Maldivian President Mohammed Muizzu has said that if India does not withdraw its forces from the Indian Ocean archipelago, democracy in his country will be in danger.
Muizzu, who is inclined towards China, said that if the Indian Army remains in Maldives, it would mean disregarding the ‘democratic will’ of the people of Maldives.
In an exclusive interview, Muizzu said, “India not withdrawing its forces from the Indian Ocean archipelago would mean disregarding the ‘democratic will’ of the people of Maldives, and would jeopardize the future of democracy in our country.”
However, Muizzu has supported defense cooperation with India, including efforts to build the operational readiness of the Maldives National Defense Force. He said it is based on mutual respect and trust. Let us tell you that as soon as he became the President, he had rejected any permanent military presence of India in Maldives.
Along with this, Muizzu expressed confidence that Maldives and India will resolve the issue of military presence through mutual talks. He said the presence of foreign military personnel in Maldives without parliamentary approval is against the basic spirit of the Constitution.
When asked about his alleged inclination towards China, he said, he is only going to follow a pro-Maldives policy. Media reports say that Muizzu may visit China before traveling to India.
He said, “We will not be “anti” to any country. Or will not be a supporter of any country. My government will adopt a ‘pro-Maldives’ policy. The principle guiding the pro-Maldives policy is to protect and promote the interests of the Maldives. “We will then align this with global public interests to maintain peace and security at the global and regional levels, and promote growth and prosperity in an inclusive and sustainable fashion.”
According to media reports, currently 77 Indian soldiers are deployed in Maldives. Of these, 24 are deployed to manage helicopters, 25 to manage Dornier aircraft and 26 to manage other helicopters.
Apart from these, two more Indian soldiers are there for maintenance and engineering. After winning the elections in September, Muizzu had announced to send back all the Indians.
However, he had clarified that Indian soldiers will not be replaced by Chinese soldiers in Maldives.