Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu should stop being “stubborn” and seek dialogue with neighbours to overcome financial challenges, Former Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said while advising him to improve ties with India, as reported by Maldives-based Adhadhu. President Solih’s remarks come days after President Muizzu, a pro-China leader who led the India-out campaign during Presidential elections last year, had urged India to provide debt relief measures for Maldives as the country is struggling financially to keep its economy afloat.
Notably, while campaigning for his party in Male, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said he had seen media reports that indicate Muizzu wants to speak to India about debt restructuring.
According to the Adhadhu report, Solih emphasised that Maldives’ financial challenges have not been caused by Indian loans. He highlighted that the Maldives owes a debt of MVR 18 billion to China while it owes a debt of MVR 8 billion to India adding that the repayment period is 25 years.
Regarding Muizzu’s recent plea to India, Solih said, “However, I am confident that our neighbours will help. We must stop being stubborn and seek dialogue. There are many parties that can help us. But he [Muizzu] doesn’t want to compromise. I feel they [the government] are starting to understand the situation only now.”
Solih said that neighbours and Islamic nations from the Middle East will help the Maldives. However, in a sarcastic tone, he slammed Muizzu’s government’s foreign policy stating that Maldives has “received only 50 tonnes of dates” from the Middle East due to the actions of the Muizzu-led government, Adhadhu reported.
The former Maldivian President accused the Muizzu government of deceiving people and relaunching projects started by the MDP government.
After leading India-out campaign, Muizzu calls India the “closest ally”, and sought debt restructuring
During, and after the Presidential election campaign, Mohamed Muizzu peddled anti-India rhetoric and led a smear campaign against India, India-out campaign. The ties between the neighbours, have deteriorated ever since he assumed office in November. The social media row following Maldivian Ministers’ disparaging remarks about India, Indians, and PM Modi after he had visited Lakshadweep, had further strained diplomatic ties with several Indians announcing boycott of their trip to Maldives.
While the first overseas trip by Maldivian presidents had always been to their neighbour India, Muizzu visited China in January, making his first state visit. Seen as a pro-Chinese leader, Muizzu is yet to visit India even after four months of assuming power in Male.
Additionally, Muizzu demanded the complete withdrawal of 88 Indian military personnel deployed at three aviation platforms used for humanitarian and medical evacuations in the Maldives by May 10th. As a result, the first batch of 26 Indian military personnel left the island nation and were replaced by civilians.
However, Muizzu recently made conciliatory comments towards India in the wake of the upcoming Parliament elections in Maldives on the 21st of April.
Last week, President Muizzu requested New Delhi for debt relief measures, stating that India will continue to remain Maldives’ “closest ally,” local media reported.
Despite leading the India-out campaign, Muizzu recently claimed that he has “not taken any action nor made any statements” that may strain the relationship between the two countries.
In his first interview after assuming office in November last year, Muizzu told local media ‘Mihaaru’ that he hopes India will accommodate debt relief measures for the Maldives’. He sought India’s help in the repayment of the hefty loans taken from New Delhi over consecutive governments, Adhadhu reported.
He said, “The conditions we have inherited are such that there are very large loans taken from India. Hence, we are holding discussions to explore leniencies in the repayment structure of these loans. Instead of halting any ongoing projects, proceed with them at speed. So I see no reason for any adverse effects [on Maldives-India relations].”
Taking a jibe at his changed stance, Former President Solih advised him not to be stubborn and understand that improving ties with India and seeking dialogue can help Maldives mitigate its financial troubles.
