Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu in an interview with Indian news outlet Times Of India asked the Indian government to withdraw their forces from the Indian Ocean archipelago and warned that if not adhered to then it will be understood as disrespecting the “democratic will” of the Maldivian people which will risk the democratic future of the nation.
In his interview The President said, “Maldivian people have a very no to the idea of foreign military personnel being stationed in the Maldives. Right now, it is India that maintains such a presence in the Maldives. To hounour this mandate, I have requested India to return the military personnel.” “If our partners disregard the will of the great majority of the people of the Maldives, the future of democracy in the country will be in peril,” he added.
He declared that it is against the letter and spirit of the constitution for foreign military personnel to be present without parliamentary approval.
He conveyed confidence that a dialogue would be used to resolve the issue of military presence. The Maldivan President emphasised the importance of their bilateral relationship with India and supported defence cooperation, which included building the Maldives National Defence Force.
“Defence cooperation in the maritime sector is a long-standing area of cooperation between our countries. We are confident that India’s relationship with us is also based on the same principles,” Muizzu said.
