Mohamad Muizzu asks Inda to withdraw its troops by March 15

Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu asks Inda to withdraw its troops by March 15.

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After returning from China, Maldives President Mohamad Muizzu briefed the media on Sunday which has increased India and Maldives diplomatic tensions. He requested India to withdraw its military presence from Maldives and also set a deadline of March 15.

He clearly said that Mohamad Muizzu asks Inda to withdraw its troops by March 15 while interacting with Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public police secretary at the Muizzu’s office. He emphasized Muizzu’s policy and said that Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives.

Mohamad Muizzu asks Inda to withdraw its troops by March 15

Recently, there was a high-level core group meeting to negotiate the withdrawal of the troops. However, Ibrahim said that the agenda was to request the withdrawal.

There are 88 Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives to operate helicopters and surveillance aircraft that India has gifted to the island nation.

Mohamad Muizzu is pro-China as he opted to visit China before India and also signed 20 key agreements. China has granted USD 130 million in assistance for his country. Muizzu said the bulk of the USD 130 million assistance will be spent on redeveloping the roads in Male, where the mayor election is being held on Saturday. That is approximately USD 130 million in grants.

Last week, after Social Media Controversy, Maldives suspended 3 Ministers for Derogatory Tweets on Indian PM. The controversy – triggered by posts criticising Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep – erupted on the same day that Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu embarked on a five-day visit to China.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu after returning back on Saturday struck a defiant note saying that his country may be small but “doesn’t give them the license to bully us”.

He vowed that he would not allow any external influence on the domestic affairs of the Maldives. Male is also reviewing more than 100 bilateral agreements with New Delhi signed by the previous government.

Overall, the tensions are getting increased between India and Maldives; India has not given any statement yet. PM Modi may soon announce something in this matter in press conference. But this definitely going to hamper the cordial relations of India and Maldives.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s party loses mayoral polls

On Saturday, Mayoral election also took place in male in which the president lost. In 2023, he had resigned from this post to participate in presidential elecetion.

The Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) candidate, Adam Azim, has been elected as the new mayor of Male, defeating President Mohamed Muizzu’s People’s National Congress. The MDP is led by pro-India former president Mohammad Solih, who was defeated by Muizzu in the presidential elections.

Azim’s win secured 5,303 votes out of 41 boxes counted, against his rival Aishath Azima Shakoor of Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC) who garnered 3,301 votes. His victory considered as “landslide” and “victory by a large margin.

How is an election system work in Maldives?

The Maldives is a presidential republic, and its political system involves the election of the President, the People’s Majlis (parliament), and local councils.

  1. The President of the Maldives is elected through a popular vote. The president serves as both the head of state and the head of government.
  2. Members of the People’s Majlis, the unicameral legislative body of the Maldives, are elected by citizens. The election process involves various electoral constituencies.
  3. Local councils, which operate at the island and atoll levels, are also subject to elections. Residents of the respective islands and atolls participate in the election of their local council members.

The specific details of the election system, including voting procedures, eligibility criteria, and electoral districts, may be subject to changes based on legislative amendments or other developments.

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