Nasheed party gets 4-day deadline to join Maldives govt

Giving a four-day deadline to ousted President Mohammad Nasheed's MDP, Maldives' new regime today asked the party to join the national unity government but it stuck to its demand for snap polls, even as India's Foreign Secretary met all stakeholders here to help ease the political crisis.

"President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has sent a letter to [Nasheed's] Maldivian Democratic Party [MDP] requesting it to inform, before February 20, its decision on joining the national unity government," a statement issued by the new regime said.

However, the MDP, which had sought snap polls, said it had already informed the government that it would not join it since it did not recognise the regime.

"We have officially informed them that we will not join the government. There was a resolution of the party which said we don't recognise the government," party sources said.

The move came on a day when Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai was here for talks with key stakeholders. Mathai, who came here last night, met Hassan, Nasheed and other Maldivian leaders.

Days after he expressed disappointment with India's stand on the Maldives' political crisis, Nasheed said that he was now "much more satisfied" with the approach of New Delhi.

"It was very promising," 44-year-old Nasheed said last night following his meeting with Mathai.

In his letter to MDP President Ibrahim Didi, Hassan said that at a time when the country was deeply divided, the way forward in achieving national aspirations was through working together and a fully inclusive government, a statement released by his office said.

He urged MDP to join the national unity government that he was striving to form, it said.