Maldives in Crisis

COMMENTARY

The picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago, Maldives, is gripped by a serious political crisis and turmoil.

On February 5, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country for 15 days. This followed a ruling by the Maldives Supreme Court on February 1 to immediately release nine Opposition leaders, including exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed. The Apex Court had then maintained that these leaders’ trials were “politically motivated and flawed”.

Meanwhile on February 7 Nasheed urged India to play its role as a “liberator” and militarily intervene to resolve the crisis as it had done in 1988 to defeat a coup by mercenaries. This has been seen as a rebuke to Beijing which was opposed to military intervention.

India is highly perturbed over the crisis in Maldives and is learnt to be “closely” monitoring the situation there. It is worried over the declaration of emergency and has called the arrests of the Chief Justice and political figures there as a matter of “concern”.

Observer