-Maldives friendly cooperation will continue to advance, and will keep making new achievements."

After building spree, just how much does the Maldives owe China?

China believes the Maldives will make the "correct choice" to continue with a bilateral free trade deal, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, after a Maldives politician said the tiny nation would pull out of the pact.

Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance, told Reuters this week that it was a mistake to strike such a deal with the world's second biggest economy.

The Maldives parliament would not pass the law changes required for the zero tariffs agreement to come into force, he said.

His comments followed a warning from the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who took office on Saturday, that the Maldives was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing that the trade deal had undergone friendly and equal consultations, and that it is "mutually beneficial".

"Its early implementation will lead to early benefits for both sides. We believe the Maldives government will make the correct choice," Geng said, without elaborating.

Best-known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands, the Maldives is among a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building highways and housing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

The initiative aims to boost China's trade and investment flows with much of Asia and parts of the rest of the world. However, projects are facing opposition in some countries amid concerns about a debt trap that China has rejected.

Former Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, who lost the election in September, signed the trade deal during a December visit to Beijing. The Maldives parliament ratified the treaty despite opposition protests that he had rushed through the 1,000-page document in less than an hour without any debate.

Nasheed, a former president and now an adviser to Solih, has called the agreement a "one-way treaty" that favours China.

Critics in the Maldives say a China-led infrastructure boom has left the country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship.

Between January to August this year, the Maldives' imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were just $265,270, according to Maldives customs data.

China believes the Maldives will make the "correct choice" to continue with a bilateral free trade deal, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, after a Maldives politician said the tiny nation would pull out of the pact.

China believes the Maldives will make the "correct choice" to continue with a bilateral free trade deal, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, after a Maldives politician said the tiny nation would pull out of the pact. Mohamed Nasheed, the chief of the Maldivian Democratic Party, which leads the ruling federal alliance, told Reuters this week that it was a mistake to strike such a deal with the world's second biggest economy. The Maldives parliament would not pass the law changes required for the zero tariffs agreement to come into force, he said. His comments followed a warning from the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who took office on Saturday, that the Maldives was in financial difficulty after racking up debt with Chinese lenders. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing that the trade deal had undergone friendly and equal consultations, and that it is "mutually beneficial". "Its early implementation will lead to early benefits for both sides. We believe the Maldives government will make the correct choice," Geng said, without elaborating. Best-known for its luxury resorts on palm-fringed coral islands, the Maldives is among a number of small countries where China has invested billions of dollars building highways and housing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative aims to boost China's trade and investment flows with much of Asia and parts of the rest of the world. However, projects are facing opposition in some countries amid concerns about a debt trap that China has rejected. Former Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, who lost the election in September, signed the trade deal during a December visit to Beijing. The Maldives parliament ratified the treaty despite opposition protests that he had rushed through the 1,000-page document in less than an hour without any debate. Nasheed, a former president and now an adviser to Solih, has called the agreement a "one-way treaty" that favours China. Critics in the Maldives say a China-led infrastructure boom has left the country of a little more than 400,000 people debt-ridden, and a free trade pact would only make the situation worse given the lopsided nature of the relationship. Between January to August this year, the Maldives' imports from China were $342 million, while its exports to China were just $265,270, according to Maldives customs data.

We believe Maldives will make correct choice on trade deal: Chinese foreign ministry

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed returned home from exile Thursday, two days after the country's Supreme Court withdrew a warrant for his arrest.

Nasheed, who had been jailed for 13 years on a controversial terrorism charge, was welcomed at Male airport by president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hundreds of supporters.

It was not immediately clear what role he will have in the new government to be constituted by Solih this month.

The Supreme Court had ruled that Nasheed could not be detained until his appeal against the jail sentence for terrorism is heard.

The 51-year-old democracy champion has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad while serving the jail sentence.&nbsp;

He risked arrest if he ever returned to the Maldives under President Abdulla Yameen, who jailed or exiled most of his opponents.

However, the strongman leader suffered a surprise defeat last month in an election and must leave office on November 17. The president-elect is a nominee of Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Nasheed had hoped to run against Yameen but was barred by the election commission.

Since Yameen's defeat, political prisoners have been freed and exiles have returned from abroad as the Maldives prepares a transition to new leadership.

Elected president in the country's first democratic poll in 2008, Nasheed was found guilty of terrorism in 2015 in a trial the UN said was politically motivated.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed returned home from exile Thursday, two days after the country's Supreme Court withdrew a warrant for his arrest. Nasheed, who had been jailed for 13 years on a controversial terrorism charge, was welcomed at Male airport by president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hundreds of supporters.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed returned home from exile Thursday, two days after the country's Supreme Court withdrew a warrant for his arrest. Nasheed, who had been jailed for 13 years on a controversial terrorism charge, was welcomed at Male airport by president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hundreds of supporters. It was not immediately clear what role he will have in the new government to be constituted by Solih this month. The Supreme Court had ruled that Nasheed could not be detained until his appeal against the jail sentence for terrorism is heard. The 51-year-old democracy champion has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad while serving the jail sentence. He risked arrest if he ever returned to the Maldives under President Abdulla Yameen, who jailed or exiled most of his opponents. However, the strongman leader suffered a surprise defeat last month in an election and must leave office on November 17. The president-elect is a nominee of Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Nasheed had hoped to run against Yameen but was barred by the election commission. Since Yameen's defeat, political prisoners have been freed and exiles have returned from abroad as the Maldives prepares a transition to new leadership. Elected president in the country's first democratic poll in 2008, Nasheed was found guilty of terrorism in 2015 in a trial the UN said was politically motivated.

Maldives ex-leader Mohamed Nasheed ends exile

The Maldives top court suspended an arrest warrant for Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday, paving the way for the country's first democratically elected president to return from exile next month.

The Supreme Court ruled Nasheed could not be detained by police or prison authorities until his appeal against his controversial 13 year jail sentence for terrorism is heard.

Nasheed has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad.&nbsp;

He risked arrest if he ever returned to the Maldives under President Abdulla Yameen, who jailed or exiled most of his opponents.

But the strongman leader suffered a surprise defeat last month and vacates the top job on November 17.

"I will go to the Maldives on 1 November, come what may," Nasheed said at the start of October.

Nasheed, long de facto opposition leader from his base in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run against Yameen but was barred by the elections commission.

Instead an alternative candidate -- the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih -- was fielded and won, despite Yameen stifling opposition campaigning.

Since then, political prisoners have been freed and exiles have returned from abroad as the Maldives prepares to transition to new leadership.

Elected president in the Maldives first democratic poll in 2008, Nasheed was found guilty of terrorism in 2015 in a trial the UN said was politically motivated.

He was sentenced to 13 years behind bars but went into exile after leaving the Maldives for hospital treatment.

His appeal against the sentence has languished before the courts for many years.

The Maldives top court suspended an arrest warrant for Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday, paving the way for the country's first democratically elected president to return from exile next month.

The Maldives top court suspended an arrest warrant for Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday, paving the way for the country's first democratically elected president to return from exile next month. The Supreme Court ruled Nasheed could not be detained by police or prison authorities until his appeal against his controversial 13 year jail sentence for terrorism is heard. Nasheed has branded a fugitive from justice when he went into exile in 2016 after seeking medical treatment abroad. He risked arrest if he ever returned to the Maldives under President Abdulla Yameen, who jailed or exiled most of his opponents. But the strongman leader suffered a surprise defeat last month and vacates the top job on November 17. "I will go to the Maldives on 1 November, come what may," Nasheed said at the start of October. Nasheed, long de facto opposition leader from his base in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run against Yameen but was barred by the elections commission. Instead an alternative candidate -- the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih -- was fielded and won, despite Yameen stifling opposition campaigning. Since then, political prisoners have been freed and exiles have returned from abroad as the Maldives prepares to transition to new leadership. Elected president in the Maldives first democratic poll in 2008, Nasheed was found guilty of terrorism in 2015 in a trial the UN said was politically motivated. He was sentenced to 13 years behind bars but went into exile after leaving the Maldives for hospital treatment. His appeal against the sentence has languished before the courts for many years.

Court suspends arrest warrant of Maldives ex-leader Nasheed

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed on Friday asked India to exert its influence to ensure a free and fair election in the country as he fears that September 23 presidential polls could be rigged.&nbsp;

The Maldives on Sunday will hold its third-ever multiparty presidential election.

Opposition parties from across Maldivian politics have formed a united front to oust the president, Abdulla Yameen, whose government has been accused of crushing dissent, corruption and jailing electoral opponents on flimsy grounds.

They have nominated a senior MP, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, to run against Yameen.

Mohammad Nasheed, the country's first freely elected president after 30 years of authoritarian rule, told reporters in Colombo that "Yameen will lose the election, but he will hold onto power.&nbsp;

Nasheed, 51, was forced to quit his office in 2012 in what supporters&nbsp;regard as a coup, and was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a presidential poll the following year. He was convicted of terrorism in a dubious trial in 2015 and now lives in exile in Sri Lanka.

He urged the international community not to accept the result. He said that India must exert its influence to ensure a free and fair election.&nbsp;

He stressed the lack of credible international monitoring of the election.&nbsp; 
He said there was no chance for the incumbent to win the election due to all opposing parties getting together.&nbsp;

"Mathematically, it is not possible for Yameen to win because all opposition parties are united against him. But the results they will announce will be different to what is actually in the ballot boxes," he said.

"The election in the Maldives is not just about less than half a million Maldivians," Nasheed said. "It is also about the stability of the Indian Ocean region where there is a cold war between India and China."

Nasheed charged that Yameen was being backed by China which wants to retain its infrastructure contracts in the country.

The United Nations has branded Nasheed's conviction and the jailing for 13 years as politically motivated.

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed on Friday asked India to exert its influence to ensure a free and fair election in the country as he fears that September 23 presidential polls could be rigged.

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed on Friday asked India to exert its influence to ensure a free and fair election in the country as he fears that September 23 presidential polls could be rigged. The Maldives on Sunday will hold its third-ever multiparty presidential election. Opposition parties from across Maldivian politics have formed a united front to oust the president, Abdulla Yameen, whose government has been accused of crushing dissent, corruption and jailing electoral opponents on flimsy grounds. They have nominated a senior MP, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, to run against Yameen. Mohammad Nasheed, the country's first freely elected president after 30 years of authoritarian rule, told reporters in Colombo that "Yameen will lose the election, but he will hold onto power. Nasheed, 51, was forced to quit his office in 2012 in what supporters regard as a coup, and was narrowly defeated by Yameen in a presidential poll the following year. He was convicted of terrorism in a dubious trial in 2015 and now lives in exile in Sri Lanka. He urged the international community not to accept the result. He said that India must exert its influence to ensure a free and fair election. He stressed the lack of credible international monitoring of the election. He said there was no chance for the incumbent to win the election due to all opposing parties getting together. "Mathematically, it is not possible for Yameen to win because all opposition parties are united against him. But the results they will announce will be different to what is actually in the ballot boxes," he said. "The election in the Maldives is not just about less than half a million Maldivians," Nasheed said. "It is also about the stability of the Indian Ocean region where there is a cold war between India and China." Nasheed charged that Yameen was being backed by China which wants to retain its infrastructure contracts in the country. The United Nations has branded Nasheed's conviction and the jailing for 13 years as politically motivated.

Former Maldivian president Nasheed asks India to ensure free and fair election

Former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed met India&#39;s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.&nbsp;

The former President is in India to take part in a ceremony.

The opposition leader also posted a photo of the two on his Twitter handle and said they discussed the ongoing situation in the Maldives.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Pleasure to meet and brief Indian Minister of Defence H.E <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> on the situation in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Maldives</a>. <a href="https://t.co/tsj2qIObJs">pic.twitter.com/tsj2qIObJs</a>
&mdash; Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MohamedNasheed/status/965252085309730816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Nasheed, earlier, made a controversial public request for India to send a military-backed envoy to solve the political turmoil in the island nation.

The Maldives plunged into a major political crisis soon after the island nation&rsquo;s Supreme Court ordered the release of nine political prisoners, including exiled former President Nasheed, saying their trials were politically motivated and flawed.&nbsp;

It also overturned a previous ruling that disqualified 12 members of parliament after defection, giving the opposition a majority in the Majlis.

Country&rsquo;s current President, Abdulla Yameen, refused to comply with the judgement.&nbsp;

He declared a state of emergency, ordered the arrest of the chief justice, another judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Nasheed said they discussed the situation in the Maldives

Former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed met India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The former President is in India to take part in a ceremony. The opposition leader also posted a photo of the two on his Twitter handle and said they discussed the ongoing situation in the Maldives. Pleasure to meet and brief Indian Minister of Defence H.E @nsitharaman on the situation in the #Maldives. pic.twitter.com/tsj2qIObJs — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) February 18, 2018 × Nasheed, earlier, made a controversial public request for India to send a military-backed envoy to solve the political turmoil in the island nation. The Maldives plunged into a major political crisis soon after the island nation’s Supreme Court ordered the release of nine political prisoners, including exiled former President Nasheed, saying their trials were politically motivated and flawed. It also overturned a previous ruling that disqualified 12 members of parliament after defection, giving the opposition a majority in the Majlis. Country’s current President, Abdulla Yameen, refused to comply with the judgement. He declared a state of emergency, ordered the arrest of the chief justice, another judge and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Amid political turmoil, ex-Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed meets Indian Defence Minister Sitharaman

After President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-crisis-military-continues-to-manhandle-mps-33012">Yameen requested the Maldives </a>Parliament to extend the emergency, the parliamentary committee on national security passed the resolution to extend the ongoing state of emergency for a duration 30 more days.

The Maldives <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/enjoy-excellent-relationship-with-india-calls-for-military-intervention-out-of-line-maldives-32795">government had declared a </a>state of emergency on February 5 for 15 days which was due to expire on Tuesday.

The Parliament&nbsp;committee convened for the crucial debate on Monday as the National Security Committee reviewed the resolution behind closed doors, Maldives media reported.

The Opposition, however, stayed away from the debate, however, in a controversial move the national security committee reportedly amended the constitution to pass the verdict as 43 members were needed to pass the resolution but only 39 were present.

Even as the turmoil in the island nation continued, Maldives ex-president Mohamed Nasheed met India&#39;s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. &nbsp;Nasheed had earlier asked for military help to resolve the crisis which was frowned upon by China.

The Parliament convened for the crucial debate on Monday as the National Security Committee reviewed the resolution behind closed doors, Maldives media reported.

After President Yameen requested the Maldives Parliament to extend the emergency, the parliamentary committee on national security passed the resolution to extend the ongoing state of emergency for a duration 30 more days. The Maldives government had declared a state of emergency on February 5 for 15 days which was due to expire on Tuesday. The Parliament committee convened for the crucial debate on Monday as the National Security Committee reviewed the resolution behind closed doors, Maldives media reported. The Opposition, however, stayed away from the debate, however, in a controversial move the national security committee reportedly amended the constitution to pass the verdict as 43 members were needed to pass the resolution but only 39 were present. Even as the turmoil in the island nation continued, Maldives ex-president Mohamed Nasheed met India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. Nasheed had earlier asked for military help to resolve the crisis which was frowned upon by China.

Maldives Parliamentary committee decides to extend emergency for 1 month

In a veiled attack on China, exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed today accused &quot;a large, emerging power&quot; of &quot;land grab&quot; in the strategically located island and buying up its sovereignty.

He also said this year&#39;s elections in the politically- troubled nation were the last chance to save democracy.

Nasheed, 50, the country&#39;s first democratically-elected leader -- was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency.

He was granted asylum in the UK after he was authorised to seek medical treatment there amid mounting foreign pressure.

He said the opposition would put forward a unity candidate if he was prevented from contesting the elections.

He said it was important to vote out President Abdulla Yameen as &quot;a large, emerging power is busy buying up the Maldives&quot;.

&quot;Buying up our islands, buying up our key infrastructure, and effectively buying up our sovereignty. This land grab is very worrying,&quot; he said in Colombo without directly naming China.

The land grab was happening because of a Free Trade Agreement, Special Economic Zones and an amendment to the Constitution authorising foreign ownership of land or freeholds, Maldives Independent quoted him as saying.

The Constitution previously prohibited foreign ownership of any part of Maldivian territory but was changed in 2015. Critics fear the move could enable China to set up bases in the Maldives.

The Maldives recently signed an FTA with China, causing concerns in India.

This year&#39;s elections were the last chance to save democracy in the country, he said in Colombo, where his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activists are based.

&quot;If I can contest I will. If I am not allowed, it will be seen as unconstitutional,&quot; he said.

The opposition would not boycott the elections if Yameen ignored any UN ruling, he said, adding the four leaders were &quot;in principle, in agreement, about fielding a common candidate&quot;.

While President Yameen&#39;s term in office will end in November this year, according to the Constitution, the presidential elections are to be held in August.

Nasheed was narrowly defeated in 2013 by President Yameen. Nasheed says his conviction on terror charges was politically motivated.

The Maldivian government holds that Nasheed is convicted for a crime and is wanted in the Maldives to serve a jail sentence. Nasheed said he will seek UN support to ensure he is allowed to contest.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency.

In a veiled attack on China, exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed today accused "a large, emerging power" of "land grab" in the strategically located island and buying up its sovereignty. He also said this year's elections in the politically- troubled nation were the last chance to save democracy. Nasheed, 50, the country's first democratically-elected leader -- was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency. He was granted asylum in the UK after he was authorised to seek medical treatment there amid mounting foreign pressure. He said the opposition would put forward a unity candidate if he was prevented from contesting the elections. He said it was important to vote out President Abdulla Yameen as "a large, emerging power is busy buying up the Maldives". "Buying up our islands, buying up our key infrastructure, and effectively buying up our sovereignty. This land grab is very worrying," he said in Colombo without directly naming China. The land grab was happening because of a Free Trade Agreement, Special Economic Zones and an amendment to the Constitution authorising foreign ownership of land or freeholds, Maldives Independent quoted him as saying. The Constitution previously prohibited foreign ownership of any part of Maldivian territory but was changed in 2015. Critics fear the move could enable China to set up bases in the Maldives. The Maldives recently signed an FTA with China, causing concerns in India. This year's elections were the last chance to save democracy in the country, he said in Colombo, where his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) activists are based. "If I can contest I will. If I am not allowed, it will be seen as unconstitutional," he said. The opposition would not boycott the elections if Yameen ignored any UN ruling, he said, adding the four leaders were "in principle, in agreement, about fielding a common candidate". While President Yameen's term in office will end in November this year, according to the Constitution, the presidential elections are to be held in August. Nasheed was narrowly defeated in 2013 by President Yameen. Nasheed says his conviction on terror charges was politically motivated. The Maldivian government holds that Nasheed is convicted for a crime and is wanted in the Maldives to serve a jail sentence. Nasheed said he will seek UN support to ensure he is allowed to contest.

Nasheed accuses China of land grab in Maldives

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

Exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed today asked India to play its role of &quot;liberators&quot; and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in Maldives, in a rebuke to China which has opposed military intervention and called for dialogue to resolve the crisis.

China has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-warns-against-military-intervention-in-maldives-32108" target="_blank">warned</a> against any military intervention in the Maldives, saying such a move would further complicate the situation in the island nation where embattled President Abdulla Yameen, who is closely allied with Beijing, declared a state of emergency on Monday and arrested two top judges.

&quot;Saying &#39;resolve things internally&#39; is akin to asking us to escalate the revolt, which can lead to chaos. Maldivians see India&#39;s role positively: in &#39;88 they came, resolved the crisis, and left. They were not occupiers but liberators. This is why Maldivians look to India now,&quot; Nasheed tweeted.

Nasheed, whose Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) functions from Colombo, had appealed for India&#39;s help yesterday.

&quot;We would like the Indian government to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the judges and the political detainees, including former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, from their detention and to bring them to their homes. We are asking for a physical presence,&quot; Nasheed had tweeted.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-india-to-keep-troops-ready-32037" target="_blank">Turmoil in Maldives, India to keep troops ready</a>

In 1988, the then Maldivian president Abdul Gayoom had sought India&#39;s help to defeat a coup by mercenaries. India responded to his call and dispatched troops to the Maldives to restore order in the country. Most of the Indian soldiers returned home after order was restored in the island nation.

The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago, 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 when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were &quot;politically motivated and flawed&quot;.

Concerned over political crisis in Maldives, India, which is monitoring the situation very &quot;closely&quot;, yesterday said it was &quot;disturbed&quot; on the declaration of the emergency by the Maldivian government and described as a matter of &quot;concern&quot; the arrests of the chief justice and political figures there.

Weighing its options in the fast deteriorating crisis in the Maldives, China has asked political parties in Maldives to find a solution without external intervention after UN, the US and India stepped pressure on Yameen to implement the Supreme Court ruling of setting the detained opposition leaders free.

&quot;The current situation in Maldives is its internal affairs. China follows the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others,&quot; China&#39;s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Maldives&#39; Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency.

In a late night development, the remaining three judges of the Supreme Court last night amended an order to release nine high-profile political prisoners, including Nasheed.

In a statement, the judges said they were revoking the order to release the prisoners &quot;in light of the concerns raised by the President&quot;.

The amendment to the ruling by the Supreme Court on February 1 also omits the part that says the case against the Supreme Court judges was not received by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).

President Yameen welcomed the court&#39;s move to reinstate the convictions of high-profile political prisoners. He had accused the detained judges of plotting to overthrow him.

&quot;I had to declare a national emergency because there was no other way to investigate these judges,&quot; Yameen said in a televised address to the nation last evening.

&quot;We had to find out how thick the plot or coup was,&quot; he said, adding that the chief justice was trying to illegally impeach him and sack the attorney general.

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the Opposition, was also detained at his home.

Nasheed had also asked the US to ensure that all American financial institutions stop all transactions of the Yameen regime&#39;s leaders.

Reacting to these developments, the US yesterday said it was &quot;troubled&quot; and &quot;disappointed&quot; by the declaration of a state of emergency by Yameen and asked him to comply with the rule of law and implement the Supreme Court ruling.

Nasheed, 50, the country&#39;s first democratically-elected leader -- was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency.

He was granted asylum in the UK after he was authorised to seek medical treatment there amid mounting foreign pressure.

Nasheed was narrowly defeated in 2013 by President Yameen. Nasheed says his conviction on terror charges was politically motivated.

The Maldivian government holds that Nasheed is convicted for a crime and is wanted in the Maldives to serve a jail sentence. Nasheed said he will seek UN support to ensure he is allowed to contest this year&#39;s election.&nbsp;

China has warned against any military intervention in the Maldives

Exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed today asked India to play its role of "liberators" and intervene militarily to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in Maldives, in a rebuke to China which has opposed military intervention and called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. China has warned against any military intervention in the Maldives, saying such a move would further complicate the situation in the island nation where embattled President Abdulla Yameen, who is closely allied with Beijing, declared a state of emergency on Monday and arrested two top judges. "Saying 'resolve things internally' is akin to asking us to escalate the revolt, which can lead to chaos. Maldivians see India's role positively: in '88 they came, resolved the crisis, and left. They were not occupiers but liberators. This is why Maldivians look to India now," Nasheed tweeted. Nasheed, whose Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) functions from Colombo, had appealed for India's help yesterday. "We would like the Indian government to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the judges and the political detainees, including former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, from their detention and to bring them to their homes. We are asking for a physical presence," Nasheed had tweeted. Also read: Turmoil in Maldives, India to keep troops ready In 1988, the then Maldivian president Abdul Gayoom had sought India's help to defeat a coup by mercenaries. India responded to his call and dispatched troops to the Maldives to restore order in the country. Most of the Indian soldiers returned home after order was restored in the island nation. The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago, 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 when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed". Concerned over political crisis in Maldives, India, which is monitoring the situation very "closely", yesterday said it was "disturbed" on the declaration of the emergency by the Maldivian government and described as a matter of "concern" the arrests of the chief justice and political figures there. Weighing its options in the fast deteriorating crisis in the Maldives, China has asked political parties in Maldives to find a solution without external intervention after UN, the US and India stepped pressure on Yameen to implement the Supreme Court ruling of setting the detained opposition leaders free. "The current situation in Maldives is its internal affairs. China follows the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of others," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Maldives' Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency. In a late night development, the remaining three judges of the Supreme Court last night amended an order to release nine high-profile political prisoners, including Nasheed. In a statement, the judges said they were revoking the order to release the prisoners "in light of the concerns raised by the President". The amendment to the ruling by the Supreme Court on February 1 also omits the part that says the case against the Supreme Court judges was not received by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). President Yameen welcomed the court's move to reinstate the convictions of high-profile political prisoners. He had accused the detained judges of plotting to overthrow him. "I had to declare a national emergency because there was no other way to investigate these judges," Yameen said in a televised address to the nation last evening. "We had to find out how thick the plot or coup was," he said, adding that the chief justice was trying to illegally impeach him and sack the attorney general. Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the Opposition, was also detained at his home. Nasheed had also asked the US to ensure that all American financial institutions stop all transactions of the Yameen regime's leaders. Reacting to these developments, the US yesterday said it was "troubled" and "disappointed" by the declaration of a state of emergency by Yameen and asked him to comply with the rule of law and implement the Supreme Court ruling. Nasheed, 50, the country's first democratically-elected leader -- was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency. He was granted asylum in the UK after he was authorised to seek medical treatment there amid mounting foreign pressure. Nasheed was narrowly defeated in 2013 by President Yameen. Nasheed says his conviction on terror charges was politically motivated. The Maldivian government holds that Nasheed is convicted for a crime and is wanted in the Maldives to serve a jail sentence. Nasheed said he will seek UN support to ensure he is allowed to contest this year's election.

Ex-Maldives President Nasheed snubs China, asks India to play role of 'liberators'

The Maldives army has been placed on high <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-top-court-seeks-to-impeach-president-attorney-general-says-31739">alert after President Abdulla Yameen </a>refused Supreme Court order to reinstate Opposition leaders &nbsp;including former president Mohamed Nasheed.

The government of the Maldives is seeking to block attempt by the Supreme Court to impeach President Abdulla Yameen for disobeying its order last week to release jailed opposition leaders sparking a constitutional crisis.

The Maldives Supreme Court last week had ordered the release of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and eight other opposition leaders on the grounds that it violated the country&#39;s constitution.

The top court said the leaders should be tried again. The opposition leader were jailed on charges of&nbsp;terrorism&nbsp;and corruption.

The court also ordered the reinstatement of 12 lawmakers who had been stripped of their parliamentary seats which would mean Yameen&#39;s party would slip into a minority in the 85-member house.

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WPQizqETfDQ" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Maldives Supreme Court last week had ordered the release of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and eight other opposition leaders

The Maldives army has been placed on high alert after President Abdulla Yameen refused Supreme Court order to reinstate Opposition leaders including former president Mohamed Nasheed. The government of the Maldives is seeking to block attempt by the Supreme Court to impeach President Abdulla Yameen for disobeying its order last week to release jailed opposition leaders sparking a constitutional crisis. The Maldives Supreme Court last week had ordered the release of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and eight other opposition leaders on the grounds that it violated the country's constitution. The top court said the leaders should be tried again. The opposition leader were jailed on charges of terrorism and corruption. The court also ordered the reinstatement of 12 lawmakers who had been stripped of their parliamentary seats which would mean Yameen's party would slip into a minority in the 85-member house.

Maldives army on alert as President Yameen refuses to reinstate Opposition leaders

The Supreme Court in the Maldives is trying to impeach President Abdulla Yameen for not obeying its order to release jailed opposition leaders, the attorney general said on Sunday, warning of further instability in the Indian Ocean nation.

The Maldives, best known for its luxury resorts, has been in a fresh political crisis since the top court threw out terrorism convictions last week against former president Mohamed Nasheed and others who have been trying to oust the president for years.

Yameen has faced calls at home, and from the United States and India, among other nations, to heed the court decision on Nasheed, the island&#39;s first democratically elected president, and the others, but has dug in his heels so far.

Home to about 400,000 people, the Maldives has also been drawn into a region-wide tussle for influence between India - with which it has long-standing political and security ties - and China, which opened an embassy in 2011 and has offered technical and financial assistance to build infrastructure.

Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government had received information the Supreme Court was preparing to fire Yameen, but such a move would be illegal and resisted by government law enforcement authorities.

&quot;We have received information that things might happen that will lead to a national security crisis,&quot; Anil told reporters in the capital, Male.

&quot;The information says the Supreme Court might issue a ruling to impeach or remove the president from power,&quot; he said, adding that government bodies had been given instructions not to carry out such an order.

Riot police stood guard outside government offices in Male and the Republic Square, a site of protests by opposition activists.

The combined opposition said it feared a military takeover of the islands to preserve Yameen&#39;s grip on power.

&quot;The intimidation of the Supreme Court justices, with the highly irregular statement made by the attorney general defying the Supreme Court, supported by the two chiefs of the security forces, is tantamount to the effective sidelining of the judiciary and in direct contravention of the constitution,&quot; it said in a statement.

&quot;Maldivians are fearful that President Yameen is about to order a full military takeover of the country, in an attempt to ensure he is not removed from office.&quot;

Biggest challenge&nbsp;

The crisis poses the biggest threat to Yameen&#39;s control of the Maldives since he took power in 2013, defeating Nasheed in an election the latter&#39;s supporters say was rigged.

Yameen has stopped short of saying he will not obey the court order. He told a party meeting on Saturday he &quot;did not expect the Supreme Court ruling at all&quot;.

Critics of the government continued to face pressure. On Sunday, police raided the home of Hassan Saeed, the head of the judicial administration department, which the opposition said was considering a corruption investigation into Yameen.

Police said in a statement they were looking to arrest Saeed over an investigation into apartment purchases.

They were also inquiring whether family members of Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, who handed down last week&#39;s ruling, were involved in the apartment purchases, police said.

The political drama in the Maldives, which is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 individual islands, centres on tiny, densely populated Male, the base of all its major institutions.

Besides political wrangling, the largely Muslim island chain is grappling with problems such as significant numbers of radicalised youth who enlisted to fight for the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East.

Yameen on Saturday fired his second police chief in three days.

Yameen has faced calls at home, and from the United States and India, among other nations, to heed the court decision on Nasheed

The Supreme Court in the Maldives is trying to impeach President Abdulla Yameen for not obeying its order to release jailed opposition leaders, the attorney general said on Sunday, warning of further instability in the Indian Ocean nation. The Maldives, best known for its luxury resorts, has been in a fresh political crisis since the top court threw out terrorism convictions last week against former president Mohamed Nasheed and others who have been trying to oust the president for years. Yameen has faced calls at home, and from the United States and India, among other nations, to heed the court decision on Nasheed, the island's first democratically elected president, and the others, but has dug in his heels so far. Home to about 400,000 people, the Maldives has also been drawn into a region-wide tussle for influence between India - with which it has long-standing political and security ties - and China, which opened an embassy in 2011 and has offered technical and financial assistance to build infrastructure. Attorney General Mohamed Anil said the government had received information the Supreme Court was preparing to fire Yameen, but such a move would be illegal and resisted by government law enforcement authorities. "We have received information that things might happen that will lead to a national security crisis," Anil told reporters in the capital, Male. "The information says the Supreme Court might issue a ruling to impeach or remove the president from power," he said, adding that government bodies had been given instructions not to carry out such an order. Riot police stood guard outside government offices in Male and the Republic Square, a site of protests by opposition activists. The combined opposition said it feared a military takeover of the islands to preserve Yameen's grip on power. "The intimidation of the Supreme Court justices, with the highly irregular statement made by the attorney general defying the Supreme Court, supported by the two chiefs of the security forces, is tantamount to the effective sidelining of the judiciary and in direct contravention of the constitution," it said in a statement. "Maldivians are fearful that President Yameen is about to order a full military takeover of the country, in an attempt to ensure he is not removed from office." Biggest challenge The crisis poses the biggest threat to Yameen's control of the Maldives since he took power in 2013, defeating Nasheed in an election the latter's supporters say was rigged. Yameen has stopped short of saying he will not obey the court order. He told a party meeting on Saturday he "did not expect the Supreme Court ruling at all". Critics of the government continued to face pressure. On Sunday, police raided the home of Hassan Saeed, the head of the judicial administration department, which the opposition said was considering a corruption investigation into Yameen. Police said in a statement they were looking to arrest Saeed over an investigation into apartment purchases. They were also inquiring whether family members of Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed, who handed down last week's ruling, were involved in the apartment purchases, police said. The political drama in the Maldives, which is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 individual islands, centres on tiny, densely populated Male, the base of all its major institutions. Besides political wrangling, the largely Muslim island chain is grappling with problems such as significant numbers of radicalised youth who enlisted to fight for the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East. Yameen on Saturday fired his second police chief in three days.

Maldives top court seeks to impeach president, attorney general says

The Supreme Court of Maldives has ordered the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb along with other politicians.

The court ordered the immediate release of high-profile prisoners and held that &quot;the prisoners were free until fair trials could be conducted without undue influence&quot;, a statement said.

The order given Thursday night could be a major blow to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom who has a tight grip on power, controlling institutions like the judiciary, police and the bureaucracy, Fox News reported.

The daily added: &quot;It also means the archipelago state`s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed jailed on terrorism charges, Gayoom`s former deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed for allegedly plotting to kill the president and a host of other imprisoned politicians could be set free.&quot;Ten years ago, Maldives became a multiparty democracy, after decades of autocratic rule.&nbsp;

The order given Thursday night could be a major blow to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom who has a tight grip on power, controlling institutions like the judiciary, police and the bureaucracy, Fox News reported.

The Supreme Court of Maldives has ordered the release of former president Mohamed Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb along with other politicians. The court ordered the immediate release of high-profile prisoners and held that "the prisoners were free until fair trials could be conducted without undue influence", a statement said. The order given Thursday night could be a major blow to President Yameen Abdul Gayoom who has a tight grip on power, controlling institutions like the judiciary, police and the bureaucracy, Fox News reported. The daily added: "It also means the archipelago state`s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed jailed on terrorism charges, Gayoom`s former deputy Ahmed Adeeb jailed for allegedly plotting to kill the president and a host of other imprisoned politicians could be set free."Ten years ago, Maldives became a multiparty democracy, after decades of autocratic rule.

Maldives SC orders release of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed

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;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yz2D3u4G05E"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
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)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

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

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed&nbsp;received the 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award&nbsp;at the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday.

The&nbsp;Rights&nbsp;Award was presented to Nasheed by former high commissioner of the&nbsp;Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe&nbsp;(OSCE),&nbsp;Astrid Thors, on behalf of the&nbsp;coalition of 25 non-governmental human rights groups.

&quot;To President Mohamed Nasheed, for inspiring the world with your extraordinary courage in the defense of liberty and universal human rights,&quot; Thors said while presenting the award.

&quot; It is a great honor to receive this award,&quot;&nbsp;said Nasheed, who thanked human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for helping in&nbsp;freeing him.

&quot;It&#39;s very encouraging to see so many good people doing good work,&nbsp;We may stumble, we may fall, but I assure everyone, we will pick ourselves up and continue with the same work with more vigour than the past.&quot; He said.

The annual summit,&nbsp;held on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council&#39;s annual session, seeks to address the human rights issues around the world that&nbsp;require global attention.

Nasheed&nbsp;joined top&nbsp;dissidents from Cuba, Russia, Turkey, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Mauritania, Iran, Venezuela, who testified on&nbsp;abuses and urged the United Nations&nbsp;Human Rights Council, which opens its annual session next week, to address the human rights records of their home nations.

Nasheed,&nbsp;who has&nbsp;been charged with terrorism and sentenced to jail for 13 years&nbsp;over the abduction and arbitrary detention of a judge during his presidency, has been&nbsp;living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Nasheed has been?living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year

Former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed received the 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award at the 9th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday. The Rights Award was presented to Nasheed by former high commissioner of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Astrid Thors, on behalf of the coalition of 25 non-governmental human rights groups. "To President Mohamed Nasheed, for inspiring the world with your extraordinary courage in the defense of liberty and universal human rights," Thors said while presenting the award. " It is a great honor to receive this award," said Nasheed, who thanked human rights lawyer Amal Clooney for helping in freeing him. "It's very encouraging to see so many good people doing good work, We may stumble, we may fall, but I assure everyone, we will pick ourselves up and continue with the same work with more vigour than the past." He said. The annual summit, held on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Council's annual session, seeks to address the human rights issues around the world that require global attention. Nasheed joined top dissidents from Cuba, Russia, Turkey, Tibet, North Korea, Vietnam, Mauritania, Iran, Venezuela, who testified on abuses and urged the United Nations Human Rights Council, which opens its annual session next week, to address the human rights records of their home nations. Nasheed, who has been charged with terrorism and sentenced to jail for 13 years over the abduction and arbitrary detention of a judge during his presidency, has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom under political asylum for over a year. (WION)

Maldives: Former president Mohamed Nasheed receives 2017 Geneva Summit Courage Award

mohamed-nasheed

Mohamed Nasheed, News on Mohamed Nasheed, stories on Mohamed Nasheed, articles on Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed Nasheed stories at Wion, Mohamed Nasheed news, Mohamed Nasheed latest news

mohamed nasheed