Maldivian opposition today called on India to take on a more active role in "restoring democracy" in the island nation and put pressure on President Abdulla Yameen's government by taking steps like imposing sanctions.
"The Maldives United Opposition supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Region First' policy, without reservation. We believe that the Indian Ocean is India's Ocean, and it should remain that way," Ahmed Naseem, former Maldivian Foreign Minister and senior leader of Mohamed Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), said here.
"We reject President Yameen's attempts to balance priorities between our neighbour India on the one hand, and a large country 5,000 kilometres away, on the other. We believe that Yameen's policy of playing one country off against another is undesirable, untenable and unwarranted," he said in an apparent reference to China and India during an interaction at the Observer Research Foundation.
Asserting that India can play a much bigger role in the Maldives, Naseem sought more active Indian role in bringing back democracy on track in his country.
"India should not allow fatigue to set in," Naseem said when asked about what the opposition expected from India.
Naseem, who is heading a delegation of shadow ministers of the Maldives United Opposition which has brought together political leaders and parties from across the spectrum, expressed concern over "growing radicalisation" in that country and alleged that there were training camps of ISIS on its soil.
Naseem said Maldives United Opposition is trying to get the message across that it is impossible to have an election in 2018 under the prevailing conditions.
"So we are appealing to the government of India as our closest and the biggest democracy in the world to pressure the government of the Maldives to get away from what they are doing," he said.
"We know that even major countries huge countries...Also bend to pressure...Sanctions, various things...And Maldives you know is no exception. 80 per cent of the foreign exchange is earned through tourism," Naseem said.
The call for sanctions was made during an interaction between Naseem-led visiting delegation of the shadow ministers of the newly-launched Maldives United Opposition with experts, media and the diplomatic community here.
Naseem, shadow minister for foreign affairs, said the primary objective of the Maldives United Opposition is to bring the country back on a democratic path, which respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, as guaranteed under the Maldives' Constitution.
"President Yameen has shown no interest in upholding the Constitution he was elected to protect. Instead, he has made it abundantly clear -- through his words and deeds -- that he intends to make the Maldives an authoritarian state under his rule," he alleged.
Naseem said that the opposition will continue to make
efforts for restoration of democracy and remained hopeful that with a little "push and shove" it could achieve its objective.
He clarified that the opposition was not looking for foreign interference, but intervention to safeguard human rights.
Attacking Yameen, he said, "The only way for the Maldives to return to constitutional government, for freedom to be respected and democracy to be upheld, is through the removal of President Yameen from office".
Naseem accused President Yameen of "selling his foreign policy for money".
Shadow minister of defence and national security Abdullah Ameen said, "If India and the members of international community neglect us on this critical time, the results could be dangerous beyond imagination. The Indian Ocean might fall under unforeseen peril."
Shadow education minister Sifa Mohamed described how the situation in the education sector has become worrisome.
"The education sector is becoming increasingly centralised, conservative, intolerant and anti-democratic," she alleged.
Sifa said in recent years, "religious extremism has also emerged as a serious threat and sadly it has brought about radical changes in the direction of our curriculum."
Shadow minister of health, social protection and gender, Shidhatha Shareef said the Maldivian economy has become the "second worst in the South Asia region, next to Afghanistan, with only 1.9 per cent growth".
Naseem slammed Yameen's policy of "leaning towards" China and moving away from traditional ally India.
"I think what we are calling on the international community is for targeted sanctions on regime supporters. Sanctions is a very big thing but we are getting there," he said and also underlined that Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), of which India is a part, can play a role.
"The purpose of this event is for us to describe the compelling reasons why an interim arrangement is crucial, to restore democracy, and protect many people from being persecuted," Naseem added.
The Maldives United Opposition, a coalition of five rival groups, was launched earlier this month in London. Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel was named its leader and the chairperson of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, Ali Waheed, was named his deputy.
Former President Nasheed, Adhaalath Party Leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim are serving as advisors to the united opposition.
